Monday Thoughts: “I mean, what’s not to love about flowers?” ~ Robin Hammer

“I mean, what’s not to love about flowers?” ~ Robin Hammer

October 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: Blue Mist Shrub, Eastern Towhee, Saffron, Beetles, and much more…

 

The October 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

It is posted and archived online at:https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/washington_gardener_magazine_october_2026

Inside this issue:

• Falling for Blue Mist Shrub
• Eastern Towhee: Drink Your Tea!  
• Meet the Beetles
• Vanessa Shields and the ‘Native Hut Journal’
• Lessons Learned from a First-Time Native Garden
• Tulips: the Ultimate Spring Classic
• Garden Book Reviews
• Grow Your Own Luxury Spice: Saffron
• DIY: Mosaic Stepping Stone
• A Taste of the UMD Fig Trials
• Win a Vegetable Garden Deck
• New Little Bluestem Grass
• and much more…

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the November 2026 issue are due by October 15.

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly digital 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

GardenDC Podcast Episode 302: Greenhouse Revival

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Leslie F. Halleck, author of Home Greenhouse Revival*. The plant profile is on Cigar Flower (Cuphea ignea) 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 "Growing Points" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 83: Greenhouses for Home Gardeners

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-83-greenhouses.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 256: Perennial Secrets with Matt Mattus

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-256-perennial.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 59: Gardening with Tropical Plants

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-59-gardening.html

Show Notes will be posted after 10/15/2026.

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/54hYp3kjvPng4Vu2AoiIAZ?si=1lfgwZMiTHygwoLQ4T8X6g

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc
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• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
  
• Bullhorn https://www.bullhorn.fm/gardendc
• Chartable: https://link.chtbl.com/GardenDC
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• GoodPods: https://goodpods.app.link/u3gtlpybILb
• Headliner: https://play.headliner.app/podcast/37086
• Himalaya: https://www.himalaya.com/courses/gardendc-1747568
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• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
  
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• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

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

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

*You can order Leslie's book at https://amzn.to/4jDK3yR

This link is to our Amazon affiliate account and we may earn a few pennies from these sales, but it wil not impact your purchase price. 

Fenton Friday: Fall Soil Test

After a period of fall-like rainy, cool weather, we are 85+ degrees again today. It is likely the last day in the 80s for the rest of the year, but my Eggplant decided to set new flowers in any case (see pic above). I hope the bees enjot that bloom as I'll be yanking the plant and the neighboring Peppers and Okra very soon. 

Because of the heat, I threw a row cover over the 'Mesclun Sweet Salad Mix' and neighboring greens and Cilantro.

I picked more Okra, Cucamelons, Beans, and Tomatoes.

I still haven't pulled the Basil plants yet to make one last big batch of pesto to store for winter, but will do so soon.

The Blackberry has a few fruits and new flowers on it, but the forecast says low below 50 next week, so I don't expect much more from it.

In the Pollinator Strip, the flowers on the Jerusalem Artichoke are starting to open and get quite top heavy. I tied a bunch of them back as they were leaning out into the sidewalk.

Thanks to Just Good Soil for sending a soil kit to try out. I submitted a sample from our community garden plot and here are the results:

Raw Soil Data

A closer look at your soil, results are provided in parts per million (ppm).

Nutrient	Your Results	Optimal Range	Rating
pH	6.25	5.8-7.0	Optimal
Total Nitrogen (N)	8.22	32.0-60.0	Low
Nitrate (NO3-N)	4.02	-	-
Ammonium (NH4-N)	4.19	-	-
Phosphorus (P)	20.13	8.0-20.0	High
Potassium (K)	32.2	38.0-80.0	Low
Sulfur (S)	8.51	7.0-22.0	Optimal
Calcium (Ca)	673.37	80.0-320.0	High
Magnesium (Mg)	119.58	27.0-70.0	High
Sodium (Na)	15.37	0.5-30.0	Optimal
Iron (Fe)	3.14	3.0-10.0	Optimal
Manganese (Mn)	12.24	4.0-10.0	High
Zinc (Zn)	0.24	0.1-0.25	Optimal
Copper (Cu)	0.08	0.06-0.3	Optimal
Boron (B)	0.15	0.2-0.6	Low

I was surprised at the low Nitrogen (N), but maybe doing this in a bed, where I had just pulled the squash vines, the results makes sense as the soil was likely very depleted over the growing season. The Potassiumm (K) is also low. Overall a good report though. Following their recommendations, I am adding a fertilizer high in N and K, but low in Phosphorous (P) as I am quite high in that. In that same bed, we also planted a cover crop of Field Peas in order to further "fix" Nitrogen in the soil over this winter.

What are you growing and harvesting in your 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 15th 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).

Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia) Plant Profile

Tithonia Plant Profile

Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia spp.) are an annual flowering plant that blooms in bright hues of orange, yellow, and red. The flowers resemble an open daisy and are more similar to marigolds and zinnias than to sunflowers -- in my opinion.

This fun annual plant attracts tons of pollinators to the garden, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

They are native to Central America and are hardy to USDA Zones 9 to 11.

The plants grow from 4-6 feet tall so give them plenty of room. Water them if there isn’t enough rain when they are seedlings, but once mature, they are quite drought-tolerant.

You can fertilize and deadhead them occasionally to encourage repeat blooming, but it is not necessary.

You may need to stake the plants if they are growing in a windy area.

They do not tolerate sitting in wet soil and powdery mildew is an issue if it is grown in climates with high humidity.

Plant the seeds in late spring or early summer in a full sun spot with good drainage. They do well in containers and dwarf varieties such as ‘Goldfinger’ that grow to just 2 to 3 feet high are perfect for this use.

Tithonia is an extremely low-maintenance and rewarding plant. Be sure to save some seeds from this year’s flowers to plant next year.

Mexican Sunflowers: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Videos, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Jackson Wantman

 

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

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~ Podcast: GardenDC

 

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

~ Patrinia Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/09/patrinia-plant-profile.html

~ Zinnia Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/07/plant-profile-zinnia.html

~ Marigold Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/07/marigold-plant-profile.html

 

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Monday Thoughts: "...and all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” ~ Oscar Wilde

"...and all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” 

~ Oscar Wilde

GardenDC Podcast Episode 301: The Natural World of Beatrix Potter

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Marta McDowell, author of Beatrix Potter's Botanical*. The plant profile is on Meadow Rue 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 "Slugged" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

Marta McDowell photo by Virginia Hofler

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 171:Murder in the Garden with Marta McDowell

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-171-murder-in.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 276: How to Botanize

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-156-gardening.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 273: Mushrooms are Everywhere

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-273-mushrooms.html

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1AMIT4dssq7M7Zta9FK8FE?si=RICio_ASSHWr6ere9bVDMQ

Show Notes will be posted after 9/30/2026.

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/gardendc-G2ql5V
• iHeartRADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-gardendc-73615877/
  
• aCast: https://play.acast.com/s/gardendc
  
• Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/776561ca-75d6-4c63-833b-7dafedf57a72/GardenDC
• Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/GardenDC-Podcast/B08JJNZBMX
• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
  
• Bullhorn https://www.bullhorn.fm/gardendc
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• GoodPods: https://goodpods.app.link/u3gtlpybILb
• Headliner: https://play.headliner.app/podcast/37086
• Himalaya: https://www.himalaya.com/courses/gardendc-1747568
• Ivy: https://ivy.fm/podcast/gardendc-940013
• Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/VIfcBjWRnw6
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• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
  
• Reason: https://reason.fm/podcast/gardendc
• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/gardendc/
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine

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

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

*You can order Marta's book at https://amzn.to/4jqGvQt

This link is to our Amazon affiliate account and we may earn a few pennies from these sales, 

but it wil not impact your purchase price.