Saturday, February 11, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 137: Into the Heart of the Garden with Maria Rodale

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Maria Rodale, author of Love, Nature, Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden. The plant profile is on Northern Spicebush 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 Dr. Allan Armitage, who shares the Last Word on Sun- or Shade-loving Plants.


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

Show Notes: 01:17 Meet Maria Rodale, author of “Love, Nature, and Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden.” 02:23 Rodale grew up playing in the soil on the first certified organic farm in America. 03:30 “(Gardening) is what I’ve done to kinda survive..” 06:38 Rodale lives in zone 6 Pennsylvania with tons of rocks in the soil. 08:24 “My passion is actually landscaping.” 11:06 Introduction to shamanic journeying. 12:04 Ugh, mugwort. 12:47 Plants rule the world - Mugwort. 14:19 “What grows in abundance is because you have a need for it.” 16:06 Rodale’s journey with poison ivy. 16:54 The spirit of poison ivy. 17:23 Poison ivy teaches us to pay attention to everything around us. 18:27 Don’t fight plants. 20:20 Generational healing: “It’s not a fight, it’s a dance.” 22:08 The rainbow serpent from Australian Aboriginal cultures. 22:41 Everything is a spiral from galaxies to sunflowers. 25:06 What is shamanic journeying? 26:53 When journeying, your brain waves change. 29:21 You can ask questions out loud during journeys, but they’re mostly visual. 30:54 Catholic priests (and really anyone of any religion) can journey, too. 32:30 Journeying is about having a conversation with something you didn’t understand before. 33:42 “I’m going to slap (mosquitoes) if they land on me.” 36:26 The magic started when Rodale opened her mind to learning. 39:41 Rodale wishes men would read the book: “Men are struggling right now in society…” 40:27 Young people are open and want a different perspective. 42:46 Northern Spicebush: this week’s Plant Profile! 44: 23 Garden updates: Garlic is about four inches high. 44:50 Upcoming events: National Capital Orchid Society’s annual show and sale; U.S. Botanic Garden’s Production Facility Tours; Silver Spring Garden Club meeting; Eco-savvy Symposium. 47:13 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz. 48:34 “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight 49:36 Dr. Allan Armitage shares the Last Word on Sun- or Shade-loving Plants. 51:28 Just ask, is the plant shade-tolerant or sun-tolerant.

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



We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/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
Editing and Show Notes: Jessica Harden

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Thursday, February 09, 2023

WELCOME SPRING AT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW

 

COME JOIN US FOR A DAY-TRIP TO A VIRTUAL GARDEN OF DELIGHTS AT THE UPCOMING PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW!


Washington Gardener Magazine has one trip this year going up to the Philadelphia Flower Show. 

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world. The theme for 2023, “the Garden Electric,” will pay tribute to the enormous impact of flowers on our lives. America’s leading floral and garden designers will create stunning landscapes, imaginative gardens, and breathtaking floral displays. Through imaginative exhibits, guests will see ideas like community, healing, peace, transformation, and hope brought to life in surprising, vibrant ways. 


The Flower Show attracts non-gardeners as well as die-hard green-thumbed people of all ages. Foodies of all tastes will love the vendors and nearby Philadelphia restaurants. First-time and returning riders will enjoy the welcoming, custom details of our coach service.

Here are the details:

Wednesday, March 8 from 10am-10pm (snow date: March 10), leaving and returning to downtown Silver Spring, MD - includes a lunch and is nearby to public transit - see the registration form for more details:
Note: The form is for printing and mailing along with your payment. It is not an interactive online form. If you have any trouble printing it out, please send an email to kathyjentz@gmail.com and I can send the form directly to you. 

Our coaches fill up quickly, so please act fast to reserve your spot with us!
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Wednesday, February 08, 2023

Boxwood Plant Profile

Boxwood Plant Profile

Boxwood (Buxus species) is an evergreen shrub that has been grown ornamentally for thousands of years. It is used in the landscape as an edging, in containers, in mass groupings, and as a single specimen plant.

Boxwood can be fast-growing or slow. They also come in many different shapes from upright and columnar to round and full. There are varieties that have longer leaves, variegated foliage, and even miniature ones.

Avoid English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’), if your nose objects to the strong boxwood scent. The other boxwood species are fairly scent-free.

The best time to plant boxwood is in the early spring or early fall. It prefers a neutral soil pH between 6.5 – 7.0. After planting, make sure to water the shrub consistently. However, boxwood hate soggy roots, so don’t plant them in wet areas or near downspouts.

Don’t plant boxwood too close to your home’s foundation or right next to sidewalk and driveway edges either. They will need room to spread and grow. They also have shallow root systems and do not like anything planted under them. It is best to mulch lightly and never use stone or marble chips around them.

Boxwood is fairly deer-resistant, but has some disease and insect pressures. For a healthier planting, choose a boxwood variety from the newer blight-resistant introductions. You will need to also periodically thin the plant’s interior growth to assure good air circulation and sunlight gets inside.

You can see extensive boxwood collections at public gardens in the Mid-Atlantic region such as the National Boxwood Collection at the US National Arboretum and the more than 160 boxwood cultivars on display the Virginia State Arboretum at Blandy. You can find out more about boxwood at the American Boxwood Society’s website: boxwoodsociety.org.

Boxwood: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Video and editing by Jessica Harden

Audio and text by Kathy Jentz

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Monday, February 06, 2023

Monday Thoughts: "Let no one think that real gardening is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart." - Karel Čapek

"Let no one think that real gardening is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart." - Karel Čapek

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Sunday, February 05, 2023

2023 Garden Photo Contest Winners

Here are the 17 Award-winning Garden Photos in the Washington Gardener Magazine 2023 Garden Photo Contest Winners. Contest entries must have been taken in the 2022 calendar year in a garden setting within 150-mile radius of Washington, DC. Learn more about the annual contest at https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/.

The photo show reception of the contest winners will be published in the February 2023 issue and on view this summer at the Meadowlark Visitor Center's lobby. Washington Gardener Magazine is already announcing the 18th Annual Washington Gardener Photo Contest. Start gathering your images now and throughout this year. Most of the entry rules will remain the same as this year’s contest. Photos need to be taken during the 2023 calendar year in a garden-setting in the greater Washington, DC area. We will again accept the entries during the first three weeks of January. Look for the contest entry details at the end of this year on our blog and in our magazine. 
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Saturday, February 04, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 136: Home Composting

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Gary Pilarchik of The Rusted Garden about home composting. The plant profile is on Stinking Hellebore 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 Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm podcast, who shares the Last Word on Observation.


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

Show Notes: 01:06 Meet Gary Pilarchik of The Rustic Garden. 03:22 Home composting in small spaces. 04:40 “(Bagged) compost can be in any state of decay and they’ll call it compost.” 05:34 How to compost in a 4x4 space. 06:26 “People just don’t get started, they get paralyzed…” 07:06 You don’t have to be an active composter. 07:49 Compost happens. 08:10 Gary’s biggest tip: just get started. 09:17 Setting up a hot compost. 10:43 Pros and cons to hot composting. 11:30 If you’re lucky, cold composting takes 12 months to become usable. 12:14 “I was a little bit slow getting started on composting, and that was the barrier.” 12:34 Why tumblers are great: “At dinner time I don’t feel like walking out when it’s raining.” 13:35 How to control compost odors. 15:58 Composting is like lasagna. 17:13 How to separate hot composting into multiple piles. 18:41 You shouldn’t get overly stressed about making it right. 19:35 Turning piles adds in oxygen – fuels the decomposition process. 21:22 How Gary sets up his leaf compost. 22:08 You don’t always have to turn leaf compost – here’s how. 22:47 Leaf composting: “It’s not a lot of work, which is what I prefer.” 23:30 Chemicals on grass may not break down and can hurt your garden. 24:08 Don’t be lazy and add whole sticks. 25:29 Here’s what attracts racoons and rats to your compost. 26:23 Do creatures get into your compost? 27:10 Snakes – don’t freak out. 29:09 Weed seeds can last for years. 30:27 Things can grow out of a compost pile??? 32:28 Plants want to survive. 33:10 Experimenting with closed-bag composting. 35:49 Composting for the first time? Try three pens. 37:18 Compost activators: they don’t work. 38:10 Beer and urine in your compost! 40:07 Leaves don’t need to be sifted. 41:40 “I want to do the least amount of work.” 42:20 Compost tea – an extra step. 43:46 Organic gardening, the compost is your fertilizer. 45:07 Just get started. 45:36 Stinking Hellebore: this week’s Plant Profile. 47:07 Garden updates: Blooming crocuses! 47:22 Upcoming events: Tacoma Horticultural Club: Growing Figs; National Capital Orchid Society’s annual show and sale; Stars for Your Garden – Potomac Rose Society. 48:43 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz. 49:52 “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight 50:52 Last Word by Greg Peterson: Observation. 53:24 “Always keep a curious mind.”

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 123: Cover Crops and Winter Bed Prep
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/10/gardendc-podcast-episode-123-cover.html

This episode is archived at:

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/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
Editing and Show Notes: Jessica Harden

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