Saturday, September 30, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 167: Flinging with the Garden Tourist

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we chat with Jana Milbocker, the Garden Tourist, all about the recent Fling tours of gardens in the greater Philadelphia, PA, region. The plant profile is on Jujube and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Cooking with Apples by Christy Page at the Food Gardening Network.

Jana's books:

*Amazon affiliate link

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

~ GardenDC Episode 34: Colorful Foliage and Longwood's Mum Festival with Karl Gercens
https://washingtongarner.blogspot.com/2020/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-34-colorful.html

~ GardenDC Episode 111: Flower Combinations with Jenny Rose Carey

~ GardenDC Episode 43: Galanthus with David L. Culp

~ GardenDC Episode 94: Magnolias with Andrew Bunting


BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 
See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

Show Notes will be posted on 10-3-2023.

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/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 podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Interview Edit and Show Notes: Christine Folivi

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Friday, September 29, 2023

Fenton Friday: Cool Season Seeds In

Arugula seedlings

I missed posting last week because I was at The Fling touring gardens around the Philadelphia area with about 100 other garden bloggers and social media influencers (more on that in tomorrow's GardenDC Podcast episode).

We did manage to get several kinds of cool-season seeds in before and after the Fling trip. We planted two types of arugula: 'Astro' and 'Rocky', 'Round Black Spanish' radish, 'Bloomsdale Long Standing' spinach, and 'Chioggia' beets. We also planted 'Long Standing' cilantro in a container as well as a row in the ground to compare how those do and which method is more successful. The radish and arugula are already up! I always forget how fast these seeds germinate in warm soils, unlike the early spring where they may take a while to get going. 

This past week has been a rainy one and that has been great for the garden. We got some weeding in and put fresh woodchips on the shared pathways around our plot as well as down the center of it.

The storms caused my basil plants to split and fall down, so I cut some of those back and made a batch of pesto last night and need to get the rest of the basil pulled and made into pesto to freeze soon.

We harvested more zucchini, blackberries, cucamelons, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. We also cut more bouquets of zinnias and dahlias.

How is your garden plot growing this week?

 

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 12th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)  See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).
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Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ Plant Profile

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ Plant Profile

Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' is a tender perennial salvia. It has bright-green foliage and brilliant blue flowers with purple-black calyces. Digital photos don’t do it justice, it is a true-blue that really is striking to see in-person in the late summer to early autumn garden.

It is also known as the Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue' and the Brazilian Anise Sage 'Black and Blue'. The Latin names were previously Salvia caerulea and Salvia melanocalyx.

Butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators love its tubular flowers. 

The leaves are fragrant and deer do not bother it.

It grows best in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. It will flop if planted in too much shade. It grows 2 to 5 feet high and wide.

Deadhead the spent flowers to encourage additional blooms. Otherwise, it is pretty low-maintenance.

It is hardy to USDA Zones 7 through 10 and can survive here in the Mid-Atlantic if we have a mild winter, but if you think we will have a hard winter, cut it back and pot up several plant divisions in the fall for overwintering in a sunny window.

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’ 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, text, and video/photos by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Christine Folivi

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Monday, September 25, 2023

Monday Thoughts: "The first breath of autumn was in the air, a prodigal feeling, a feeling of wanting, taking, and keeping before it is too late." - J. L. Carr

"The first breath of autumn was in the air,  a prodigal feeling,  a feeling of wanting, taking, and keeping before it is too late." - J. L. Carr

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Sunday, September 24, 2023

Win a bag of First Saturday Lime in the September 2023 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our September 2023 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a bag of First Saturday Lime ($32.99/20lb bag).

   First Saturday Lime (FSL) is the strongest and safest pesticide alternative on the market. Unlike traditional lime, it’s safe enough for use around kids, pets, and ponds when used as directed. With just a once-monthly application (we suggest the first Saturday of every month...wink, wink), it is strong enough to dry up insects and their eggs and larvae, while destroying odors and odor-causing bacteria. First Saturday Lime is non-flammable, and has no known health hazards as compared to diatomaceous earth. While other products are caustic, or poisonous to humans and animals, FSL is safe because it is insoluble and will not react with skin or moisture. The company has taken extra, lengthy steps to make their formula fine (with a cake flour-like consistency), so it’s easier to use and more effective. For more information, visit https://firstsaturdaylime.com/. 

   To enter, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on September 30 with “First Saturday Lime ” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the September 2023 issue of Washington Gardener and why. Include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on (or shortly after) October 1. 

UPDATE:
The winner is Peter Frandsen. Congratulations, Peter!

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Saturday, September 23, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 166: Figs

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we chat with Jon Traunfeld, Program Director of the UMD Home & Garden Information Center, all about growing figs. The plant profile is on Cleome and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out Dr. Allan Armitage**, who returns to share the Last Word on Critters.

**Dr. Allan Armitage is offering GardenDC listeners a discount for free domestic shipping when ordering his books through June 2024 at allanarmitage.net, simply enter the code LASTWORD at checkout.

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

~ GardenDC Episode 22: Fruit Trees, Crape Myrtle, and Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-22-fruit-trees.html

~ GardenDC Episode 25: Growing Paw Paws

~ GardenDC Episode 82: Persimmons


BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 
See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

Show Notes: 01:18 Welcome Jon Traunfeld, Program Director of the UMD Home and Garden Information Center 01:56 Were you born with chlorophyll in your veins and a green thumb? 03:07 Traunfeld’s education background 03:48 Traunfeld’s life and career 05:56 The relationship between USDA to the extension and the agricultural based colleges like University of Maryland 07:16 What is the Master Gardener program? 09:27 What is in Traunfeld’s personal garden like… 10:17 Traunfeld’s Fig tree 12:00 Confirming Fig Varieties 12:54 Fig Propagation 13:53 What is the best time of year to take cuttings? 14:35 What is the best length to cut at? 15:51 Other ways you might inherit a Fig Tree 17:06 Average price of a fig tree 18:10 What's fabulous about figs? 19:34 Figs can be grown in containers and barrels 21:16 Planting Fig trees 24:28 Weather for fig trees 27:11 What winter care do Fig trees need? 28:21 Traunfeld whacked his tree back! 30:36 Best advice for pruning figs 32:58 You only need one fig 34:08 Certain figs need a specialized wasp to pollinate them 34:49 Finding Figs in grocery stores 35:08 How to tell a fig is ripe 37:10 Ways to enjoy Figs 39:28 Traunfeld describes the flavor of Fig 41:00 How to deal with Wasp and Hornets that love ripening fruit 43:33 Best Fig varieties for our region 45:01 Should Little Miss Figgy be fertilized? 46:38 Traunfeld gives his best fig growing advice 47:27 Want to contact Traunfeld? 49:12 Want to start a podcast with Spotify? Learn more from Kathy Jentz 50:31 Plant Profile: Cleome Hassleriana 52:10 What's new in the garden this week: Milkweed pods have burst open! 52:48 Upcoming Events in the Washington DC region 54:53 The Urban Gardener by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight 55:58 Groundcover Revolution by Kathy Jentz 57:19 The Last Word on Critters with Dr. Allan Armitage

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/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 podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Interview Edit and Show Notes: Christine Folivi

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