Monday, September 29, 2025

Monday Thoughts: “Love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep on watering it.” ~ John Lennon

“Love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep on watering it.” ~ John Lennon

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Sunday, September 28, 2025

Groundcover Revolution Nominated for a Horti Award

I’m thrilled to share that my book, Groundcover Revolution, has been nominated for a GardenComm 2025 People's Choice Horti Award! This recognition means so much, and now I need your help. Please take a moment to vote for me before October 15. Every vote counts! Cast your vote here: https://vote.gardencomm.org/2025-horti-awards-ballot

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Saturday, September 27, 2025

GardenDC Podcast Episode 257: How to Outmaneuver Poison Ivy

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Dan Boelman of Zanfel Laboratories, all about poison ivy. The plant profile is on Pumpkins 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 Goodbye to Cruel Tomatoes by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 98: Native Vines

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-98-native-vines.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 137: Into the Heart of the Garden

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-137-into-heart.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 216: Fierce Flora

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-216-fierce.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 including many newly added perennials!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3S4P0ApyqhPCHfcFb96n2R?si=0aKHbEXCQ5WD2r9-DyDJFw

Show Notes: 01:27 Introducing Dan Boelman 03:43 Dan’s career in healthcare 07:02 Dan’s passion is Growing Giant Pumpkins 10:31 Championship-winning pumpkin growth tips 11:57 Ideal Pumpkin Growing Conditions 13:51 Poison Ivy: Pros and Cons 17:00 Exposure to Poison Ivy 19:44 Don’t blame the dog! 20:57 Identifying Poison Ivy: Colors and Shapes 27:14 Tips for landscaping poison ivy 32:39 Post-exposure care and myths 38:33 What should you do when clothes and tools are contaminated? 41:14 Proper poison ivy education 45:02 Introducing Zanfel as an effective treatment 50:05 Find out more about Dan and Zanfel 51:07 The future evolution of poison ivy? Is it getting stronger? 53:25 Pumpkin Plant Profile 56:01 What’s new in the garden this week? 58:38 The Last Word by Christy Page: Goodbye Cruel Tomatoes 01:01:02 Support the Garden DC Podcast!


You can order a tube of Zanfel at https://amzn.to/4gLgAj5 
(Note that this is an affiliate link.)

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: Cavit Ireland
Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Friday, September 26, 2025

Fenton Friday: Cauliflower Planted and Vandals Strike (again and again...)

 
The Cilantro seedlings are up (see pic above) and will soon need thinning. The Lettuce greens next to them are taking a bit longer, if they are not up by next Wednesday, we will re-seed those rows with a different variety.


We also planted 4 'Romanesco' Cauliflower seedlings that I bought from Homestead Gardens. I had wanted to buy Broccoli, but they were sold out, so I figured we'd try this cool-loking cauliflower variety that I'd not grown before. I put a covercloth over them (pictured above) to keep the cabbage moths out. We shall see if that helps. It is so hard to grow Brassica family plants in our area!

I got word from Barbara Melera and Harvesting History that the 'Pyongyang' Garlic I ordered would not be coming as the grower had an entire crop failure. She is substituting in another variety and I'm eager to plant it when it arrives in a few weeks.

If you saw our last Fenton Friday post, you know we have a garden vandal. Whomever it is wasn't done with one visit, they struck again each morning and then I would reset everything. (It was like the movie Groundhog Day -- only a lot less funny!) On Wednesday, I went over to the garden at about 10:30am with the interns and saw that once again the metal garden sign was bent over at the pollinator garden strip -- also, this time ALL the red plant label sticks were missing (not just pulled out and thrown to the side as had happened on the previous several days) -- instead, they had all been yanked out and were totally missing. So on a hunch I went and checked the nearby park trash can and sure enough they were all in there. I pulled them out and reset most of them. 

The park police, local police, and others are now involved. They are going to see if they can pull footage from the traffic cameras trained on the corner. The neighbors are all keeping an eye out too. Since Wednesday, the vandal has stopped, but it has also been raining and I'm not going to let down my guard on this yet.
This week, I pulled out the Cucumber vines. I harvested a handful of Sweet Peppers, a Zucchini, some Cherry Tomatoes, and cut more Dahlia flowers. 

Next week, we plan to clear out a bed and sow a cover crop in that open spot.

What are you growing and harvesting 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.)

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Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Blue Mist Shrub (Caryopteris) Plant Profile

Blue Mist Shrub (Caryopteris) Plant Profile

Blue Mist Shrub (Caryopteris sp.), also known as Bluebeard or Blue Spirea is a small shrub that flowers from late summer to early fall for several weeks. It typically blooms in shades of blue.

It is usually between 2- to 3-feet tall. Most Caryopteris are hardy from to USDA Zone 9 down to Zone 5 and some to Zone 4.

It blooms best in full sun and needs average garden soil that is not heavily enriched with fertilizer or it can flop.

Carypoteris is a low-maintenance plant. In the spring, cut it back to about 8 to 12 inches tall. It blooms on new wood so the old part will not flower.

Caryopteris is a deciduous shrub and its flowers, leaves, and stems give off a faint, pleasant scent that make it deer-resistant. It is fairly heat- and drought-tolerant as well. It has no major pest or diseases. Best of all, pollinators love it as much as you do.

The tried-and-true cultivars are ‘Dark Knight’ with deep-blue flowers, and ‘Longwood Blue,’ which has sky-blue flowers. There are newer, compact cultivars such ‘Petit Bleu’ and ‘First Choice’. There are also forms with yellow or chartreuse foliage such as ‘Sunshine Blue’, ‘Worcester Gold’, and ‘Almost Gold’

Caryopteris: 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 Eileen Isaacson

➤ 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

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~ Podcast: GardenDC

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

~ Azaleas: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2018/05/plant-profile-azaleas.html

~ Aronia: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/05/aronia-chokeberry-plant-profile.html

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

~ Mock Orange: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/03/mock-orange-plant-profile.html

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Monday, September 22, 2025

Monday Thoughts: “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” 

~ John Muir

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Saturday, September 20, 2025

GardenDC Podcast Episode 256: Perennial Secrets with Matt Mattus

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with horticulturist Matt Mattus, all about perennials. The plant profile is on Hummingbird Mint 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 Carrot Tops by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 168: Favorite Fall Perennials

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-168-favorite.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 53: Superior Perennials

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-53-superior.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 254: The New American Gardener

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-254.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 including many newly added perennials!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xeyGlzxBvjIsHGtl1LvjP?si=sr8wFx6NRpGZDv_eRP5uWw

Show Notes:

01:27 Introducing Matt Mattus 02:00 Matt’s been gardening since birth 04:43 Matt: “I consider myself a lazy gardener.” 05:28 Matt talks about flower shows and vegetable competitions in his youth 06:28 “Gardening became my sport.” 08:23 Matt talks about his career with Hasbro 10:41 Understanding the business side of gardening (and how toys are like plants) 13:00 Replacing the lawn with groundcovers 13:47 Do you think cold exposure might be killing plants? It could be something else 15:10 Discussing all things perennials 20:21 Propagating plants: Know your climate 24:54 Need something 2-3 feet tall and blooms around Mother’s Day? 26:34 Kathy and Matt share some secrets of perennial gardening 30:22 What’s inside American Horticultural Society’s Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening 35:10 Monitoring shade, moisture, and what plants fit in your garden 37:31 Emulating that tropical look 39:56 Low-maintenance perennials 43:21 Where did all the great primroses go? 45:11 Finding effective seed-starters 48:12 Four-legged friends 50:40 Advice for new gardeners. 54:10 Hummingbird Mint Plant Profile. 55:55 What’s new in the garden this week? 57:58 Local gardening events and workshops. 59:21 The Last Word by Christy Page: Carrot Top Tips 1:02:55 Support the Garden DC Podcast!

You can order a copy of the American Horticultural Society Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening at https://amzn.to/4pHytUb (note that this is an affiliate link).

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: Cavit Ireland
Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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