"In gardens, the struggle between life and death is laid bare.”
- Marta McDowell
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we chat with Marta McDowell, author of Gardening Can Be Murder and Du Pont Gardens of the Brandywine Valley*. The plant profile is on Blue Mist Shrub 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 Fun with Pumpkins by Christy Page at the Food Gardening Network.
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
Show Notes: 00:01:08 Gardening enthusiast turned garden writer. 00:01:48 Gardening family traditions. 00:06:04 Marta’s incredible shrinking lawn. 00:09:47 Emily Dickinson's gardening interests. 00:10:56 Combining passions through serendipity. 00:18:21 The DuPont gardens are breathtaking. 00:19:11 Haunting garden space at Hagley. 00:23:04 Gardening Can Be Murder. 00:24:44 Gardening and murder connections. 00:27:12 Gardening as a form of violence. 00:30:05 Deadly tools in the garden. 00:31:11 Garden settings inspire mystery writers. 00:36:47 Plant blindness helps crime writers. 00:37:06 Plant forensics. 00:41:15 The battle for sunlight. 00:47:02 Deadly plants in crime fiction. 00:51:15 Fictional plants in mystery novels. 00:56:33 Marta's new books. 00:56:40 Gardening Can Be Murder is a fun read. 01:00:02 Gardening events in Washington D.C. 01:01:18 Advocating for low-impact native habitat landscaping. 01:04:30 Perfect lawn alternatives. 01:06:05 Pumpkins are versatile and enjoyable. 01:08:37 Jack-o'-lantern enjoyment.
Plot 16 - looking a bit wild and woolly at the end of the season. |
This was a very mild weather week again, so it feels weird to be discussing winter prep and clearing out the plot. I still have peppers, cucamelons, blackberries, tomatoes, and zucchini producing well -- along with lots of cut-flowers. I've stopped watering all those and when a frost hits will be ripping them all out and planting garlic or covering the open ground with straw.
I noticed that the asparagus foliage is finally starting to yellow and that will all need cutting back once it does.
The dahlia tubers will stay in the ground this year as I learned my lesson last year and needn't bother trying to dig and store them again.
I am filling white kitty litter jugs with water as we drain our cistern for the winter and still have some water available for those of us still growing cool-season crops.
My cool-season crops of arugula, radish, and cilantro seedlings are all doing well. I'm still watering those and weeding around them a bit.
How is your garden plot growing this week?
For our October 2023 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a $100 gift certificate to buy bulbs online from Flowerbulbs.com ($100.00 prize value).
Looking for inspiration for your home and garden? Flowerbulbs.com is all about bulbs, bulb flowers, and bulbs in pots. Visit Flowerbulbs.com for inspiration for gardens, the most beautiful bouquets, holidays, and celebrations, and DIY tips with flowers and bulbs.
To enter, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on October 31 with “Flowerbulbs.com” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the October 2023 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine and why. Include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on (or shortly after) November 1.
UPDATE:
The contest winner is Douglas Reimel of Clarksburg, MD. Congratulations, Doug!
“The planet has huge problems and more and more people recognize that, but they all feel powerless – what can one person do? But one person can do a lot.”
- Doug Tallamy
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we chat with Jarema Osofsky of Dirt Queen NYC all about Moon Gardens*. The plant profile is on Cilantro 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 Bumper Crops by Christy Page at the Food Gardening Network.
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
Show Notes: 00:01:10 Moon gardening and Jarema Osofsky. 00:06:43 Plants have healing effects. 00:07:11 The healing impacts of plants. 00:09:48 Moon gardening brings nature at night. 00:10:28 Moon gardening history. 00:14:29 Gardening in the dark. 00:17:31 Moon gardens can be incorporated into existing gardens. 00:19:17 Blue lighting and its effects. 00:21:09 Moon gardens enhance nighttime relaxation. 00:26:30 The night-blooming Cereus. 00:30:01 Other night-blooming plants in moon garden. 00:34:36 Heightened senses at night. 00:34:41 Moon gardens are sensory havens. 00:36:14 Moon gardening brings healing and tranquility. 00:39:07 Soil as the foundation. 00:43:03 Great plants for moon gardens. 00:46:39 What's new in the garden? 00:51:14 Low-maintenance alternatives to lawns. 00:53:33 Maximize tomato harvest with strategies. 00:55:08 Strategies for managing tomato harvest. 00:57:05 Embrace challenges and share abundance. 00:57:12 Tomato bumper crop bonanza.
The holiday season is here and I bet you have a gardener on your gift list, so we've updated our annual a Holiday Gifts for Gardener...