Monday Thoughts: “It is curiosity that makes us want to try every new species or cultivar that might perform well in our soil and climate” ~ Linda Ziedrich

“It is curiosity that makes us want to try every new species or cultivar that might perform well in our soil and climate”  ~ Linda Ziedrich

GardenDC Podcast Episode 248: Water Garden Plants

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Suzanne Boom, Senior Horticulturist with Longwood Gardens, all about water garden plants. The plant profile is on Lisianthus 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 Licorice-Tasting Basil by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 11: Lotus

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-11-lotus.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 63: Water Gardening and Koi Ponds

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-63-water.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 228: Reducing Runoff with Rain Gardens

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-228-reducing.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NYznohs0Iho80cdFJATwc?si=1b67aaf7ebdc48ca

Show Notes will be posted after 7-22-2025.

Visit the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society at https://iwgs.org/.

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://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 & Show Notes: Ian Ferris

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Fenton Friday: Vines Gone Crazy

It was another week of hot temps and daily thunderstorms. This has caused rampant growth of both our Cucumber/Zucchini vines, but also the invasive morning glory vines (see pic at right of them on our deer fence). They pop up everywhere throughout my plot and attempt to choke out any other plant they can climb on. I spend most of my weeding time unwinding them and riipping them out. 

We put in another few cages to train the climbing Cucumbers on them. There are lots of flowers and I see tiny fruits forming.

I picked our first few 'Sun Gold' Tomatoes and pinched back the Basil plants.

Some bunny came and ate all the foliage off the Cow Pea plants. Luckily, they resprouted new foliage even higher up and I hope that it is now out of rabbit range. 

I collected the Cilantro stems that were going to seed.

We fnally got the netting up for the Lisianthus. The plants are still pretty spindly and I've cut a few short flowers from them. Now that they are settled in I expect them to take off and fill in.

Next week, we should be starting some of the cool weather crops and maybe even harvesting a cucumber or two!

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 14th 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.)

GardenDC named as the runner-up in this year’s Best of DC readers’ poll

Wow! The support of our GardenDC listeners means so much to us! We're honored to be named a Best of D.C. runner-up in this year’s Washington City Paper readers’ poll. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to vote for us. We’re truly touched, and we’re looking forward to next year when we can do this all over again!

See the full results here: https://bestof2025.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts-and-entertainment/best-local-podcaster

Marigold Plant Profile

 

Marigold Plant Profile

Marigold (Tagetes spp.) is an annual flower that attracts beneficial insects making them a great companion plant to your vegetable garden.

Marigolds bloom in shades of yellow to orange to deep reds. They flower continually from summer into fall.

Marigolds have a distinctive scent which helps to deter whiteflies and rabbits.

There are 50 species of marigolds including African marigolds, which despite the name are actually native to  native to Mexico and Central America. These tend to be taller kinds and are quite drought-tolerant.

French marigolds tend to be smaller, bushier, and more compact kinds.

The smallest of all are the signet marigolds, which are petite plants rarely over growing taller than a foot. These kinds are perfect for containers or edging a path.

All marigolds are easy to grow from seed and their seeds are easy to save and store for planting next year. Directly sow the seeds in a full sun spot in late spring or early summer. They do not normally need fertilizing. When watering them, aim the water at their roots and not their foliage. Be careful not to overwater them as they can rot in too-wet soil conditions.

You can deadhead them as flowers fade and sheer the whole plant back if they get leggy and floppy –  but it is not necessary as marigolds are generally low-care and will still thrive with benign neglect.

Marigolds can be cut for fresh bouquets or dried for long-lasting floral arrangements

Marigolds: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Photos, Video, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Video and Editing by Colin Davan

 

➤ 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, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Borage Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/07/borage-plant-profile.html

~ Calendula Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/02/calendula-plant-profile.html

~ Yarrow Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/06/yarrow-plant-profile.html

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Monday Thoughts: “The ability to feed ourselves in the face of regional or global conflict, weather disasters and with less dependence on a globalized food system - means we really can improve not only our health but the planet’s too” - Adam Alexander

 

“The ability to feed ourselves in the face of regional or global conflict, weather disasters and with less dependence on a globalized food system -- means we really can improve not only our health, but the planet’s too” - Adam Alexander

GardenDC Podcast Episode 247: Gardening As We Age

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Duane Pancoast, author of The Geriatric Gardener 2.0, all about gardening as we age. The plant profile is on Variegated Sweet Flag 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 Mulch to the Rescue by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 161: Adaptive Gardening 

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-161-adaptive.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 76: Horticultural Therapy

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-76.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 73: A Late Summer Pep Talk

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-73-late-summer.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Gardening-As-We-Age-e35bpra

Show Notes will be posted after 7-15-2025.

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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 & Show Notes: Colin Davan

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Order Duane's books at https://thepancoastconcern.com/the_geriatric_gardener

Fenton Friday: Basil and Blackberries

Another hot and humid week with almost daily watering and weeding visits to the plot... thank goodness we got a few good evening thunderstorms with decent rains.

I finally got the sprouted Sweet Potato planted in a large container that I placed in the plot. I'm hoping this year that being in a container will stop whatever critters ate all my sweet potato tubers last year.  I also added a thick layer of Bloom soil ammenedment on top of the sweet potato's soil to give it extra nutrients as it grows.

We thinned the Basil seedings and Carrots. See the picture above where I scattered some of the basil thinnings and the Blackberries we picked on a white dinner plate for a little artsy salad sampler.

The Peppers, Beans, Cow Peas, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Zucchini are growing well in all the heat. I'm already seeing some 'Sun Gold' tomatoes ripening and lots of peppers forming. I think in two weeks or so, we'll be having steady harvests of many of these.

Next week, we should be able to collect seeds from the Cilantro and plant something else there in its place -- perhaps start some early fall crops. I'm not sure what yet, maybe peas, becuase every year I seem to be too late in getting those started to get much out of them by the time a hard frost hits.

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 14th 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).

*Note that if you click on this Amazon affiliate link and oder something, Washington Gardener may get a few pennies, but it wll not imopact your purchase price.

Black Cohosh Plant Profile

Black Cohosh Plant Profile

Black Cohosh  (Actaea racemosa formerly Cimicifuga racemosa) is a perennial plant with a base of dark green foliage that sends up tall white blooms in the early summer. It can grow from 3 to 8 feet tall and about 3 feet wide.

It is also known as Bugbane, Fairy Candle, and Black snakeroot. It is a member of the Buttercup family.

It is native to the eastern half of the U.S., where it grows naturally in moist deciduous woodlands. It is hardy to USDA Zones 3 to 8.

Black Cohosh prefers to grow in full to part shade in rich soils, yet is fairly drought tolerant once established.

Black Cohosh is a good choice for filling in the spaces when spring ephemerals have gone dormant.

Native Americans used Black Cohosh for a variety of medicinal purposes and it is used today in menopause treatments.

Pollinators love it. It is also the larval host for the Appalachian Azure butterfly. It is deer-and rabbit-resistant.

Black Cohosh can be started easily from seed. The seeds should be collected in the fall and planted immediately. It will take a couple years for the plants to flower. You can also divide the plants in the early spring or late fall.

Black Cohosh: 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, video, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Ian Ferris

➤ 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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~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Lotus Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/08/lotus-plant-profile.html

~ Carolina Allspice Plant Profile

 https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/05/carolina-allspice-plant-profile.html

~ Little Bluestem Grass Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/little-bluestem-grass-plant-profile.html

 

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