Washington Gardener Magazine November 2014

NOVEMBER 2014 VOL. 9 NO. 6

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The magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region.

American Umbrella Leaf November Garden Tasks Local Garden Events Listing

Growing Lovely Leeks

Guerilla Gardening Meet Stamp Photographer Cindy Dyer Stopping Spider Mites A Deadly Leaf Fungus Can Affect Gardeners

Fabulous Fringe Tree

Detecting Lead Hotspots in Urban Gardens

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

Order some today at: www.manuretea.com

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RESOURCESsourc

Need 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 wgardenermag@aol.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

Burtonsville, MD (301) 821-7777

RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GARDENER AND COLLECTOR

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Green Spring Gardens

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WASHINGTON GARDENER

A “must visit” for everyone in the metropolitan 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., Alexandria, VA. Information: 703-642-5173.

NOVEMBER 2014

University of Maryland Extension Website Blog Facebook Twitter

extension.umd.edu/growit groweat.blogspot.com Grow It Eat It GrowEat

Ask HGIC your food gardening questions!

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Cindy Dyer, profiled in this issue, poses with a gentoo penguin in Antarctica.

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Guerilla gardening: green rebellion?

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Still Life with Leeks, Cheese, and Apples by Carl Eduard Schuch. Source: Wikimedia commons.

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Native Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) is also commonly called Old Man’s Beard. Choose a suitable, permanent spot for a young tree before planting it, because Fringe Trees sometimes don’t respond well to transplanting.

FEATURES and COLUMNS BOOKreviews 8-10 Plant This Instead, Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook, Cool Flowers, Windowsill Art, Armitage’s Vines and Climbers EDIBLEharvest 11-13 Leeks GARDENbasics 23 Guerilla Gardening GOINGnative 21 American Umbrellla Leaf INSECTindex 22 Spider Mites NEIGHBORnetwork 18-20 Cindy Dyer, Graphic Designer and Stamp Photographer PLANTprofile 6-7 Fringe Tree GARDENnews 14-15 November Task List, Blog Links, New Plant Spotlight, Lead Testing in Urban Soils, Fungal Leaf Disease Affects Gardeners

DEPARTMENTS

ADVERTISINGindex EDITORletter GARDENcontest LOCALevents NEXTissue RESOURCESsources

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ON THE COVER

Bundles of fresh leeks at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market. Photo by Kathy Jentz.

In Our Next Issue: DECEMBER 2014 Making Living Ornaments Daytrip to Robinson Nature Center

Garden Event Wrap-up and much more...

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EDITORletter

Credits Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher & Advertising Sales Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301.588.6894 wgardenermag@aol.com www.washingtongardener.com Call today to place your ad with us!

Drena J. Galarza Staff Photographer photo@washingtongardener.com Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Cover price: $4.99 Back issues: $6.00 Subscription: $20.00 Foreign subscription: $24.00 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

Garden Swag Shameless! Yes, that would be an apt description of my behavior when faced with piles of garden tools, plants, books, and other goodies at horticultural events. I collect great garden product examples to trial and test for you, my dear readers. It is hard work, but someone has to do it, right? Many of the items end up being prizes at our annual Seed Exchanges and trips to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Some items I donate to charity auctions, often combining them into gift baskets with gardening themes.

I also donate stacks of gardening books that we review in these pages to local public garden’s for their library collections. Last year, we added up the books at it came to more than 175 volumes with a combined retail value of $3,900!

But it is the trial plants that are stacking up in my driveway that may be my downfall. Poor me, right? I’m running out of planting space in my own garden and have been giving many away to nonprofits where I can keep tabs on their progress. The article in this issue on Guerilla Gardening has me thinking about a scheme to place these plants all around the region. Don’t be surprised, dear reader, if you wake up to find a bareroot rose on your doorstep next March!

Happy gardening!

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener, wgardenermag@aol.com 4

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• Washington Gardener is a womanowned 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 Retail stores wishing to sell our publication should contact Kathy Jentz at the contact information above.

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

Volume 9, Number 6 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2014 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published quarterly.

No material may be reproduced without written permission. This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to legality, completeness, or technical accuracy.

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Reader Reactions

Reader Contest: Win a copy of Windowsill Art

We’re new gardeners in DC, we just moved out of an apartment a little over a year ago. It’s great to check in on your blog and see a bit of what’s going on in gardens around the city. My favorite article in the September issue is the one on the Black-eyed Susans. If it’s really so easy to grow, I may try it next year. ~ Irene Wu, Washington, DC

For our November 2014 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a copy of Windowsill Art: Creating Oneof-a-Kind Natural Arrangements to Celebrate the Seasons by Nancy Ross Hugo (retail value: $18.95).

Local author, Nancy Ross Hugo, demonstrates how to use the windowsill as a platform for small, simple displays that celebrate the seasons and reflect the personal style of their creators. Her fresh approach uses bottles, jars, and other small vases to showcase arrangements of locally collected leaves, seedpods, flowers, fruits, and twigs.

Windowsill Art is published by St. Lynn’s Press (www.stlynnspress.com) an independent publishing company based in Pittsburgh, PA. See the review in this issue on page 10.

To enter to win the book, send an email to: WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on November 28 with “Windowsill Art” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Please also include your full name and mailing address. Tell us: “What is your favorite way to decorate your windowsills?” The book winner will be announced and notified by email by November 30.

My name is Alice M. Boone, and my mason jar floral arrangement won 3rd prize at the DC State Fair. I wanted to personally thank you for the photo coverage of the event and posting the photos on the Washington Gardener Magazine’s Facebook page for all to review. I had a ball at the event and met many wonderful and positive minded folks! We all seemed to have had a commonality for “cultural richness.”

I work a community plot at Wangari gardens and am a member of the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild.

There is so much for me to learn, and I enjoy every minute of it. ~ Alice M. Boone, Washington, DC

Caption Contest We asked our Facebook page followers to caption this photo. Look out for more monthly caption contests at: Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine Winning Captions: “Gnomebody knows the trouble I’ve seen.

Gnomebody knows my sorrow.” ~ Julie Blackwell

Zombie Gnome photo by Kathy Jentz

“I can’t believe Marion Barry is on the new mayor’s transition team.” ~ Jeanine Poltronieri “For the last time...I Am Not An ELF!” ~ Wayne Manigo “This was the 8th dwarf, but the other 7 kicked him out of the group because of his meth addiction.” ~ Antonio Buie “Polar Vortex? Already?” ~ Tom Mann NOVEMBER 2014

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PLANTprofile Native Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Fabulous Fringe Tree

well-drained location. As a specimen tree, the Asian Fringe Tree is a “Stop and Stare.” People with this tree report a deep admiration and love for it as it develops over time. Passersby inevitably stop to ask, “What is the name of that tree?” But apparently they forget it by the time they get home or to the next garden center, because it still appears to be one of the well-kept secrets of the trade.

One long-time retail tree sales manager loves it and remains perplexed at its, and its native cousins’ relative obscurity.

Fringe Tree History

by Judith Mensh Michael Dirr and other plant experts wish to see the Chionanthus virginicus become our national native tree.

Fringe trees deserve to inhabit a large part of our repertoire as designers, landscapers, and home owners. As either a large shrub or small tree, it is a must in the 21st-century garden.

In autumn, we see a spectrum of yellows flowing from pale to golden, provided by the ginkgo, maples, hickory, and tulip poplars, and the fringe trees, both the native Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) and the Asian Fringe Tree (Chionanthus retusus). In warmer areas, the green leaves may turn predominantly brown. A cold fall will produce the best fall leaf color, but even in a year of brown leaves, the pretty darkblue drupes persist on the female trees and invite the local birds to decorate the tree with their presence. Although dioecious, the occasional tree will have both male and female flowers.

An explosion of fragrant white flowers opens in the late spring. The Fringe Tree is one of the last flowering trees to bloom and leaf out. It is spectacular for the two to three weeks of its bloom time.

The native and Asian Fringe Trees have differences and similarities: the native tree flowers along its branches before it leafs out, while the Asian variety flowers at the end of its branches, with its leaves. Its leaves are more tough and waxy and remarkably free of pests.

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While the leaves are distinctly different, both are deciduous trees with similar flowers, fragrant, white, and graceful; both may be trained as a single stem or allowed to form a multistem structure. In this area, we often see the native species presented as a multi-stemmed shrub, and the foreign species as a single-stemmed specimen.

Once the essential shape has been committed to, limbing up, for example, pruning is unnecessary. Allow it to establish its shape and density.

The bark of an aging Asian Fringe Tree provides textural appeal with its gray-brown exfoliating appearance. Not to be confused with the Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense), which is a southern shrub with a pink fringe petal flower, but unrelated.

The Fringe Tree is deer-resistant, utility-friendly, non-invasive, and slow-growing. The good qualities of this genus lead those who know it to love it.

It is a host plant for the Rustic sphinx.

The flowers attract butterflies and are pollinated by bees. It is considered an excellent replacement, and is specifically recommended, for the Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana), that 1950s dream flowering tree turned invasive nightmare.

Used in floodplain site reforestation, planted in disturbed soils, used along medium strips, and in urban settings, the native Fringe Tree tolerates wet soils. The Asian Fringe Tree, sometimes labelled as chinensis, thrives only in a

Found growing throughout the southeast and beyond, this woody plant was well known to the native inhabitants, specifically the Choctaw, who used the root to treat inflammation and the bark to aid in the healing of wounds. The native Fringe Tree was first introduced into commerce by plantsman John Bartram in 1760. It is in the same family (Oleaceae) as Forsythia and Lilac.

The name Chionanthus is from the Greek meaning Snow Flower, as named

by Lineus in 1736. This native tree has been in our gardens and European gardens since the 18th century, yet it’s still a stranger. The British are especially fond of it. The roots and bark used historically as medicinal plants are still dried and used to heal the liver. The Asian Fringe Tree came into the American garden in the later 19th century.

Optimal Conditions

Look for newly arrived Fringe Trees in the spring at local garden centers. It is recommended as the best planting time. They often arrive at the nursery in full bloom. Full sun seems to be tolerated well by both species; protection from afternoon sun in the south is always merciful. As a happy understory tree, dappled shade works well. The Asian variety will need well-drained, but not necessarily dry, soil and seems content to stand alone as a specimen tree, developing interesting bark and branch forms as it ages.

Both the native and foreign Fringe Tree serves well as a specimen tree, particularly against a background of dark-green evergreens. The native works well as an understory tree along-

PLANTprofile side the Redbud and the Dogwood.

It can be planted in wet areas, and is used in reforestation situations. Planting a group of three or more provides an outstanding display in late spring.

As with any new planting, keep it wellwatered the first year.

Cultivars for the DC-area

Chinese Fringe Tree (Chionanthus retusus)

The most widely available Fringe Tree is the straight native species, the C. virginicus. It is often sold as a multi-stemmed woody shrub. The Asian is typically sold as a single stemmed tree. Sometimes that single stem starts low, with an intriguing twist of limbs above; other times, the tree is limbed-up high, giving it another distinctive look. Although cool weather is good for autumn color, long, hot summers encourage flower and fruit growth. Two cultivars of the Asian Fringe Tree recently found at Merrifield Garden Center, were the ‘Tokyo Tower’ and the ‘China Snow.’

‘White Knight’ and ‘Emerald Knight’ (an upright form) are two cultivars of C. virginicus, selected and identified as male plants, but rarely locally available.

Companion Plants

Plant it in groups, with Serviceberry, Redbud, Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera), Hophornbeam, and Yellowwood, to create a native tree area. With its cousin Forsythia, an early bloomer, the combination works in a plan including flowering early spring through early summer.

As it is twiggy and some say straggly, it is best to stage it against evergreens, with plants with winter interest nearby.

The red berries of Ilex verticilata give the eye a diversion from the simplicity of the dormant winter Fringe Tree.

The Chinese Fringe Tree develops a notably unique structure, each one an individual, with no two exact replicas.

Although some are grafted, this genus is usually grown from seed, a nearly two-year process, making them currently not amenable to mass production. Perhaps this will change as we use them increasingly.

Fringe Tree Sources

The native Fringe Tree is a good plant to have on your list when you go to local native plant sales. It can be found at the Brookside Garden Native Plant Sale in the spring in Wheaton, MD. In Vir-

ginia, Green Spring Gardens and River Farm both host native plant sales that may carry Fringe Trees.

Nature by Design, in Alexandria, VA, is a retail native plant store. I recently found several large balled-and-burlapped specimen of both native and Asian Fringe Trees at Merrifield Garden Centers.

Nominated for Pennsylvania Champion Tree in 2012, a stately C. retusus stands at the Barnes Arboretum outside Philadelphia, planted in 1942. One astute observer reports seeing the native variety planted in DC at several Metro stations. Native Fringe Trees are planted at the Sunny Garden, maintained by master gardeners, at Bon Air Park, Wilson Blvd. at North Lexington Street between Ballston and Seven Corners in Arlington, VA. The garden is at the far end of the parking lot, with one

Fringe Tree near the hollies and one near the new parking area.

Look for the Fringe Tree at the Blandy State Arboretum, Boyce, VA, and along the George Washington Parkway. You can’t miss them while their blooming.

We’ve welcomed the Redbud, accepted the Serviceberry, and IIex glabra is common. Now let’s include in our native plant circle trees of choice this special tree, the snow flower tree, cooling us with breezy panicles right before the heat hits. Among the flowering deciduous trees, move over Dogwood, here comes the Fringe! o Judith Mensh is a local horticultural consultant. She is available to walk your yard with you and identify the plants and the possibilities. She can be reached at JudithMensh NurtureNature@gmail.com.

Photos are courtesy of Monrovia, www. monrovia.com.

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BOOKreviews

Plant This Instead!

Better Plant Choices

By Troy B. Marden Published by Cool Springs Press List Price: $24.99 Reviewer: Kathy Parrent If you’re bored with the same old stripmall selections of mums in the fall, pansies in the winter, and zinnias in the spring, Plant This Instead! is the book for you. Or if you’ve struggled with weak plants, diseases like powdery mildew or “thugs” that take over, or if you just want a lower maintenance garden, the book recommends better choices. The novice gardener, the parttime enthusiast, and the expert will all learn something new in this informative book, laid out with beautiful photos in an easy-to read, attractive design.

Author Troy B. Marden, a plantsman and garden designer, has compiled a list of common flowers, shrubs, and trees, offering alternatives for each familiar plant. These options may be prettier, hardier, bloom longer, come in new colors, require less work, or be drought-tolerant. Some of the alternatives simply offer diversity for your garden, but most are suggested because they solve problems found with the tried, but not always true, plants we’ve stuck with for years.

For example, Japanese Honeysuckle Vine is beloved by many for what Marden describes as its “truly intoxicating” scent. But the reality, he writes, is that it is a harmful and destructive 8

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weed that has overtaken many a forest floor, “completely choking out any plant that gets in its way.” Instead he suggests Carolina Jessamine, a highly adaptable, showy, and fragrant vine that tolerates a wide range of soil types. Or, he says, try Hyacinth Bean, a robust, flowering annual vine.

Marden also has stern words for Chameleon plant, Bishop’s Weed, Winter Creeper, and Yellow Archangel, all of which he calls invasive thugs — yet they are still for sale at garden centers. And, Marden tells us, even a native plant that can survive in poor soil along dusty roads, and hell strips can become a thug when planted in rich soil, watered meticulously, and fertilized.

Plant This Instead! is mostly enthusiastic about newly cultivated varieties, but does recommend a number of natives. The author cautions that some new cultivars are rushed to market before they are sufficiently tested and proven. All of this means that it is up to the gardener to be well-informed about zone; soil; sun/ shade; use of natives; location; and performance before purchasing newly available seeds and plants. Marden suggests gathering information online, reading books such as his, and talking to your gardening friends before choosing.

So much of gardening is about taste that the reader may see no reason to substitute a much-loved plant with no problems for the novelty of a newer one. For me, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) was one of my first garden loves and remains so. I appreciate the forms and colors of the many new varieties, but my fondness for the original endures.

Also, I had an odd reaction to a few of the “improved” varieties of old favorites that Marden highlights. For example, Moonbeam Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticullata), a perfectly lovely, yellow flower with delicate blooms, bears little resemblance to the hardier Big Bang ‘Mercury Rising’ Coreopsis, a hybrid with large flowers in shades of maroon, red, pink, and bi-tones. I was hit with the Renee Zellweger effect — seeing a lovely plant that is unrecognizable from its original form! But taste is taste and Marden is never dogmatic; he’s simply

offering options.

Plant This Instead! is jammed with good advice. It would be a great book to savor during the winter months, a resource to consult before making purchases, and a great gift for a gardener.

Kathy Parrent is a gardener and writer in Silver Spring, Maryland. She runs “Green Thumb to the Rescue” on Facebook. www. facebook.com/GreenThumbToTheRescue

The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook

By Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman Published by Workman Publishing List Price: $22.95 Reviewer: Erica Smith Cookbooks featuring vegetables and written from a gardener’s perspective are worth their weight in black gold, because their authors understand how the garden-to-kitchen transition works: fresh food at the peak of taste and nutrition, harvested, and often used on the same day, perhaps arriving in unpredictable amounts and slightly scarred from pest damage, but forming part of the best meals you’ll ever cook. I’ve been relying for years on my copy of Marian Morash’s The Victory Garden Cookbook (sadly out of print), but Damrosch and Coleman’s addition to the genre is another I’d consider purchasing, and a volume that will be particularly valuable to beginning food gardeners. “It’s two books in one” the back cover triumphs, and yes: this is both a gardening primer and a useful guide to preparing and consuming what you grow.

BOOKreviews Washington Gardener readers will recognize Barbara Damrosch as a weekly columnist for the Washington Post, and many are also familiar with her husband, Eliot Coleman, best known for his books on season extension. They live and farm in Maine, where growing conditions are harsher in the winter and less harsh in the summer than those we garden in, and it’s worth keeping regional perspective in mind when reading their advice, but both their gardening philosophy and their hands-in-the-soil experience reward readers, especially those interested in gardening organically.

The first half of the book is a how-to guide (“The Garden”), followed by a cookbook (“The Kitchen”). The garden section covers the basics of soil development, composting, garden planning and layout, site prep, crop rotation, etc., and offers some strategies for deciding what to grow. The approach to crop selection is intriguing, suggesting ideas for a salad garden, a “practical” garden of crops that give the most value for investment of time and space, a “hard times” garden of life-sustaining crops (with lots of information about root cellars and storage), a winter garden (with details on cold frames, tunnels, and greenhouses), a self-reliant garden of crops from which seeds can be saved (again with detailed information on methods), and a savory garden of the best-tasting vegetables and fruits.

Readers could choose among these types of gardens or design their own based on the advice given.

Next, many of the most popular crops are listed, grouped by botanical family, with instructions on growing, harvesting, storing, and cooking each. Even with the recipes included in the latter half of the book, simple ideas for preparing vegetables and fruits are valuable, especially when there’s room to include tips on cleaning leeks, checking broccoli for cabbage worms, and so forth.

The final section is called “Making It Easy,” and covers ways to make the gardening experience more pleasant and efficient, including using the right tools, planning to avoid weeds, using trellises, and building fences.

Personally, I would have put this sec-

tion closer to the front of the book, but once you know it’s there, you can refer to it as necessary.

I have a few small caveats about the garden section, and I suspect some readers will also keep their own counsel about using peat moss, tilling beds repeatedly, and watering with overhead sprinklers. It’s also disconcerting to be told that pests shouldn’t be present in large numbers in a garden with healthy soil; gardeners in our region have often found otherwise, and won’t like being blamed for the invasions. But all the advice is encouraging and optimistic, as well as grounded in reality, and this half of the book is worth keeping on the shelf as a gardening reference.

Actually, where to shelve the book is a bit of a conundrum! I think I’d put it on my cookbook shelf, however, because the recipes look so delicious. The “Kitchen” half of the book is organized (as are many cookbooks) by type of recipe, from appetizers through desserts and, to some extent, by general type of vegetable. (Another option, used by several garden cookbook authors, is to organize by main ingredient, but either way, the index comes in handy.) This is indeed a “four season” cookbook, but the recipes are not listed by season. No worries about having to combine summer tomatoes and spring peas, though, because seasonality is central to the garden-to-table approach. According to the cover, there are 120 recipes, appealing to many preferences: dishes for vegetarians and meat-eaters; salads, soups, and hearty main dishes; the trendy and the oldfashioned. All have clear instructions and many are illustrated with attractive photographs. I want to start cooking right now.

In short, this book makes me wonder why all food gardening books don’t come with extensive cookbooks attached! But this may be one of the few you need to buy.

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 website at ericahsmith.wordpress.com.

Cool Flowers: How to Grow and Enjoy Long-Blooming Hardy Annual Flowers Using Cool Weather Techniques

By Lisa Mason Ziegler Publisher: St. Lynn’s Press List Price: $17.95 Reviewer: Liz McGuinness I must admit I picked this book because seeing the title Cool Flowers, I thought it would be about rare and unusual flowers. I was surprised (pleasantly) to find out that it’s about traditional, even old-fashioned flowers: hardy annuals. These flowers include old favorites such as Pansies, Bachelor Buttons, Snapdragons, and Delphineums, as well as lesser-known flowers such as Bupleurum.

Cool Flowers is a lovely, compact book dedicated to the art of growing cut-flowers. Written by a commercial cut-flower farmer, Lisa Mason Ziegler, the book covers the entire process from preparing the soil to the proper cutting of flowers to reseeding for next year. I appreciated the amount of detail provided on each step of setting up, growing, and harvesting a cut-flower garden. The author made the process seem so straightforward yet highly rewarding.

The most surprising part of the book is the fact that many hardy annuals can be planted from seed the preceding fall for spring blooms. In fact, the best blooms will result from fall planting.

This is a point that the author stresses many times and it is well worth repeating for those of us who are not familiar with this growing method.

The highlight of the book is the “Flower-by-Flower” pages, which list profiles of hardy annuals. The profile information includes photos of the plant before blooming and in bloom. If only all gardening book authors would NOVEMBER 2014

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BOOKreviews do this! How often do you see a plant in the garden in the early spring and scratch your head, wondering what it is? For each flower, the author provides information on how best to plant, the hardiness zone, how to get the plant through the winter, and how to keep the blooms coming, among other tips.

The book was most useful when describing the details of when and how to plant hardy annuals. The photos of flowers, supplies, and gardening techniques nicely support the guidance provided. The author also provides a plan for a small cutting garden for beginners.

Reading Cool Flowers was more pleasurable because of the personal stories the author included. My only quibble with the book was that the glossy paper it is printed on produced glare, making it difficult to read in some lighting.

Although I was not thinking of growing a cut-flower garden before picking up this book, I am now wondering whether I can squeeze one into my backyard.

Between the photos of Lisa’s flower farm and those of her bouquets, it is hard to resist the lure of a cutting garden. My one regret is that I did not pick this book up sooner as I have now missed the window for setting up a cutting garden for early spring blooms. Oh well, maybe next year…

Liz McGuinness is a master gardener in training who lives in Washington, DC.

Windowsill Art: Creating One-of-a-Kind Natural Arrangements to Celebrate the Seasons

By Nancy Ross Hugo Publisher: St. Lynn’s Press List Price: $18.95 Reviewer: Teresa Speight What a wonderful easy read for this or any time of the year. Nancy Ross Hugo takes her reader on a picturesque journey exploring the possibilities of small, intimate arrangements. Almost like the Japanese practice of tokonoma, Nancy shares how to best use that little ledge we know as our windowsill or a spot on the counter or shelf. Arranging little vignettes that are not just for artistic value, but are created to brings nature inside in unimaginable ways, bring joy to the floral arranger, as well as the avid gardener. Observing the backdrop or background, noticing what is in bloom, 10

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has a certain catchy characteristic, or is a found object, are all things to consider as you collect to create your arrangement. Using gloves, old jars, roots from overgrown shrubs, oddly shaped leaves — with a little imagination and a twig or two — Nancy demonstrates how easy it is to find the beauty that surrounds us.

I thoroughly enjoyed the examples of seasonal ideas by month. I consider this a wonderful how-to guide on creating natural memories within reach, without creating a large arrangement. Almost everyone has a spot for a small arrangement inspired by nature.

of getting flamed) are still workhorses.

Dangerous workhorses, but workhorses.

Think Ampelopsis and Celastrus. On the other hand, there are things that I’ve never succeeded with. Some plants, like Clematis, are dealt with via a few cultivars and/or species. Small wonder, given the thousands of cultivars out there. The real irritation is that this book is national in scope, so a lot of plants that are included simply aren’t hardy through the winter here. Just when you think you’ve found the vegetable love of your life, you see “Z9.” Rats.

I seriously recommend reading the book word for word. Front to back. (Well, Teresa Speight is a native Washingtotoward the back, there are lists of vines nian, who resides in District Heights, MD. for specific uses; you probably can skip She owns Cottage In The Court Landthose.) I found myself coming across scape Consulting. She can be reached at plants in this book that I’ve known for cottageinthecourt@gmail.com. years, but have never grown, and getting my eyes opened. Clematis montana, for Armitage’s Vines and Climbers example. Things I’ve killed multiple times

By Allan M. Armitage — Clematis armandii — and things Publisher: Timber Press I had never seen before.

List Price: $29.95 And the pictures are to die Reviewer: Jim for. For your budget to die from, Dronenburg perhaps. This spring, I’m going One tends to think of to order quite a few things. The Allan Armitage as Mr. copy of this book that I read for Perennials — but obvithe review, which Kathy Jentz ously, he’s not limited, thinks she’s going to get back, is a as this book shows. Here ragged-robin of notes sticking out is a concept that most of from between the pages, placethe DC Metro area, with holding pieces of paper saying “get space at a premium, this” and this and this... can use, big time. Go up! Everyone has Sometimes, actually, Armitage can be walls, everyone has walks (no matter a little on the conservative side when it how short) that can be covered over comes to hardiness. Jasmines are what with an arch, a trellis, or a pergola. A prompted that last sentence; he rates shrub or small tree can be given another J. stephanense as hardy for us, and so season of interest by running a climber it is; last winter killed my ‘Lady Banks’ up through it. A fence or railing can be rose that was eating an entire wing of beautified or hidden altogether. my house, and I kept the corpse in place The bulk of the book, of course, is an because of the J. stephanense climbing A-to-Z listing of climbers- woody, nonup it. But he calls J. officinale probably woody, and annual. (Actually, that last not hardy here — and it came through definition has a lot of stretch in it; plenty last winter outdoors with flying colors. of things, many climbers included, are If this is any indication, if Armitage says grown as annuals, but if they are taken something is “probably” hardy, it almost indoors, they are revealed as the tender assuredly is hardy for us. perennials that they actually are. One Get this vine. Get this book. Beg, borexample is Cobaea, the once-popular row, steal, or buy this book. Seriously and now neglected Cup and Saucer Vine. recommended. o This book is not an encyclopedia by any Jim Dronenburg is an accountant by day, an means; it falls more into the category Irish harper/singer by night, and a Behnkes of a coffee table book; and the pictures Nursery weekend warrior to support his are glorious. There are plants in here expanding gardens in Knoxville, MD. classed as “invasive,” which (at the risk

EDIBLEharvt

Lovely Leeks

by Elizabeth Olson

leeks can be grilled or used as scallions.

Leeks make a great addition to soups, stews, casseroles, and quiches. (See the recipe on page 13 of this issue.) Slices can be preserved by freezing or drying.

Prepare leeks for use by slicing and rinsing them well to remove any soil or grit that may have become lodged in them.

How to Grow Leeks

Leeks are grown for the wonderful onion flavor of their tall and cylindrical shafts.

Each shaft is made of tightly bundled lower portions of the leaves, which grow directly from the roots. A shaft cut in cross-section produces thin O-shaped rings. The upper portions of the leaves separate and open to form a fan shape, sometimes called a flag, or simply the leaves; they become tough as leeks grow to maturity. Most cultivars produce one shaft per plant, but some plants occasionally produce suckers.

The scientific name for leeks is Allium ampeloprasum, var. porrum. They are biennial and are in the same plant family as garlic, onion, and shallot, and should be included in the same crop rotation schedule.

Uses for Leeks

Leeks are harvested fresh from the garden. They do not die down, for example, as the onion does, and are not cured.

Leeks are easy to grow and are not daylength-dependent. Planting several cultivars that have different maturity dates can provide fresh leeks through much of the year. Summer leeks mature quickly and can be harvested early in the growing season. Cold-hardy leeks grow slowly to maturity; some cultivars can be overwintered in the greater Washington, DC, region and harvested as needed.

Leeks can be used fresh or cooked.

They can be served as a side dish or used as an ingredient in many recipes.

Young plants that are thinned are edible and can be used as a garnish. Baby

The plants are started from seed. For best results, plant the seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last expected frost date in spring. Use a loose seedstarting mix in plastic starter pots and place the pots on a horticultural heat mat under strong grow lights. Keep the lights close to the tops of the seedlings.

Ensure the potting mix stays evenly moist; water from the bottom. Transplant the seedlings to the garden after they are several inches tall, have been acclimated to the outdoors, and the danger of a hard frost is past. Initial spacing of the plants should be four to six inches apart in rows two feet apart. Another option is to purchase seedlings or bareroot starts. (More information is in the Availability and Sources section on page 12.)

Leeks should be sited in full sun, but the plants will tolerate afternoon filtered light. All leek cultivars can be grown in large containers that have drainage holes; the plants provide an elegant element in mixed plantings. Plants grown in the garden need soil that is well-worked, is slightly acidic, and has good drainage.

Incorporate compost before planting and use an organic, slow-release vegetable fertilizer during the growing season.

Install a soaker hose to supplement rainfall and keep the soil evenly moist, mulched, and free of weeds. Apply extra mulch at the end of the growing season to leeks that are to be overwintered.

Each shaft is white at its base and is prone to developing green coloration as it nears its flag. The leaves range in color from a light green to a dark blue-green, depending on the cultivar.

The shafts can be blanched by either hilling or trenching the plants. Gardeners who have gardens with heavy soil should grow leeks in raised beds and employ hilling — the periodic mounding soil or mulch around the shafts as the plants grow taller. Leeks can be trenched — planted in deep furrows — in lighter soils.

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EDIBLEharvt Rain will slowly fill soil in the trench, and mulch can also be added as the plants stretch upward. Both hilling and trenching encourage increased height in the shafts.

How to Harvest and Store

Leeks can be harvested when they reach the desired size. Baby leeks can be carefully harvested with a slender trowel or garden fork, and should be consumed soon after harvesting. Carefully lift mature leeks with a large trowel or garden fork. Gently remove soil from the roots. Clip leaves short and clip roots to ½ inch and store the leeks in the refrigerator crisper drawer for two or more weeks. Do not wash the leeks until just before use.

Please note that overwintered leeks should be harvested before they bolt and the shafts become tough in the following year.

Availability and Sources

Seeds are widely available. Most garden centers carry seeds of at least one standard leek cultivar. Additional standard cultivars, as well as specialty cultivars, are available by mail order or online from many seed companies.

Potted seedlings can be purchased from some garden centers in late winter to mid-spring. Bareroot starts, too, are available in late winter to mid-spring.

They can be purchased by mail order and online from a number of companies; five sources for bareroot plants are noted in the following list. Using bareroot starts is the most expensive option, but it is an effective, quick, and easy way to begin.

1. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds http://www.rareseeds.com/ Phone: 417-924-8917 2. Cook’s Garden http://www.cooksgarden.com/ Phone: 800-457-9703 Bareroot ‘Lancelot’ starts are available in addition to seeds of different leek cultivars 3. Dixondale Farms http://www.dixondalefarms.com/ Phone: 877-367-1015 Bareroot ‘Lancelot’ starts only; the company does not sell seeds. Price includes shipping and handling 12

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NOVEMBER 2014

Leek Cultivars Heirlooms

• American Flag/Broad London Vigorous main season cultivar; harvest in summer to early autumn. The shafts are long — up to 10 inches tall before the leaves fan out — and are often 1½-inches in diameter. Foliage color varies from deep green to bluish-green.

• Bleu de Solaise/Blue Solaise Winter-hardy cultivar that can be left in place in the garden and harvested as needed throughout the winter. The foliage is famous for the blue to violet color that develops in cool weather. The plants produce relatively short but thick shafts.

• Carentan Vigorous and winter-hardy cultivar that has dark-green leaves and produces shafts up to 8 inches tall and 2- to 3-inches in diameter. Hill or trench to encourage long shafts as the leaves tend to fan out near the soil line. Equally good fresh or cooked.

• Giant Musselburgh/Scotch Flag Winter-hardy cultivar with broad, dark-green leaves. The tender shafts can grow to 15-inches tall and up to 3-inches in diameter.

• Prizetaker/Lyon Winter-hardy cultivar that remains tender and flavorful even when it grows to a very large size. Plants can grow to three feet tall.

Open-Pollinated (OP) Modern Introductions

• Bandit Winter-hardy cultivar has a very thick shaft and a base that is almost completely straight. It has blue-green, upright leaves.

• King Richard Early-to-mature cultivar that is great for baby leeks, but can be allowed to grow to full-sized leeks. Best grown and harvested in summer to early autumn. Not tolerant of hard frost. Tall, slender plants with upright medium-green leaves.

• King Sieg Winter-hardy, stable cross of King Richard and Siegfried. Medium-tall cultivar with blue-green leaves and a three-inch diameter shaft.

• Lancelot Good for baby leeks at 75 days. Hill or trench and mulch if growing to mature size.

Harvest before hard frosts. The medium-tall to tall plants are bolt-resistant and virus-tolerant. Dependable in most growing areas.

• Tadorna Holds well in the ground when mature, but harvest before extremely cold weather.

This cultivar has a thick, medium-tall shaft; the erect, dark-blue/green leaves are disease-resistant.

F1 Hybrids (not genetically engineered)

• Lincoln Summer to early-autumn cultivar that quickly grows to baby leek size and can be harvested starting in as early as 50 days. The flavor and texture are well-suited for grilling or using fresh in salads. The plants are also excellent when grown to full maturity. This tall cultivar has light-green, drooping leaves. A typical shaft can reach 2½-inches in diameter.

• Megaton Vigorous summer leek; crops are highly uniform. Grows quickly to maturity and holds well in the garden without bolting. Harvest before the end of September. This medium-tall cultivar produces shafts that are heavy for their size, but are easy to peel. The plants have blue-green, erect leaves.

EDIBLEharvt 4. Fedco Seeds http://fedcoseeds.com/ Phone: 207-426-9900

and pepper may be added according to personal taste.

5. High Mowing Organic Seeds http://www.highmowingseeds.com/ Phone: 802-472-6174

3 large garlic cloves, minced 3 to 4 cups fresh large green or Genovese basil leaves (2 oz.)

4 to 6 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese ¼ cup olive oil

6. Johnny’s Selected Seeds http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ Phone: 877-564-6697 Bareroot ‘King Richard’ starts are available in addition to seeds of several leek cultivars 7. Natural Gardening Company https://www.naturalgardening.com/ Phone: 701-766-9303 Organic bareroot ‘American Flag’ and ‘King Richard’ starts are available in addition to seeds of several other leek cultivars 8. Nichols Garden Nursery https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/ store/index.php Phone: 800-422-3985 9. Seed Savers Exchange http://www.seedsavers.org/ Phone: 563-382-5990 10. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange http://www.southernexposure.com/ Phone: 540-894-9480 11. Territorial Seed Company http://www.territorialseed.com/ Phone: 800-626-0866 Bareroot ‘Lancelot’ starts are available in addition to seeds of different leek cultivars

Pistou (Basil Sauce)

Leeks and Thyme by Thor. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

6 cups unsalted or low-salt chicken broth, or 6 cups vegetable broth, or 5 cups water and 1 cup white wine 2 bay leaves

Heat broth with bay leaves and let it simmer. Sauté onion, leek, and garlic in olive oil until the onion and leek are transparent. Add this mixture and potatoes and tomatoes to simmering broth and cook for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cooked white beans and cook for an additional five minutes. Remove from heat and let rest five minutes before serving. Remove bay leaves. Pistou should be served alongside the soup so each diner can stir in a generous spoonful to individual soup bowls. Salt

Pistou is most easily made in a food processor or blender. Place garlic and basil in food processor with Parmesan cheese. Process for a few seconds, then scrape down sides and drizzle in olive oil while turning the processor on and off. Lightly process as pistou should be a little chunky. If necessary, a little extra water and olive oil can be added to get a sauce-like consistency. Any leftover sauce can either be kept refrigerated for five days or frozen in an ice cube tray for future use. 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.

Y ou Can Make a Difference. . .

by Sharing Your Harvest

12. Victory Seed Company http://www.victoryseeds.com/ Phone: 503-829-3126 (voicemail line)

Soup with Pistou

Courtesy of Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Nichols Garden Nursery Soup

1 small onion, diced 1 leek, chopped 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium red or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced 6 Roma-type tomatoes, peeled and diced 1 to 2 medium zucchini, diced 2 cups cooked white beans

Plant an extra row in your garden and deliver the harvest to a local food bank or shelter. The need is great!

With your help, PAR can continue to make a difference for America’s most vulnerable.

Call our toll-free number (877.GWAA.PAR) or visit our website at www.gardenwriters.org/par for more information.

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GARDENnews

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts

• 5 Top Summer Annuals • Herbaceous Peonies: You Can Grow That!

• Giving Tender Plants Extra Protection • Grow Your Own Saffron Crocus • How to Save Seeds Before Winter See more Washington Gardener blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

November Garden To-Do List

New Plant Spotlight Sideoats Grama Grass (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Narrow, bluish-gray leaf blades form a dense upright clump. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions from welldrained sandy soils to heavy clays in full sun. Distinctive arrangement of oatlike seed spikes hangs from only one side of its stem, appear mid-summer.

Autumn brings colors of golden brown with hues of orange and red. Plant en masse to best accentuate its ornamental features. Native to Missouri.

Sideoats Grama is a larval host plant for the Green Skipper & Dotted Skipper butterflies.

Attributes

Height: 1.5-2.5' Spread: 1.5-2.0' Shape: Upright Foliage: Bluish-gray Fall Foliage: Golden brown Blooms: August-September Exposure: Full Sun Zone: 4-9 Benefits: Butterflies, Pollinators, Birds, Deer-Resistant

Available

This is a Bailey Nurseries market introduction that will be available in 2015.

See http://www.baileynurseries.com for further updates.

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Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for November 16-December 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Switch your deer deterrent spray, if you’ve been using the same one for several months. Re-apply after heavy rains.

• Have your soil tested at least once every three years.

• Cover carrots and other root crops with straw to extend the harvest season.

• Deadhead spent mums and plant them (if still in pots).

• Leaf drop on established evergreen shrubs and rhododendrons is normal this time of year.

• Bulb foliage already starting to surface? Don’t fret. It is also normal and will not affect next year’s blooms.

• Check for vole problems and set out traps.

• Caulk and seal your home to prevent wildlife from coming indoors.

• Protect fig trees from freezing by piling up leaves around them.

• Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up.

• Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and for trading.

• Turn off outdoor water valve and store hoses.

• Store terra cotta pots in a shed or protected areas.

• Prune and mulch hybrid tea roses.

• Harvest the last of your vegetables and till compost into the beds.

• Plant garlic for harvest next spring.

• Force spring bulbs for indoor blooms this January by potting them up, watering thoroughly, and placing them in your vegetable crisper for about 10 weeks.

• Remove this year’s fruiting raspberry canes down to the ground.

• Clean out your ponds and compost annual plants. Move hardy plants to deeper water. Cover with netting to block falling leaves.

• Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools.

• Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except cyclamen).

• Set up a humidifier for indoor plants or at least place them in pebble trays.

• Vacuum up any ladybugs that come in the house.

• Rotate houseplants to promote even growth.

• Pot up Paper Whites and Amaryllis for holiday blooming.

• Water evergreens and new plantings to keep them hydrated this winter.

• Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed.

• Transplant trees and shrubs.

• Continue to divide and transplant perennials.

• Rake leaves, shred, and gather in compost piles.

• Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for this winter.

• Attend a local garden club meeting.

• Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds.

• Plant evergreens for winter interest.

• Weed.

• Take a break from holiday stress to enjoy your garden.

• Do not place live wreaths or greenery in-between your door and a glass storm door, especially if the doorway is facing south. This placement will “cook” the arrangement on a sunny day.

• Sign up all your friends and family for garden magazine subscriptions and gardening books as holiday gifts.

GARDENnews

Detecting Lead Hotspots in Urban Gardens

A Deadly Leaf Fungus Can Affect Gardeners

According to the Society for Risk Analysis (www.sra.org ), researchers sampled 80 sites across a 49x98-foot garden plot. The soil lead concentration measured at the sites was highly variable across the plot, and 2% of the samples exceeded the 400 ppm EPA threshold for lead. A prominent hotspot was detected in the northwest corner of the plot, where gardening or other activities would pose undue risks. Examination of historic city documents indicated that a paint shop had been located on the property, explaining the origin of the contaminated hotspot. The researchers then used statistics to determine an appropriate number of samples that would be needed to detect the contamination hotspot under various scenarios.

Based on their models, the collection of 20 samples in the 49x98-foot plot would be needed to be 95 percent confident that the hotspot would be detected. If the goal of urban plot sampling is to detect hotspots, increasing the standard number of individual samples collected will increase the chance of detection. This comes at a cost, however, in terms of the price of the sampling analysis and effort involved.

A common practice is to average several soil samples in close proximity to create a “mixture” of the sampled site.

However, the researchers cautioned that this practice could lead to failure to detect a hotspot entirely, as nearby low-concentration samples could dilute the average to permissible levels. One alternative they suggest is to analyze individual samples before mixing them, to increase the chance of detecting hotspots while also reducing the risk of overestimating the average concentration throughout the plot.

The researchers recommend that garden organizers interested in an untested plot should check local libraries or online for “Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps,” which show local land uses often going back 100 years, to see if there is a possibility that contaminants were used onsite. Gardeners are also urged to check with their local Cooperative Extension service or university to provide assistance with cost-effective soil sampling. o

Gregor Campbell, an art teacher from Paisley in Scotland, is joining doctors this autumn to warn gardeners who have asthma or weak immune systems to be on alert for a deadly fungus that lurks in compost heaps and in piles of rotting leaves.

Experts advise wearing masks to protect against the microscopic dust that is given off when rotting leaf, plant, and tree mulch is moved, particularly when people tidy up their gardens in preparation for winter.

Campbell, age 47 and the father of three, knows first-hand the devastating effect the fungus can have. Two years ago, he developed a chronic fungal infection after cutting up wet and rotting logs to store and dry out for the winter.

He recalled: “That summer I was being treated by the doctor for a lung condition, but I had been cycling to work every day and was I feeling well. One weekend I started getting night sweats and on the Monday I was in (the) hospital. I was told I had pneumonia and was treated with antibiotics. I wasn’t getting better. I lost a lot of weight. I only started to recover when the consultant correctly diagnosed chronic pulmonary Aspergillosis and prescribed me special drugs to fight the fungal infection.”

Professor David Denning and his team at the National Aspergillosis Centre, in Manchester, England, have issued the warning after treating a growing number of patients who have developed the condition from inhaling the Aspergillus fungal spores. He explained: “Keen gardeners bed down their gardens for the winter. For most of us there is no problem. But for others it can cause longterm breathing difficulties and damage that can be treated but never cured.

“Normally, when Aspergillus spores are inhaled by people, their immune system recognizes the spores as foreign and they (the spores) are destroyed and no infection arises. Occasionally, in an individual with a weakened immune system or who has a pre-existing medical condition, the Aspergillus spores can grow inside a lung or a wound. My advice would be when in doubt, wear a protective mask to be safe rather than sorry,” he added. o

Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course January 5-8, 2015 For registration information, contact: Avis Koeiman Department of Entomology 4112 Plant Sciences Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-405-3913 Email: akoeiman@umd.edu  Your Ad Here

Contact wgardenermag@aol.com or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates.

In Our Next Issue DECEMBER 2014...

Making Living Ornaments

Daytrip to a Local Public Garden Garden Event Wrap-up

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by December 10 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication! oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Be sure you are subscribed!

Send a check or money order for $20.00 payable to Washington Gardener magazine to: Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 NOVEMBER 2014

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ November 16-December 15, 2014 • Wednesday, November 19, 7:30-9pm A Delightful Tangle: Native Vines Paula Jean Hallberg, a Montgomery Country Master Gardener and a Master Naturalist, will present a talk on native vines at Historic Takoma, 7328 Carroll Ave. in Takoma Park, MD. Here are three very good reasons for local gardeners and home owners to learn more about these vines: 1. They are a natural source of pollen and nectar for our priceless pollinators. 2. Many of us are ever-challenged to find space in our gardens, so “going vertical” can be a great space-saver. 3. We need to be able to recognize the differences between those nasty, invasive vines and the good, beneficial ones. Hosted by the Takoma Horticultural Club. This talk is free and open to the public. Please wear a recycled name tag. We welcome snack table contributions.

lighthouses to navigate the way through the scenic wonderland. Featured in the train display are 33 lighthouses, almost all located within the U.S., and three ships, two of which were a part of the famed U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 that returned live plant specimens and spurred a new U.S. Botanic Garden. Also see one of Washington’s the largest indoor decorated trees, an abundance of poinsettias and a holiday plant expedition to complete.

Holiday cheer abounds at the U.S. Botanic Garden! Despite the cold winter weather, the Conservatory is a tropical holiday paradise during Season’s Greenings!

And don’t forget that the USBG has extended hours with live music on the following Tuesdays and Thursdays in December. Experience Season’s Greenings at Night!

izing, when to repot, and much more.

The talk will be followed by potting up Paperwhites and Tulips and instructions for their care. Students will also be able to see how Annie Sloan Chalk Paint can be used to update existing pots. Fee: $40.00. Held at On The Purple Couch, 4228 Howard Ave. Kensington, MD. Register at www.onthepurplecouch.com.

• Friday, November 21, 6-9pm Twilight Open House at Greenstreet Gardens All proceeds to benefit the Captain Avery Museum. $15/person or $25/ couple for wine and tastings, live music & holiday preview. Held at Green Street Gardens. 391 West Bay Front Road, Lothian, MD, 410.867.9500, www.

GreenstreetGardens.com.

• Friday, November 28, 2014, through Sunday, January 11, 2015 Conservatory Winter Display & Garden Railway Exhibit The Conservatories at Brookside Gardens consist of two glass buildings joined by a short hallway. The Conservatories house a large collection of tropical plants including banana, giant bird of paradise, and Calliandra (Powderpuff tree) as well as seasonal displays in the spring, summer, and autumn and a terrific holiday show. 10:00am–5:00pm daily; FREE; Brookside Gardens Conservatory. Note that the Brookside “Garden of Lights” is cancelled for 2014 due to ongoing construction.

• Sunday, December 7, 2:00-3:30pm The Care and Feeding of Terrariums Kathy Jentz, editor of the Washington Gardener Magazine, will give a general overview talk on making and caring for indoor terrariums. We will discuss basics such as best plant choices, best soil and container choices, watering and fertilizing, when to repot/replace, and much more. The talk will be followed by each attendee creating a terrarium ornament of their own to take back home and hang up on their trees or to give as a gift. Fee: $40.00. Held at On The Purple Couch, 4228 Howard Ave. Kensington, MD. Register at www. onthepurplecouch.com.

• Sunday, November 30, 2:00-4:00pm Healthy & Happy Holiday Plants We will start with a general overview talk on Holiday Season Indoor Plants

by Kathy Jentz, editor of the Washington Gardener Magazine – this class is especially aimed at those with “black thumbs.” Covered will be Poinsettias, Amaryllis, Paperwhites, Christmas Cactus, and a few other unusual choices, including how to force Spring-blooming Bulbs into early bloom. We will discuss basics such as best plant choices, how to share/propagate plants, best soil and container choices, watering and fertil-

•Sunday, December 7, 12-4 pm Gardeners Holiday Open House Treat yourself to a day of holiday fun in the garden featuring trackless train rides, the annual gingerbread house contest, children’s puppet show, holiday bread sale, and free refreshments. This festive day is for gardeners of all ages.

Admission is free to the open house, and the puppet show is $3/child.

Hosted by Friends of Green Spring. For more information, call 703.642.5173 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ greenspring.

• Saturday, November 22, 1:30pm Thanksgiving Table Arrangement Break the cornucopia tradition and make a Thanksgiving centerpiece in a fresh pumpkin. Use seasonal flowers, dried materials and fresh fruit to create this table decoration to take home. $35/person plus $25 supply free. Held at Green Spring Gardens, Fairfax County’s public garden. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ greenspring or call 703-642-5173.

• Daily November 25, 2014-January 4, 2015, 10:00am–5:00pm Holiday Exhibit: Season’s Greenings It wouldn’t be the winter holiday season without visiting the US Botanic Gardens to see the fantasy train display and replicas of iconic DC monuments and buildings created with plant materials.

This year, explore the seven seas, using 16

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• Friday, December 5, 6-8pm Deck the Halls Workshop Learn from Maymont’s experts the special techniques to make a traditional magnolia wreath, a mixed greens mantle adornment, and a door swag for your home. $45 per person/$37 for Maymont members. Register online at www.maymont.org by December 3 or call 804-358-7166, ext. 310. Held at Maymont, 1700 Hampton Street, Richmond, VA.

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ November 16-December 15, 2014 • Sunday December 7, 4:00pm An Insider’s Tour of the Light Show Ever wonder how Meadowlark Botanical Gardens transforms into the magical Winter Walk of Lights? Why does seeing the lights make you feel so good?

Get all the answers on this insiders’ walk and talk. Enjoy exclusive access to spectacular views as you muse on the show’s creativity and the special connections humans make with nature during the holiday season. Your guides are Meadowlark Garden Manager Keith Tomlinson and author, Jenifer Joy Madden. $20 cost per person includes a ticket to the lights and a copy of Jenifer’s inspiring book, The Durable Human Manifesto. Bundle up, bring a flashlight and meet in the Visitor Center promptly at 4pm. To make a reservation, call Meadowlark at 703.255.3631 ext.102. Space is limited to 25 participants. See: http://www.nvrpa.org.

• Sunday, December 7, 7-9pm Full Moon Hike This four-mile-long, mildly strenuous hike is a magical trip through moonlit gardens, meadows, and woods. Discover how the striking landscape of the Arboretum changes under the moon and stars of the night sky. Winter hikes often have the clearest skies and best views due to cold, dry air, and lack of leaf cover. Your guide will share points of special interest and seasonal highlights. The two-hour walk over hilly and uneven terrain is a brisk hike, not a garden tour. Ages 16 and up. No pets on the hike, please. Fee: $22 (FONA $18) Registration required. Held at the National Arboretum is located in the northeast section of Washington, DC. See more details at http://www.usna. usda.gov.

• Wednesday, December 10, 6:30pm Wreath Making Workshop Want to make your own beautiful holiday wreath, using native plants?

Join Herring Run Nursery for our wreath making workshop. The workshop takes place at Blue Water Baltimore’s Watershed Center (3545 Belair Road, Baltimore, MD 21213) and will be led by nursery assistant manager Terry Wes-

thead. Everyone will make a wreath to take home. We supply the frames, various native greens and decorations like fall fruits, pine cones, bows and ornaments. We recommend that you bring your own pruners, but we’ll have some if you don’t. $35.00 fee includes your wreath frame, wire, ribbon, and greens.

Space is very limited, so register today. http://www.bluewaterbaltimore.org/ blog/workshop-holiday-wreath-withnative-plants/

near public transit for each meeting pending library staff approvals, the location will be confirmed to you when you RSVP.) The library room allows food and drink and you may bring your dinner and/or snacks to share. The other book club selections for 2015 are: ~ Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer ~ Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell ~ Teaching the Trees by Joan Maloof

SAVE THESE DATES:

Still More Event Listings

Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges • January 31, 2015 at Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD • February 7, 2015 at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA Philadelphia Flower Show Trips 2015 with Washington Gardener Magazine • March 4, 2015 depart from downtown Silver Spring, MD • March 5, 2015 depart from Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD •Thursday, January 8–Friday, January 9, 2015 The 26th Annual Winter Landscape Design Symposium This two-day conference will explore how to interact with the complex, evolving realities of today’s landscapes and those of the future. To work with the land today means dealing with dramatic change. Factors from landscape fragmentation to accidental species introductions have made it difficult to establish resilient plant communities. Yet increased interest in ecology, landscape performance, and natural aesthetics has created significant need to establish these landscapes successfully and consistently. Held at Science Center Auditorium, Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA. More details at www.morrisarboretum.org.

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: Wgardenermag@aol. com and put “Event” in the email subject head. Our next deadline is December 12 for the December 15 issue featuring events taking place from December 16, 2014 -January 15, 2015.

Local Gardening Calendar

Each 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 flower from a local public garden collection.

Go to http://www.cafepress.com/ washgardener to order this new calendar for gifts and to treat yourself!

• Washington Gardener Book Club For our first 2015 selection, we will be reading: Tulipomania by Mike Dash. I am reserving a meeting room at a DC Library for a weekday evening in early February. (We will move the location around to various DC library locations NOVEMBER 2014

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NEIGHBORnwork

Q&A with Cindy Dyer

Graphic Designer, Gardener, and Photographer

by Kathy Jentz

Q: Tell us about yourself and your background. Are you native to this region?

A: Despite the doctor turning me around three times when I was born, I came into the world feet first, setting the example for my life as an artist. When my father tells the story, he finishes with, “It figures. You’re still marching to the beat of your own drum.” I was born in Alabama, but grew up in south Texas (first in San Antonio, then spent junior high through college and a few years after in Donna, TX, in the Rio Grande Valley). I moved to the DC area in 1985.

Q: How did you start in graphic design?

A: My creativity has been fostered by my parents since I was in kindergarten, so naturally I gravitated to a career in the arts. I started drawing in kindergarten, painting in junior high, and photojournalism in high school. When my teacher asked if anyone could photograph a game for the yearbook, I cajoled my dad into letting me borrow his Yashica 35 mm and off I went, instructed by him to not lose it, break it, or put it down.

This was my first experience with a 35 mm camera, and when the contact sheets came in, it was crystal clear he would never get it back. I started Dyer Photography in our paneled den in Donna, TX, while I was still in high 18

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school, shooting portraits and parties, and after graduation, I moved on to weddings and quinceañeras.

Naturally, I decided to major in art when I entered college at what is now University of Texas-Edinburg, but my practical and wise father asked me how I would make a living as an artist; there began the switch from fine art to graphic design. My career started with winning first prize for a jeans pocket design, and progressed to designing retail window displays that paid mostly in clothes and shoes. Before long, however, I was doing portrait and wedding photography again (and earning real money, to my dad’s delight), then fashion illustration, graphic design, layout, copy writing, and creating newspaper and radio ads.

One of my favorite early jobs was working as a designer and photographer for Brian Loflin & Associates, a commercial photography and design studio in Brownsville, TX. One day, I would be assisting on photographing the world’s largest offshore drilling rig, and the next, it would be an allday shoot at an aloe vera processing plant, art directing a fashion shoot for a western clothing catalog, or accompanying Brian in a Cessna while he photographed a shopping mall from 1,000

feet up.

In the spring of 1985, my parents were living in Arlington, VA, while my dad was working at U.S. Customs in Washington, DC. I wanted to explore working in a larger city, so I made the long trek from Texas to the East Coast to join them. I’ve been here ever since!

I worked as a graphic designer for Giant Food, followed by stints as a designer at several professional associations and a design firm in Washington, DC. In 1989, I struck out on my own as Dyer Design: it was the best decision I ever made. I can march to the beat of my own drum, but I also love to collaborate with clients, colleagues, and other artists, in making all kinds of creative music. I often joke that I have the best boss ever!

Q: What is a typical workday like?

A: I’ve been self-employed since 1989 as a graphic designer and photographer, so thankfully, no two days are alike in my business. I have more than 25 years of experience in the graphic design and photography fields, working primarily with associations, publishing firms, and small businesses. My projects include annual reports, brochures, magazines, and newsletters, book covers and interior, posters, logo design, and convention collateral. I also provide photographic services to my clients in the form of convention and meeting shots, corporate and staff portraits, and assignment photography.

In the past few years, I’ve been doing a lot more with my photographic skills and that makes me deliriously happy!

One day, I’m wearing a designer hat, the next, I’m wearing a photographer’s hat- — I have the best of both worlds at the moment.

My photography business has picked up a bit in the last few years. In 2011, I was interviewed about my garden photography by Nikon for their Learn & Explore series on their web site. Since my exhibit at Green Spring Gardens in 2012, I’ve had three series of botanical images licensed by the USPS. After the Fern stamp series made its debut, I was interviewed by Mary Jasch, publisher of the online magazine Dig-It, in February and the stamps were featured in Barry Tanenbaum’s Talking Pictures column this past July in Shutterbug magazine.

NEIGHBORnwork Nikon recently licensed an image of puffins that I photographed during my trip this past June to Iceland. I got to see the image used at the recent PhotoPlus Expo in New York City, which was quite a treat.

Today, I provide design and photography services to a variety of clients and my specialty is publication design. One of my clients its the Hearing Loss Association of America. For the past eight years, I have designed and produced Hearing Loss magazine, their bimonthly magazine. I love photographing people and the majority of the covers were done by me. Barbara Kelley, who is the deputy executive director of HLAA, is also the editor-in-chief of the magazine, and she has given me such creative freedom with the publication. Because of her faith in my work, in 2008, she nominated me for Oticon’s Focus on People award. I was flown to Denver to receive the award for the Adult Category for my design and photography work on the magazine. Oticon is a leading hearing aid manufacturer.

Barbara and I work so well together that we teamed up to publish four issues of Celebrate Home magazine, our quarterly lifestyle magazine, in 2012-2013. We were testing the waters and adding to our portfolio with this prototype and it was such an enjoyable experience. You can download all four issues free in PDF at http://www. celebratehomemagazine.com. I learned quite a bit about photographing interiors and food, two photo subjects I wasn’t familiar with until this project.

Q: How did the stamp series work for the USPS come about?

A: My dear friend and fellow photographer, Jeff Evans, prodded me into submitting a portfolio to Dorothy Norpel, the volunteer exhibit coordinator at

offices across the country!

I am so grateful for the support of designer Phil Jordan, as well as the staff at Green Spring Gardens for their support of my work, particularly Mary Olien and Janet Hammes.

Green Spring Gardens is my favorite place for photography and a constant source of inspiration and respite.

Green Spring Gardens. I did so and was given a solo two-month show in MarchApril 2012 at the Horticulture Center.

It was a very successful show and the exposure opened more doors than I could imagine. I’m very grateful for Jeff’s support.

Ann Jordan, an avid gardener and wife of freelance stamp designer, Phil Jordan, saw my exhibit and told her husband about it. He saw the exhibit, then referred PhotoAssist (the agency that handles stamp acquisitions for the USPS) to me. That got the ball rolling on the Fern stamp series, which he was assigned.

While we were working on that series, Phil put together a proposal on spec to present a series of my Waterlily images, which were also accepted. The Fern stamps made their debut first in January 2014 as 49-cent stamps and then were reissued as Forever stamps in March. This series was made available in large commercial quantities online only, but you can buy smaller quantities. The Waterlily series was just announced by the USPS on November 6 of this year. They will make their debut sometime in 2015 and will be Forever stamps in booklets available at post

Q: How did you choose the specific varieties of Ferns and Waterlily that ended up on the stamps?

A: I presented about a dozen images and shot some more on spec for Phil to work with when he was preparing his comps for presentation. The stamp committee chose the ones they wanted.

In regards to the Waterlily images, I provided Phil with dozens of images and he chose four that complemented each other. He pitched the series to the committee and they loved them. They recently did a sneak preview of the stamps on the USPS Facebook page.

Q: How surreal is it to mail letters with your own stamps on them?

A: It is pretty special to be part of history with having my images on a series of stamps. Having more than one series is unbelievable and I feel very fortunate to have my work recognized by the USPS. My friends, both locally and on Facebook, are so excited that, when they receive mail from organizations that are utilizing the commercially issued Fern stamps, they snap a photo and post it on Facebook to share with me, which has been very entertaining. I appreciate their support more than they can know.

Q: What mistakes and triumphs have you encountered in your garden?

A: I began gardening almost a decade ago and discovered that I do indeed have a green thumb. At first, I photographed the process just to record

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NEIGHBORnwork progress, but eventually I became enamored with creating plant portraits of everything I grew. It didn’t take long before I began selecting plants specifically because they were photogenic.

I also planned my plantings to make the most of complementary colors and contrasts of light and dark, simply to be able to create better shots of the garden overall.

The first year I planted tomatoes, I harvest more than 500 Roma tomatoes off of five plants. I couldn’t keep up with consumption, so I began sharing my bounty with my neighbors! I haven’t had that successful of a tomato crop since then. I also have a potager garden in the backyard and I love growing herbs such as basil, chives, oregano, dill, and rosemary. For several years, I hosted an annual “Pesto Fest” in my backyard garden for friends and neighbors. It was a semi-potluck, Italian-themed party with basil as the star of the show.

I have learned quite a bit about growing Concord grapes, too. It takes about five years before you’ll start seeing a harvest and, in the last eight years, I’ve only had one really great harvest.

Grapes often suffer from a fungal disease called black rot and that’s what halted my harvest year after year. A few years ago, I bought Joey Green’s book, Gardening Magic, and learned about a natural remedy to this problem---mix one teaspoon of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and five drops of Wesson Corn Oil in one-quarter gallon of water. Using a trigger-spray bottle, I spray the mixture directly on the vines when the tiny fruits start to appear. You have to apply it once a week for about two months. If it rains, you have to apply it again. It takes a lot of attention, but after first trying that, I finally got a decent grape harvest. I learned how to make grape juice that summer! Although I try to be diligent each summer with this process, getting busier with my career sometimes gets in the way of the process.

One year, I bought three Butterfly Bush plants in gallon containers simply because they were only $4 each. When the plant labels tells you that the plants can get 10 feet high by 8 feet wide, don’t dismiss it and try to fit all three in a townhouse garden. You will regret that planting mistake and end up having to 20

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mostly shade. My Hellebore plants stay in bloom all but one month out of the year — which seems crazy, but it’s true!

They are pricier than other perennials, but their beauty and bloom period are well worth the cost. Another favorite to grow and photograph is Love-in-a-Mist, an annual plant that does really well in our area.

find new homes for those “trees.”

One of favorite moments was when I had a large wall of Morning Glories in full bloom one summer day a few years ago in my front yard garden. I gave up the tally after I counted 300 blooms. I loved looking out the window and seeing neighbors drive by and stopping to look at this floral spectacle!

Q: What advice would you give to beginners/amateurs fruit gardeners in the greater DC area?

A: The only fruit that I’ve grown in my townhouse garden is Concord grapes.

As far as other plants that do well in our Zone 7 area, I defer to local gardens for reference. I grow many of the same plants that the horticulturists cultivate at Green Spring Gardens. To keep garden maintenance time-manageable, more than 75% of my garden is filled with perennial plants and shrubs. My only annuals are my herbs, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and container flowers. However, I never met a plant I didn’t like, and I’ve been known to squeeze in more plants than my myriad gardening books recommend!

Q: What plants are your favorite?

A: My favorite perennial flowers are Siberian Iris, Bearded Iris, all types of Lilies, Globe Thistle, Coneflowers, Spiderwort, Shasta Daisies, and Hellebores-— all are favorite subjects to photograph. You can’t go wrong with planting Hellebores, especially if you have a large section of your yard with

Q: Conversely, what plants would you advise others to avoid growing?

A: I love Lupines but I’ve found that it’s just too hot in our area to grow them. I don’t use any chemicals in my garden, so anything that requires chemicals to thrive is out. I do have one Climbing Rose, but it is chemical-free and does quite well in my yard. For a few years, I’ve grown Monarda (Bee Balm), but it is so prone to mildew in my garden that I finally gave up this year. I’m always looking for unusual plants to fill in the gaps when plants such as Monarda don’t make the cut. I also plant many flowers that draw in butterflies, bees, and other insects — another favorite subject to photograph.

Q: Anything else you think would be of interest to our magazine readers?

A: Many gardeners love to chronicle their gardens in photographs for blogs and scrapbooks. Last year, I published a lengthy article in Celebrate Home magazine about photographing your garden. Readers can download that publication free from my photography web site, www.cindydyerphotography. com. Go to “Freebies” and sign up to receive my free quarterly creativity newsletter and to download the free garden photography guide in PDF. I also have an extensive botanical gallery at www.cindydyer.zenfolio.com. For the latest news and photography and design tips, visit my blog at www.cindydyer. wordpress.com. I am currently working on an online store where I plan to sell my botanical greeting cards, prints, and jewelry. I also offer one-on-one or group garden photography instruction and am available for lectures and talks with garden clubs on that subject. o Kathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington Gardener. She can be reached at wgardenermag@aol.com.

GOINGnative

American Umbrella Leaf

by Barry Glick

Diphylleia cymosa is one of the most striking plants I’ve ever grown. Native to five southeastern states, it seems to be hardy in all 50. The common name of “American Umbrella Leaf” is quite apropos as her beautifully scalloped leaves can grow up to 24" and provide a dry spot for all the little critters that seek refuge in your garden during a rainstorm, hence the umbrella reference.

A friend refers to Diphylleia cymosa as a “May Apple on steroids” and that’s an interesting comparison as the both plants are members of the same family, Berberidaceae. The comparison stops here as Diphylleia cymosa has clusters of white flowers that age into dark berries, while May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum) has a solitary flower hidden under its much smaller, less-scalloped leaves.

Diphylleia cymosa does well in the shade in average garden soil, but give it a little extra moisture and a good mulch to hold the moisture in — then stand back as heights of over 48" are not uncommon.

Deer and other varmints don’t seem

very interested in Diphylleia cymosa, although I’ve had the flowers nipped at once or twice in the last two decades.

You can divide the rhizome every few years to get more plants, or even easier than that, collect the berries in the autumn, wash the pulp off, sow them, and they’ll germinate the following spring.

Your seedlings will mature into floweringsize plants in three to five years.

All in all, the only way to kill them is to plant them in full, direct sun in dusty, dry soil, but you wouldn’t want to do that anyway, would you?

A colony of Diphylleia cymosa is a very dramatic sight and will garner interest

from anyone who sees them, whether they are serious plant people or not.

Barry Glick, the self-proclaimed “King of Helleborus,” grew up in Philadelphia in the ’60s, a mecca of horticulture. Barry cut high school classes to hitchhike to Longwood Gardens before he was old enough to drive. In 1972, he realized there was just not enough room for him and his plants in the big-city environment, so he bought 60 acres on a mountaintop in Greenbrier County, WV, where he gave birth to Sunshine Farm & Gardens (www.sunfarm.com), a mail-order plant nursery. Contact him at 304.497.2208 or barry@sunfarm.com.

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Scanning electron micrograph of a two-spotted spider mite feeding on a rose leaf. Photo

by Eric Erbe. Digital colorization by Chris Pooley. Source: USDA-ARS.

INSECTindex

Spider Mites

by Carol Allen Spider mites are the worst! I see them at the auto mechanic’s on their potted palm. I see them on the dentist’s plants while I wait my turn. They infest our house plants in the winter and our landscape plants in the summer. They are ubiquitous.

There are around 1,200 species of what are known as “web-spinning mites.” The most familiar is the twospotted spider mite. That one is usually the culprit on our house plants, but there are many, many more species that infest other plants and crops.

Regardless of the species, their modus operandi are pretty much the same.

Spider mites are not insects, but are a related cousin. As arachnids, they are more closely related to spiders and ticks — having eight legs as an adult, not six like an insect.

They are usually smaller than a millimeter. Spider mites are sucking bugs and remove the contents of the plant cells through their dual-stylet mouth parts. Most plants are inhabited by a small number of spider mites at any given time and can tolerate them well.

When population numbers get high, usually coupled with drought stress, leaves turn yellow and drop and the plant is in danger. If there is webbing connecting leaves and stems or the leaves have a white, stippled appearance, the plant has a spider mite infestation.

House plants should be checked on a regular basis so populations are not allowed to get high. Some plants seem particularly vulnerable. Hibiscus, decorative ivy, and palms immediately come to mind, but the mites can attack just about every plant you grow. I have kept miniature impatiens in my greenhouse and light room as they are very susceptible. I use them as indicator plants. If 22

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the spider mite population is increasing, the impatiens will have them first.

Other than keeping an indicator plant, the best way to check is to hold a white piece of paper under a branch or a few leaves of the plant. Tap that plant part sharply. Spider mites will become dislodged and fall on to the paper.

Wipe the paper surface with your hand and you will easily see the red-brown smears. A few mites on the paper indicate you should be alert. If the next week shows even more, then treat!

While you have the mites on the white paper and they are easy to see, take a good look at them with a magnifying glass. Adult mites will have eight legs and two red “eye-spots” near the head end. The female will have additional dark areas on her sides and be slightly larger than the males. The immature mites resemble the parents, but may only have six legs. Eggs are tiny, clear to white-ish drops. You may also see the white, discarded skins if population numbers are high. If temperatures and conditions are right, a new generation can be completed in about a week.

Spider mites are best controlled through prevention. Mite populations can be seriously reduced by washing the plant with a strong stream of water. In the winter, I use my hand-held shower device. I wash all surfaces of the plant while supporting the leaves and stems with my hand(s) so the leaves are not removed by the force of the water. Tepid water is my preference as I will get wet during this procedure!

Small plants are washed by my kitchen sink sprayer and, when the weather is warm, I drag my big plants outside to do a little mini-power-washing.

Regular washing is usually sufficient, but if you cannot wash on a regular basis, an application of an oil-based

spray will take care of any mites you may have missed. I usually use either horticultural oil or a Neem oil spray.* Commercial greenhouse operations will often use an appropriate miticide, but that is rarely necessary in the home situation. Insecticides that you may use to control other pests may not be as effective on reducing spider mite populations, so read the label first! Also, avoid the use of systemic pesticides as some of them create conditions that encourage spider mite reproduction.

Because of their ability to reproduce rapidly, spider mites can become resistant to commonly used pesticides. The power washing/oil spray method is one that does not breed resistance.

The other means of control that is very effective is the use of predatory mites or insects. In greenhouses, sun rooms, conservatories, and light rooms, a release of predatory mites can be part of an effective spider mite control.

Predatory mites are about the same size as plant-feeding mites, but have longer legs and run fast. Their bodies are more teardrop-shaped than spider mites. I usually go through a cycle of wash/oil spray right after the holidays. I release predatory mites around January 15. Often that combination of controls will hold the mites at bay until March, when I start the wash/spray cycle again.

In our landscapes, similar spider mite control methods can be used. Gently power-washing plants that are next to hot, dry, and reflective surfaces can help to control spider mite outbreaks.

In general, a period of hot, dry weather can encourage spider mite populations.

With a little help (increasing diversity of plant material and planting pollen sources), natural enemies such as ladybeetles, minute pirate bugs, bigeyed bugs, and lacewing larvae can be encouraged to take up residence. Such natural enemies will keep spider mite populations under control. Monitor your landscape plants regularly and wash down vulnerable plants, and chemical controls should rarely necessary. o Carol Allen describes herself as a committable plant-a-holic. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the horticulture industry, with a special interest in plant pests and diseases, and is a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the states of Maryland and Virginia.

Carol can be contacted at carolallen@erols. com. *Please use pesticides safely! Read and heed all label directions!

GARDENbasics

Guerilla Gardening in our Community

by Kathy Jentz

Like mythical faeries, the group of young, urban residents crept into an abandoned lot late at night and left flowers in their wakes. They planted in parking lot edges and along median strips. They even filled in some potholes, knowing that their deeds might be ephemeral and not last a full day.

They still gathered and expended their time, energy, and resources in an effort to inspire similar deeds in their community.

I accompanied these “guerilla” gardeners one evening in Washington, DC, a few years ago and found them to be motivated by a number of different factors. Some were interested in gardening and had no space of their own.

Others were living eco-friendly lifestyles and saw the plantings as a political statement against all the concrete and asphalt in our city. Still others just saw the plantings as fun outings to participate in and liked the thrill of a small amount of danger in doing something ostensibly forbidden.

According to Theresa Blaner, founder of D.C. Guerilla Gardeners, “Some plantings are done in secret, some out in the open. Some involve only one person or two, others bring together entire communities. All one needs to be a D.C.

Guerilla Gardener is the desire to turn empty gray spaces into verdant green ones, and a willingness to play in the dirt.”

The practice has been around since our ancient ancestors took a violet (or other wildflower) from the woods and transplanted it next to their huts to enjoy the flower’s beauty daily in their community, but it only gained a name a few decades ago when groups of intrepid residents of New York City and London gathered for night-time gardening installations at bare land around their city. (See: http://www.guerrillagardening.org/ for more on the history of the movement.)

Since then, guerilla gardening has spread worldwide and even spawned an industry of making “seed bombs” — clay balls impregnated with annual flower seeds that can be thrown over the fences into abandoned lots.

Most guerilla gardening installations are ornamental plants, though more and more are planting edibles and herbs. Often they include direct-sowing sunflowers since this tough plant serves multiple purposes. Sunflowers are attractive and need little care; they also provide a food source for wildlife and humans alike. Further, they

self-sow and can return annually on their own once a patch is established.

Finally, sunflowers can help the soil by removing harmful soil toxins — a process called Phytoremediation.

Recently, the Silver Spring Garden Club took on a guerilla gardening service project in several spots in downtown Silver Spring. Using just $200 of club funds to purchase more than 100 Pansies and Violas, the club added color and inspiration by planting containers at the historic train station, the library, Kefa Café, Pennyworth Shop, and other spots in the downtown core that lacked any plant life.

Guerilla gardeners know that their efforts may be stolen or destroyed, but they live for notes of gratitude like this one: “These plantings are lovely! They brighten the entire area and welcome visitors into the station. Thank you to the Silver Spring Garden Club so much!

Cheers, Eileen McGuckian, president, Montgomery Preservation, Inc.” If you are inspired to do some guerilla gardening of your own, here are a few tips to get you started: • Scope out a neglected piece of ground or empty planter boxes. Visit it at different seasons and times of day.

See how the area is used or not.

• Choose a location close to where you live or work and appoint yourself its “guardian” to start watching over it.

• Select plants that are tough and can withstand the living conditions at your chosen planting location. Some suggestions include groundcover sedums, zonal geraniums, black-eyed susans, and juniper.

• Invite like-minded friends to join in and schedule a planting project.

• Make small signs at the location and post on social media to let people know of your project.

• Keep the plants alive and looking good by regular watering and pruning back stray growth.

Once you start looking, you will see neglected land everywhere you look.

Empower yourself to reclaim these precious resources and cultivate them in our community. o Kathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington Gardener. She can be reached at wgardenermag@aol.com.

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

NOVEMBER 2014

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 Mid-Atlantic • Chanticleer Gardens • Beet Growing Basics

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