Washington Gardener Magazine is the award-winning publication for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners by local gardeners.
“In this broken world where nature is increasingly being made homeless, and where many wild species’ populations are trending downwards, we all have the power to create our own little nature reserves and watch with delight as nature returns to
where it once flourished.” ~ Hadden Turner
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Helen Yoest, author of Cultivating Native Plants for Pollinators*, all about pollinator gardening throughout the year. The plant profile is on Queen Lily Ginger 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 "Truth in Gardening" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 141: Nature's Best Hope
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-141-natures.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 156: Gardening for Wild Bees
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-156-gardening.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 207: Garden Planning and Design
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-207-garden.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 47: Pollinator Victory Gardens
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-47-pollinator.html
Show Notes will be posted after 8/31/2026.
This week, we got some more rain, but the humidity and heat are still oppressive. We also had another round of bad air from Canadian wildfires. It is hard to keep up with the weeding and other garden tasks in these conditions. I think this may be our worst summer in memory.
On the good news side of things, a few small crops are coming in. There are the Radish seed pods (pictured above), which are edible when green and tender. When dried, they will also provide seeds for next season's garden.
We are getting some tiny "mouse melons" on the Cucamelon vine -- nice for snacking on while working in the plot.
Finally, the Beans are producing a few pods. It will be nice to soon have enough for an actual dinner serving.
Meanwhile, I'm picking Okra about every other day and harvesting the 'Thriller' Squash, various cherry Tomatoes, and 'Fairy Tale' Eggplant. Thanks to all those who shared their favorite Eggplant recipes after last week's post.
I also cut more bouquets of Dahlias, Zinnias, Gomphrena, and Lisianthus.
All of the above and maybe some Basils and other herbs will be submitted this weekend as entries in the Montgomery County Fair. I don't have high hopes for many ribbons, given our rough summer, but you never know.
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).
Wine Cups (Callirhoe involucrata) have dark-pink, chalice-shaped flowers that give them their common name. They are also known as Purple Poppy Mallow, Finger Poppy Mallow, or Buffalo Rose.
The foliage resembles hardy Geranium leaves, so the plant is often misidentified as being one.
They are a mallow family relative and are native to central North America.
Wine Cups are hardy to USDA Zones 4 to 8. They grow to about one feet high and one to three feet wide.
They do best in full sun planted in well-draining sandy or loamy soils, but can also tolerate clay soils.
They are a low-maintenance perennial that is
drought-tolerant and heat-resistant. They were named a Plant of Merit by the
Royal Horticultural Society.
Wine Cups can fit well in a mixed planting weaving among other plants or can be planted en masse to spill over a rock wall or front of a flower border.
They attract many pollinators and are the larval host of the Gray Hairstreak Butterfly.
They are deer-resistant and have few pest or disease issues. They can go dormant in summer after blooming, but will re-emerge the following spring.
They can be started from seeds, softwood cuttings, or purchased as small plants. They do not transplant well due to their deep tap root.
Wine
Cups– you can grow that!
The video was produced
by Washington Gardener Magazine.
Audio, Video, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz
Editing by Koree Perry
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If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant
Profiles:
~ Rose Campion Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/07/rose-campion-plant-profile.html
~ Dusty Miller Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/03/dusty-miller-plant-profile.html
~ Stokesia Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/08/stokesia-plant-profile.html
~ Mountain Mint Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/08/mountain-mint-plant-profile.html
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For our August 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a pair of Digz gardening gloves to three lucky winners (prize value: $18).
Durable, comfortable, and designed for high performance, Digz Gardener gloves are the perfect choice for those more demanding gardening, landscaping, and outdoor projects. The highly abrasion-resistant palm keeps your hands safe from scrapes with extra padding around the knuckles for added protection. The four-way stretch spandex is breathable for all-day comfort and an adjustable cuff for a snug fit. See more at https://www.digzgardening.com/products/gardener-gloves.
To enter to win the gloves, send an email by 5:00pm on Friday, August 31, to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Digz Gloves” in the Subject line. In the body of the email, tell us what your favorite article was in the August 2026 issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address.
Winners will be announced and notified on September 1. Entry comments might be published.
Monday Thoughts: “For what has made the sage or poet write But the fair paradise of Nature’s light? In the calm grandeur of a sober line, We see the waving of the mountain pine; And when a tale is beautifully staid, We feel the safety of a hawthorn glade” ~ John Keats
In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Mark Weathington, Director of the JC Raulston Arboretum, all about gardening for Hummingbirds. The plant profile is on Ostrich Ferns 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 "Preventing Lettuce Tip Burn" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 140: Daphne Shrubs and Their Relatives
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-140-daphne.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 229: Mahonia Reexamined
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-229-mahonia.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 47: Pollinator Victory Gardens
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-47-pollinator.html
Show Notes will be posted after 8/21/2026.
This week, we got some good rainstorms, but it has also been very hot and humid -- with a typical mid-to-late summer Bermuda High weather pattern.
The Squash 'Thriller' has a few fruits ready to harvest (see photo above) with several more developing on the vines. I hope to have enough at once to enter into the Montgomery County Fair in a few weeks. This is the time of year when I'm really crossing my fingers that the timing works out so I can submit some decent entries.
I'm picking Okra about every other day. The Eggplant 'Fairy Tale' had several fruits about to drop today, so I gathered them up too. Now I have to figure out how I might use them in a recipe. Suggestions?
The rest of the plot is coming along well including the Beans, Peppers, Cucamelons, and Tomatoes. I also cut more bouquets of Dahlias, Gomphrena, and Lisianthus.
The Zinnias in the Pollinator Strip are now blooming, so the thinning we did last week really helped.
I pinched back the flowers on all the Basil plants again to encourage them to become fuller.
I'm struggling with Morning Glory vines and weed trees (mainly Mulberry and Catalpa) that are unrelenting in our plot. The more I pull and cut these off at the base, the more they just keep coming back twice as big. I tried putting overturned buckets on them, but they still seem to find the light. We are not permitted to use chemical interventions and digging never gets all the roots out. Any advice?
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).
The August 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is posted and archived online at:
https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/washington_gardener_magazine_august_2026
Inside this issue:
Lovely and Luscious Lisianthus
Meet the Flower Potluck Founders
How Glyphosate Affects Bees
Managed Landscapes Help Combat Summer’s Biggest Challenges
Growing Salsify: The Oyster Plant
Murmurations About Starlings
Garden Book Reviews
Is Gardening the Secret to Long-term Exercise?
Summer-blooming Bulbs for Shady Gardens
Raise Your Garden to New Heights
Millipedes’ Ancient Origins
A New False Sunflower
and much more…
Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the September
2026 issue are due by August 15.
>> Subscribe to
Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly 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
Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) is an annual cut flower plant with blooms that are typically pink, blue, purple, or white. Single forms resemble tulips, while double forms look like roses.
Lisianthus is also known as Eustoma, Prairie Gentian, Tulip Gentian, or Texas Bluebell.
Lisianthus will bloom starting in summer into fall.
Lisianthus sold at garden centers are typically potted, dwarf variations, so they don’t get too leggy and flop before they bloom.
Because they can be difficult to start from seeds, most cut-flower growers buy started plugs to grow them out Some growers disbud* the first two flowers on Lisianthus to allow the plant to develop more fully.
Lisianthus can be planted in the garden in early April as they can tolerate a light frost.
They prefer to grown in full sunlight in well-draining soils. They do well planted in combinations with Zinnias.
It is hardy to USDA Zones 8 to 10.
Lisianthus: 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 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, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:
~ Bronze Fennel Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/bronze-fennel-plant-profile.html
~ Gentian Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/10/gentian-plant-profile.html
~ Larkspur Plant Profile
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2026/06/larkspur-plant-profile.html
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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...
