Saturday, March 30, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 188: Making More Plants

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with renowned lecturer and garden book author Ken Druse about making more plants*. The plant profile is on Ipheion and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Sharing is Caring by Christy Page of Green Prints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 58: Grafting Fruit Trees 

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-58-grafting.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 45: Seed Starting Tips

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-45-seed.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 165: Gardening and the Weather with Margaret Roach

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-165-gardening.html

 

This episode is archived at: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Making-More-Plants-e2hjjbi

 

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 around 4-10-2024.

Ken's book, Making More Plants, is available at https://amzn.to/3xiuGpH (note this is an affiliate link and we may earn a few pennies when you click on it.)

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: Hannah Zozobrado

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Friday, March 29, 2024

Fenton Friday: A New Growing Season

We're back in Plot 16 and actually started the gardening season back in February, but this is my first chance to catch up and post about it. The garden is in pretty good shape to start the growing season thanks to a thick layer of straw we put on most of the beds in late fall. Still, some of the chickweed and henbit are popping up wherever they can get a toe-hold so I'm still ripping them out by the armload and depositing them in our communal compost pile--where I see many fellow plot gardeners are doing the same!

Returning from last year in the garden are several plants. The garlic we planted in October is about 6 inches high and the fall-planted arugula, cilantro, and broccoli actually wintered over okay under covercloths. I may even harvest some small broccoli heads this weekend. 

We also have our perennial edible plants: thornless blackberry, strawberries, asparagus, yarrow, and lots of garlic chives. The last two of which I'd just as soon be rid of, but there they are, back again. 

I also left a small patch of Wild Violets at the front of the plot this year. They are edible (see the Violet Syrup recipe in our March 2024 issue here.) Really though, I just think they are pretty and they support our native pollinators.

Two weeks ago, during a rather warm spell at the end of February, we planted seeds for 3 different kinds of Spinach and Dill. The Dill was a BIT early to do so, so I bought 3 Dill plants and we planted those as back-up this week. This past week, we planted 'Sugar Daddy' sugar snap peas, carrots, and radishes. So far, only one of the Spinach has emerged, and the weather had turned a bit colder in between our visits, so I'm not surprised.

Next week, I plan to plant a parsley seedling I bought at the Valley View Farms garden center along with seed potatoes and onion sets.

Are you back in your edible garden yet? If so, what are you growing?

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 13th 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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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Win a tube of Zanfel Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash in the March 2024 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

For our March 2024 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, we are giving away a tube of Zanfel Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash (prize value $50).

Zanfel® Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash (http://zanfel.com/) is a safe and effective topical solution for poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. It removes urushiol, the toxin responsible for the reaction, from the skin after bonding, enabling the affected area to immediately begin healing. After using Zanfel®, the itching and pain are the first things to be relieved, usually within 30 seconds. Zanfel has a 10-year shelf life.

To enter to win a tube of Zanfel, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Sunday, March 31, with “Zanfel” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the March 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine issue and why. Include your full name and address. The winner will be announced after April 1.  

UPDATE: The winner is Maureen Wynn, Berwyn Heights, MD.

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Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Oxalis Plant Profile

Oxalis Plant Profile

Oxalis is the largest genus in the family Oxalidaceae with over 550 species native to every continent except Antartica. They are often referred to as Wood Sorrels and as False Shamrocks.

Some Oxalis species can be grow in as annuals or perennials depending on your climate and zone. Note that in some regions Oxalis are considered invasive.

Oxalis (Oxalis triangularis) is commonly grown as a houseplant and gifted on St. Patrick’s Day because its foliage resembles the lucky shamrock. The Oxalis’ clover-like foliage can be variegated or solid green or burgundy. In addition to its attractive leaves, the plants have delicate flowers.

It will often go winter dormant and then recover when placed in sunlight. Give it an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer about once a month.

It prefers to grow in bright indirect to direct light and temperatures between 65°F-85°F (18°C-30°C) --never below 60°F (15°C).

Water it about once a week and let it dry out part-way between waterings. The most common cause of yellow leaves is over-watering which cause rooting roots.

Oxalis is considered toxic for pets due to its oxalic acid that can cause kidney damage.

Some oxalis are called "butterfly shamrock,” because their leaves fold up at night or on cloudy days and reopen when the sun shines.  They may also stretch out their leaves to reach as much sunlight as possible.

Oxalis: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Video and Editing by Cassie Peo

 

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Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Reduce Your Lawn Day: Let's Do This!


American Meadows and Kathy Jentz Join Forces to Launch

Inaugural Reduce Your Lawn Day, a Solutions Based Alternative to No Mow May

 

American Meadows, a leading advocate for doing good through gardening, in collaboration with Kathy Jentz, author of Groundcover Revolution, proudly announces the inaugural Reduce Your Lawn Day scheduled for May 20th, 2024. This new national day is planned as an annual event aiming to raise awareness and encourage participation in adopting eco-friendly yard solutions at any scale, promoting a shift away from traditional turf lawns.

Why Reduce Your Lawn? Traditional turf lawns, prevalent over the last two centuries, lack biodiversity, fail to support pollinators, and are often water-intensive. Reduce Your Lawn Day “is a day to step back and take stock of what you are growing in your landscape and make a conscious decision to reduce turfgrass areas” says Kathy Jentz.  

Rooted in the spirit of No Mow May, this initiative goes beyond simply refraining from mowing, instead providing better value-added alternatives. The event aims to inspire weekend-sized yard project ideas for mindfully creating food sources, habitat, and shelter for all seasons. David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation emphasizes “One of the best things you can do to support birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators is to reduce the size of your lawn by creating new garden beds filled with native plants." 

Turfgrass is the single largest irrigated crop in the country, greatly contributing to excessive water consumption. The environmental impact extends to the use of gas-powered lawn equipment, with the US alone consuming 800 million gallons of gasoline annually, resulting in a significant air pollution contribution. According to the US EPA 2020 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) Data gas-powered lawn mowers make up to 5% of total air pollution in the US.

With over 40 million acres of lawn in the US, Reduce Your Lawn Day emphasizes the collective power of individuals working together to make a substantial difference. By abandoning the outdated practices of manicured lawns, we can collectively improve our planet, our communities and ourselves. If even half of one percent of the existing lawns in the US transitioned a portion of their turf to a sustainable alternative than 200,000 acres of beneficial habitat could be added this year.

"We know better, so now we must do better," states Tabar Gifford, Partnership Cultivator and Master Gardener at American Meadows. "Reduce Your Lawn Day is not just an event; it's a solutions-based alternative to No Mow May, offering individuals and communities ideas for better yard solutions. The intention is this approach can be applied every year, incrementally reducing lawns in favor of beneficial alternatives.  We announced this initiative at the start of the MidAtlantic Nursery Tradeshow (MANTS), with hopes of gathering more industry support. Let's come together and start preparing now for actions on May 20th, 2024 and beyond, as we embrace better yard solutions for a sustainable future."

For more information about Reduce Your Lawn Day, please visit www.Reduceyourlawnday.com and our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reduceyourlawnday/

###

About American Meadows

American Meadows is Doing Good Through Gardening. Their innovative wildflower seed mixes,

pre-planned perennial gardens and lawn alternatives are a go-to for gardeners shopping online.

With over 40 years of experience and 650,000 happy customers, they are the authority in

meadowscaping. Visit www.AmericanMeadows.com for more.

 

About Kathy Jentz

Kathy Jentz is the author of Groundcover Revolution, an advocate for environmentally conscious gardening, and a leading voice in the movement towards sustainable yard solutions and also founded National Seed Swap Day. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, Kathy Jentz plays a pivotal role in educating and empowering individuals to transform their outdoor spaces for the benefit of the environment.

 

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Monday, March 25, 2024

Monday Thoughts: "The growing of plants is a complex site-specific science where all the facts are not true in all situations." ~ Janet Draper

 

"The growing of plants is a complex site-specific science where all the facts  are not true in all situations." ~ Janet Draper

See another quote from Janet Draper at:

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/08/monday-thoughts-before-garden-had-to-be.html

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

March 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine – Plum Tomatoes, Violet Syrup Recipe. the Ames-Haskell Azalea Collection, Crows, and much more…

 

The March 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

It is posted and archived online at:  

 https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/mar24-wgmag_final

Inside this issue:

·         The Ames-Haskell Azalea Collection

·         Meet Dr. Susan Barton: Extension Specialist and Professor

·         Winter-blooming Amur Adonis

·         Homemade Violet Syrup

·         New Freeze Date Tool

·         American Crow

·         Great Gardening Books Reviewed

·         The Secrets to Succulent Success

·         Plentiful Paste/Plum Tomatoes

·         Return of the Cicadas

·         and much more…

 

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the April 2024 issue are due by April 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: https://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

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Saturday, March 23, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 187: Mad About Mulches

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Dr. Glynn Percival about mulching myths and facts. The plant profile is on Flowering Almonds and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on a Quirky Egg Hunt by Christy Page of Green Prints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 103: Mulch and Weeding Tips

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-103-mulching.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 72: Low-Maintenance Gardening

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-68-summer.html

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 around 3-26-2024.

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: Hannah Zozobrado

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