Saturday, March 18, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 142: Hydrangea Care and Pruning


In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Lorraine Ballato, author of Success with Hydrangeas, all about hydrangea care and pruning. The plant profile is on the St. John's Wort 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 Gardening with Hydrangeas.


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See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support.

SHOW NOTES: 01:16 Meet Lorraine Ballato, author of “Success with Hydrangeas.” 01:46 “I’m not what’s known as a heritage gardener.” 03:20 How Ballato got into gardening after retirement. 05:52 “Zone 6 plants for me become compost.” 07:35 How does Ballato trial hydrangeas? 08:30 Zone envy – don’t we all have it. 12:00 Giving away plants – you can still visit them. 13:15 Different types of hydrangeas and what Ballato is looking for when trialing them. 17:54 Ballato’s main focuses: temperature and stem strength. 19:01 “Even if the plant you buy only flowers for the current season… enjoy it for the first season as if it were an annual.” 23:29 Macrophylla Hydrangea – the illusive blue flower. 26:00 Your soil should be moist down to the second knuckle. 27:10 Using 10-10-10 contributes to pollution because plants aren’t going to use all of that nutrients. 29:40 “Treat them as if they were in their natural environment.” 30:37 What hydrangeas love the sun? 33:10 “If you want to hide an eyesore… put a climbing hydrangea on the ground.” 35:35 Climbing hydrangeas don’t disturb anything – but trellising might not be strong enough to support them. 39:50 “Sane pruning.” 40:10 Rebloomers were introduced to the marketplace in 2004. 42:27 Dead-heading a re-bloomer stimulates flower production along the length of the stem. 43:11 If your hydrangea looks dead, scratch it with your fingernail. 44:00 Observe your hydrangeas for a few years before working on them. 51:21 Flower color is affected by soil chemistry, regardless of what color it was when you bought it. 53:35 “I would trade my big blooms for the hardiness.” 53:55 Large flowers usually aren’t on strong enough stems. 54:43 “Size isn’t everything.” 55:57 All of Ballato’s favorite hydrangeas. 58:58 How to dry hydrangeas. 1:00:36 Dying and painting dried hydrangeas 1:01:49 “The stuff on the internet makes me crazy.” 1:03:31 St. John’s Wort: this week’s Plant Profile! 1:05:43 Garden updates: Grape Hyacinth are blooming & spring has sprung! 1:06:24 Upcoming events: Spring Garden Party at Tudor Place; White House Spring Garden Tour; Gloucester County Daffodil Festival; American Landscape Institute Scholarship Program. 1:08:36 “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight 1:09:36 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz 1:11:00 Dr. Allan Armitage shares the Last Word on “Gardening with Hydrangeas”

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

~ GardenDC Episode 60: Hydrangeas with Andrew Bunting


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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Lorraine's book, Success with Hydrangeas, is available for order at https://amzn.to/3lkv5lU
Note this link is connected to our Amazon affiliate account and this podcast may earn some pennies from your purchase but it will not affect your purchase price.

Episode Review: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
"The hydrangea episode was fantastic. I learned so much. I have grown hydrangeas for MANY years, but can’t wait to implement your guest’s suggestions. Excellent podcast. Thank you."
04Ry via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 03/25/23
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Friday, March 17, 2023

Fenton Friday: First of the Season

We're ba-ack! 

Plot 16 is in pretty good shape to start the growing season thanks to a thick layer of straw we put on most of the beds in late fall. I could kick myself for the places I didn't cover with straw as those cost me some weeding time this past week. The chickweed and henbit are already running rampant!

Returning from last year in the garden are several plants. The garlic we planted in October is about 6 inches high and the fall-planted kale and broccoli actually wintered over okay under covercloths. I may even harvest some small broccoli heads this weekend. 

We also have our perennial edible plants: thornless blackberry, strawberries, asparagus, yarrow, and lots of garlic chives. The last two of which I'd just as soon be rid of, but there they are, back again.

Two weeks ago, during a rather warm spell at the end of February, we planted seeds for the following: 'Sugar Heart' sugar snap pea, 'Oregon Giant' edible pod snow peas, 'Parisian' Carrot, 'Rocky' arugula, 'Astro' arugula, and 'Salad Bowl' red and green cutting lettuce. None of the seedlings had emerged yet when we check on them this week and the weather had turned a bit colder in between our visits, so I'm not surprised.

Next week, I plan to plant radishes and some spinach.

Are you back in your edible garden yet? If so, what are you growing?

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 12th 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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Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Daphne Plant Profile


Daphne Plant Profile

Daphne (Daphne spp.) is a small shrub with highly fragrant flowers in late winter and early spring. Many of them are evergreen. Daphne shrubs are hardy to USDA zones 4 to 9. 

Daphnes need great drainage. Plant them in a raised bed or on a slight slope. If you have clay soil, amend it with lots of leaf compost and spread a layer of poultry grit or expanded slate in the bottom of the planting hole. Be careful not to overwater it, but note that it should not be left to dry out as that will damage its delicate feeder roots.

They need morning sun and afternoon shade to thrive. Plant it in a protected location that is at least shielded from cold, drying winds.

Daphnes don’t need a lot of pruning, but you can occasionally trim them to maintain their shape.

Daphnes are known to be temperamental and are sensitive to certain pathogens and root rot. They are prone to sudden, inexplicable death.  They also resent being moved so plant them well and do not move them again.

Note that the berries and all parts of Daphne odora are poisonous, so be cautious about planting them where young children or pets may eat them.

Daphne odora grows three to four feet tall, with a two to four foot spread, and forms a dense mound.

Daphne odora ‘Aureo-Marginata’ is the most aromatic of the species as well as much being hardier than other cultivars.

Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’ is a genetic mutation or chimera of Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Somerset’. It is prized for its stunning variegation and fragrant bloom. It was originally discovered in a New Jersey garden.

Daphne: 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, March 13, 2023

Monday Thoughts: "The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives." - Getrude Jekyll

"The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives." - Getrude Jekyll

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Saturday, March 11, 2023

GardenDC Podcast Episode 141: Nature's Best Hope

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Doug Tallamy, author of Nature's Best Hope. The plant profile is on the Cornellian Cherry 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 Eva Monheim, host of The Plant a Trillion Trees Podcast, who shares the Last Word on Trees with Unique Services.


Tallamy's books include Nature's Best Hope (https://amzn.to/40363q9), Nature's Best Hope Young Reader's Edition (https://amzn.to/3JtQ2UE), Bringing Nature Home (https://amzn.to/3l3wqNE), and The Nature of Oaks (https://amzn.to/42gRWPZ). 
Note these links are connected to our Amazon affiliate account and this podcast may earn some pennies from your purchase but it will not affect your purchase price.

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: 01:20 Meet Doug Tallamy, author of “Nature’s Best Hope.” 01:55 “I was born with nature in my veins… It was the love of nature that brought me to plants.” 03:59 “We’ve lost 3 billion breeding birds… we can do something about it.” 05:10 Tallamy says he’s growing biodiversity. 05:38 Restoring ecosystems is easier and faster than Tallamy thought. 06:02 Keystone plants: they create most of the food that supports the food web. 06:33 “Deer is a four-letter word on this podcast.” 07:24 Tallamy has had Lyme disease FIVE times – here’s what you can do to avoid it. 09:39 We always garden for aesthetics, even when we switch to natives, even if they don’t support the food web. 11:04 You should aim to have 70% native and 30% non-native total plant material. 14:21 Who should you plant pollinator gardens for? 17:31 Telephone poles are “ugly as sin” and nobody ever complains, so people shouldn’t complain about nature either. 18:36 “The kids on this planet are the future stewards on that planet.” 19:27 “Every one of us has the responsibility of taking care of those ecosystems, not just the tree huggers, not just the few ecologists.” 20:19 “The planet has huge problems and more and more people recognize that, but they all feel powerless – what can one person do? But one person can do a lot.” 21:48 “Where” is the Homegrown National Park? 24:46 “There’s this idea if you use native plants it’s going to be wild and ugly.” 25:59 There’s a legal precedent for HOAs to not push lawns now. 26:26 The demand for natives still exceeds supply. 29:10 Tallamy brought 1,199 species of moths back to his property. 30:03 “We all are nature’s best hope.” 32:24 Genetic variability is so important in the age of climate change. 37:36 “Everybody needs a healthy environment…” regardless of political ideology. 42:03 “Gardeners are stewards of plants, which makes them stewards of everything.” 42:26 “We need to save all the plants, and gardeners are in a better position to do that than anybody.” 43:02 “Every square inch of your property is part of your landscape, and what you do with those square inches is going to determine how much life is going to exist in your garden.” 44:49 “You have the potential to be a model for all of your neighbors. Just make a wonderfully attractive, productive landscape and enough neighbors will say ‘hey, I want that too,’ and that’s how we change the entire culture.” 45:52 Cornus Mas: this week's Plant Profile. 47:15 Garden Update: the Siberian Squill are popping up and looking adorable. 47:49 Upcoming Events: U.S. National Arboretum’s Flowering Cherry Symposium; Foraging and Cooking with Invasive and Non-Native Plants; Potomac Rose Society’s favorite roses; Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. 50:09 “Groundcover Revolution” by Kathy Jentz. 51:37 “The Urban Garden” by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight 52:34 The Last Word on Trees with Unique Services by Eva Monheim.

Also, you can read the transcript of the interview portion at: https://freepodcasttranscription.com/transcription/2253ee5ff57df121c2b77094c5ba463fe9d54a0d.srt

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

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 20: Native Plants, Diversity in the Garden, and Sunflowers
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-20-native.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 50: Deer-Resistant Native Plants
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-50-deer.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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