Monday, April 29, 2024

Monday Thoughts: "I have my own flower and vegetable garden, and I’ve realized deadheading is a great metaphor for life: clear out the old, so you can put energy into the new." - Emma Lovewell

"I have my own flower and vegetable garden, and I’ve realized deadheading is a great metaphor for life: clear out the old, so you can put energy into the new." - Emma Lovewell

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Saturday, April 27, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 192: Urban Agriculture


In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Mchezaji “Che” Axum, the Director of the Center for Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education at UDC, all about urban agriculture. The plant profile is on Kerria 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 Waiting for May Flowers from Christy Page of Green Prints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 175: Herstory of DC Gardens

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/12/gardendc-podcast-episode-175-herstory.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 143: Balcony Food Growing

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-143-balcony.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 68: Summer Vegetables

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

This episode is archived at: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Urban-Agriculture-e2itl6g

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: 1:00 Welcome Mchezaji “Che” Axum, agronomist and Director of Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education at the University of the District of Columbia 1:48 Che’s gardening background – he originally wanted to be a pharmacist 4:38 Background on the University of the District of Columbia and the green spaces on campus 6:55 What classes are offered at UDC around Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education 12:49 Che defines urban agriculture and gives its history 15:13 What is sustainable urban agriculture? 16:43 What lesson can we learn from the ancient Egyptians? Take care of the soil! 21:30 How do you deal with the heat and urban heat islands in urban agriculture? 24:24 Che’s response to people who say they have no space to grow 27:23 Urban agriculture challenge: water. How should people get it? 29:16 How should urban gardeners handle vermin? 32:03 What does the future hold for urban agriculture? Che’s gives his projection 35:15 The history of Queen Hatshepsut: The first person to document plant exploration 36:57 Che explains spiritual agriculture and why it is important 40:15 What are Che’s favorite crops? 43:16 To find out more and contact Che, visit udc.edu 44:30 Che’s final thoughts on urban agroecology 46:47 Plant Profile: Kerria 48:37 What’s new in the garden this week? The epimediums are blooming 48:47 This week’s garden tip on hummingbird feeders and pruning your azaleas 50:56 Upcoming events in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area – Silver Spring Garden Club’s plant sale fundraiser on Saturday, May 11th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brookside Gardens. Saturday, May 18th is Spring Garden Day, the big plant sale at Green Spring Gardens in Virginia. 52:40 Check out Groundcover Revolution by Kathy Jentz for low-maintenance alternatives for lawns on Amazon.com and Bookshop.org 53:59 Check out the Urban Garden by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight on Amazon.com and Bookshop.org 54:59 Christy Page from GreenPrints on waiting for May flowers

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: Hannah Zozobrado 

Show Notes: Josh Panepento 

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Friday, April 26, 2024

Fenton Friday: Garden Envy


Earlier this week, we visited the UMD Community Learning Garden on the College Park, MD, campus. I have to admit to a bit of garden envy when I saw their rain barrels up on high platforms connected to drip irrigation lines running through their raised beds. However, what I envied most was the turnout they had, a few dozen students were there weeding and planting. Oh, what I could do with all that youthful energy and enthusiasm! (Of course, we have an intern or two helping out each semester at our plot, so I count myself fortunate in that respect.) I'll share more pics from the UMD garden visit to our social media (@WDCgardener on Instagram and Twitter/X) in the next few days.

It has been a very dry week in our plot. I have had to go over twice to water the lettuce, pea, radish, and carrot seedlings and also put a cover cloth over the broccoli plant. It is supposed to get near 90 degrees on Sunday and I'm afraid the poor cool-season plants will not be able to cope. I'll see if I can get back over that morning and cover all the seedlings plus water them in well.

What are you growing in your edible garden 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 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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Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Arugula Plant Profile

Arugula Plant Profile

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria) is a cool-season edible plant that has a nutty and peppery zing. It is a great addition to salads, on pizza, in sandwiches, or in pasta dishes.

It is also known as Rocket or Colewort. It grows best when planted in the early spring and late summer into fall. Pick a location for them in full sun to part-shade.

Plant the seeds a quarter inch deep in rich garden soil that is free of weeds or in a large container. The seeds germinate in a week or so. Water them regularly, if they do not receive an inch or two of rain per week.

After the seedlings are a couple weeks old, you can thin them by snipping out the smaller and weaker ones or gently pulling them out so as not to disturb the roots of the remaining seedlings. The seedlings you removed can be eaten as you would any microgreen.

You can harvest the leaves at any stage and keep coming back to harvest more throughout the season. Snip off the biggest, outer leaves and let the younger, inner leaves keep growing. Do not cut the leaves lower than 2 inches from the base of the plant or they may not regenerate for you.

Once the weather starts to get hot in our region, usually by early June, the arugula plants will bolt – sending up a flower stem and then set seed. Arugula leaves are usually too bitter to eat at this point.  Collect these seeds for sowing in the fall and you can also eat the seeds adding them to stews and bean dishes.

Flea beetles will chew holes in the arugula leaves, so cover them with a garden fabric in spring to prevent the beetles from doing so. You can also use the cover cloth for the fall crop of arugula as extra insulation against mild frosts.

Arugula: 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 Christine Folivi

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

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 If you liked this video, you may also enjoy these:

~ Cutting Lettuce https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/10/cutting-lettuce-plant-profile.html

~ Cilantro https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/02/cilantro-plant-profile.html

~ Chamomile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/06/chamomile-plant-profile.html

~ Bronze Fennel https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/bronze-fennel-plant-profile.html

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Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Win a Flowerbulb.eu Gift Card in the April 2024 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

Win a Flowerbulb.eu Gift Card in the April 2024 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest! For our April 2024 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a Flowerbulb.eu gift card (value $100).

   Flowerbulb.eu is the place to learn all there is to know about flower bulbs. It is not a site for purchasing bulbs; it is dedicated to providing education and inspiration on all thing’s bulb related. It’s time to buy your summer-flowering bulbs now. Your pollinators will love them! Follow Flowerbulb.eu on social media for stunning images and fun DIY projects. Visit Flowerbulb.eu to learn more.

  To enter to win the gift card, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Tuesday, April 30, with “Flowerbulb.eu” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the April 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine issue and why. Include your full name and address. The winner will be announced by May 1.

UPDATE: Our contest winner is Jen Defensor! Congratulations, Jen.

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Monday, April 22, 2024

Monday Thoughts: “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” - Aldo Leopold 


“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

- Aldo Leopold 


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Sunday, April 21, 2024

April 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine –Flowering Almond, Salad Greens, Garden Tours, and much more…

 

The April 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

Inside this issue:

·         Delightful Dwarf Flowering Almond

·         Long-Blooming Catmints

·         Spring Garden Tour Listing

·         Sip the Azalea Cocktail

·         Two Exceptional Native Ephemerals

·         Combatting Fungus Gnats

·         Great Gardening Books Reviewed

·         Salad Greens: Endive, Escarole, Mustard, and Cress

·         Meet FOOP’s Founder

·         Year of the Lily

·         and much more…

 

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the May 2024 issue are due by May 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, April 20, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 191: Plastics in Gardening


In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Marie Chieppo, an ecological landscape designer, about the ubiquitous use of plastic in gardening. The plant profile is on Native Azaleas 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 Herb Garden Labels from Christy Page of Green Prints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 101: Sustainable Lawn Care 

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-101.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 147: Sustainable Gardening Practices

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-147.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 117: Environmentally Friendly Gardening

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-117.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 189: Organic Gardening

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-189-organic.html

This episode is archived at: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Plastic-in-Gardening-e2ijckr

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 after 4-23-2024.

Read more about the Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet initiative the April 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/april-2021-issue-of-washington-gardener.html

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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