Fenton Friday: Dahlia Debut

The Dahlias are opening! As the rains from Hurricane Ian arrive in our region, I ran out to cut some of the dahlias from our garden plot before they become too waterlogged. We need the rain after a very dry last couple of weeks, so it will be nice to enjoy the blooms indoors.

Speaking of Dahlias, we attended the national American Dahlia Society meeting last weekend in Reston, VA. See a summary of that event here and tips for growing Dahlias here.

The rest of the plot is cooking along with the cool-season seedlings all putting on good growth including the Golden Chard, Kale, Broccoli, 'Round Black Spanish' Radish, Bauer' Lettuce, and 'Snak Hero' Snap Peas.

We are still picking a few handfuls a week from the Cucamelons (Melothria scabra), cherry tomatoes, okra, and peppers -- along with cutting small bouquets of the Zinnias, Celosia, Marigolds, and Tithonia.

The Holy Basil is flowering and setting seeds, which I hope to collect and share.

My big pumpkin is still about half-way orange and more small pumpkins have formed on the vine. I'm not sure those little ones will be able to harden off before it gets cold here.

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 11th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Discuss "One Man's Garden" with the Washington Gardener Magazine Garden Book Club

(This post include links to Amazon.com and BookShop.org for ordering them. Washington Gardener Magazine may receive a few cents from each order placed after you click on these links.)

For our next Garden Book Club selection, we will be discussing One Man's Garden by Henry Mitchell.

"Henry Mitchell, who died in November 1993, was one of America's most beloved garden writers. He was especially famous for his weekly "Earthman" columns in the Washington Post."

We will also be picking books for our 2023 garden book club meetings. Please be prepared to share your suggestions!

You can order it new or used at our Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3SGmsNo

or at our Bookshop store: https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780395957691

Our Fall 2022 club meeting will be on Thursday, November 17 from 6:30-8pm ET via Zoom.
To join us, register here: 

 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAoduCspjwoHdXFr5fyvwqO8548SM9iCic8

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club meets quarterly via Zoom and is free and open to all. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

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Dahlia Plant Profile

Dahlia Plant Profile

Dahlia is a tuberous plant that produces ornamental flowers. The blooms range in size from small to quite large. They can range widely in form and coloration as well.

The Dahlia is native to the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala. It is hardy to zones 8 to 11, so it is treated as an annual in other growing zones. The tuberous roots are dug up each autumn and then stored indoors for the winter. They can be potted up or planted directly in the ground once the soils warm up again in the spring.

Dahlias need a site with good drainage and part to full sun. Due to their hollow stems and heavy flowers, most Dahlia plants will need to be staked or caged for support. In many ways, Dahlia growing is similar to how you would care for Tomato plants.

Dahlias do best with regular fertilizing. They do not need to be watered often and the tubers can actually rot if over-watered.

Dahlias are terrific cut flowers and only a few plants will give you months of blooms for beautiful bouquets.

Dahlia: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio and text by Kathy Jentz

Video and editing by Brandie Bland

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

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Win Passes to the Fall Maryland Home and Garden Show in the September 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our September 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away five pairs of passes to the Fall Maryland Home and Garden Show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds (prize value: $18).

   If your home-sweet-home is looking more like a haunted house, the Fall Maryland Home and Garden Show has the contractors, DIY experts, and home amenities to spruce up your space for the holidays.

The show’s special guest is professional pumpkin sculptor and veteran of the Food Network’s Halloween Wars, Nancy Baker. She’ll be showing off incredible creations and sharing tips to make your jack-o-lantern the talk of the neighborhood. Hundreds of exhibitors will be on hand, offering everything from a full remodel of your kitchen and bath to hot tubs and fire pits for your outdoor spaces. 

   The Fall Maryland Home & Garden Show runs from Friday, October 21, through Sunday, October 23. See more details online at www.mdhomeandgarden.com/fall/.

   To enter to win a pair of passes to the Maryland Home & Garden Show, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on September 30 with “Maryland Home & Garden Show” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the September 2022 issue and why. Please also include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on October 1.

UPDATE: The pass winners have been notified. Thank you to all who entered! 

Monday Thoughts: "I like gardening- it's a place I find myself when I need to lose myself." - Alice Sebold

"I like gardening- it's a place I find myself when I need to lose myself."

- Alice Sebold

GardenDC Podcast Episode 121: Gold Medal Plants

In this episode, we talk all about the Gold Medal Plants program with Andrew Bunting, Vice President of Horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The plant profile is on Dahlias and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support.

The SHOW NOTES: 01:00 Welcome back returning guest Andrew Bunting, vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 01:32 What’s growing in Andrew’s garden? 04:44 “I don't know what it is about toad lilies… but the typical toad lily seems to be the number one plant the rabbits like.” - Andrew 05:36 What is the Gold Medal Plants program? 08:08 “Since we’ve been doing this for nearly 40 years or so, there’s nearly 200 plants on the list.” - Andrew 10:50 Pruning the winner’s list 11:18 “We’re pretty mindful of things that are actually on invasive lists or are exhibiting a propensity for invasiveness.” - Andrew 18:55 Abelia x grandiflora ‘Little Richard’, glossy abelia 21:37 Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze®’, Freeman maple 24:56 Cornus kousa ‘Scarlet Fire®’, Kousa dogwood 26:50 Heuchera 'Caramel', coral bells 29:20 Ilex opaca 'Maryland Dwarf', American holly 31:17 Pycnanthemum muticum, mountain mint 34:37 A sneak peak at 2023’s medalists 43:58 Which medalists have remained Andrew’s favorites? 47:20 “I have to prune from time to time because, if we have a dew in the morning, the mailman has to go through them and he gets sopping wet.” - Andrew 52:55 PHSonline.org’s searchable database of medalists 55:10 This week’s plant profile… Dahlia! 56:44 What’s new in the garden? Autumn’s arrival, seedling thinning, and summer annuals 57:21 What’s going on around town? Magazine delivery, talks, festivals, and sales

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 94: Magnolias

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-94-magnolias.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 60: Hydrangeas

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-60-hydrangeas.html

This episode is archived online at:

https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Gold-Medal-Plants-e1o94n1

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite platform so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:

Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Editing: Brandie Bland
Show Notes: Jaime Breeden

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Fenton Friday: Peas Popping

Pea seedlings emerged.

This week we thinned all the seedlings we planted two weeks ago including the Chard, Kale, and 'Round Black Spanish' Radish. We sampled the baby seedlings and the Chard has a very strong beet taste, while the baby Kale takes like a mild cabbage. The Radish seedling tastes a bit like a radish, but also a bit cabbage-y.

The two crops we planted from seed last week -- 'Bauer' Lettuce and 'Snak Hero' Snap Pea -- are both up and doing well. (See pic of the pea seedlings above.)

We are still picking a few handfuls a week from the Cucamelons (Melothria scabra), cherry tomatoes, okra, and peppers. I donated some of the latter two and also Chinese Garlic Chives to a recent harvest collection for the hungry that we did at the garden.

The Zinnias are still flowering prolifically as are the other cut flowers (Tithonia, Celosia, and Marigolds). The Holy Basil is looking great and flowering up a storm which makes the bees very happy.

My big pumpkin is about half-way orange and I cannot wait to cut it from the stem to use for Halloween decor!

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 11th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

September 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine

 

The September 2022 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

It is posted and archived online at:  

 https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/sept22-wgmag-final

Inside this issue:

• Russian Sage A Perennial Workhorse 
• Key Lessons from the Urban Tree Summit
• Wasp Season
• Great Gardening Books Reviewed
• Top Tips for Planting Flower Bulbs
• Planting Shallots in the Fall
• Going Beyond Behnke’s with Stephanie Fleming
• Friends Groups Support Public Gardens
• Attracting Blue Jays to Your Garden
• DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar
•  and much more…

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the October 2022 issue are due by October 5. 

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

Dianthus Plant Profile

Dianthus Plant Profile

Dianthus (Dianthus spp.) is a flowering plant family that includes the familiar florist carnations. Dianthus are mainly native to Europe and Asia. They are also known as Sweet William or Pinks.

Dianthus can be annual or perennial. If perennial, they are generally hardy from zones 3 to 9.

The plants range from ground-hugging types to varieties that are two feet tall. The foliage and stems are a pretty blue-green and have a waxy feel to them. These long-lasting blooms make a terrific cut flower.

The flowers come in hues from white to pink to red. Many have splotches of accent colors in the center or interesting variegated patterns. The zig-zag or fringed edge of the flower petals is distinctive and sets them apart from most other blooms.

They have a spicy-sweet scent usually described as clove-like.

Dianthus prefers full to part sun and well-draining, alkaline soils. They do well in container plantings and rock gardens.

Remove the spent flowers to encourage re-blooming and fertilize them a few times during the growing season. Divide perennial Dianthus every few years in early spring.

Dianthus: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio and text by Kathy Jentz

Video and editing by Brandie Bland

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

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~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

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Monday Thoughts: "A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust."

"A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust."

- Gertrude Jekyll

GardenDC Podcast Episode 120: Japanese Maples

In this episode, we talk all about Japanese Maples with Matt Millage, formerly with the USNA and now Public Space Manager for the Georgetown BID in Washington, DC. The plant profile is on Dianthus and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support.

SHOW NOTES:

01:11 Introducing Matt Millage, former horticulturalist for the US National Arboretum, now public Apace Manager for the Georgetown Business Improvement District. 02:04 What have you been up to since we last talked? 07:25 “That’s one of my favorite parts about Japanese Maples, the history.”- Matt 10:25 Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum): centuries of cultural significance 20:03 Where to plant your Japanese Maples 20:50 “Plant it proud and plant it high.” -Matt 23:25 How do Japanese Maples feel about competition? 25:40 Burnt leaf edges and how to avoid them (How to keep those tender leaves healthy) 31:40 Japanese Maples in the changing climate 35:15 When to plant and how to help them grow 38:02 Proper pruning techniques 38:08 “You’re looking to take out the three D’s first. Anything dead, diseased, or dying.” -Matt 40:45 Diagnosing and defeating disease 42:53 Japanese Maple Cultivars and sourcing standouts 48:43 Sizes for any setting 52:32 “Away to experience the garden up close as well and really be in union with that tree.” -Kathy 53:08 How to reach Matt 54;00 This week’s plant profile is… Dianthus! 55:41 What’s new in the garden? Clematis seed heads, Fenton seedlings, and mini vegetable harvesting. 56:29 What’s going on around town? Tudor Place Weed Wrangle, Mount Vernon plant sale, Ikebana International Chapter No.1 Luncheon & Demo.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 85: Camellias

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/12/gardendc-podcast-episode-85-camellias.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 82: Persimmons and Other Unusual Fall Fruits with Stanton Gill

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-82-persimmons.html

This episode is archived online at: 

https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Japanese-Maples-e1nui4l

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite platform so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:

Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Editing: Brandie Bland
Show Notes: Jaime Breeden

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