Video Wednesday: Overwinter Tropical Bulbs

Here is my latest video demonstrating how easy it is to overwinter your tropical "bulbs" like canna and caladiums.

For those who want to play "spot the kitty," at about 1:40 in you'll start to see cat ears at the bottom right corner of the frame. That is my Santino wanting to know why I'm not petting him.

Free Koi: Bring Your Own Net and Bucket!

So earlier this year, some misguided soul thought he would gift the world with 80 Koi fish bought from a pet store by adding them to the fountain at Meridian Hill Park on 16th Street in Washington, DC. Sadly, 20 died almost immediately. The 60 that lived will do what fish do when given a large space to fill, they spawned and soon there were several hundred more Koi inthe park fountain. (The park is Federal property and yes, this gentleman violated several laws with his ill-thought-out "gift.")

Now winter is approaching and the park fountain is drained so it does not get damaged in the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle, we area gardeners are all too familiar with. There are hundreds of small Koi needinga quick re-location to a new home.

The Washington Humane Society (WHS) has already spent one morning attempting to capture and re-locate many of the fountain fish. The Koi proved pretty elusive, so tomorrow at 10:00am (Wednesday, 11/30), the WHS will be back and the fountain will be partially drained to make fish capture a bit easier.

Michael Triebwasser, Humane Law Enforcement Officer at the WHS, is coordinating the rescue event. He says, "There are at least a couple hundred fish left of various sizes, ranging from an inch (and less) to 6-8 inches.  If you can give the fish a good home, you are more than welcome to take as many as you’d like."

If you have a backyard pond that can accomodate some rescued Koi, come on down with your net and a bucket to help out.

You can read more background about these fishy-tales at the Prince of Petworth blog here.

UPDATE: I went to the rescue and spent an hour sifting through algae-muck for the littlest of the fish. Boy, are my hands cold! I brought home 15 small ones -- half will go in my pond and the others to a friend's pond. I put up a photo album of the rescue event at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine.

Back Issue Sale!

You can request a single copy of any back issue for $6 each or any combination of 6 back issues for $24.
You can also order ALL 30+ back issues for just $100.
Prices include postage and handling.
Please specify the issue date(s) you would like. Order must be prepaid by check or money order.

Send Your Order to:
 Washington Gardener, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910

ISSUE LISTINGS

March/April 2005

• Landscape DIY vs. Pro

• Prevent Gardener’s Back

• Ladew Topiary Gardens

• Cherry Trees

May/June 2005

• Stunning Plant Combinations

• Turning Clay into Rich Soil

• Wild Garlic

• Strawberries

JuLy/August 2005

• Water Gardens

• Poison Ivy

• Disguising a Sloping Yard

• Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

September/October 2005

• Container Gardens

• Clematis Vines

• Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens

• 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners

NOVEmber/DECEMBer 2005

• Backyard Bird Habitats

• Hellebores

• Building a Coldframe

• Bulb Planting Basics

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006

• Garden Decor Principles

• Primroses

• Tasty Heirloom Veggies

• U.S. Botanic Garden

MARCH/APRIL 2006

• Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs

• Azaleas

• Figs, Berries, & Persimmons

• Basic Pruning Principles

May/June 2006

• Using Native Plants in Your Landscape

• Crabgrass

• Peppers

• Secret Sources for Free Plants

JuLy/August 2006

• Hydrangeas

• Theme Gardens

• Agave

• Find Garden Space by Growing Up

September/October 2006

• Shade Gardening

• Hosta Care Guide

• Fig-growing Tips and Recipes

• Oatlands Plantation

NOVEMber/DECEMber 2006

• Horticultural Careers

• Juniper Care Guide

• Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes

• Weed-free Beds with Layer/Lasagna Gardening

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007

• Indoor Gardening

• Daphne Care Guide

• Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes

• Houseplant Propagation

MARCH/April 2007

• Stormwater Management

• Dogwood Selection & Care Guide

• Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips

• Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens

MAY/June 2007

• Roses: Easy Care Tips

• Native Roses & Heirloom Roses

• Edible Flowers

• How to Plant a Bare-root Rose

JuLY/AUGUST 2007

• Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass

• How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head

• A Trip to the William Paca House & Gardens

• Hardy Geraniums

September/October 2007

• Succulents: Hardy to our Region

• Drought-tolerant Natives

• Southern Vegetables

• Seed Saving Savvy Tips

November/December 2007

• Gardening with Children

• Kid-Friendly Vegetables

• Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics

• National Museum of the American Indian

• Versatile Viburnums

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008

• Dealing with Deer

• Our Favorite Garden Tools

• Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics

• Delightful Daffodils

MARCH/APRIL 2008

• Patio, Balcony, and Rooftop Container Gardens

• Our Favorite Garden Tools

• Coral Bells (Heucheras)

• Brookside’s Phil Normandy

• Japanese-style Garden

MAY/JUNE 2008 — Almost Sold Out!

• Growing Great Tomatoes

• Glamorous Gladiolus

• Seed Starting Basics

• Flavorful Fruiting Natives

• Build a Better Tomato Cage

JULY/AUGUST 2008

• Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses

• Edible Grasses to Graze On

• Slug and Snail Control

• Sage Advice: Sun-loving Salvias

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008

• Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now

• Ladybug Lore

• Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums)

• The Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs

• 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

• Outdoor Lighting Essentials

• How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, and Vines

• 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs

• Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick

• A Daytrip to Tudor Place

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

• Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer

• Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden

• Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum

• Grow Winter Hazel for Gorgeous Winter Color

MARCH/April 2009

• 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips

• Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic

• Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start

• Redbud Tree Selection and Care

• Best Local Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

MAY/JUNE 2009

• Top 12+ Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat

• Salad Table Project

• Grow and Enjoy Eggplant

• How to Chuck a Woodchuck from Your Garden

Summer 2009

• Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic

• Passionflowers

• Mulching Basics

• What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes

• Growing Hops

FALL 2009

• Apples

• How To Save Tomato Seeds

• Persimmons

WINTER 2009

• Battling Garden Thugs

• How to Start Seeds Indoors

• Red Twig Dogwoods

• Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region

• Visit to Riversdale House

SPRING 2010

• Community Gardens

• Building a Raised Bed

• Dwarf Iris

• Broccoli

SUMMER 2010

• Fragrance Gardens

• Watering Without Waste

• Lavender

• Potatoes

FALL 2010

• Vines and Climbers

• Battling Stink Bugs

• Russian Sage

• Garlic

WINTER 2010

• Paths and Walkways

• Baltimore’s Cylburn Arboretum

• Edgeworthia

• Kohlrabi

SPRING 2011

• Cutting-Edge Gardens

• Final Frost Dates and When to Plant

• Bleeding Hearts

• Onions

SUMMER 2011

• Ornamental Edibles

• Urban Foraging

• Amsonia/Arkansas Blue Star

• Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic

When Does My Subscription Expire?

A few of you have asked, "How do I know when my subscription runs out?"


On your address label on the Fall 2011 issue, above your name is a code.
It consists of two letters and two numbers.
The two letters are the issue:
   SP (spring), SU (summer), FA (fall), and WI (winter).
The two numbers are the year:
   11 (2011), 12 (2012), 13 (2013), etc.
So, if you see "SP12" that means Spring 2012 is your last issue in your subscription.

I hope this helps and that your holiday weekend was restful!

Social Media Subscription Special & Back Issue Sale

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm running this subscription special through December 5 in gratitude for all my online friends, followers, fans, and frequent commenters.

Print out the coupon above, fill it out and mail it in with your check/money order to get 10% off a year's subscription to Washington Gardener Magazine.

I'm also running a Back Issue Sale, full details can be found in on page 8 of the latest Washington Gardener Enewsletter posted here.

Video Wednesday: Shutting Off Water Sources

Another trip into our Washington Gardener Magazine video vaults. This one is a MonkeySee.com production. It is about Shutting Off Water Sources for winter. Enjoy!


BTW, you may have to wait a few seconds for the video to load while listening to a brief MonkeySee.com sponsor commercial. If the above viewer, does not work, you can also go directly to MonkeySee.com to watch it there.

Win Passes to Lewis Ginter's GardenFest of Lights in Washington Gardener Magazine's November 2011 Reader Contest

For our November 2011 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away 5 sets of passes for two people to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardenfest of Lights.

A holiday tradition in Richmond, VA! The walk-through show features more than a half million lights arranged in botanical themes throughout the Garden. Visitors can also marvel at displays in the Garden’s Conservatory and decorations in the Visitors Center and the Education and Library Complex. GardenFest includes family-friendly activities, botanical decorations, model trains, a bonfire (weather-permitting), oversized “LOVE” artwork, courtesy of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and mazes of lights in the Children’s Garden, holiday dining, music, and more! The show runs Friday, November 25, 2011 - Monday, January 9, 2012. (Closed December 24 and 25.) The hours are 5:00 to 10:00pm. For more information on the Lewis Ginter Gardenfest of Lights, visit: http://bit.ly/gardenfest.

To enter to win a set of two passes to the Lewis Ginter Gardenfest of Lights, send an email with “GardenFest” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 30. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified by December 2.

Giving Your Tender Plants Winter Protection ~ Washington Gardener Enews - November 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More dc

Washington Gardener Enews ~ November 2011

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
~ Giving Your Tender Plants Winter Protection
~ Magazine Excerpt: Autumn Onion native plant profile
~ Washington Gardener Magazine 2011 Day Trips
~ Reader Contest: Win passes to Lewis Ginter's Gardenfest of Lights
~ Washington Gardener's Recent Blog Post Highlights
~ Spotlights Special: Cool Wave Pansies
~ Mid-Atlantic Garden To-Do List for November-December
~ The Top Local Garden Events Calendar
~ Washington Gardener Magazine Back Issue Sale!
and much more...

Video Wednesday: How to Clean & Preserve Garden Tools

Another trip into our Washington Gardener Magazine video vaults. This one is a MonkeySee.com production. It is about How to Clean & Preserve Garden Tools for winter. Enjoy!

BTW, you may have to wait a few seconds for the video to load while listening to a brief MonkeySee.com sponsor commercial. If the above viewer, does not work, you can also go directly to MonkeySee.com to watch it there.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: Sunflowers in November

This autumn has been a wonderful "Indian Summer." The past few days in the Washington, DC-area were in the '60s and made weeding and raking a joy.

The line of sunflowers along my fence may look a bit scraggly as the other annuals I planted there have died back, but the sunflowers just keep right on blooming! I plan on keeping them up until the last flower finished up.

NEW Fall 2011 Issue OUT!

Our Fall 2011 edition of Washington Gardener Magazine issue is printed and mailing this week. If you are a current subscriber, look for it in your mailbox soon. The cover story is on Herb Gardens for our Mid-Atlantic region.

Also in this issue is the Edibles column, “Growing Great Sweet Potatoes” by Cindy Brown. She shares her tips on how to grow them here and the best varieties for our area.

Our Daytrip is to the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, NC. I visited there myself last year and cannot wait to get back next summer for an even longer stay.



You’ll also find in this issue:

• Best Cover Crops for Your Vegetable Garden

• Earwigs: Beneficial or Nuisance?

• An Interview with an Influential Local Community Gardener

• Meeting Up with the Potomac Chapter of the Herb Society of America

• Toadlily Plant Profile and Varieties

• Before/After of a Former Slave Cabin’s Landscape

• An Intriguing Personal Garden Story

• Coverage of several local events including our own Tomato Taste

• Answers to readers’ questions such as why are some azalea leaves losing color, what is eating the zinnia foliage, and much, much more...

To subscribe, go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link. OR, send a $20 check to Washington Gardener Magazine, 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring MD 20910.