Saturday, June 01, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 197: Growing Herbs in Shade

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with returning guest Kim Roman of Square Foot Gardening 4 U about growing herbs in the shade. The plant profile is on Blue-eyed Grass and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Zucchini Lasagna from Christy Page
of Green Prints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 116: Miniature Vegetables

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-116-miniature.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 3: Cool-Season Edible Gardening

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-3.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 157: Ginger and Turmeric

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-157-ginger-and.html

This episode is archived at: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Growing-Herbs-in-Shade-e2k7t5s

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

SHOW NOTES: 0:58 Welcome back Kim Roman of Square Foot Gardening 4 U 1:49 Kim talks about her new book “Growing Herbs for Health, Wellness, Cooking and Crafts” and teases a third book 4:40 What Kim is growing in her garden in North East, Maryland 5:45 Defining shade 7:07 How shade affects plant growth 9:26 Kim’s favorite type of mulch around herbs 9:44 Why Kim uses raised beds instead of growing in ground 11:21 Using Mel’s Mix and modified soil mixes 12:28 The pot-in-pot method and how it helps with wind protection 14:14 Catnip and how that herb is for more than cats 15:00 Consulting an herbalist Michelle Guerrero Denison, The Twig & Feather 16:53 Parsley - how it grows in shade and uses of the herb 18:48 Tips for Parsley seed germination 19:38 Buying herbs in the Mid-Atlantic Richardson’s Floral Center, Newark, DE Sharp’s at Waterford Farm, Brookeville, MD Baltimore Herb Festival, Baltimore, MD 21:04 Kathy shares a story about Chives and cats 22:01 Kim talks about growing Chives 23:27 Oregano growth and usage 24:28 Mint and growing it in the shade to make it less invasive 27:04 Lemon Balm benefits 27:59 Tarragon vs. French Tarragon 28:55 Thyme and Sage, “It’s all about the drainage” 29:56 Cilantro and defining herbs 32:30 Keeping Cilantro in the shade helps it last longer 33:02 How much sun does Ginger need? 34:35 Chervil and lowering blood pressure 35:28 Hyssop 36:18 Calendula 38:15 Kim’s favorite and least favorite herbs 39:28 “If you were to have just one pot, say on a balcony, and your balcony wasn't getting direct sun, what herbs would you recommend that person grow in that pot?” 41:25 Find Kim on her website sfg4u.com and on social media @SquareFootGarden4U @CulinaryHerbsForWellness and @YourIndoorFoodGarden 42:01 Kim’s final words, “Never get discouraged” 43:04 Plant Profile: Blue-Eyed Grass 44:41 What’s new in the garden this week? 45:31 Upcoming events in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area You can find out more about those at extension.umd.edu, silverspringgardenclub.com, and mdflora.org 47:22 Washingtion Gardener will be at ​​Lotus and Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC this July 47:37 The May issue of the Washington Gardener Magazine is available at https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/ 48:35 Check out Groundcover Revolution by Kathy Jentz for low-maintenance alternatives for lawns on Amazon.com and Bookshop.org 51:00 Guilt-free zucchini lasagna with Christy Page from Food Gardening Network

Please vote for GardenDC in the first-ever GardenComm’s People’s Choice Horti Awards.
Voting happens now through 6/15. Go HERE: 

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
Interview Edit and Show Notes: Josh Panepento

PIN THIS FOR LATER!


*This is an Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3KpPy1j 
If you order after clicking the link we made receive a few pennies, but it will not effect the cost of your books and other products.


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Friday, May 31, 2024

Fenton Friday: It's Blackberry Time


Much better news from the garden plot this week after last week's bus crash incident.

I cleaned up the pollinator garden area - raking out many pieces of metal, concrete, and other odd debris. A few pieces of Milkweed and Calendula are actually showing new life and sending out new leaves! I planted several Lemon Basil plants, a few Thai Peppers, and assorted other herbs along with some Calendula seedlings I still had on hand as well as a row of Marigold seeds. Then I re-set the "Pollinator & Herb Garden" sign.

In our own community garden plot, I harvested Lettuce for a couple of salads and cut scapes off the Garlic. I plan to make some fresh pesto with the latter in a few days. 

The Dahlia plants that overwintered there are growing quite large and I need to make time next week to get the cutting garden section seeded and planted.

I took the new interns over to show them around. Next week, we'll plant the Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant. 

The big news though is that the first Blackberry ripened his week and I picked another handful today. I think I'll get a few quarts of them by early next week. That is, if my mesh netting and fake snake (https://amzn.to/3X66Loi -- Amazon affiliate link) do their jobs of keeping birds and squirrels away.

What are you growing in your edible 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 13th 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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Thursday, May 30, 2024

Meet the New Interns

This summer, I have taken on two editorial interns. Look for their author bylines in our upcoming Washington Gardener Magazine issues and on this blog as well as our GardenDC Podcast and YouTube channel. As a first assignment, I asked them to write a short introduction to our readers.


My name is Esha Bhatti (pictured at left) and I am a senior at the University of Maryland in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. I’m a multi-platform journalism major with a concentration in public policy. I decided to pursue journalism after I witnessed how minority Americans such as myself are often misrepresented by mainstream media. I hope to bolster the voices of these individuals so that they can be the writers of their own stories. I served as head of the Howard Community College Times from 2021-2022, contributed diversion stories to The Diamondback in 2023, and most recently wrote about campus life at Her Campus magazine. I garden a little bit at my home in Highland, MDm with my mom, and have always loved being outdoors. I’m thrilled to be a part of the Washington Gardener team this summer with hopes of nurturing a shared love of gardening among people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs.

Hello! My name is Josh Panepento (pictured at right) and I am a rising senior journalism major at the University of Maryland. On campus, I am the editor-in-chief and reporter for Terrapin Sports Central and a reporter for Maryland Baseball Network. My earliest gardening experience is helping my mom and grandmother with their gardens. In elementary school, my mom bought each of my two sisters and me a sunflower and taught us how to take care of it. I still enjoy helping her with her backyard garden and trying to learn what I can. I am excited to attend events, tell local stories, and learn more about gardening this summer.


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Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Win a copy of Growing Herbs for Health, Wellness, Cooking, and Crafts by Kim Roman in the May 2024 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

 

Win a copy of Growing Herbs for Health, Wellness, Cooking, and Crafts: Includes 51 Culinary Herbs & Spices, 25 Recipes, and 18 Crafts* by Kim Roman in the May 2024 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest! (The prize retail value is $19.99.)

   Learn everything you need to know to start your own culinary herb garden in this comprehensive guide about how to get started growing herbs and spices, whether indoors or outdoors. The book includes 51 useful herb plant profiles, including echinacea, St. John’s Wort, turmeric, elderberry, ginger, chamomile, Tulsi (holy basil), anise, hyssop, and many more. The author also shares a few of her favorite recipes where herbs are the star ingredient, including marinades, salad vinaigrettes, infused oils, delicious cocktails or mocktails, herbed and plain focaccia bread, teas, and more.

  To enter to win the gift card, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@

gmail.com by 5:00pm on Friday, May 31, with “Growing Herbs” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the May 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine issue and why. Include your full name and address. The winner will be announced on June 1.

*Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3KpPy1j 
If you order after clicking the link we made receive a few pennies, but it will not effect the cost of your books and other products.

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Monday, May 27, 2024

Monday Thoughts: “There is simply the rose; it is perfect every moment of its existence.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “There is simply the rose; it is perfect every moment of its existence.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

For other Garden Quotes by Emerson, click here.

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Saturday, May 25, 2024

GardenDC Podcast Episode 196: Small Town Arboretum

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with returning guest Phil Normandy about a small town arboretum. The plant profile is on Creeping Raspberry and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events and this week's garden tasks in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Stumpy's Farewell from Christy Page of Green Prints.

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 75: Versatile Virburnums

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-75-versatile.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 190: Dogwoods

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-190-dogwoods.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 6: Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-6-spring.html

This episode is archived at: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Small-Town-Arboretum-e2k3mku

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.

SHOW NOTES: 0:56 Welcome Phil Normandy, retired plant collections manager at Brookside Gardens 1:50 Phil’s home garden: he’s planting amsonia, baptisia, and more 4:50 The background of Garrett Park, MD, a town known for its trees 7:53 How Phil started his work in Garrett Park as the town arborist 8:10 Phil shares the story of Barbara Shidler’s work in the 1970s to make Garrett Park an arboretum 11:46 Are new people moving into Garrett Park? 12:37 Phil shares his worries that developers may tear down trees to build large homes 14:17 Tulip Poplar trees are prevalent in Garrett Park 16:47 Which trees do we typically encounter in the D.C. area and how old are they? 18:00 How to properly take care of your trees and how Phil tends to the diseased trees in Garrett Park 21:17 Stewartia is one of the most popular small trees in Garrett Park 22:09 Phil’s failure to grow Franklinia and why it didn’t work 25:06 What Phil has learned about variegated plants 27:46 Other understory trees in Garrett Park: Dove Trees 31:28 There’s an interest in adding more natives to Garrett Park so they added Serviceberries, Fringe trees, and more 33:33 Phil leads guided walks around the town’s arboretum twice a year 35:10 What has Phil planted in Garrett Park recently? 35:47 To find maps and learn more about the arboretum go to garrettparkmd.gov/ 38:10 Phil and Kathy break down how trees are analyzed on the website 41:05 Phil’s favorite trees in Garrett Park: Nordmann Fir and Dawn Redwood 43:07 How to create your own arboretum; it’s a tough task, but achievable 43:42 To learn more or get in contact with Phil and the town government visit garrettparkmd.gov/ 46:05 Phil’s final thoughts: a message of gratitude to Garrett Park 46:57 Plant Profile: Creeping Raspberry 49:52 What’s new in the garden this week? Spirea, astilbe, radish, and a school bus crash 50:32 Upcoming events in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area – Memorial Day weekend art and nature festival at the National Botanic Garden. The Farmyard and American Landscape Institute’s 5th annual plant sale fundraiser on June 1st. Washington Youth Garden picnic party on June 8th. 51:53 GardenDC is nominated for a People’s Choice HORTI award 52:25 This week’s garden tip on Clematis 53:15 Check out Groundcover Revolution by Kathy Jentz for low-maintenance alternatives for lawns on Amazon.com and Bookshop.org 55:40 Christy Page from GreenPrints on Stumpy’s farewell, a cherry blossom tale, an article by Don Nicholas

Please vote for GardenDC in the first-ever GardenComm’s People’s Choice Horti Awards.Voting happens now through 6/15. Go HERE: 

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
Show Notes: Josh Panepento

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

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Friday, May 24, 2024

Fenton Friday: A Bus Came Through

Fenton pollinator garden pre-bus crash. Photo by Cassie Peo.

Fenton pollinator garden post-bus crash and fence repairs.

I woke up Monday to the sound of sirens and the sight of a school bus lodged on the corner fence of the Fenton Street Community Garden like a beached whale. It was reported that no children were on board and that no one was hurt during this crash. However, three of our garden plots suffered damage and the heavy-duty deer fence itself was a tangled mess.
   You can see pics of the bus crash and the immediate aftermath here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7Mj-1gOcYe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
    
The pollinator garden we had planted on the outside corner of the fence took the brunt of the crash and suffered even more damage from the works putting in the temporary fence replacement along with the final repairs that took place yesterday. I went over this morning and saw that nothing was salvageable from the plantings -- those included the sunny and colorful Calendula you see at top in the "before" pic along with several Borage plants and a dozen or so Common Milkweeds plus many Marigold and Zinnia seedlings that were just emerging.

I hope to be over there in the next few days to clear the debris out -- a lot of sharp metal pieces and other junk are strewn about. Then, I have some herb seedlings left from the Silver Spring Garden Club's GardenMart sale that I can plant along with some packs of marigolds and zinnias.  I'll share an updated "after" shot next week.

In my own plot, the Radishes, Cilantro, and Spinach are already bolting - as is my Broccoli, which is under a covercloth! It hasn't been that hot out, but apparently, the plants think otherwise. 

I have a bit of weeding to do and the new interns start next week, so we'll plant the warm-season seedlings together then including tomatoes, peppers, and maybe an eggplant.

I also am behind on my cutting garden due to this bus crash and the fact that the row of purple Zinnias I planted two weeks ago was chewed on by, well, I'm not sure. Maybe rabbits. Could be slugs. I'll re-sow those seeds and out Sluggo pellets out and a covercloth over them this time.

What are you growing in your edible 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 13th 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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