The Dill is blooming and looking gorgeous (pictured above).
As predicted a few weeks ago, this was a very pathetic Garlic harvest. I have ONE decent bulb (pictured at right). I'm not sure whether to blame the harsh winter or poor seed garlic (it was pricey though!), but next year, I'll move to a different bed and buy seed garlic from a different source.
In the place of the Garlic, I planted a new cutting-garden bed with 8 Lisianthus 'Voyage 1st Love' plants and 2 Gomphrena 'Cosmic Flare' from Plants Nouveau that I am trying out. The Lisianthus variety are doubles with white blooms that have a soft pink edge. The Gomphrena has magenta blooms and chartreuse foliage. I cannot wait to cut my first bouquet of them!
The Okra 'Puerto Rico Everblush' seedlings and 'Thriller' Squash seedlings are growing by leaps and bounds. We'll need to thin them next week.
In the pollinator garden strip, I weeded a bit and planted some additional Sunflower seedlings. I then pulled out some small Sunchokes and added them to a pile of Garlic Chives for our monthly community harvest for the hungry tomorrow.
More of the returning Dahlia plants are blooming. I cut a bunch of blooms off the Yarrow to bring to a Flower Potluck tomorrow.
Next week, we need to plant the Cosmos seeds as well as the Pole Beans
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).
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To enter to win the book, send an email by 5:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, to:
WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Urban Garden” in the Subject line and in the body of the email tell us what your favorite article was in the June 2026 issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on July 1. Entry comments might be published.
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In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with plantsman Rich Crider of Three Shovels Farm all about Louisiana Iris. The plant profile is on Japanese Painted Fern 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 "Plant in June" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
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!
This week was there was rain and heat -- lots of heat.
The Blackberries are being raided by some creature(s) despite the fact that I draped some plastic mesh over the shrub along with a few rubber snakes. The fruits are pretty much all stripped off -- I've only gotten a couple this week.
The Okra 'Puerto Rico Everblush' seedlings are up (see picture above) - so are the seedlings of the 'Thriller' Squash I planted this week in a hill next to them. I'm hoping that the Okra will get tall fast and the Squash can then sprawl out around the base of them.
One of the returning Dahlia plants is already blooming (see picture at right) and the others are setting bids.
We still need to get the Pole Beans in as well as some Cucumbers or Zucchini. I may pull the Garlic soon to make room for those. I think after all these good rains will be a good time to do so.
In the pollinator strip, the Nasturtium seeds are being slow to germinate, but the Zinnia seeds are all up. I also promised to share a picture and identify the blue-blooming plants that came from a Wildflower Mix we started in the spring. Pictured at right here is part of the mix including Borage, Blue Flax, and the tall "airy" looking one is Phacelia --which I have never grown before.
Next week, I plan to finally get the Lisianthus seedlings in the cutting garden and to add some rows of Cosmos seeds.
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).
Larkspur (Consolida
ajacis) is an annual flower with tall bloom spikes in late spring and early
summer. The flowers are typically blue, purple, pink, or white.
It is native to the Mediterranean region and can be grown in
zones 2 to 11 as an early season annual.
It grows best in full sun in well-draining soils.
You can direct sow it in early spring or in late fall in
zones 6 to 8 for blooming the next spring. You can also starts seeds indoors in
late winter under grow lights. Larkspur seeds need cool temperatures (below 55
degrees) in order to germinate.
It prefers cool weather and does not tolerate heat. Young
larkspur plants tolerate frost well.
Because Larkspur can grow to 3 to 4 feet tall, you may need
to stake it especially in locations with strong winds.
Larkspur is a terrific cut flower. Cut the stalks when the bottom two to four
flowers have opened. The flowers will continue to open in the vase. You can
also let them dry on the plant for dried flower arrangements.
After flowering, you can collect seedpods for planting next
year or let them go to seed to self-sow themselves.
Larkspur is deer-resistant as it contains toxic alkaloids. It
is visited by various pollinators including bumblebees and butterflies.
Larkspur: You Can
Grow That!
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Audio, Video, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz
Editing by Koree Perry.
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In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with garden designer and blogger Lee Miller, about landscape design combinations*. The plant profile is on Japanese Snowbell Tree 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 "Peas Don't Like me" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.
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The deadline to vote is June 10, 2026. Thank you in advance! ***
*You can order Lee Miller's book Landscape Design Combinations at https://amzn.to/4vALSzC 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.
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
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
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*You can order Lee Miller's book Landscape Design Combinations at https://amzn.to/4vALSzC 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.