Fenton Friday: Working for Peanuts

Peanuts pulled straight out of the soil.

This week at the community garden plot, we harvested the peanuts! Back on June 25, I planted peanuts in a container as an experiment. Those came from the ladies at Garden sPOTS and they were a fun experiment this summer. I was very impatient and wanted to pull them in mid-September, but intern Charlotte Benedetto made me wait a couple more weeks until the peanut plant foliage was started to yellow and die-off.

We got two nice-sized hand-fulls that are tied up and curing (aka drying) in my sunroom for a couple more weeks. Then I will roast them and we can try them to see what they taste like.

Elsewhere in the plot, we are still picking cut flowers (zinnia, celosia, cosmos, and gomphrena) and cherry tomatoes. It has been a fairly mild fall with no killing frosts/freezes -- yet. We also harvested spinach and lettuces. The radish seedlings are growing rapidly and the Pak Choi are as well.

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 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Tatarian Aster Plant Profile

 Tatarian Aster (Aster tataricus) is a tall perennial that is hardy to zones 3 to 9. The lavender-colored flowers bloom from September into October. This aster is not native to the United States, instead it originates in Asia as the name indicates.

It can reach six feet high or more and is best planted at the back of a border or along a wall. It is very sturdy and does not normally require staking. ‘Jindai’ is a dwarf cultivar from Japan that stays about three feet tall and another short cultivar is ‘Blue Lake’, which has lighter blue flowers.

This plant is not picky about soil types and grows best in full sun. It doesn’t mind high heat and humidity. After a few years, it will spread to form a colony. It can easily be dug, divided, and shared in spring.

Tatarian Aster is a pollinator favorite. It is also deer-resistant. It can suffer from fungal diseases that make the lower foliage unattractive, but that won’t kill this tough plant.

Tatarian Aster: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Melinda Thompson

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Monday Thoughts: What is a weed? A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a weed? A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

GardenDC Podcast Episode 79: Boxwood

In this episode, we talk with Bennett Saunders, General Manager of Saunders Genetics LLC, all about boxwood from propagation tips to dealing with blight and leaf miner. The plant profile is on Hardy Begonia and I share what's going on locally and in my garden.

EPISODE LENGTH: 50:18

00:40 Meet Bennett Saunders!

01:10 Getting introduced to the business at age 10 

02:10 “He bought his partner out for, like, 50 cents” — Bennett on how his dad bought a nursery in the late 1940s.

04:20 “If you bought a boxwood at Kmart in the ‘70s or ‘80s, you have one of the Saunders’ boxwoods” 

04:44 Working in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains

06:20 Recently started online business: Saunders Brothers Farm Market 

08:10 “Green is a color, and green is beautiful!” — Boxwood, after being ignored for the other more colorful plants 

10:00 Ever wondered where boxwood came from? 

12:50 All about how to propagate boxwood 

17:50 Their boxwood grows in their field for anywhere from three years up to 12 years

18:10 Bennett’s ‘Dee Runk’ boxwood in his front walk is currently 15 feet tall!

19:40 Finding their “Artists’ Palette” when propagating boxwood 

21:00 Boxwood blight crisis in 2011 and other issues

25:40 “We finally took it upon ourselves to find cultivars and to breed cultivars which would … show more insect- and disease-resistance” — Bennett, on the formation of Saunders Genetics 

28:50 How to prune boxwood: “A real tight shearing makes the plant more susceptible to boxwood blight” — Bennett

31:00 Why English boxwood is now a “thing of the past” — Bennett

32:00 How to deal with overgrown boxwood

33:00 “That garden was old, and it was tired” — Bennett, on renovating the Rose Garden at the White House

34:50 Fun fact: Bennett’s father supplied plants to Jackie Kennedy in 1962!

36:00 Pros and Cons of different kinds of Boxwood Varieties 

39:20 “Be careful” how you use boxwood clippings for holiday decorations — Bennett

41:30 Management practices for avoiding disease: visit https://www.saundersbrothers.com and https://www.newgenboxwood.com for more information!

43:00 If you have any questions, you can contact Bennett at bennett@saundersbrothers.com!

43:30 Last word of advice: “You need to do your homework first” if you want to grow boxwood — Bennett 

44:26 Learn about the “delicate pink or white dangling flowers” of this week’s plant profile, the Hardy Begonia

46:00 Community garden update: Harvesting spinach and BIG blooming yellow marigolds!

47:00 Upcoming events: Giving a talk at Brookside Gardens and Homestead Gardens about winter and holiday gardening, and a conference at Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Counsels

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

The episode is posted at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Episode-79---Boxwood-e18rqio

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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.

Episode Credits
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edits: Charlotte Crook
Notes: Melena DiNenna

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Fenton Friday Meets Bloom Day

I don't recall another time when my weekly Fenton Friday reports on our community garden overlapped with the 15th of the month aka Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, though I' m sure it must have... In any case, here is my combined post. 

The bloom that is putting on a terrific show right now in the garden plot is the Marigold 'Big Duck Yellow'. We started it from seed and it is just now really hitting its stride. The flowers are HUGE and the bumblebees are burying their heads into them. I had quite a struggle finding a few full blooms to cut as the bees were not letting me! It was an AAS winner in 2019. These plants is very sturdy and tall, so I am using it to divide the cherry tomatoes from another bed, as the indeterminate tomato plants would take over that whole side of the plot, if we let them.

We harvested the largest leaves from the 'Viroflay' Spinach today and picked some more cherry tomatoes. We also cut some branches off the Holy Basil aka Tulsi for the interns to sample. 

Last week's replacement seeding of 'Garden Party' radish mix and 'Shanghai Baby' Bok Choy are all up and doing great! Today, we thinned out the radish seedlings and can likely thin the bok choy next 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 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

White Wood Aster Plant Profile

White Wood Aster (Aster divaricatus also known as Eurybia divaricata) is a perennial that is hardy to zones 3 to 8 and native to the eastern United States.

The small, white flowers cover the plant in late summer into early fall. The daisy-like blooms are a pollinator favorite. It is the host plant for the caterpillars of the Pearl Crescent and Checkerspot Butterflies. The plant is also quite deer-resistant.

White Wood Aster grows in low mounds and is not picky about soil types. It is a tough plant and does well in part- to full shade.

This plant is very low-maintenance. To stop it from getting too leggy and flopping over, you can cut it back in late spring or early summer to about 6 inches high.

The selection ‘Eastern Star’ is a more compact plant and it received the highest ratings in a study of 119 asters by the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plant Evaluation Program.

It can form large, dense colonies spreading by underground rhizomes. White Wood Aster tends to also self-sow freely, so cut off the flowers after they bloom, if you want to limit that tendency.

White Wood Aster: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Melinda Thompson

Footage gathered at Green Spring Gardens and Brookside Gardens.

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

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Monday Thoughts: My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece

"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece."
~ Claude Monet

GardenDC Podcast Episode 78: Dumbarton Oaks

In this episode, we talk with Jonathan Kavalier, Director of Gardens and Grounds at Dumbarton Oaks, about the garden's past, present, and future as it hits its centennial mark. The plant profile is on Prickly Pear and I share what's going on locally and in my garden.

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

EPISODE LENGTH: 56:51 00:41 Meet Jonathan and hear about his “cathartic” experience working at an orchard in Israel 03:50 “I was not exposed to public gardens as a possibility in career development when I was in college … Coming to the Smithsonian really opened up a whole new world for me” — Jonathan 05:06 “The historic nature of this garden and our preservation mission doesn’t always fit well with lots of visitors” — Jonathan, on the elaborate and selective entryway to Dumbarton Oaks 06:52 “It’s been a very quiet year and a half for us in the gardens” — Jonathan, on closing down due to COVID 08:02 Dumbarton Oaks has welcomed back nearly 50 residential fellows to the grounds 09:55 Jonathan and Kathy walk you through what happens after check-in at the front gate 10:39 Did you know Dumbarton Oaks’ orangery is the 2nd oldest in the country? 14:07 Learn about the history of Dumbarton Oaks! 15:52 Documentation of letters between owner Mildred Bliss and their hired garden designer Beatrix Farrand in the 1920s give “a lot of insight into the concepts” for the garden 17:11 Jonathan explains the “genius” behind Farrand’s design for the garden 19:28 Dumbarton Oaks Park faces issues with stormwater issues and invasive plants 22:19 11 of the 13 fountains on the grounds have been changed to recirculating systems to save water 23:18 - 46:29 Jonathan highlights iconic parts in the garden, explaining their history and how they’ve changed 30:03 “A lot of these spaces have changed a lot over the years, but then we always try and bring it back to Farrand’s design intent” — Jonathan 30:57 Jonathan talks about trying to preserve or reproduce Farrand’s “one-of-a-kind” furniture and architectural designs for the garden 34:57 “I have to admit, I kind of like the shabby chicness, the kind of ‘Grey Gardens’ look that it had before .. but it is obviously safer and nicer to have those restored” — Kathy 36:02 Farrand’s plant book, detailing instructions on caring for the gardens, will be republished and available in the spring of 2022 38:21 Ondine’s Walk is a “little gem” and “Instagramable moment” in the garden 40:35 The Pebble Garden was originally a tennis court and had become “a lay down area for the gardeners” 41:56 Farrand and the gardener that succeeded her, Ruth Havey, had very different styles 43:14 The cutting and kitchen gardens, while not the “most iconic” parts of the grounds, have important functions 45:27 Jonathan talks about one of his personal favorites in the garden: The Lover’s Lane 46:29 Looking ahead to the next centennial, Dumbarton Oaks is not only working to preserve Farrand’s designs, but also to be more attentive to the gardens’ ecological needs 49:39 “[For] those who have never been to Dumbarton Oaks, I would say put that on your life list” — Kathy 50:00 Learn about the only cactus native to the Mid-Atlantic, the prickly pear, in this week’s Plant Profile! 51:10 Garden updates: reseeding plants that never germinated, and the Tatarian aster is growing very well! 53:08 Community updates: American Horticultural Society staying at River Farm, Mid-Atlantic Urban Agricultural Summit, and the Annual Perennial Plant Conference

The episode is posted at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Episode-78---Dumbarton-Oaks-e18h0s8

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

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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.

Episode Credits:

Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edits: Charlotte Crook

Show Notes: Melena DiNenna

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Fenton Friday: Hits and Misses

Pak Choi

Some of the cool-season crops we direct-sowed a month ago were duds or washed away in one of the storms we had. Either way, we spent time this week replacing the seeds or adding seeds to partial rows.

The seedlings that are up and filing out nicely include the 'Viroflay' Spinach and 'Mesclun Mix' Lettuce. The ones that had partial success are the 'Bopak' Pak Choi (pictured) and Arugula. While complete o-shows were the 'Cherry Belle' Radish and Cilantro. I'm really surprised by those last two as they are usually so prolific and reliable.

In place of ' 'Cherry Belle' Radish, we planted 'Garden Party' a five color radish mix and to fill out the rest of the Pak Choi run, we added seeds of 'Shanghai Baby' Bok Choy. We'll give those a bit and see if we have better luck with them.

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 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Hardy Begonia Plant Profile

Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis) is a long-blooming garden perennial that is hardy to zones 6 to 9.

They bloom from mid-summer through early fall with delicate pink or white dangling flowers. You can deadhead the blooms to encourage continuous flowering.

The foliage is also attractive with large heart-shaped leaves that are a lovely red on their underside. If you can place the plants in an elevated spot, the sun reflecting through the veined leaves is quite attractive.

They thrive in part sun to full shade with rich, moist (but well-draining) soil. The plant is of Asian origin and is a good addition to any woodland garden.

Hardy Begonia grows to between 1 to 2 feet high. They perform well underneath shrubs and trees.

They will spread to form a small colony if allowed to self-sow. However, if you mulch or clean up around them in the fall, it will prevent them from reproducing.

Hardy Begonia dies back in winter and reemerges in spring from an underground tuber. You can spread a bit of compost on the soil surface in early spring when the plants are still dormant to give them some extra nutrition, they need little care otherwise.

Hardy Begonia: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Melinda Thompson

Footage gathered at Green Spring Gardens, Brookside Gardens, and Dumbarton Oaks.

➤ 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

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