Washington Gardener January 2016

JANUARY 2016 VOL. 10 NO. 11 WWW.WASHINGTONGARDENER.COM

WASHINGTONWWASWASWWASWWASWASHINGTOHINGTOgardenergthe magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Grow Anywhere in Smart PotsYour Garden

Tasks To-do ListBattling

Ambrosia Beetles

Meet Holly Shimizu

Plant a Pollinator Victory Garden

Alternatives to Burning Bush

Top Coreopsis Selections for Mid-Atlantic

Gardens

Local Gardening Events Calendar

New Perennial Kosmic Kale

Growing Indoor–Outdoor Citrus

2 WASHINGTON GARDENER JANUARY 2016

RESOURCESsourc

Barry GlickSunshine Farm and Gardens696 Glicks RoadRenick, WV 24966, USAEmail: [email protected] www.sunfarm.com

RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GARDENER AND COLLECTOR

Green Spring GardensA “must visit” for everyone in the met-ropolitan Washington, DC, area. It’s a year-round gold mine of information and inspiration for the home gardener. It’s an outdoor classroom for children and their families to learn about plants and wildlife. It’s also a museum, a national historic site that offers glimpses into a long, rich history with colonial origins. Located at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alex-andria, VA. Information: 703-642-5173.

www.greenspring.org

Specializing in Garden Renewals & Renovations

Yard By Yard Makeovers, LLC7304 Carroll Avenue, #229Takoma Park, MD 20912

301-270-4642 [email protected]

www.yardmakeovers.comWe can reshape and beautify

neglected yards.

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o oNeed a Garden Club Speaker?

Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the greater DC region. Call 301.588.6894 or email

[email protected] available dates, rates, and topics.

Haven’s Natural Brew Tea conditions the soil so your plant’s root system can bet-ter absorb nutrients needed to build a strong, healthy root base. The manure tea can also be applied to com-post piles to accelerate the composting process.

Order some today at:www.manuretea.com

Your Ad HereAre you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Magazine goes out on the 15th of every month. Contact [email protected] or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates (starting from $200). The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: [email protected].

JANUARY 2016 WASHINGTON GARDENER 3

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INSIDEcontents

FEATURES and COLUMNSASKtheexpert 18 Succession Planting, Paper Wasp Nests, Burning Bush Alternatives, Too-early Blooms BOOKreviews 16-17 Red Hot Chili Grower, Grow Your Own Natural Gardens, Edible Spots and PotsEDIBLEharvest 6-7 Indoor-Outdoor Citrus Trees NEIGHBORnetwork 20-21 Holly ShimizuPHILLYflowershow 12 Trip Details and Sign-up FormPHOTOcontest 9 Rules for 2016 SubmissionsPRODUCTreview 19 Smart Pots Fabric ContainersSEEDexchanges 14-15 2016 Dates and DetailsTIPStricks 10 Top Coreopsis for Mid-Atlantic Gardens, Assessing Winter Storm Tree Damage, Planting Pollinator Victory Gardens DEPARTMENTSADVERTISINGindex 23BLOGlinks 11EDITORletter 4GARDENcontest 5LOCALevents 13MONTHLYtasklist 11NEXTissue 3RESOURCESsources 2ON THE COVERKumquats in the U.S. Botanic Garden courtyard. Photo by Devin Dotson, USBGPublic Affairs and Exhibits Specialist.

In our February 2016 issue:

Arugula TipsLow-maintenance

Perennialsand much more...

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact

us by February 10 so you can be part of the next issue of our

growing publication!Be sure you are subscribed!Click on the “subscribe” link

at http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/

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The combination of ‘Improved Meyer’ lemon and ‘Bearss’ lime in a container is popular and has proven to be successful. The vigor-ous lemon tree should be pruned to keep it in balance with the lime tree. Photo courtesy of Four Winds Growers.

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Save space in small gardens by using portable, fabric Smart Pots for edibles as well as ornamen-tal plants.Photo by Louise Clarke of her backyard garden.

Holly Shimizu has a rich background in all aspects of public gardens, extensive experience in leading garden tours and workshops, and a proven commitment to plant conser-vation and sustainability. She has been making plants and gardens more accessible and exciting to both professionals and amateurs for over four decades.She can be contacted through her web site at www.hollyshimizu.com.Photo by Daniel Weil.


Tried and True or Shiny and New?I spent a couple of days earlier this month at MANTS — the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show — in Baltimore, MD. This is one of the biggest gatherings in the hor-ticultural industry and it is always a treat to visit during a cold, blustery January week. It gives me a chance to reconnect with colleagues, recharge for the upcom-ing growing season, and see what new offerings are on the market. When I ran into Dr. Allan Armitage, a well-known author and plant researcher, I thought about his reputation as a straight-shooter. If a plant goes through his trial gardens, he tells it like it is — both the good and the bad. He doesn’t just jump on the latest plants, but takes time to see how they develop. The bright, shiny, and new certainly attract a great deal of my attention and I filled my Instagram feed (@wdcgardener) with lots of photos of the latest cool plants and gadgets, but I have to started to feel that perhaps we garden commu-nicators are too easily distracted by the trendy to the detriment of letting our read-ers know more about the tried-and-true plants and tools. Perhaps, to us, the latter group are “boring,” since we see them in many gardens. It is hard to think of new things to say about a tall, yellow Daffodil, that hasn’t been said before. As in all things, balance is the key. We need to share from both realms — the new introductions as well as the garden stalwarts. In every issue, we share a “Spotlight” plant that will be coming soon to a garden center near you. Many of these are wor-thy new improvements of old standards (disease-resistant dogwoods), while some are just plain cool (pink blueberries). We also run several regular columns that pro-file native, edibles, and ornamental plants, so we do expose you to the plants that are proven to be successful and work in our Mid-Atlantic climate. When you garden this coming season, please do share your old favorites and new successes with us. We want to hear what plants you are passionate about! Happy gardening (and reading)!

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener, [email protected]

EDITORletter

CreditsKathy JentzEditor/Publisher& Advertising SalesWashington Gardener826 Philadelphia Ave.Silver Spring, MD 20910Phone: [email protected]

Call today to place your ad with us!

Ruth E. Thaler-CarterProofreader

Joelle LangIntern

Cover price: $4.99Back issues: $6.00Subscription: $20.00

Address corrections should be sent to the address above.

• Washington Gardener Blog:www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com• Washington Gardener Archives:http://issuu.com/washingtongardener• Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/• Washington Gardener Twitter Feed:www.twitter.com/WDCGardener

• Washington Gardener is a woman-owned business. We are proud to be members of:· Garden Writers Association· Think Local First DC· DC Web Women· Green America Magazine Leaders Network· Green America Business Network

To order reprints, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877.652.5295, ext. 138.

Volume 10, Number 11ISSN 1555-8959© 2016 Washington GardenerAll rights reserved. Published quarterly.No material may be reproduced without prior written permission. This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the under-standing that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the pub-lisher as to legality, completeness, or techni-cal accuracy.

All uncredited photos in this issue are © Kathy Jentz.


READERcontt

Caption Contest

Winning Captions: “No need for expensive footwear when you surround yourself with beautiful, low-maintenance and afford-able Coleus! Always in fashion.” ~ Montgomery Jones

“And in entertainment news, socialite Paris Hilton has been the victim of a near-fatal tanning bed malfunc-tion.” ~ Julie Blackwell

“Didn’t I tell you, you’re the only one who can see me like this.” ~ Andy McCrory

“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair...” ~ Susan Polis Schutz

“You can lead a horticulture but you can’t make her think.” ~ Dorothy Parker

“Cool Coleus: Indulge your garden diva without the high maintenance.” ~ Monica Sirtori

We asked our Facebook page followers to caption this mannequin amidst a display of Coleus plants at the recent MANTS event. Look for more monthly caption contests at the Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page.

Hort Couture Plants booth at MANTS. Photo by Kathy Jentz.

Local Gardening CalendarEach month includes a list of what to do in the garden for local DC-MD-VA and Mid-Atlantic gardeners, along with a gorgeous photo of a seasonal flower from a local public garden col-lection in our area. Go to http://www.cafepress.com/washgardener to order this new cal-endar for gifts and to treat yourself! Be sure to note on your order what month you want the calen-dar to start with. This calendar is a keeper that you can use for years!

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Reader ContestFor our January 2016 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giv-ing away two passes to either of the Washing-ton Gardener Seed Exchanges (prize value $40). The 11th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges, hosted by Washington Gar-dener Magazine, take place on January 30, 2016, at the Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD and on February 6, 2016, at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA. You have a choice of which side of the DC Beltway you want to visit! Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speak-ers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats. The event also includes such “green” features as the garden book and catalog swap. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds and loads of gardening inspiration for

the upcoming growing season! To enter to win the Seed Exchange Passes, send an email to [email protected] by 5:00pm on January 25 with “Seed Swap” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on January 27.


Gardeners who enjoy the beauty and utility of kumquat and citrus fruit should consider growing the trees as indoor–outdoor plants. The climate in the greater Mid-Atlantic growing region is too cold in winter to grow them out-doors year-round, but the trees make excellent container-grown plants. The best results are obtained with the tart- and small-fruited species, cultivars, and hybrids of the Fortunella and Citrus genera, including kumquat, calamondin, lemon, and lime. They produce the best quality of fruit and culinary products since there is rarely enough heat for long enough in the outdoor growing sea-son for sweet- and large-fruited trees to produce high-quality fruit. The genera Fortunella (kumquat) and Citrus (lemon, lime, etc.) are both mem-bers of the Rutaceae family. Their many species and naturally occurring hybrids originated in south and east Asia. Modern hybrids of the two genera are increasingly common as plant breeders strive to combine the cold-hardiness of the kumquat with increased size and flavor of traditional citrus varieties. Cal-amondin is a naturally occurring hybrid and has been grown in the United States for more than a century.

Plant AvailabilityRecent disease problems in the produc-tion of citrus trees have led to a short-age at local nurseries, but availability should increase later this year. In the meantime, there is limited availability by mail/online order from some seed com-panies. To protect against insect-trans-mitted diseases, producers such as

Four Winds Growers in California (www.FourWindsGrowers.com) now grow their stock in insect-proof facilities. They will ship directly to gardeners on the East Coast, subject to weather conditions.

Culinary Uses of CitrusThe juice of citrus and citrus hybrids is often used as a condiment, flavoring, or ingredient in marinades or in beverages from fruit punch to cocktails. Zest can be used fresh, made into marmalade, or preserved for later use by dehydrat-ing or freezing. One species, the ‘Kief-fer’ lime, is used for its flavorful leaves and zest.

Growing TipsAll kumquat and citrus trees need good drainage. They should be grown in containers that have drainage holes and are large enough for the trees to grow well for at least three years before repotting. Use a commercial potting mix that drains well. Read the label on the package carefully and do not use a pot-ting medium to which polymers (water-holding agents) have been added. Fer-tilize the trees regularly with an organic fruit/vegetable fertilizer, but do not overfertilize them. It is important to have a gentle accli-matization process from both indoor to outdoor growing conditions and from outdoor to indoor growing conditions. In spring, the trees can be put out for a few hours during the day when the windchill is above 55–60°F., preferably in light shade, then put back inside a warm home when the outdoor tempera-ture drops. Gradually expose the trees

to more direct sunlight. When nighttime temperatures are reliably above 60°F, the trees may stay outside all day and night until early autumn. They should be grown in full sun, if possible, or at least half a day in full sun, preferably in the morning. The transition back to indoor condi-tions is to take the trees indoors for a few hours each day, making it possible for the trees to become adjusted to the lower light levels inside. The trees should be fully acclimated before the nighttime temperatures drop below 55°F. Be sure to place the trees near a sunny window, but not next to a heat-ing vent. If a whole-house humidifier is in the home, a 40% humidity setting would be adequate. Ensure a consistent moisture level in the potting medium both indoors and outdoors. Regularly and carefully check the moisture level in the potting medium a few inches down from the surface. For outdoor conditions, supple-ment rainfall as necessary. Indoor conditions require vigilant monitoring. Always, when watering, water thoroughly and allow the excess water to drain. Let each tree grow for at least one to two years before letting fruit form and ripen. This will allow the branches to become strong enough to support the weight of mature fruit. Enjoy the blossoms on young trees, but carefully snip off the spent blos-soms so fruit does not form. The fruit on more mature trees may need to be thinned or supported if growing in clus-ters, depending on the strength of the branches. One exception for growing fruit on a young tree is to check it for being true to type: One single fruit may be allowed to form and grow to maturity — provide support for it so the branch does not break or rip. Most citrus and kumquat trees have solid-green leaves, but some variegated cultivars are also available. They are very attractive, but not as productive as cultivars with solid-green leaves. If any branch starts to produce leaves that have no green color, prune that branch back to a point where the majority of each leaf is green. Always prune to an outward-facing bud. Ed Laivo, fruit specialist with Four

by Elizabeth Olson

Growing Indoor–Outdoor Citrus


Winds Growers, recommends that gar-deners modify a commercial potting medium. He offers the following sug-gestions for potting, watering, and fertil-izing. For a modified potting medium: Use 60% of a potting medium that is designed for azaleas, 25% small bark, and 15% chunk coir — by volume — and mix thoroughly. Fertilize with an organic, acid-based fertilizer that contains mod-erate to low amounts of nitrogen — such as Espoma’s Hollytone™ — every three months. Repot trees every three to four years. Maintain a consistent moisture level in the potting medium. For plants that are growing indoors, use water that is at room temperature, and avoid water that has been treated with a softener. Laivo also recommends using a grow light to supplement indoor light.

Recommended TreesKUMQUAT (Fortunella spp.)Kumquat cultivars produce very small fruits with very thin, smooth skin. They are not suitable for zest-ing or juicing. The fruits can be sliced, deseeded, and used as a garnish or added to cooked or baked dishes. Whole fruits may be consumed fresh. The decorative fruits hold well on the trees, and can be stored in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to three weeks. The plants have small, dark-green leaves and a dense, shrubby growth habit. Small white blossoms are pro-duced in summer and the fruits mature in winter. Well-grown, hardened-off plants can withstand a light frost, mak-ing the outdoor growing season for kumquats longer than that of lemons and limes. Kumquat trees can also be trained as bonsai specimens and the tiny fruits provide a table-top treat. Be careful to prevent zinc deficiency by using an organic fruit/vegetable fertil-izer that contains zinc.• ‘Nagami’ (F. margarita), pictured above, oval-shaped fruit with bright, orange-colored, tart-flavored skin and pulp. This is the preferred cultivar for preserving whole or in products such as

marmalade, chutney, and frozen purée. It is also the most common kumquat found in markets.• ‘Meiwa’ (F. crassifolia) has round-shaped fruit with sweet, yellow-orange colored skin and moderately tart, juicy orange pulp. This cultivar is preferred for eating fresh, but produces best-qual-ity fruit in a warm growing season. The fruits can be candied.• ‘Fukushu’ (F. obovata) has slightly bell-shaped fruits that are larger than those of ‘Nagami’ and ‘Meiwa,’ with thinner, orange-colored skin. The juicy, orange pulp is acidic. The plants have relatively large, broad leaves and a spreading growth habit.

CALAMONDIN (Citrofortunella micro-carpa)Calamondin is partly kumquat and partly a citrus species, most likely a mandarin (Citrus reticulata). It has a tall, columnar growth habit; medium-small leaves; and small white blossoms.

It is very productive and makes a striking container-grown plant. Its degree of cold-hardiness comes from its kumquat heritage. The round, small fruits have orange-colored, juicy pulp and thin, sweet, orange-colored peels that can be preserved. The acidic juice can be sweet-ened to make a refreshing beverage. Recipes that call for lime juice can be

adapted for use with calamondin juice.

LEMON (Citrus limon)Cultivars ‘Eureka’ and ‘Lisbon’ are the standard market lemons. However, the best lemon for indoor–outdoor growing is the ‘Improved Meyer’ lemon (Citrus x meyeri ‘Improved Meyer’), which is most often simply called the Meyer lemon. It is generally considered a naturally occurring hybrid of a regular lemon and either a mandarin or a sweet orange. Its fruit is of medium-small to medium size and has the traditional shape of a lemon (shown on the opposite page). The tree has a somewhat rounded, slightly open growth habit. When well-grown and hardened-off, it will tolerate a light frost for a short period of time. Prolonged exposure to frost will damage

the flowers and fruit. The fruit has medium-yellow pulp that is exceptionally juicy. It has the same acidity level as that of regular lemons, but its tartness is mellowed with natural sweetness. The thin, very smooth peel is a deep yellow and often ages to a golden-orange. It is highly aromatic and beautiful. Long strings of zest can be harvested from it. Meyer lemons may be in flower and fruit at the same time. Mature lemons should be harvested or thinned to make way for new ones. A slice of Meyer lemon is wonder-ful in a cup of tea and Meyer lemon juice arguably makes the best lemon meringue pie. The crop is only infre-quently found in stores due to the thin-ness of the peel.

LIME (Citrus latifolia)‘Bearss’ lime is the most cold-hardy of the true lime cultivars. It is also known as the ‘Tahitian’ or ‘Persian’ lime. The trees have a spreading growth habit, very few thorns, and wonderfully fra-grant white blossoms in summer. A ‘Bearss’ lime has moderately thin skin that turns from green to yellow when fully ripe in late autumn to early winter. They do not hold long on the tree when fully mature and may drop. The pulp is pale green, acidic, and very juicy. There are few, if any, seeds. Slices can be used fresh, dehydrated, or candied. ‘Kieffer’ lime (Citrus hystrix), also known as ‘Kaffir,’ ‘Makrut,’ and Thai lime, is very cold-sensitive, but it makes an interesting container plant. Most of the culinary uses are for the leaves and zest in Asian recipes. The leaves have a distinctive double-lobed structure. Fresh leaves can be harvested as needed year-round. The fruits are about the size of regular market limes. ‘Kieffer’ limes have lumpy skin, but can be zested. They mature from green to yellow and drop from the tree. Both the leaves and the zest can be used fresh or preserved by dehydrating or freezing. o

Elizabeth Olson is a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist. She is also an avid home gardener who is fascinated by the stories behind the plants that she grows. She can be contacted through Washington Gardener magazine.

Photos courtesy of Four Winds Growers.

EDIBLEharvt


INSECTindex

Ambrosia Beetles: Little Bug, Big Impact

by Carol Allen

You may have heard about the fright-eningly destructive outcome from attacks by Asian Longhorn beetle or the Emerald Ash borer as word of those invasive pests have made it into the daily news, and you may be aware of the Bronze Birch Borer or some of the borers that plague older Dogwoods or Lilacs. Now there is another group of very small beetles that is making nurserymen, arborists, and extension educators very nervous. These insects of concern are the members of the beetle/weevil family, Scolytinae, known as Ambrosia Beetles. What makes Ambrosia Beetles so alarming? One reason is that they do not feed directly on the trees, but create galleries and tunnels in which they deposit the spores of a variety of fungus species. The beetles then feed on the fungi. Unfortunately, the species of fungi that the beetles carry often causes the ultimate death of the tree. Another issue is that their entrance holes are only about one millimeter in diameter. That is smaller than the diam-eter of one of the letters on this page and that makes them very hard to see. If these issues were not enough, the window for control is very short and only chemical pesticides are available at this time. With more than 500 species of this specialized group of beetles in North America, thankfully, most are not of economic importance. Native Ambrosia Beetles have evolved with our native trees and feed only on weakened, dead, and dying ones. It is the alien invasive species that will attack seemingly healthy trees. Those are the beetles of concern to nurserymen and homeown-ers. There are two offenders of note: the Black Stem Borer (Xylosandrus

germanus) and the Granulate Ambrosia Beetle (Xylosandrus crassiusculus). The life cycle of both insects is similar. The overwintering female emerges when there are several consecutive days with temperatures over 70°F. This usu-ally occurs in March and April in the Washington, DC, area. Some research-ers note that this can coincide with native Dogwood bloom. The females fly out of their galleries and seek out new host trees. They bore into the wood of the trunks and limbs of over 200 species of trees and shrubs. The host tree responds to the initial attacks with a heavy outpour-ing of sap. It is these water-soaked areas on smooth barked trees that are seen by both the nurseryman and homeowner alike. If the female is not discouraged by the sap, she continues to bore deeper into the heartwood of the tree. This deeper boring will pro-duce toothpick-like masses of frass that project an inch or more from the bark

and are very noticeable. The female carries the spores of her fungal associate on her body. These spores will germinate in the moist interior of the galleries that the female creates. When there is sufficient fungal growth, the female lays eggs, the larva hatch and then on the fungus. Mating occurs within the galleries after pupa-tion. A new generation is produced within about 55 days, if conditions are good. More than one generation per year is possible. Researchers and extension experts track the activity of the beetles in the early spring by placing ethanol-filled traps in areas of concern. Trapping is used primarily as a method of timing the protective insecticide sprays to the trunk. This control method is used mostly in nurseries where Ambrosia Beetle damage can be severe. Flight

activity dates are published in the UMD Extension TPM/IPM weekly report (https://extension.umd.edu/ipm/land-scape-and-nursery-ipm-alerts). These dates would be of interest to orchard-ists, nursery operators, and arborists. What can a homeowner do to protect their trees? Proper siting, planting, and culture are vital in discouraging Ambrosia Beetle attacks. Stressed trees emit ethanol. That is why ethanol traps are so successful in attracting Ambrosia Beetles. Researchers have found that the following stresses will initiate etha-nol emittance: flooding, drought, frost injury, excessive heat, girdling, pollut-ants, pathogens, and impaired root function. Planting too deeply or mulching the root flare too deeply will also result in tree stress. Planting trees in heavy, compacted soil that becomes soggy in wet weather should be avoided. Many of our favorite native and orna-mental trees and shrubs are vulnerable to Ambrosia Beetle attack, including: Dogwood, Honey Locust, Magnolia, Maple, Redbud, Japanese Snowbell, Yellowwood, Beech, Tulip Poplar, Willow, Oak, and many others. As a homeowner, be observant! If you see wet areas on your trees or the toothpick-like frass extrusions, contact your local extension agent or an ISA Certified Arborist for advice. Heavily infested trees will have to be destroyed and removed. Proper identification of the type of Ambrosia Beetle will be important in determining the course of action. Insecticide application is only effective if applied after the wet areas are seen and before the frass extru-sions are sighted. At this time, there is only prevention. There are no cures for a tree that has been heavily infested. o

Carol Allen describes herself as a commit-table plant-a-holic. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the horticulture indus-try, with a special interest in plant pests and diseases, and is an ISA Certified Arborist and a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the state of Maryland. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Please use pesticides safely! Read and heed all label directions! Photos by Hulcr at the English language Wikipedia.


You’ve seen those gorgeous garden photos published in magazines and newspapers. Enter this year’s competi-tion and have a chance of getting your winning images published, too! Whether you take the photos in your own back-yard, a nearby public garden, or while visiting friends and family in their local gardens, there are so many photograph-ic opportunities to be found. Let’s show off the best in DC-area gardening! This contest offers an opportunity for all photographers to present their best shots of gardens in the greater Washington, DC, area. Contest entries will be judged on technical quality, com-position, originality, and artistic merit. More than $500 in prizes will be awarded! Winning images will be pub-lished in Washington Gardener maga-zine, displayed during the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange, and appear in a local photo exhibit. SUBMISSION GUIDELINESEach entrant is limited to a total of 10 images. Each electronic file must be identified with your last name and entry category. For exam-ple, JonesGardenCreature1.jpg or SmithSmallWonders8.jpg. All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared in the viewfinder. Nothing should be added to an image and, aside from dust spots, nothing should be removed. Cropping and minor adjustments to electronic images to convert RAW files are acceptable. If an image is selected as a finalist, a high-resolution digital file might be required before finalizing our results. Digitally captured images should be taken at the camera’s highest resolu-tion (3 megapixels or larger). For prelim-inary judging, digital files must be sub-mitted in JPEG format sized to 1,000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi. If photos are taken with a film cam-era, they must be scanned in and sub-mitted in JPEG format sized to 1,000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi. Before sending us your CD-ROMs, verify their integrity by making sure they are readable and not damaged. We reserve the right to disqualify any disk that is unreadable or defective. Please

check your CDs with the latest virus-detection software. We will disqualify any disk that may contain a virus or a suspicious file. Label each CD and case with your full name. We strongly suggest mailing CDs in protective cases. We are not responsible for disks damaged during shipping. No CDs will be returned, but they can be picked up after judging. Send your entries and entry fee to: Washington Gardener Photo Contest, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mailed entries must be received by January 22, 2016. Contest entries can also be submit-ted via email to [email protected]. Use the subject line “WG Photo Contest” and include an entry form for each image in your email’s text field. You can print out blank entry forms from the Washington Gardener blog, Facebook page, or at www.WashingtonGardener.com. We will verify all entry receipts so please ensure your email address is included on all items. Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer, land-owner, or other person. Photos involv-ing willful harassment of wildlife or destruction of any property are unac-ceptable. The entrant must have personally taken the photo. By entering, you state this is your work and it is free of copy-right elsewhere. Failure to comply with any contest guidelines will lead to disqualification.

COPYRIGHT NOTEYour entry to this contest constitutes your agreement to allow your photo-graphs and your name, city, state, and photo description texts to be published in upcoming issues of Washington Gardener and used for other related purposes including, but not limited to, Washington Gardener Photo Contest promotions, online, live presentations, and gallery exhibits. Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their photographs.

CATEGORIESEach entrant is limited to a total of 10 images. You may submit a few in each

category or submit all 10 in one cat-egory. Photo must have been taken during the 2015 calendar year in a garden located within a 150-mile radius of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.• Garden Views: Beautiful, dramatic, or unusual perspectives of a garden landscape, including wide shots show-ing the setting. Subject can be a private or public garden. • Garden Vignettes: Groupings of plants in beds or containers, unusual color or texture combinations, garden focal points, and still scenes. Subject can be photographed in a private or public garden. • Small Wonders: Tight close-up images or macro shots of single flow-ers, plant parts, fruits, vegetables, etc. Subject can be photographed in a pri-vate or public garden. • Garden Creatures: Images of insects, birds, frogs, pets, etc., in a pri-vate or public garden setting.

PRIZESPrizes include gift certificates to area camera stores, gardening tools, new plant introductions, and much more! If you would like to be a prize donor or sponsor, please contact us today.

WINNERS’ OBLIGATIONPhoto contest winners will need to pro-vide high-resolution versions of their images for publication and an 11x14 print suitable for framing. Winners may be asked to provide additional informa-tion for press and media coverage.

CONTEST ENTRY FEE The entry fee is $20.00 or $15.00 for current Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. The fee includes up to 10 total image submissions per entrant. Please send a check or money order made out to “Washington Gardener” or send a payment via www.PayPal.com to [email protected].

DEADLINEEntries are due by Midnight on January 22, 2016.

QUESTIONS?Please call 301.588.6894 or email [email protected]. o

10TH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST


TIPStricks

Pollinator Victory Gardens Piggybacking on the White House’s May 2015 release of the Pollinator Research Action Plan, environmental horticulturist Kim Eierman is launching a campaign to make American homeowners and gardeners aware of strategies they can implement in their own gardens and yards in support of pollinators. “The European honey bee and our 4,000 species of native bees in the U.S. have suffered dramatic losses to their populations. Since bees pollinate a significant portion of our food crops, this is a problem that affects all of us. Without bee pollination services, many of our common fruits, nuts, and vegeta-bles would no longer be available,” said Eierman. “Most of our landscapes offer little in the way of nectar and pollen sources, which bees depend upon. To make things worse, our frequent use of pesticides, including seemingly benign lawn care products, is devastating to bees and other pollinators.” “The White House has taken the lead with the recent Pollinator Research Action Plan, but individual actions are just as important,” added Eierman. “During World Word II, Americans ral-lied to create over one million Victory Gardens. Americans can do it again — this time creating Pollinator Victory Gardens to defend pollinators and our food supply. Every garden counts!”

Pollinator-friendly Home Garden Tips:1) Plant for a succession of bloom from spring through fall. Different pollina-tor species emerge at different times of year, and have different lifespans. Create an ongoing “pollinator buffet” throughout the growing season.2) Skip the double-flowered plants — they have little, and sometimes no, nectar or pollen. What is beautiful to the human eye may be a source of star-vation for a bee or other pollinator. Find the beauty in what a plant does, not just how it looks.3) Don’t forget to include trees and shrubs in your landscape — pollina-tors need them. Many “woody” plants are important for pollinators, and not just those with showy blooms. Some early-blooming native trees and shrubs can be a source of nectar or pollen to early-emerging bees. Some trees even provide habitats to pollinators. o

Storm Damage to TreesWinter storms cause tremendous stress and severe damage to trees in the urban forest. Snapped or downed trees should be removed, but what about a tree that only suffers minor damage? How can a homeowner tell if a tree is safe enough to keep? Minor damage — with only the small-est branches of the tree being injured — usually results in little or no permanent injury to the tree. All that is required is cleanup of the broken twigs and branches and perhaps a crown cleaning to restore a pleasing shape. More severe damage — large broken branches, split crotches, removal of bark, and splitting or splintering of the trunk — can be caused by strong winds and heavy ice storms and require more maintenance. When a tree is severely damaged, homeowners must ask: “Is this tree safe, and in good enough con-dition, to keep?” A tree care profession-al should be consulted to answer this. “Most arborists will take the time and effort to save a tree only if the tree will still be healthy, attractive, and of value to the property owner after repairs,” explained Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP and staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). “A tree care expert may recommend removal of a tree that has brittle wood, or if the branch structure makes it vulnerable to damage from future storms. Trees that have been topped by storms, for example, can be prime candidates for removal.” Other factors to consider when deter-mining whether a tree is worth saving:• Species — Is this type of tree prone to pests and other problems?• Age — Is the tree mature or over-mature?• Vigor — What health condition was the tree in before the damage?• Value it adds to the property — Does the tree still have value, even if partially damaged?• Sentimental value — Is the tree a liv-ing monument? Inspect your trees for damage after a storm. If a tree has hazards, such as broken, hanging limbs, or a split branch union (sometimes called a branch fork), you should have a reputable tree care company provide an assessment. o

Tickseed Stands TallMt. Cuba Center is proud to announce the results of three years of plant trial research in the newly published Coreopsis Research Report. Coreopsis, commonly called tickseed, is one of the most popular native plants for the home gardener. From 2012 through 2014, native plant researchers at Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, DE, conducted a compre-hensive trial of 94 selections of annual and perennial coreopsis to determine which are best suited to the Mid-Atlantic region. Because these two groups have different uses and performance expec-tations, the report is divided into two sections: plants sold as perennials in USDA Hardiness Zone 6 and those sold as annuals. The best-performing peren-nial species (those marketed as hardy to Zone 6) were ‘Summer Sunshine’ (C. palustris), ‘Flower Tower’ (C. tripteris), ‘Gold Standard’ (C. tripteris), ‘Zagreb’ (C. verticillata), ‘Last Dance’ (C. integri-folia), ‘Gilded Lace’ (C. verticillata), and ‘Golden Gain’ (C. verticillata). Among the cultivars sold as annuals, ‘Salsa’, ‘Jive’, ‘Golden Dream’, ‘RP #1’ (Little Penny), and ‘Pineapple Pie’ stood above the rest for their superior garden perfor-mance. Additionally, ongoing pollinator research has demonstrated the diverse insect communities they support. The report is free to the public and available at: http://www.mtcubacenter.org/horticultural-research/trial-garden-research/. o


Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts• DIY: Easy Moss Wreath• Garden of Lights Video• Winter Flowers for Bloom Day• Wreath Care Tips

See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com o

New Plant Spotlight‘Kosmic Kale’A brand new vegetable, bred by Dick Degenhardt in Boskoop, the Nether-lands! It is being introduced to the US market by SuperNaturals Grafted Veg-etables, LLC. These “greens” are actually green and white — the easy-to-grow, upright plants produce a continuous harvest of pretty blue-green leaves edged in creamy white. The attractive foliage makes it equally valuable as an orna-mental. These plants are terrific for edging a vegetable garden or perennial border. ‘Kosmic Kale’ is ready to harvest about 50–55 days from transplant. It makes a unique garnish and a nutri-tious addition to salads, soups, or stir fries. This perennial kale never bolts and goes to seed! It must be cloned by root cuttings, a traditional form of propaga-tion. The large, upright plant’s unique perennial habit allows for continuous, cut-and-come-again harvests. Care: Plant seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart for best results in full sun; moist, cool soil. Somewhat hardy, to 10 degrees F. It can grow to three feet in diameter so it can also thrive in a large container. o

GARDENnews

January–February Garden To-Do List• Prune any dead or diseased wood off your small trees and shrubs. • Plant frost-tolerant trees. • Cut off the flower stalk on your amaryllis once flowers fade. Leave foliage to grow. • Keep poinsettias in a well-lit area, but out of direct sun and away from drafts. • Buy a few new house plants. • Fertilize only your winter-blooming houseplants, such as violets. • Give your house plants a quarter turn every few weeks. • Build a compost bin. • Repair your shed and repair/paint your fences. • Clean out your cold frame or build a new one. • Collect large plastic soda bottles to use as cloches. (A cloche is a clear, bell- shaped cover used to protect tender plants from frost.) • Clean and refill bird feeders. • Wash and refill the birdbath or set out a shallow bowl of water in icy weather. • Check on stored summer bulbs and seeds. Discard any that have rotted. • Buy seeds and order plants from the new garden catalogs. • Prune summer bloomers such as Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon, Crape Myrtles, and Butterfly Bushes. • Till and add organic matter to annual/vegetable beds. • Weed – especially check fast-growing vines such as honeysuckle, autumn clematis, bittersweet, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy. • Place a floating ball or a small plastic soda bottle filled two-thirds with water and a tablespoon of salt in your pond to stop it from entirely icing over, especially if you have fish. If ice forms, remove the ball by pouring hot water on it.• Insulate outdoor containers by wrapping with bubble wrap or landscape fabric. • Check that newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials have not been heaved out of the ground due to freezing-and-thawing cycles. • Take hardwood cuttings from willow and dogwood to propagate them. • Look for evidence of pest or fungal damage throughout your garden. • Clean out your greenhouse and wash those windows. • Set out your live potted evergreens from holiday decorating in a protected outdoor space to harden them off in advance of planting them. • If we do get more snow in the DC area, gently dislodge snow from trees and shrubs with a broom to prevent damage to branches. • Start hardy herbs, onions, cabbage, pansies, and perennials. • Clean and tidy up pots and seed trays to a get good start in February. • Use leftover holiday greens and cut-up tree branches to mulch beds and create windbreaks. • Do not step on frozen soil in flower beds or lawns. • Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents. • Use de-icer sparingly or a nonchemical substitute such as sand, grit, fireplace ashes, or non-clumping kitty litter. • Volunteer at a local public or historic garden. • Paint a few terra cotta pots in spring-like colors. • Pot up any leftover bulbs that did not make it into the ground by now and force them for indoor blooms.

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http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2009/07/open-letter-to-leggett.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2015/12/video-wednesday-wreath-care-and.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2016/01/diy-easy-moss-wreath.html


http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2015/12/video-wednesday-garden-of-lights.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2009/07/someones-chomping-my-bronze-fennel.html

http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2016/01/winter-flowers-for-garden-bloggers.html


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10th Annual Washington Gardener Philadelphia Flower Show TourOrganized by Washington Gardener Magazine

Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 10:00AM-10:00PMLeaving and returning from downtown Silver Spring, MD

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world. The theme for 2016 is “Explore America.” It will celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service and our country’s majestic landscapes, rich history, cherished monuments, and vibrant culture. From Acadia to Yellowstone, the beauty and glory of American parks will serve as inspiration for exhibits created by the nation’s premier floral and garden designers. Join us for a visit to magnificent displays, special programming, and newer attractions like the interac-tive Butterfly Experience and a huge Train Garden. The Flower Show attracts non-gardeners as well as die-hard green-thumbed people of all ages. Foodies of all tastes will love the Garden to Table Studio. Participate in the Lectures and Demonstrations series, Gardener’s Studio, and the “Make & Take” workshops. First-time and return-ing riders will enjoy the welcoming, custom details of our coach service.

Schedule for the day: • 10:00AM Coach leaves downtown Silver Spring with lunch, games, and DVD viewing en route• 12:45-7:15PM Explore Philadelphia Flower Show ~ dinner on your own• 7:30PM Coach departs Philadelphia Convention Center with snacks, games, and DVD showing onboard • 10:00PM Coach arrives at downtown Silver Spring

This tour package includes: 1. Charter Passenger Coach ~ reserved seating, storage under the bus 2. Choice of Gourmet Box Lunch on the way up to the show3. Snacks for the return trip4. Listing of nearby restaurants for dinner on your own at the show 5. Information package on the show to assist in prioritizing your day6. Two Garden DVD showings 7. Admission to the show & driver tip8. Convenient drop-off and pick-up at downtown Silver Spring, MD 9. Lively show and garden discussions led by Washington Gardener’s Kathy Jentz

To register, please use the form below. (One form per person.) Name _______________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________ Phone number________________________________________________________ Email________________________________________________________________ Name of seatmate_____________________________________________________ We will try to seat groups together, but cannot guarantee group seating. Name of group _______________________________________________________

If you’ve never been to the Philadelphia Flower Show, this is your opportunity to escape from the last of winter’s cold winds and experience a garden paradise. Walk through floral wonderlands, take notes at one of

the many workshops, enjoy new plants on display, and shop the vendors’ tempting array of goodies.

Brought to you by:

$100.00 each $95.00 each for Washington Gardener Magazine subscribersCheck/money order #_______ ~ Please make payable to “Washington Gardener”Send this registration form along with your payment to: Washington Gardener, 826 Philadelphia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Fee:

Co

de 3/9 Silver Spring

Registration deadline: March 1, 2016

Full refund if canceled by February 7. $40 refunded until February 28. No refunds after March 3.

Questions? Kathy [email protected]


DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ January 16–February 15, 2016

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS

• Friday, January 22, 12midnightWashington Gardener Photo Contest Entry Deadline. See details on page 9.

• Sunday, January 24, 2pmHealthy Soil — Healthy RosesThe Potomac Rose Society presents Dr. Andrew Ristvey, University of Mary-land Extension Plant Nutritionist and Sustainable Soil Specialist. Behnke Nurseries Co., 11300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD. See http://www.roseso-ciety.net/.

• Tuesday, January 26, 7:30pmYear of the Conifer: An Introduction For the past five years, the Maryland Native Plant Society has selected a group of plants to highlight, study, and appreciate. 2016 is MNPS “Year of the Conifer.” Karyn Molines will present an overview of the unique adaptations of conifers and their role in native ecosys-tems, and provide some identification tips and tricks. Silver Spring Civic Cen-ter, 1 Veterans Pl., Silver Spring, MD. The program is open to nonmembers. Registration is not required. See http://mdflora.org/.

• Wednesday, January 27, 7:30 pmPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldThomas Ranier will present “Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for More Resilient Land-scapes.” This groundbreaking talk pres-ents a powerful alternative to traditional horticulture designed plantings that function like naturally occurring plant communities. Join landscape architect Thomas Rainer, a leading voice in eco-logical landscape design, to learn how plants fit together in nature and how to use this knowledge to create land-scapes that are resilient, beautiful, and diverse. The public is welcome and admission is free. Refreshments will be served following the program. The Beltsville Garden Club hosts this meeting in the multi-purpose room of the Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Tr., Beltsville, MD.

• Saturday, January 30, 12:30–4pmWashington Gardener Seed Exchanges at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. See details on page 14–15.

• Saturday, February 6, 12:30–4pmWashington Gardener Seed Exchanges at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. See details on page 14–15.

• Sunday, February 7, 10am–3pmThe National Capital Orchid Society holds its 38th Annual Orchid Auction Plan to join the feeding frenzy — more than 300 rare and unusual blooming (or near-blooming-size) orchids from well-known growers coast to coast, and private collections. One of the largest orchid auctions in the United States. Pictures of the blooms will be projected on the screen for each orchid being auctioned. Held at Behnke Nurseries Co., 11300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD. Sponsored by the National Capital Orchid Society; see www.ncos.us for more info. Free admission. The public is welcome.

•Tuesday, February 9, 7–8:30pmVegetable Gardening: Planning & Seeding Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (Alexan-dria/Arlington) will present workshops in February at three locations in Arling-ton and Alexandria. The workshops are free and open to the public. Designed for beginning vegetable gardeners, they will address best management practices for site selection, soil require-ments, and soil improvement, as well as provide guidance on crop selection and planting schedules. The first one is in the Senior Lounge at Walter Reed Rec-reation Center, 2909 16th St. South, Arlington VA. The others are scheduled for Tuesday, February 16, 7–8:30pm, at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library, 717 Queen St., Alexandria, and on Sat-urday, February 20, 10:30am–12noon, at the Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Rd., Alexan-dria. Advance registration is requested. Register at mgnv.org. Questions? Call 703-228-6414 or send an email to mgarlalex.org.

Save These Future Dates:• February 18–October 2Flora of the National ParksIn celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, this art

exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden will showcase some of the plant species and communities found throughout the more than 400 national parks. The national parks contain a diverse repre-sentation of North American flora. Illus-trations, paintings, and photography will take you on a tour of the beauty and importance of American flora.

•Saturday, February 27, 9am–4:30pm Rooting DC Conference60 workshop sessions from pest iden-tification to herbalism to food politics, plus 60 local nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies at the infor-mation fair. See http://rootingdc.org.

• February 27–April 17Orchids in FocusOrchids in Focus at the U.S. Botanic Garden, in partnership with Smithson-ian Gardens, highlights the world’s largest plant family and the USBG’s most extensive plant collection. Found on every continent except Antarctica, orchids amaze with their diversity of forms and colors. Come see for yourself why these exotic beauties have inspired artists and photographers for centuries. Immerse yourself in a floral paradise of orchids from the forest canopy down to the ground, and focus your own camera on these unique and beautiful plants. See more at: http://www.usbg.gov/.

• Philadelphia Flower Show Trips with Washington Gardener Magazine• March 9, 2016, depart from down-town Silver Spring, MD• March 10, 2016, depart from Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD

Still More Event Listings See even more event listings on the Washington Gardener Yahoo discussion list. Join the list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/.

How to Submit Local Garden Events To submit an event for this listing, please contact: [email protected] — put “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is February 10 for the February 15 issue, for events taking place from February 16–March 15. o

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/


Washington Gardener Magazine presents the

11th Annual Washington Gardener

Seed Exchangeon Saturday, January 30, 2016

National Seed Swap Day!from 12:30–4:00PM

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MDAND

on Saturday, February 6, 2016from 12:30–4:00PM

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA Registration is now open at www.washingtongardener.com.

Space is limited, so act today!

Join Us for:Seed Swapping

Door PrizesPlanting Tips

Expert SpeakersGoody Bags

Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers get $5 offthe $20 attendee fee!

OverviewWashington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area garden-ing enthusiasts, is hosting the 11th annual Washington Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.

WhenOn Saturday, January 30, 2016, in MD and on Saturday, February 6, 2016, in VAfrom 12:30–4:00PM(Foul weather that day? Call 240.603.1461, for updates about possible snow/ice delay.)

WhereWe are holding dual Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the Washington Beltway. We urge you to attend the one closest to you. One exchange will be held at Brookside Gardens, 11800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA.

How to RegisterFill out the form on the opposite page. Send the form, along with payment, to Washington Gardener, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, Attn: SE Registration. Please make checks out to “Washington Gardener.” Registration fee is $20 per person in advance. Friends of Brookside (FOB) mem-bers, Friends of Green Springs members, and current Washington Gardener sub-scribers receive a discount rate of $15 per person. We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location and we expect both to sell out, so be sure to register early!

We are GREEN!!! Garden Book and Seed Catalog ExchangeSeed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event. We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag. We will have a “best nametag” contest, so get crafty!

Hashtags #GardenDC and #SeedSwapDay


Washington Gardener Magazine’s 11th Annual

Seed Exchange DetailsIf You Have Seeds to Bring and SwapPlease package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like lettuce, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the infor-mation you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and watering needs; and, its origins — where and when you col-lected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that is okay; just provide as much as you can. Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs.

What If You Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend! We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.

Education Program Expert speakers from the local gardening community will give short talks on seed col-lection and propagation tips. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the featured speakers, and invited experts as well.

Schedule(Note: This schedule is subject to change.)12:00-12:30 Registration check-in12:30-12:40 Introductions12:40-1:20 Gardening talk 1:20-1:55 Gardening talk 2:00-2:15 Snack break and room reset 2:15-2:30 Seed Swap preview time 2:30-3:00 Seed Swap 3:00-3:30 Photo Contest winners 3:30-4:00 Door prizes and closing talk

How Do We Swap?As you check-in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed cat-egory tables. You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. You will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack from each of the category tables (if desired).

After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies with labels will be on hand for that purpose.

What Types of Seeds?Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials, and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can pre-sort your seeds in advance into whichever of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.

Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!Each attendee will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publica-tions, and garden items donated by our spon-sors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners. If your organization would like to contrib-ute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, please contact Kathy Jentz at 301.588.6894 by January 21.

Please fill out this form and mail with your check/money order by January 25, 2016, to:Washington Gardener Magazine, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20910

Name:____________________________________________________________________________________Street Address:____________________________________________________________________________Email:____________________________________________________________________________________Seed Exchange Date and Location: Jan. 30 at Brookside Gardens Feb. 6 at Green Spring Gardens(We will only use your email address for Seed Exchange notices and will never share them with anyone else.)

Seed Exchange Attendee Fee: $20.00 __________Discount (if eligible*): -$5.00 __________

Optional: Washington Gardener Magazine Annual Subscription: $20.00 __________TOTAL_____________

*The following groups are eligible to pay the discount attendee rate of $15.00; please CIRCLE if one applies to you: • Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers • Friends of Brookside Gardens • Friends of Green Spring Gardens

**A portion of the event proceeds will go to benefit Save Our Monarchs Foundation for planting Milkweed seeds.**

11th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange

Advance Registration Form


ing, the difference is most decidedly pronounced with the hottest peppers giving the feeling that the eater’s fill-ings will melt or head is going numb with pain. Red Hot Chili Grower is divided into four principal chapters. The author starts with a very short history and description of peppers. She then pro-ceeds to a more developed chapter on growing chilies from seeds or sprouts, to summer harvest, and to winter-ing over (which is most difficult). She provides all the practical advice a gar-dener, from beginner to master, needs to know to successfully raise a fine crop of the piquant pod. The third chap-ter provides a review of hot peppers to grow, many of which are perhaps more useful as colorful ornamentals in any landscape or garden. The book closes with a chapter on using and preserv-ing chilies as the end harvest, which can be quite large, although to a true chili-head, the harvest is never large enough. The author draws on her experience as a gardener in England. The warmer Mid-Atlantic United States is that much better for growing peppers (and its relatives, the tomatoes and eggplant). Peppers, although finicky at times, do well in this area, so there is little excuse not to grow at least a few. The book is amply and usefully illus-trated for any gardener and makes a fine gift for anyone interested in the pepper.

Peter Pepper is a long-time pepper enthusi-ast. He gardens in Silver Spring, MD.

Grow Your Own Natural Garden: Taking Inspiration from NatureBy Carol KleinPublisher: Mitchell Beazley List Price: $34.99Reviewer: Joelle LangCarol Klein’s Grow Your Own Natural Garden: Taking Inspiration from Nature, is a great resource for some-one interested in thinking about where they garden, the similarities between their gardening spaces and wild habi-tats, and what kinds of plants would flourish in certain environments. This book does not contain, as the author warns, “fool-proof solutions or quick-fix formulae to solve all your horticultural

BOOKreviews

Red Hot Chili Grower: The Complete Guide to Planting, Picking, and PreservingBy Kay MaguirePublisher: Mitchell Beazley List Price: $14.99Reviewer: Peter Pepper.The growing popularity of hot chile (or chili) peppers in the garden and in the kitchen has contributed to global warm-ing. Grown as an ornamental, a spice, or a food, chile peppers continue their unstoppable expansion, which started long ago in South America and rapidly spread around the world after 1492. This book furthers that conquest and the learned human behavior for spicy foods. Nothing in the garden has the variety of colors and shapes that the pepper pod will mature to. The focus of the book is hot chile peppers, but everything that is said about hot chilies applies to all peppers. (“Sweet peppers” are peppers that lack the capsicum-making gene, the hot stuff.) All peppers when ripe are sweet, so hot peppers are both sweet and hot. The shape of the pepper has nothing to do with the heat level and even the popular bell pepper comes in hot vari-eties. The major difference in growing is that hot peppers tend to take a little longer to germinate and longer to fruit, which may better reflect their less-hybridized, wild, semi-tropical ancestry rather than the more-hybridized, not-hot peppers consumed in Northern Europe and North America. In the eat-

woes.” This book, which runs a little long at 278 pages, does not cater to the beginner gardener; rather, to someone with some horticulture experi-ence. Nonetheless, this book contains detailed and valuable information and myth-busting facts about gardening and plants that will interest the more experienced planter. This book is separated into six environments, including woodland, seaside, exposed, hedgerow, wetland, and meadow. In addition to sharing information about plants, each section includes case studies about real-life gardens resembling each environment. For example, in a case study in the sea-side section, Klein discusses the many plants that grow at a seaside garden in southern Cornwall, UK. In another case study on wetlands, she talks about the 20-acre garden called Marwood Hills. After detailing the history of the gar-den, she discusses the plants that grow alongside the garden’s swamps. These case studies animate the informative tone of the book, bringing to life the discussion that precedes it. Another highlight of the book is the plant directory that concludes each section. This directory profiles each plant mentioned in the section of the book, with a picture and a short description of the plant. This section is extremely helpful in understanding the plant jargon that fills the book and serves as a useful summary of the sec-tion. This book is filled with beautiful photography by Jonathan Buckley. The


book not only makes use of the pho-tos as visual aids, but also showcases Buckley’s work by giving his photos full-page slots. While this book is lengthy, readers can pick the environments that best apply to their personal gardens and handpick the information they need.

Joelle Lang is a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a multi-plat-form journalism student in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. This past autumn semester, she was also an editorial intern for Washington Gardener Magazine.

Edible Spots & Pots: Small-Space Gardens for Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Containers, Raised Beds, and MoreBy Stacey HirvelaPublisher: Rodale BooksList Price: $23.99Reviewer: Erica H. SmithYet another book about container gardening, I thought when I picked it up for review. Small-Space Gardens for Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Containers, Raised Beds, and More, reads the subtitle — hasn’t this been done many times before? But if your shelves are not already full of similar though less adorable titles, or if you’re just beginning to grow edibles in sunny corners or on the deck, rather than in a traditional in-ground vegetable garden, this is a great book to get you started (and keep you growing). “Spots and pots” equals “raised beds and containers,” but it’s a good short-hand way of thinking about available growing space. You can turn any spot in your yard into a vegetable garden, Hirvela tells us, no matter how small, as long as it gets sun. Soil type is irrelevant, because you will be growing above the existing soil — or even on a driveway or other solid surface. This is an encouraging book with a lot of useful information, and it strikes a nice balance between purely practical food production and an obsession with esthetics — yes, vegetables in contain-ers can be attractive, but you also need to know how to grow them effectively. Hirvela recommends the “thriller, filler, spiller” format often used in ornamen-tal container gardening for edibles as well, and offers many examples of com-

BOOKreviews

binations that will grow well together and look pretty, without crowding each other out. The book opens with a discussion of containers and how to choose and use them, including the basics of plant choice and good coverage of growing media and their components. The next chapter covers raised beds, including materials, construction, and soil. Then it’s on to the growing process, includ-ing seed-starting, watering, fertilizing, composting, stakes and other supports, pests and diseases, and fall clean-up. Several DIY projects, like trellises and grow bags, are described in detail. Common (and a few uncommon) vege-tables and herbs that grow well in con-tainers and raised beds are listed, with growing information, recommended varieties, and suggestions specific to container culture. I like Hirvela’s willingness to skewer gardening myths along the way, like putting space fillers at the bottom of pots, using companion planting tips out of folklore, or placing baby diapers in hanging baskets to store and release water into the soil. (It doesn’t work — just think about the function of dia-pers for a minute.) She’s also willing to discuss the possible dangers of treated lumber and the pluses and minuses of self-watering containers, and admits that you may need to use floating row cover on your plants while insects are active. There’s not a lot of informa-tion about keeping animal pests away, but there are many handy hints about gardening more productively and effi-

ciently – make sure you read all those sidebars. The only negative to this book is (I suspect) a budgetary one — the illustra-tions are all two-tone, green and blue, which makes many of the drawings and photos look odd. It would have been nice to get full-color examples of all those “thriller, filler, spiller” displays. You’ll just have to use your imagination — or use the book to create your own pots full of plenty!

Erica is a Montgomery County Master Gardener, runs the Grow It Eat It blog for the University of Maryland Extension, and grows vegetables in her own community garden plot and in the MG Demonstration Garden in Derwood, MD. She is the author of several novels; visit her web site at ericahsmith.wordpress.com.

Garden Book Club For our Washington Gardener Garden Book Club Winter Meeting we will be discussing The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World by Andrea Wulf. Please join us on Thursday, February 11 from 6:30–8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop. The acclaimed author of Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world and in the process created modern environmentalism. Please RSVP to washingtongardener @rcn.com or at the book club event page: Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine by February 9, so we know how many chairs to hold for our group. Here are the rest of our 2016 selections for the Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club:• SPRING — The Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World by Emma Marris• SUMMER — Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West• FALL — Paradise Under Glass: An Amateur Creates a Conservatory Garden by Ruth Kassinger The Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance.o


by Debra Ricigliano

Succession PlantingOur vegetable garden will be two years old this spring. We did have a decent harvest last season, but I would like to plan our garden more carefully so that I can harvest even more vegetables. I have heard the term succession plant-ing and was wondering what it meant. Can you give me some tips for getting the most out of our garden? The term succession planting has more than one meaning. It is used to describe replacing a crop soon after it matures. This practice can help you possibly plant in three growing seasons using the same piece of land. For example, cool-season crops like spinach, broccoli, lettuce, and peas are followed by warm-season crops like beans, tomatoes, peppers, and egg-plants. Depending on the weather, they can then be followed by more cool-sea-son plants or a cover crop in late sum-mer-early fall. A floating row cover can also be used to protect plants from frost in the early spring and fall, extending the season even further. Succession planting can also refer to planting the same crop at 10–14 day intervals, providing continuous production over the summer. This is sometimes called relay planting. One example is bush beans, which can be planted from about mid-May until early August.

Alternatives to the Invasive Burning BushI am redoing a portion of my landscape. I have always loved burning bush, but I saw it listed in a publication about invasive plants. The fall color is so beautiful. Is there a native shrub I can

Got a gardening question you need answered? Send your questions to [email protected] and use the subject line “Q&A.” Please also include your first name, last initial, and the city and state you are writing from. Then look for your answered questions in upcoming issues.

KNOWitall

Ask the Expert plant as a substitute that will also pro-vide the same affect?Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) is a shrub that is used in many landscapes to the point that it is overused. Its major drawback is that it is invasive, spread-ing into native areas and displacing the plants that should be growing there. There some native alternatives that will provide the fall color you are looking for and provide interest in other seasons, too. Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Virginia Sweetspire (Itea vir-ginica), Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), and Northern or Southern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corym-bosum) are native shrubs with beautiful ornamental value. The Gatsby Moon™ Oakleaf Hydrangea from Proven Win-ners/Spring Meadows Nursery is pic-tuted at bottom, left.

Vacant Wasp NestThere is a large wasp nest in my Kousa Dogwood. It is the size of a football or larger. It looks very papery and it has a distinct hole at the bottom. Can I assume that it is vacant now so I can remove it from the tree or do you think there are still wasps in it? This sounds like a bald-faced hornet nest. Bald-faced hornets are black-and-white wasps, 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch long. They are social wasps, so they construct a nest to raise their colony. The nest is made from chewed wood fibers and does appear papery. After a hard frost, the occupants of the colony die. The queen has already left to overwinter in a protected loca-tion. You can safely remove it now. In early spring, the queen will select a suitable location to begin construction of a new nest in another spot. The nest starts out pretty small, but grows to large proportions after workers take over the task of building it over the summer.

Early Blooming HelleboreI was surprised to see that my Hel-lebores were blooming already. This has been the earliest I can remember that happening. They usually bloom in February or March. I assume the warm weather is to blame. Will this be a prob-lem?Yes, the unusually warm winter has

prompted your Hellebores and many other flowers, shrubs, and trees to bloom uncharacteristically early. We can thank the El Niño weather pattern for that. There may be fewer flowers on dis-play this spring because so many flower buds have already opened, but ideally it may not even be that evident. Your Hellebores should be okay. Enjoy the flowers now (they make wonderful cut flowers). We will need to wait and see if woody plants sustain winter damage because they did not get a chance to sufficiently harden off during the warm fall and early winter. o

Debra Ricigliano is a Certified Professional Horticulturist. She has worked as a hor-ticulture consultant for the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center since 1997. Debra enjoys gardening at her home in Highland, MD. She is a graduate of the Institute of Applied Agriculture at UMCP and a talented, all-around hor-ticulturist. To ask a gar-dening or pest question, go to http://www.exten-sion.umd.edu/hgic and click on “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts.” You can also attach a digital photo.


Don’t have the energy or desire to make another garden bed? Live in the city with only a balcony or the tiniest patch of compacted, weedy turf? Smart Pots® are the savvy gardener’s inexpensive answer to growing in challenging situ-ations. From city lots to suburbia and beyond, these soft-sided, durable, USA-made, breathable fabric containers expand your growing possibilities. Pictured at right is a crop of celery plants growing in Smart Pots on a roof-top in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. They were in use all over that city as a clever gardening solution for their very short, Zone 4 growing season. I first saw Smart Pots at MANTS, the annual green industry trade show held in Baltimore, MD. With multiple sizes and colors from 3 to 20 gallons and the Big Bag Bed Jr., I left with my arms stuffed with my loot and schemed how to use them. The Big Bag Bed series come in three sizes, from 15 to 50 to 100 gallons, and provide 12" depth. My gardening focus is on flowers and foliage, but the undergardener was clamoring for space to grow vegetables. I didn’t want to dig a dedicated vegeta-

PRODUCTreview

Grow Anywhere in Smart Pots®

by Louise Clarke

ble bed in my pocket-sized garden, so we agreed to try two 36" Big Bag Bed Juniors in Baltimore Ravens’ purple. We placed them on the sunny, southwest facing brick patio, and filled them with a soil-less grow mix. To add vertical growing space, I repurposed 8' flexible wire concrete reinforcing forms, which I anchored in each Smart Pot, cre-ating an arch. My furry garden pests are occasional squirrels and feral cats, so to discourage my Smart Pots from becoming acorn nurs-eries or potty stops, I stapled bird netting over the surface until plants were tall enough to daunt felines. Early seeded crops included let-tuces, rainbow chard, carrots, scallions, broccoli, kale, turnips, and peas, which climbed my arch and made for easy harvesting. As the weather warmed,

heirloom tomatoes, squash, and tri-color bush beans moved in, as well as cheerful Zinnias and Cardinal Climber. The vibrant colors, convenience, suc-cess, and freshness of my crops con-vinced me of Smart Pots’ benefits; they fared much better than the Ravens this year! Additional virtues include the inability to overwater. During summer’s heat, I watered morning and night, and never waterlogged the plants. Roots in Smart Pots contact air at pot’s edge and self-prune, developing a fibrous network, and avoid circling, common in rigid pots. I can attest to root robustness, as I struggled to yank October’s limp, frost-bitten tomato plants. Unlike rigid containers, Smart Pot soil remains at ambient air temperatures, which avoids heat-stressing the roots. These grow bags are also great for lining decorative pots as they mold to the pot’s interior shape, and the handled bags make removal at season’s end easy, allowing you to shelter those expensive, decora-tive pots that cringe at freezing weather. Smart Pots can be emptied and stored for future use, or left in place like mine. I’ll add compost in spring to replenish nutrients and then plant them anew. Visit SmartPots.com, BigBagBed.com, or the Smart Pots Facebook page for

more information and inspiration. Start think-ing now of how you’ll use these to grow your garden. I see purple potatoes in my future, to match my purple Smart Pots. o

Louise Clarke is a degreed horticulturist employed by the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, PA, where she tends more than 1,200 woody plants and two green roofs, as well as leading workshops, writing, and lecturing on horticultural topics. As a

zone-denial gardener, after hours, she tends Halcyon, her lush home garden, a mixture of tender tropicals, bulbs, perennials, unusual annuals, and vines. She rarely has time to admire the garden while seated in her tiki hut, made from repurposed materials.


Holly Shimizu is a nationally recognized horticulturist, consultant, and educator. With a rich background in all aspects of public gardens, extensive experience leading garden tours and workshops, and a proven commitment to plant con-servation and sustainability, she has been making plants and gardens more accessible and exciting to both profes-sionals and amateurs for over four decades. Some of her accomplishments

include serving as the executive direc-tor of the United States Botanic Garden from 2000 to 2014; working in world-famous gardens such as Wisely, the Royal Horticulturist Society’s garden in England; and hosting the PBS gardening show, Victory Garden, for 10 years. She is also the author of numerous magazine articles and books on garden topics, such as Gardening in Small Spaces.

We caught up with her at the recent Trees Matters Conference, where she gave the opening talk.

When and how did you become inter-ested in horticulture?I was really interested in the natural world and always wanted to be out-doors; my favorite place was to be at the river — hiking the trails and look-ing for crayfish. My grandfather lived on cliffs in Rhode Island and he had an extensive vegetable garden. I had no interest in weeding, but loved the harvests of sun-warmed raspberries, pears, carrots, and fresh parsley. I also spent countless hours in the Japanese Garden in Fairmount Park (I grew up in Philadelphia). The Japanese Garden seemed like a magical place for me — walking along the stones set in the water or the tea house — and it felt like being in another world. When it came time to go to college, I was clue-less until my mother took me to see the Temple University Ambler Campus, where they had a horticulture program. It clicked and that was the beginning.

What was the best piece of gardening advice you received?Plants die; it is okay.Since I’ve known my husband Osamu (who is a Japanese garden designer), it has been a continual experience of learning. We visit gardens together and I learn from him and how he sees things because of his profession as a garden designer.

How did you come to work at the U.S. Botanic Garden?I worked at the U.S. National Arboretum as the curator of the National Herb Gar-den for eight years and was ready for a change. I was able to get a job at the U.S. Botanic Garden as head of Public Programs. I focused on developing pro-grams and outreach.

What was your experience like at the U.S. Botanic Garden?A series of challenges, but I always have enjoyed working in a public garden. We always tried to find creative ways to make plants exciting and always tried to push the envelope in terms of making people want to come here. We wanted to find ways to attract people from all over, including tourists and local resi-

NEIGHBORn work

Interview by Joelle LangePhotos by Daniel Weil

Meet Holly Shimizu


dents. What could we do so they would be happy coming here? It’s a great chal-lenge, and a very fun challenge, trying to make it interesting to a broad group of people. How do you welcome people and make them feel special? What do you do to make this really memorable? It’s a continual challenge. You always have to make sure the garden looks good every day, you have to incorporate interesting designs and local plants, and you have to have great staff to make it a positive and inspiring experi-ence. It’s not easy. There’s complexity to really trying to make a public garden great — it’s not the snap of a finger. All kinds of things have to happen together.

What did you enjoy about serving as a correspondent for the Victory Garden program?I loved the places we visited and espe-cially the people we met. There was a series of stories we did in Costa Rica that were especially interesting to me. One was about an eco center where you could stay and learn about how they make it 100 percent sustainable. The water from the toilets was sent through a series of planted terraces and by the time it reached the base of the terrac-es, it was clean and could be reused. Everything at this eco center was com-pletely sustainable. It was an inspiring story and fun for me, I was always learn-ing and having a great time and trying to convey that on camera. We went to Wilson Botanical Gardens, designed by Roberto Burle Marx, a famous landscape architect from Brazil. We went into the forest and we met with a shaman who talked to us about the medicinal use of plants. That was really cool. Another one that I really found fasci-nating was a story we did in Bermuda on an island with a man who was doing research on habitats and their effects on birds and birdlife, and measuring plants and birds and their relations. Along with that story, we went to the beach and he showed us how he ana-lyzes the trash that washes up on the beach — it’s unbelievable and scary. The trash that washed up came in from ships from many countries around the world. We especially noticed a lot from Russian ships on the day we were checking. It is drifting and washing up

NEIGHBORnworkon these islands, and its impact of pol-lution on the oceans is unbelievable. It was very interesting to show people on camera the impact of trash in the ocean and where it washes up. Its impact on sea life is a frightening wake-up call.

What advice would you give a beginner gardener?Just try it. We learn from our mistakes. Most gardeners are generous people and they love sharing. It is great to have plants from friends in your own garden, so that a piece of them is with you.

How did you come to contribute to books on gardening? What was the research and writing process like? I like to write from my own experience or collaborate with others so we get a broader experience. It makes work much more fun and interesting, and you end up with a lot more material. I like working with other people. I like to relay my experiences because

I think that in horticulture we can all have different experiences with garden-ing and I like to compare notes on what works and what doesn’t work. I love researching at the Library of Congress. I love to see some of the amazing books that they have.

Looking back at your long career in hor-ticulture, what was your most rewarding experience?Being the executive director of the U.S. Botanic Garden was the most rewarding experience because of the great people I worked with and the many projects we worked on together. Seeing people come to the garden and be inspired always made me happy. o

Joelle Lang is a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a multi-plat-form journalism student in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. This past autumn semester, she was also an editorial intern for Washington Gardener Magazine.


Our Readers Share Their Thoughts and Ideas“This is a good source of info on gar-dening in this climate.” ~ Susan Staff

December 2015 Issue“Just read the latest issue of Washing-ton Gardener. I was really pleased to have my company name mentioned as the original designer of the Blair Garden at Woodend. However, that is not quite accurate. Thornton Burnet of Concepts & Contours was the co-designer.”~ Jane Collins, Jane Collins Landscape Design, Arlington, VA

“My favorite article in the December 2015 issue of Washington Gardener is: ‘Yellow Root’ by Barry Glick. Glick carefully makes the point (proves the point) that four-season gardening also includes year ‘round observing what is happening to all of your plant material. He also provides some succinct ‘lesson’ explanations on how to achieve suc-cess in your garden.” ~ George Graine, Falls Church, VA

“My favorite article was about the local flower growers. I love learning about local farmers.” ~ Edward Constable, Washington, DC

“My favorite article in the December issue was the one on wild tulips. Tulips are my favorite bulb flower and I’ve always thought of them as finicky and fragile. This got me to see tulips in a different light.” ~ Madeline Caliendo, Washington, DC

“My favorite article from the Decem-ber issue was the one about the local flower growers... I applaud your intern for a very lively interview and am hoping to go to the Philadelphia Flower Show this spring.” ~ Amy Plotnick

“I particularly enjoy the Garden Tasks To-Do List in Washington Gardener, as it keeps me on track for what I should be accomplishing each garden season.” ~ Susan Walker, Takoma Park, MD

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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

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006• Horticultural Careers• Juniper Care Guide• Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes• 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

BACK ISSUE SALE!YOU CAN REQUEST A SINGLE COPY OF PRINT BACK ISSUES FOR $6 EACH OR ANY 6 BACK ISSUES FOR $24, OR ALL 40+ PRINT BACK ISSUES FOR JUST $100. PRICE INCLUDES POSTAGE AND HANDLING. PLEASE SPECIFY THE ISSUE DATE(S). ORDER MUST BE PREPAID BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER. SEND ORDERS TO:

WASHINGTON GARDENER, 826 PHILADELPHIA AVE., SILVER SPRING, MD 20910MAY/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 • 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• Indoor Bulb-Forcing Basics• National Museum of the American Indian• Versatile Viburnums

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008• Dealing with Deer• Our Favorite Garden Tools• Delightful Daffodils

MARCH/APRIL 2008• Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens• Our Favorite Garden Tools• Coral Bells (Heucheras)

MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT!• Growing Great Tomatoes• Glamorous Gladiolus• Seed-Starting Basics• Flavorful Fruiting Natives

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• Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums)• 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, Vines• 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs• Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009• Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer• Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden• Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum• Grow Winter Hazel for Winter Color

MARCH/APRIL 2009• 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips• Spring Edibles Planting Guide • Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start• Redbud Tree Selection and Care• Best Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

MAY/JUNE 2009• Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat• Salad Table Project• Grow and Enjoy Eggplant• How to Chuck a Woodchuck

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SUMMER 2009• Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic• Passionflowers• Mulching Basics• 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

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• 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

FALL 2011• Herb Gardens• Toad Lilies• Sweet Potatoes• Cool Weather Cover Crops

WINTER 2011/EARLY SPRING 2012• Green Roofs and Walls• Heaths and Heathers• Radishes

SPRING 2012• Pollinator Gardens• Brunnera: Perennial of the Year• Growing Yacon

SUMMER 2012• Tropical Gardens• Captivating Canna• Icebox Watermelons

SPRING 2013• Great Garden Soil• All About Asters• Squash Vine Borer

SUMMER/FALL 2013• Miniature/Faerie Gardens• Beguiling Abelias• Growing Great Carrots

WINTER/EARLY SPRING 2014• Ferns for the Mid-Atlantic• Chanticleer Gardens• Beet Growing Basics

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Washington Gardener January 2016