Friday, July 24, 2026

Fenton Friday: Baby Aubergines

 
This week the temps dropped and so did the humidity. We also got a decent storm system with almost an inch of rain in our zip code. It was most welcome!

The row cover blew off the 'Fairytale' Eggplant growing in a container in the plot's front corner. This revealed multiple tiny fruits forming, so I am leaving the cover off it for now.

The Squash vines also are full of babies starting to form and the Okra also has many flowers making pods. Peppers are forming as well and the Cucamelon vine is taking off.

We weeded and watered a bit -- and picked a few Blackberries, Dahlias, 'Citrine' Tomatoes, and Lisianthus.

I clipped the Lettuce seedheads to dry them and all the rest of the Dill seedheads too. I gave a grocery bag full of the Dill heads to our Harvest Share collection this week. I hope someone can make use of them -- maybe for a pickling project.

I want to clear out the Dill's space next and plant either some quick-growing Cucumbers or more Beans -- or both.

On the Fenton community garden's discussion list, many plot gardeners are posting seeing rats, squirrels, and rabbits stealing their produce. It seems particularly bad this summer for some reason.

For the Pollinator Strip, the Zinnias have yet to flower, so I think it may be that they are too crowded and we will thin them next week.


Everything else is coming along well. 

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).

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Getting Our Laurels

We Won a Laurel Award!

The Following Work Has Been Awarded a 2026 GardenComm Silver Laurel Media Award:

Photography: Cover (book or magazine): July-August 2025 Washington Gardener Magazine - Kathy Jentz

We won a Silver Award in the Cover Photography category and now we are up for the Gold Award against some seriously talented photographers, wish us luck! The Gold Award winners will be announced in August at the GardenComm annual meeting in Portland, OR.

The winning cover and issue are posted here: 

I took the photo at Mt Cuba Center in Delaware. It is of their beautiful pond and Black Cohosh plantings. I'm pretty proud of it as Black Cohosh is not an easy plant to capture well in still images, because of its tall, open, and airy growth habit.

 Each year, I try to enter the GardenComm Laurel Awards in a category that I have not won in previously as a challenge to myself and to not continually dominate in one category (e.g. let others have a chance to win and get their Golds and Silvers).

Here is the official awards press release:

For Immediate Release                                                                        Media Contact: Chris Sabbarese

  Ph: 951.899.5015 

info@gardencomm.org

 

Kathy Jentz Receives

2026 GardenComm Media Awards Silver Laurel Medal of Achievement

 

 Kathy Jentz has received a 2026 GardenComm Silver Laurel Medal of Achievement in Photography: Cover (book or magazine), presented by GardenComm: Garden Communicators International.

 The international awards program recognizes individuals and companies that achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications. The 2026 competition drew 146 entries across 43 categories.

 Since the early 1980s, the GardenComm Media Awards program has recognized outstanding garden-focused work across writing, photography, publishing, digital media, broadcast, podcasting, and other communications disciplines.

 The 2026 Silver Laurel Medal recipients were announced July 20 during the GardenComm Silver Laurel Media Awards Live Stream. The full list of 2026 winners are available at gardencomm.org/awards/2026-winners. For more information about the awards, contact Chris Sabbarese at info@gardencomm.org.

About GardenComm

GardenComm, Garden Communicators International, is an organization of professional communicators in the green and garden industry including book authors, bloggers, staff editors, syndicated columnists, freelance writers, photographers, speakers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, publishers, extension service agents and more. No other organization in the industry has as much contact with the buying public as GardenComm members. Learn more at www.gardencomm.org.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Caladium Plant Profile

Caladium Plant Profile

Caladium (Caladium genus) is a tropical perennial bulb grown as an annual in our region.

 It has heart-shaped leaves with an array of colorful patterns that include mottled, veined, and striped. There are thousands of named Caladium cultivars available in a rainbow of colors and color combinations, including green, white, pink, rose, and red.

Caladiums were named the National Garden Bureau's 2025 Bulb of the Year for Bold Foliage.

Caladiums are native to the tropical forests of South and Central America and are hardy to USDA zones 9 to 10.

They prefer to grow in consistent moisture in well-drained soil. Most varieties do well in filtered sunlight or light afternoon shade. Some cultivars can tolerate full sun and others do best in shade.

 You can plant caladium tubers outdoors, after all the danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature are 70°F.

You can also get a head start by planting them in containers kept inside until they sprout and waiting until early summer to transplant them into the garden.

Apply a diluted liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks during the summer growing period.

The leaves can be damaged in high winds and by slugs chewing holes in them. If a leaf becomes tattered or worn, simply pinch if off at the base

They love our summer high heat and humidity and will die-back during the first real frost or freeze. If you want to overwinter them as a houseplant. be sure to dig them up and pot  them to bring indoors before the frost hits them.

Caladium: 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/photos, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Koree Perry.

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

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, you may enjoy these other plant profiles:

~ Coleus Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/09/coleus-plant-profile.html

~ Hosta Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/hosta-plant-profile.html

~ Hardy Ferns Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/plant-profile-hardy-ferns.html

 PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Monday, July 20, 2026

Monday Thoughts: “No longer will we segregate nature from the human experience. No longer will we incarcerate the natural world on uninhabitable mountain tops or unbuildable wetlands. No longer will we treat the living things around us as interesting but inessential curios, as if we didn’t depend on them in the same way an infant depends on its mother.” ~ Doug Tallamy

“No longer will we segregate nature from the human experience. No longer will we incarcerate the natural world on uninhabitable mountain tops or unbuildable wetlands. No longer will we treat the living things around us as interesting but inessential curios, as if we didn’t depend on them in the same way an infant depends on its mother.” ~ Doug Tallamy

Saturday, July 18, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 295: Managing Stormwater and Algae Blooms with Color on the Creek

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with water gardening enthusiast Dr. Peter Kremers about Color on the Creek's solutions for managing stormwater and algal blooms. The plant profile is on Wine Cups 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 "The Parsnip and the Peanut" 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 248: Water Garden Plants with Suzanne Boom

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-248-water.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 11: Lotus with Kelly Billing

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

Show Notes will be posted after 7/28/2026.

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


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!

Friday, July 17, 2026

Fenton Friday: Lovely Lisianthus

This week the intense heat was back and we had hardly any rain. Now we are experiencing extremely poor air quality due to smoke blowing in from the Canadian wildfires. I'm praying for rain this weekend to clear out the air and water the gardens. The smoke haze cannot be good for our plants, which are already suffering greatly from the drought and record heat waves.

I cut blooms from the Dahlias and Lisianthus (pictured above).


We weeded and watered a bit -- and picked a few Blackberries.

The Squash vines are flowering, so I expect to see baby Squash developing soon. The Eggplant and Tomato plants have lots of blossoms on them. As soon as the temperature returns to normal, they should start developing/producing fruit.

Speaking of Tomatoes, when I left last week to go tour gardens in Buffalo, NY, there was one nice-sized tomato starting to ripen on the 'Fourth of July' plant. When I got back, it was gone -- not rotting on the ground nor bitten and left behind -- just gone. I suspect a hungry critter took it (maybe of the human kind?).

For the Pollinator Strip, we are still waiting for the second batch of Nasturtium and Celosia we planted last week to germinate. The Sunflowers and Marigolds are blooming well. The Zinnias still need a few weeks.


I finally got the Pepper seedlings planted! They are a Sweet Cayenne variety and a 'Calabrian' one.

Everything else is coming along well. 

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).

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Japanese Painted Fern Plant Profile

Japanese Painted Ferns Plant Profile

Japanese Painted Ferns (Athyrium niponicum) are perennial plants that highlight shady spots in the garden.

They are native to eastern Asia and are hardy to zones 3 to 8. The mature size is about 18 inches tall and wide.

The silvery highlights are the hallmark characteristic of this beautiful fern, but many cultivars also have red mid-ribs such as the award-winning cultivar ‘Pictum’. The cultivar 'Silver Falls' received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Other popular cultivars include ‘Ghost’ and ‘Burgundy Lace’.

Japanese Painted Ferns make great garden accents and look good featured in containers.

Ferns do not have flowers so they do not attract pollinators, but they do assist wildlife by providing shelter and hiding spots.

They are deer-proof and have few pests. They thrive in consistently moist, well-draining, acidic soils with lightly dappled to full shade Japanese Painted  Ferns also appreciate a top-dressing of composted leaves.

These ferns are low-care. By late winter, you will want to cut them back though as they will look a bit ratty and tattered. Divide Japanese Painted Ferns in early spring just as new fiddleheads emerge or in the early fall. Do so every few years to maintain the plant’s vigor.

Japanese Painted Ferns  - You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Editing by Koree Perry

Photos, Videos, Text, and Audio by Kathy Jentz

 

 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

WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

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

Hardy Ferns Plant Profile –

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/05/plant-profile-hardy-ferns.html

Horsetail Plant Profile –

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/horsetail-plant-profile.html

Staghorn Sumac Plant Profile –

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/plant-profile-tiger-eyes-cutleaf.html

 PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Win a copy of Folium: A Gorgeous Compendium of Beautiful Leaves in the July 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

For our July 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a copy of Folium: A Gorgeous Compendium of Beautiful Leaves by Jeanne Batiste (prize value: $35, Publisher: Smith Street Books. Publish date: September 1, 2026, Amazon affliate link: https://amzn.to/4f5qoFD). 

   Folium is an exquisite treasury of beautiful foliage from botanical artists through the ages. Immerse yourself in the verdant textures, forms, and moods as each page unveils the majesty of trees and leaves through the eyes of artistic and scientific visionaries. This anthology celebrates the universal language of plants—symbols of life, endurance, and renewal—that have inspired and grounded the human spirit throughout history. This enchanting volume will grace your living space and transport you to a world where branches whisper stories and beauty takes root through time. The author, Jeanne Batiste, is a writer and plant obsessive who lives in London, near her favorite place in the entire world: Kew Gardens.

   To enter to win the book, send an email by 5:00pm on Friday, July 31, to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Folium” in the Subject line. In the body of the email, tell us what your favorite article was in the July 2026 Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on August 1. Entry comments might be published. 

Monday, July 13, 2026

Monday Thoughts: “Faced with planetary crisis ... What difference can an individual make in the face of such vast and seemingly insurmountable problems? The answer, as gardeners around the globe are discovering, is to create a little patch of hope in your own backyard.” ~ Isabella Tree

“Faced with planetary crisis ... What difference can an individual make in the face of such vast and seemingly insurmountable problems? The answer, as gardeners around the globe are discovering, is to create a little patch of hope in your own backyard.” ~ Isabella Tree

Saturday, July 11, 2026

GardenDC Podcast Episode 294: Designing Plant Systems

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with landscape architect Thomas Rainer* about designing plant systems. The plant profile is on Dwarf Comfrey 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 "Secret Letters of the Garden" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

*You can order Thomas Rainer's book Planting in a Post-Wild World at https://amzn.to/4f0EoPy 
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! 

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 89: Working with a Landscape Designer

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-89-working.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 245: Innovative Approaches to Meadow Plantings

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-245-innovative.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 173: Native Plant Fallacies

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-173-native.html

Show Notes will be posted after 7/21/2026.


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 Thomas Rainer's book Planting in a Post-Wild World at https://amzn.to/4f0EoPy 
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.

Featured Post

Holiday Gifts for Gardeners ~ Top Gardening Gifts ~ 21+ Cool Gardening Gift Ideas

The holiday season is here and I bet you have a gardener on your gift list, so we've   updated   our annual a Holiday Gifts for Gardener...

Most Popular Posts