Seed Swap Day Virtual Meeting

 

UPDATE: The recording is now up at: https://youtu.be/kYYP5pHNOcQ 

On National Seed Swap Day (seedswapday.com) this year -- January 29, 2022 -- Washington Gardener Magazine is hosting a free, LIVE chat from 1:00-2:00pm Eastern Time for seed swappers everywhere. 

The hosts are Kathy Jentz, host of the GardenDC Podcast, and Kim Roman, author of the upcoming book, How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round*. This event will feature surprises and prizes. We will be talking about everything seed-related from seed collecting tips to easy propagating tricks.

We hope you can join us for the live session at Washington Gardener Magazine's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine, but if you cannot, we will be recording the event and have it available on YouTube to view anytime. 

One of our prize donors for the virtual Seed Swap Day event is Julie Thompson-Adolf, Owner, Garden Delights. She is the author of Starting & Saving Seeds* and is providing 2 copies of her book AND several packets of her favorite seeds!

Another prize donors for the virtual Seed Swap Day event is Botanical Interests. They offer high-quality seeds and garden products in their catalog. They are providing a $25 gift certificate! Note that you must be a US resident to receive this prize as they can only ship within the country.

*These books are linked to our Amazon affiliate account and if you click on them a few pennies may go to our account for the referral, but it will not impact the book price you pay there.

GardenDC Podcast Episode 45: Seed Starting Tips

This episode we talk with Barbara Melera of Harvesting-History.com about the seed industry "seed shortage" and seed starting tips. The plant profile is on Hen-and-Chicks (Sempervivium sp.) and I share some upcoming gardening events. Summer Creek Farm is this episode's sponsor.

Also mentioned in this episode:

~  Thursday, February 18, 4pm

"Flowers and Plants Introductions for the New Growing Season"

Interested in how new plants evolve and make it to the garden centers each spring? Follow the path: e.g., hybridization, environmental suitability, and test gardens. Then be introduced to the “Stars for Spring 2021!” Speaker: Kathy Jentz, Editor, Washington Gardener Magazine. Fee: $10. Register at: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=L4L7AZ6RG55QQ

Hosted by the National Capital Area Garden Clubs District IV. The presentation will be via Zoom and available on demand for 10 days afterwards.

~ Friday, February 19, 9:30am

GreenScapes Symposium

Leveraging native plants to restore the environment. Keynote by Doug Tallamy.
Register at activemontgomery.org.

~  Saturday, February 20, 9:30am

17th Annual EcoSavvy Symposium – Virtual Program  

Join in from the comfort of your own home or office. In this year’s symposium, “Integrating Storm Water Management in Landscape Design.” Fee: $26. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes (code ITG.QARB).

~  Thursday, February 25, 6:30pm

Garden Book Club Meeting

Discuss “A Gentle Plea for Chaos” with Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club via Zoom. Order your copy now at our Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2WOdS4m, then RSVP and see the event details at: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/12/discuss-gentle-plea-for-chaos-with.html.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
See how at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/support. 

The episode is posted at: 
https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Episode-45-Seed-Starting-Tips-eq0odr

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AsWArNpQo8OlzHoMDMSI8
• 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
• Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/GardenDC-id2691161?country=us
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gardendc/
• Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/2629285
• PocketCasts: https://pca.st/9phvd8bk
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine
• Google Podcasts at this link (note that currently, this link will only work on Android devices.)

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

DIY: Eggshell Seed Pots

Guest blog by Daisy-Nelly Nji




If you are a person who is conscious about the environment, but would still like to take on an easy gardening task this is they DIY for you.

Materials

• ·        Eggshells
• ·        Egg carton
• ·         Potting soil 
• ·        Spoon
• ·         Awl/needle/pin - anything long and sharp
• ·         Knife
• ·         Seeds

Step 1: Prepare the eggshells

Instead of discarding eggshells that you have used, keep them in a carton to do this task and be eco-friendly. Carefully crack the top third of the egg. You can do this by tapping the egg on the edge of a bowl, or tapping with a sharp knife. Empty out yolk from the eggshells and wash them out well. You can also put in the microwave for a minute to kill any potential pathogens.

Step 2: Add drainage

Make a hole that will provides drainage, so the roots of your plant don't drown. Take the empty eggshell, and poke one hole in the very bottom with your sharp object such as a pushpin. 

Step 3: Add potting soil

Using a small spoon, fill the eggshell with moist potting soil.

Step 4: Add seeds

Think about the amount of light you have available in your home and garden, and use seeds that will thrive in these conditions. Plant your seeds according to directions on the seed package.

Step 5: Enjoy

After you have planted the seeds, you can simply put the eggshell back into the carton. The carton provides a stable base with room for drainage, is further re-used and r-cycled, and it also looks darn cute.

About the Author

Daisy-Nelly Nji is a senior journalism student at the University of Maryland. She is a multi-platform journalism major in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. This spring, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener Magazine.

This is a monthly guest blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com.

Video Wednesday: Building a Grow Closet

Local Maryland gardener, Gary Pilarchik of The Rusted Garden vegetable gardening blog shares his basic ideas for a grow closet, grow light stations, and ways you can start growing vegetable seeds indoors in this new video.

Video Wednesday: Seed Starting Tips from Jon Traunfeld of UMD HGIC

An excerpt from the "Seed Starting Tips and Techniques for Hardening Transplants: Common challenges of starting from seed and how to overcome them" talk. Presented by Jon Traunfeld from the University of Maryland Extension Service at the Saturday, January 28, 2012, Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.