Washington Gardener Magazine March 2022 by Kathy J

MARCH 2022 VOL. 17 NO. 1

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gardener

the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Meet Bonnetta Adeeb of Ujamaa Seeds How to Stop Your Garden from Getting Waterlogged in Periods of Heavy Rain

Replacing Bradford Pear Trees What are ControlledRelease Fertilizers?

Lilacs at the U.S. National Arboretum Dealing with Holly Leaf Minor The Adorable Tufted Titmouse GreenScapes Symposium Summary DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar

Cool-Season Color with

Snapdragons

RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GARDENER AND COLLECTOR Barry Glick Sunshine Farm and Gardens 696 Glicks Road Renick, WV 24966, USA Email: barry@sunfarm.com

www.sunfarm.com

Green Spring Gardens

www.greenspring.org

A “must visit” for everyone in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. It’s a year-round goldmine 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.

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Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the DC region and ONLINE! Call 240.603.1461 or email KathyJentz@gmail.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

Summer Creek Horticultural Soil Mixes HiDra2-Seed Starter MultiMix2–Raised Bed Mix Organic - Local – Sustainable – Pro Grade Most sustainable horticultural mixes available. Available at Mom’s, Direct & select ACE Hardware www.summercreekfarm.com - Thurmont, Maryland

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FEATURES and COLUMNS

Tufted Titmice may be small, but they’re big where it counts. Their favorite song could be “Thanks for the Memories” because they have great memories. When it comes to storing and retrieving cached food, titmice are aces!

Got a Garden Question?

Got a gardening question you need answered? Send your questions to KathyJentz@gmail.com and use the subject line “Q&A.” Then look for your answered questions in upcoming issues.

Syringa vulgaris, the common lilac, originated in southeastern Europe; other species came from Western Asia. The French imported lilacs and developed many new varieties that made their way to North America.

Bonnetta Adeeb is president and founder of STEAM Onward, a nonprofit organization in Southern Maryland, that is dedicated to bringing minority and under-served youth into STEM careers, agriculture, and innovation.

BIRDwatch 22 Tufted Titmouse BOOKreviews 18-20 Black Flora, Gardening for Everyone, A Rose Named Peace, Elegant and Edible Garden DAYtrip 14 Lilac at the USNA GREENliving 8 GreenScapes Symposium 2022 INSECTindex 21 Holly Leaf Miner LOCALnews 16 Replacing Bradford Pear Trees NEIGHBORnetwork 6 Bonnetta Adeeb, Ujamaa NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Pepper Dragonfly F1 PLANTprofile 12 Snapdragon TIPStricks 10 Controlled-Release Fertilizers; Preventing WaterloggedLandscapes

DEPARTMENTS

ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENDCpodcasts LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue READERreactions RESOURCESsources

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ON THE COVER

Snapdragons in the spring conservatory display at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.

In our April issue: Native Plant Sources The Urban Garden and much more . . .

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EDITORletter

Credits Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-588-6894 kathyjentz@gmail.com www.washingtongardener.com Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Dorvall Bedford Hojung Ryu Interns Subscription: $20.00

In Memoriam This is not the editor’s letter I planned to write, but as this issue was being finalized and proofed, my beloved kitty Versace passed away. His adopted cat brother Santino and I buried him yesterday in the garden under a bench next to my water garden. I thought this would be the perfect spot for him to rest in peace because he loved watching birds through the window and this spot is one where they gather in large numbers to enjoy the pond. I know many of you have picked out special spots in your own gardens to memorialize your treasured pet companions. Perhaps it is marked with a special stone, statue, or plaque. Maybe a certain plant denotes the spot. No matter the place marker, these sacred places help us remember and heal. Sincerely,

WASHINGTON GARDENER

• Washington Gardener is a woman-owned business. We are proud to be members of: · GardenComm (GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators) · Green America Business Network · National Garden Bureau · One Montgomery Green · Ladies in the Landscape · Perennial Plant Association

Volume 17, Number 1 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2022 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published monthly. No material may be reproduced without prior 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.

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener KathyJentz@gmail.com 4

• Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Archives: http://issuu.com/washingtongardener • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: https://groups.google.com/g/ washingtongardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Instagram: www.instagram.com/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ WashingtonGardenerMagazine/ • Washington Gardener YouTube: www.youtube.com/ washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Amazon Store: www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener BookShop: bookshop.org/shop/WDCgardener • Washington Gardener Podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/

MARCH 2022

All uncredited photos in this issue are © Kathy Jentz.

READERcontt

Reader Contest

For our March 2022 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a signed copy of How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round: Ultimate Guide to Vertical, Container, and Hydroponic Gardening by Kim Roman (Creative Homeowner, prize value: $24.99, Amazon link: https://amzn. to/3CSUKpY). No room to garden outside? Bring your garden indoors! This is a complete guide to successful indoor food production with clear, easy-to-understand guidance on how to grow year-round edible plants inside your home. Included are at-aglance grow charts for vegetables, fruits, and herbs, from tomatoes and garlic to peas and peaches. Maximize your space indoors, with wall gardens, vertical gardening, and more, for the best vegetable yields all year long. Author Kim Roman is the owner of Square Foot Gardening 4 U, where she offers small-space vegetable gardening methods and online classes for beginners. To enter to win a pair of passes, send an email by 5:00pm on March 31 to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Garden Indoors” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in this issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about April 1. o

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READERreactions

Thoughts on Past Issues My faves this month (February 2022) are not really articles, but the monthly to-do list (because I am currently overwhelmed with how much I need to do to get my garden growing this year) and the photo contest because some of those shots are so mesmerizing! Thanks again for all you do! ~ Johanna Kearns, Washington, DC I loved the photos in the February 2022 issue—especially the forest in the lens sphere—but my favorite article was the piece on carrots. It was a quick tour of everything one would want to know— always appreciate planting/thinning tips—and some things I didn’t realize I’d want to know. The history was new to me and I will appreciate my carrots seeds and carrots more knowing they were the product of a mid-19th-century French obsession! ~ Lisa Wright, Washington, DC I loved the garden photos. They can be very inspiring. ~ Kathy Pongor, Savage, MD My favorite article on the January 2022 issue was “Marvelous Indoor Mushroom Kits.” Since now on, I will start growing my own mushrooms. How cool. Thanks for showing me how to do it. My family and I will be very thankful to you. ~ Josefina (Jo) Doumbia, Annandale, VA I absolutely loved the mushroomgrowing article in the January 2022 issue. It inspired me to check out the resources listed, and hopefully I’ll be on my way to growing some indoor mushrooms soon! ~ Sonia Zamborsky, Falls Church, VA

Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) is an easy program to participate in and really does not take any extra resources than what you may have in your garden. In normal times, about 35 million people wonder where their next meal will come from. Most of these are children. That’s where PAR steps in. PAR is such a simple program: It urges gardeners to Plant A Row (or a container) dedicated to feeding the hungry, and then take the harvest to someplace or someone that needs it. Once you have donated, send an email to KathyJentz@gmail.com with the total (in pounds and ounces) of what you gave. That is all there is to it. Easy. Effective. Adaptable and Helpful.

I enjoyed the article on growing mushrooms indoors best (in the January 2022 issue). It is something I have done a few times with three types of mushrooms. It is always interesting to get a different perspective and new sources. ~ Dorothy Cichra, Silver Spring, MD Loved the December 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine! I love the to-do lists that you provide so I can make sure that I remember to keep my landscape in tip top shape. Thank you again! ~ Christy Little, Stevensville, MD o MARCH 2022

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NEIGHBORnwork people in need in their community and make a good living. In the middle of the pandemic, STEAM ONWARD began to organize BIPOC growers in the region to support the installation of gardens in the homes of families or at churches. We had college-aged and some high school kids go into communities and set up emergency gardens, but to train them, we needed help. We went to the local farming community and began to solicit support from local BIPOC growers. Then we realized, from their work with our youth programs, that they had needs, too. That’s when we began the development of the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance. We started seed farming to supply culturally important seeds that were hard to come by to minority groups. That led to the opportunity to start a seed company called UJAMAA SEEDS.

Bonnetta Adeeb Environmental Justice Leader By Dorvall Bedford

Bonnetta Adeeb is bringing seeds back to marginalized communities. Originally from California, she relocated to Maryland to be near family and found a house in Prince George’s County where her children could run wild in the fields like she did when she was young. Adeeb is now president of STEAM ONWARD (https://steamonward.org/) and the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA, ujamaafarms.com/), organizations dedicated to aiding minority groups. Her project UJAMAA SEEDS is a fundraising effort by the UCFA to provide diversity in farming and bridge the gap between prospective growers and seed companies. They “are committed to providing increased opportunities and support for growers from historically marginalized communities.” 6

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Adeeb serves with the National Cooperative Gardens Commission and advises committees for state and national elected offices. What drew you into the seed industry and why did you start the UJAMAA SEEDS? My connection to agriculture is that my family’s been farming in the United States since 1710, before it was actually the United States. I was taught by my family that farmers were really smart. They knew botany, biology, animal husbandry, the soil, and chemistry. I grew up in a family that had tremendous respect for agriculture. I also come from a long line of minister—religious leaders—and food was always part of the ministry that I grew up in. They were able to donate and support

Where did the name “Ujamaa” come from? The name is from Kwanzaa and it’s a Swahili word that means “cooperative economics.” The term came from Julius Nyerere’s work to help African communities become economically selfsufficient. It has gained popularity in the United States in the last 50 years because of the celebration of Kwanzaa. As a principle, it can help us rebuild communities that were displaced due to the slave trade and address other atrocities faced by communities of color. What do you grow in your own home garden? My yard is a little bit different from other people’s yards. My own garden

NEIGHBORnwork is actually a perennial garden that’s made up of things that reproduce. I have a lot of herbs, but in addition to that, I grow perennial onions, a lot of alliums, artichoke, melon, and a whole bunch of different kinds of greens. What plants do you recommend for beginner gardeners to grow here? There are a few plants I recommend that people start with that don’t require really good soil or a lot of water. I suggest black-eyed peas and greens, such as collards and turnips. People would probably want to grow corn. I think corn is a little bit difficult because it could be knocked over by the wind, but there’s nothing like eating a sweet ear of corn right off the stalk. How diverse, or not diverse, would you say the seed industry is? Not very diverse. People basically eat broccoli, some lettuce, and maybe zucchini. When you go into a restaurant, you just see a few things. There might be some carrots. There are very few vegetables in regular rotation and there’s not a diverse selection served in restaurants or grown in people’s gardens. Even in the African American community, you’ll only see about 10 or 12 different things. And most African Americans have lost touch with the varieties that used to be available. For instance, on our website (https://ujamaaseeds.com/), you can see our ultracross collards. There are 21 different colors in that collection! Most people are saying, “I didn’t know there were 21 different colors.” Well, your grandmother probably did. People in the past had access to all these beautiful greens. If you look at these greens, they’re almost like flowers. They are such a pretty green. If you walk into a grocery store, you may only see one variety while our ancestors had grown more than 100 varieties in the past. How does UJAMAA SEEDS help promote diversity in farming? We’re teaching biodiversity. With

UJAMAA SEEDS, we’re doing demonstration farms all over the country where people are adapting our ultracross collards and our ultracross okra regionally. What we’re hoping to do is build demand for these diverse plants. Eventually, we want people to be demanding from their grocery stores that they want more than one collard and more than one variety of chard, which comes in rainbow colors. Do you think the UCFA is succeeding in its mission and farming has become more diverse? Yes, we think we’re introducing diversity back into the American diet and we’re offering things that people will want to eat because they’re culturally relevant. We think that will create a healthier community because we believe that a plant-based diet is a healthier diet. We’re not saying that you have to be a vegetarian, but we’re saying that if the majority of the food you eat is plant-based, you will be healthier. I also think our sales are doing very well and people are buying our products. And we’re getting the word out through the attention we get. What are your hopes for the future? My dream is simple: I dream that when you walk down the street and look into people’s yards, you see vegetables. I want to see growing edible plants become reinstituted as what people do. I want to see that everybody has a garden. I’m hoping that people reclaim their heritage around healing and food, and that people seek to develop their own varieties. I believe that just like how negativity is contagious, so can positivity. o Dorvall Bedford is a journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an intern this semester with Washington Gardener. He is a native of Frederick, MD. Photos courtesy of Bonnetta Adeeb. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City Coming Soon! By Kathy Jentz and Teresa Speight Published by Cool Springs Press/Quarto Homes Pre-order it today at: https://amzn.to/3yiLPKU

GardenDC Podcast

The GardenDC podcast is all about gardening in the greater Washington, DC, and Mid-Atlantic area. The program is hosted by Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, and features guest experts in local and national horticulture. The latest episodes include interviews with experts on willows, magnolias, and women in the horticultural field. You can listen online at https:// washingtongardener.blogspot.com/ or on Spotify, Apple, etc. o MARCH 2022

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Greenscapes-Washington-Gardener-Full-Page-Ad-2021-PRESS.pdf

12/9/21

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GREENliving

�� A D VA N C I N G T H E N AT U R A L L A N D S C A P E : S O L U T I O N S F O R C H A L L E N G I N G S I T E S & S I T UAT I O N S �� F R I D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 2 2 | 9 : 3 0 A M – 4 P M E T �� Leveraging plants design outcomes canIt often bepointed challenging. wildlife.environments Several speakersand encouraged or drifts. was also out that By Anne Hilliard,native Hojung Ryu,for specific symposium attendees to get away from invasives having to straight lines runningwith along or Obstacles can range from tough site conditions and overcoming urban gardens and Dorvall Bedford using mulch in their landscapes as well through your garden creates an orderly limited spacemore for creating beneficial ecosystems. These virtual presentations will offer design strategies On February 18, 2022, than as start small with realistic goals when frame and helps you see and apprecithat makefrom it easier and more effective to integrate native plants into a variety of landscapes. Learn 1,000 participants 26 states we do gardening projects. ate the garden. Norris recommends you met via Zoom attend 19th annoveltouses ofthe plants, planting design, application ecological principles to overcome Anotherand topic of discussionofwas start by planting the matrixthese layer—green nual GreenScapes Symposium. Virtual roadblocks and achieve high-impact, environmentally designs. supporting insects, birds, andsustainable wildlife. mulch, with sedges or grasses. Next,

presentations were given by Kelly D. Burrell noted that the use of keystone add the structural plants to give the garNorris, Janet Davis, Cole Burrell, and species has a disproportionately posiden form, following this with vignettes, S E M I N A R T O P I C S Nigel Dunnett. Here is an overview with tive effect on its environment relative to which are floral resources that flourish the common threads that run through � New Naturalism: Designingitsand Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant abundance. These keystone species throughout theHome season.Garden Finally, add most of their presentations, followed Kelly Norris, author, plantsman support many more insects that in turn, annuals to increase the density of your by a brief summary of each speaker’s support birds and other wildlife. He plantings. He said to “plant abundantly, � Great Natives for Tough Sites: Using Native Plant Communities as a Guide for Better Designs presentation. noted that “gardening for beauty is no abundance fosters resilience.” Several themes common to Hill House Janet were Davis, owner, Farm & Nursery longer enough.” Davis pointed out how two or more of the presentations. The Selected insect populations are important to ourExoticSpotlighting More Than A Prettyand Face: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants Presentations first was � resilience, sustainability, Speaker economy because they perform vital Colston Burrell, lecturer, designer, award winning author and diversity. Norris said he has moved away garden Thephotographer first speaker for the day was Norris, services, including aerating and enrichfrom talking about sustainability to resildiscussing “New Naturalism: Designing � Low-input, High-impact Design ing thefor soil,Sustainable providing food Gardens for other & Urban Landscapes ience, and pointed out that anything can and Planting in a Resilient, Ecologically creatures,and andProfessor pollination.of Dunnett Nigel Dunnett, plantsman, designer Planting Design and Urban Horticulture, be sustained with enough inputs. All of Vibrant Home Garden.” Norris’ presennoted a studyof done in the UK on insect Department of Architecture, University Sheffield the speakers talked about moving away tation focused on translating wild plant populations in ecological plantings from plantings that require a lot of maincommunities into horticulture for urban versus native meadows and woodlands tenance, water, or pesticides to thrive, life. Norris emphasized maximizing the that showed the insect populations especially with more regions experiencregenerative capacity in our gardens. GreenScapes will be offered aswere greatest in ecological plantings. ing drought a asseries climate pro- lectures A theme in more than one talk was should strive for vibrant, resilient ofchange live online R E G I S T R A T I O N“We IN FO R M AT I O N gresses. Davis discussed “conventional landscapes for the future,” he said. using Zoom with audience Q&A planting your garden space ecologically. landscapes”incorporated that rely a lot on turf grass, City gardens, in the picture, A R LY B IR D start FE E: S TA N DA R DbigFE E: are the SpeakersErecommend you by orinto the program. mulch, and structural plantings. Her future of public plantings. site with specific palettes $45/person until Jan 7, 2022 $55/person after Jan 8, 2022 Each session will be recorded ganizing your take is that conventional landscapes Smart and efficient gardening requires in layers. Layering plants means they and athey linkalways to watch are not dynamic; lookthe the an understanding of how plants#128034) interact Register using link ActiveMontgomery.org (Course less water and this attract more symposium will emailed to will require same; and it is better to have be communiwith space and wild plant communities. pollinators It was suggested orand callbirds. 301-962-1470. participants. Registration ties of plantsallthat provide diversity, are Density is both functional and beautiful. to vary bloom times; provide for species includes access to watch not pest-free, and provide habitat for Contrary to popular beliefs, density does diversity; and plant in groups, masses, 8

recordings of each session MARCH 2022 after the event.

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GREENliving not have to be limited to sunny plants. Plants reflect their environment in how they grow. For instance, upright, leafy foliage suggests an adaptation for occupying space above the ground plane. Plants that have basal rosettes evolved to withstand stressful environments. Norris used J.P. Grime’s CSR model (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3547475) to visualize the plant life histories and adaptations in gardens. Plants adapt through competitors, stress tolerators, and ruderals. Norris focuses on plant diversity with adaptation, because plant fertility and resiliency of the garden are determined by the overall diversity rather than colors or shapes. The main techniques for planting ecologically vibrant gardens are about matrix and structure: the balance between the colonizers or fast-growing plants and the emergents—the slow-growing plants. The organization between site-specific plants should be considered. Structural plants, whether they are woody or not, give the garden its form. Therefore, diverse plant combinations should be considered. The wild plant communities gives us inspiration and deepen our aesthetic vocabulary, Norris said. With native plants, legibility* is the key to the garden in a space. He also talked about “infinite gardens,” where the plants keep growing and fostering life, and continue in this cycle over and over. These are plants that don’t need increased fertilization, because if you increase the fertility, you reduce the overall plant diversity. Kelly also tells us to foster the garden’s seed bank as an insurance policy. In conclusion, Norris said to think about the ways you can bring plants together. Use color schemes, think about the space you have, and use notions of geometry to cultivate the gardens beautifully and sustainably. Davis then spoke on “Great Natives for Tough Sites: Using Native Plant Communities as a Guide for Better Design.” As her title suggests, she gave us many native plants to consider for the most challenging spaces. She also commented that many of the most overlooked natives are some of the most resilient plants to use in challenging places. Finally, she recommended three sites to review for ecological groups and com-

munity types: The Nature Conservancy’s ConservationGateway.org; North American Pollinator Protection Campaign at www.pollinator.org; and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Burrell’s presentation was titled “More Than a Pretty Face: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants.” Burrell listed several invasive species of plants that pose a serious threat to native landscapes and suggested native plants with similar qualities as alternatives. “This is a subject that’s near and dear to my heart,” he said. “I’m constantly amazed that many of the plants I’m going to show today as invasive plants are still widely available in nurseries.” Burrell began his talk about invasive plants by first describing the characteristics of an invasive species. We tend to choose invasive plants because they are easy to establish, readily available, and easy to maintain. He mentioned that one of the attractive qualities of an invasive plant is its fruit, since wildlife gardeners want to provide fruit for birds and other animals in a garden. However, the fruit of an invasive plant can cause a lot of trouble because it’s one of the main methods that a plant spreads into the native environment and the confines of a garden. The difference between a native plant and an invasive one is how they interact with the environment, according to Burrell. Native plants are those that have been part of a community long enough to form complex, positive relationships with other organisms. Invasive plants are not native to a region and cause economic, environmental, or even human harm. They may alter the structure of the local ecosystem. Invasive plants may form relationships with other organisms, but those will be negative rather than positive. To convince people to replace their non-native plants, Burrell made a checklist that his native alternatives had to fulfill. For every plant he told people not to grow, he suggested a plant with similar-colored fruit or flowers, a similar-shaped inflorescence, a similar root system, and multiple seasons of interest. He also picked plants that were easy to maintain and, more importantly, are regionally native. Burrell mentioned many invasive

plants and their native alternatives during his lecture. One of the most notable plants he mentioned was Viburnum dilatatum, or linden viburnum, which he said was one of his least favorite invasive species and one of the most difficult to convince people not to grow. “As soon as I mention it’s invasive, people frown and sigh because they think it’s so beautiful,” Burrell said. “Undoubtedly it is, but I find that most of the Asian viburnums tend to be invasive.” As an alternative to Viburnum dilatatum, he suggested growing Neviusia alabamensis, the Alabama snow-wreath. He described it as an “absolutely gorgeous plant” that should be easy to grow. At the end of his presentation, Burrell said that there is always a better plant to choose than an invasive species. However, he also said that gardeners should set realistic goals. They shouldn’t set out to remove every single invasive plant, but to achieve more attainable balance while creating a habitat with the natural world in mind. “A pretty face is not enough,” Burrell said. “It’s all about a whole new relationship with nature.” Finally, Dunnett spoke about “Future Nature-Gardens in the City.” He stated that there is no right or wrong way to plant for ecological systems, but any system should be attractive to be sustainable. It won’t be kept if people don’t like it. For large-scale urban greening to be transformational, it must be diverse, beautiful, and good for people, along with having a high visual impact. Transforming a city from gray to green brings people and nature together, is cost-effective, and has economic benefits. If the greening is done in an ecological way, it has the bonus of needing less maintenance and will be more dynamic and unpredictable. o Anne Hilliard is the Silver Spring Garden Club’s Recording Secretary. Dorvall Bedford and Hojung Ryu are interns this semester with Washington Gardener. *Kevin Lynch defined urban landscape legibility in his work, The Image of the City (1960) as “…the ease with which [a city’s] parts may be recognized and can be organized into a coherent pattern.” MARCH 2022

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TIPStricks

What are ControlledRelease Fertilizers? Many of us who enjoy gardening or grow plants in pots on the balcony use fertilizers that are characterized as “enhanced.” They may have descriptions like “improved nutrient uptake,” “6 months feeding,” and “feed and forget.” We use such fertilizer to provide extra nutrients to the plants we grow. The March 15 Soils Matter blog for the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) reviews what makes these products enhanced fertilizers and how they can be so long-lasting. According to blogger Kirsten Verburg, “Sometimes the fertilizers contain organic sources that are slowly recycled by soil microbes and other life in the soil, releasing nutrients in the process. This too is a slow-release fertilizer.” However, when the fertilizers are sold and referred to as “controlled release,” the fertilizer granules containing the nutrients are usually covered with a coating. The nutrients are released slowly through the coating. The idea is to make the coating so it releases the nutrients just when the plant needs them, or in other words, to ensure that release and plant uptake are synchronized. Many farmers use fertilizers and some of them are interested in the use of controlled-release fertilizers. Just like in our gardens, these products may reduce labor (and fuel) costs associated with fertilizer application. These types of fertilizers need water to start releasing nutrients. Initially the fertilizer inside the coated pellet is dry. The coating allows water to move slowly inside the pellets, which then dissolves the fertilizer. The dissolved fertilizer then moves through the coating and becomes available to the crop. As time goes on, the concentration of fertilizer inside the granules reduces, which causes a gradual slowing down of the rate of release. To read the full blog post, visit https://soilsmatter.wordpress. com/2022/03/15/what-are-controlledrelease-fertilizers/. This blog is based on research by Verburg and her colleagues that was published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal. o 10

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MARCH 2022

How to Stop Your Garden from Getting Waterlogged in Periods of Heavy Rain Our gardens love rain, and during the warmer, drier periods, they flourish under this natural watering system. However, heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds can cause all kinds of problems in our gardens and be potentially harmful to flowerbeds. Hundreds of flood alerts during strong winds and heavy rain take place across the country and the globe—mainly in the rainy spring season. With this in mind, the team at WeThrift shared their top tips for how to take care of your garden during wet weather. 1. Collect rainwater Surface water flooding or waterlogging is when rainwater is unable to drain away from the grass or other areas of the garden it has fallen onto. This leaves no air spaces in the saturated soil, causing plants and grass to literally drown. Collecting rainwater in a barrel or cistern will help prevent any excess water from pouring onto the grass. Use a rainwater diverter to connect your roofline drainage to the water-storing tank. It’s a great way to minimize the impact of heavy rainfall, and the water can be used for plants or even to wash cars. If the water level gets too high, simply pour it down the outside drain. 2. Clear gutters and outside drains Fallen leaves and other types of debris can build up in gutters and outside drains over time. Without cleaning, overflowing water from gutters during heavy rainfall could wash away soil, destroy flowerbeds, and cause waterlogging, as well as damage to decking. Climbing onto the roof or standing below the gutter could be dangerous when you are trying to clean your drainage system during a storm. Wait until the rain has passed. If you don’t have the correct equipment, it’s better to call a professional service to take care of this for you. 3. Aerate your soil When soil is too compact, that prevents water from seeping in. This in turn causes the rainwater to sit on top of the soil, which eventually floods flowerbeds and other areas of the garden. Aerating

your lawn provides the soil with good air circulation and a route for water to flow. This can be done with a lawn rake or a aerator tool to poke a hole directly into the soil. 4. Invest in high-quality mulch Mulch is usually made from organic materials like wood chippings. It is applied to the surface of the soil to suppress weeds, keep the soil cool, prevent frost damage, disperse water, and prevent flooding. Introducing mulch around your garden, or any areas where you have plants or soil, will help to absorb as much rainwater as possible. When it comes to laying mulch, you should make it 2-4 inches deep. The mulch should be heavy enough that it won’t float away if it is overflowing with rainwater. 5. Create a rain garden Identify areas of your garden that get waterlogged easily during a storm and create a rain garden in their place. Instead of letting these areas turn into muddy pits, a rain garden can help catch rainwater runoff in a practical and beautiful way. Your rain garden can incorporate a mix of large and small plants, small trees, flowers, grass, and any other elements that you can think of. The more parts you add to your rain garden, the more water they require to grow, therefore decreasing the amount of water flooding in your garden. 6. Add leaf mould/leaf mulch Leaf mould is formed from decaying or partially composted autumn leaves and is a great soil conditioner. The leaf mould helps the soil absorb and retain more rainwater, which will in turn help prevent flooding of your flower beds and lawn during a storm. You can add leaf mould once a year. 7. Add a French drain A more expensive solution to preventing your garden from flooding is to build a drain; in particular, a French drain. Although this is likely to involve additional costs, installing a French drain would allow water to run away from the problem areas. This method is the perfect choice for those who have gardens that suffer from frequent flooding. Learn more at https://www.wethrift. com/tag/garden. o

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Marching into Bloom Day • Heaths and Heathers Plant Profile • Peak Bloom for DC’s Famous Cherry Blossoms • Cherry Blossom Alternatives • Paperbush Plant Profile See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

March–April Garden To-Do List New Plant Spotlight Bred by Bejo Seeds, Inc. and a 2022 AAS Edible-Vegetable Winner! Pepper Dragonfly F1

Dragonfly pepper plants produce beautiful purple peppers that have thick, sweet walls, unlike the thin papery walls of other purples on the market. Similar to the beloved dragonfly that flits around your garden, this pepper transforms itself from a green pepper into a purple fruit that is as delicious at the green stage of maturity as it is when fully purple and mature. Overall, it’s a much better purple color than comparisons, with above-average, robust pepper flavor. Fruits are held high on the plant, keeping them from the soil. The four-lobed fruits do not fade and if left on the vine, turn a beautiful, bright-red color. o

• Avoid walking on and compacting wet soil in the garden. • Prune grapevines. • Put up trellises and teepees for peas, climbing beans, etc. • Plant peas, potatoes, beets, turnips, radishes, cabbage, mustard greens, onion sets, carrots, and kale. • Set out traps for mice, moles, and voles. • Get a soil test. • Do soil preparation—add lime, compost, etc., as needed. • Mulch beds with a light hand. • Start or update your garden journals. • Clean out any old debris from last season from your growing beds. • Turn your compost pile. • Repot root-bound houseplants and start fertilizing them. • Clean leaves and debris from your water garden. • Do not be alarmed if your pond turns green from algae bloom—this is natural until your water plants fill the surface area. Add a barley ball to combat it for now. • Cut back ornamental grasses. • Water during dry spells. • Cut your daffodils for indoor bouquets, but do not combine daffodils with other flowers in one vase. They give off a toxic substance that may kill off your other blooms prematurely. • Weed by hand to avoid disturbing newly forming roots. • Walk your garden to look for early signs of fungal disease. • Divide perennials and herbs. • Fertilize new growth. • Plant and prune roses. • Transplant small trees and shrubs. • Buy or check on your stored summer bulbs (such as dahlias and caladiums). Pot them and start to water if you want to give them an early start on the season. • If you started seeds last month, thin them and start the hardening-off process. • Start some more seeds—try flowering annuals like impatiens and petunias. • Prune fruit trees as their buds are swelling. Check for dead and diseased wood to prune out. Cut a few branches for indoor forcing, if desired. • Build a raised bed for vegetables. Add lots of manure and compost. • Buy an indoor plant to liven up your office space. Try an orchid or African violet. • Cut back and clear out the last of your perennial beds. • Feed birds and provide nesting materials (try dryer lint), as well as houses, for the start of their family season. • Plant a tree for Arbor Day, which falls on different dates in different states. In our area, it is the first Wednesday in April for Maryland, second Friday in April for Virginia, and last Friday in April for DC. In addition, many local groups and towns have their own celebrations. • Read a good gardening book or magazine. • Cut some branches (Forsythia, Quince, Bittersweet, Redbud, etc.) for forcing into bloom and enjoying indoors. o MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

PLANTprofile

Snapdragon By Kathy Jentz

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are a cool season annual (sometimes a tender perennial) like pansies and violas that bloom in the shoulder seasons (early spring and late fall). They stop blooming through the coldest part of winter, but often hold onto their green foliage for us here in the Mid-Atlantic. They are hardy to USDA Zones 7 to 10. Snapdragons make excellent container plants and their flowers are available in a wide range of colors, from creamy whites, oranges, and yellows to rosy pinks and purples. They also come in a variety of heights, from dwarf to mounding or trailing to quite tall. The common name “snapdragon” originates from the flowers’ reaction to having their “throats” squeezed, which causes the “mouth” of the flower to snap open like a dragon’s mouth. They are native to the Mediterranean region. The fragrant flowers are attractive to pollinators, including hummingbirds, bumble bees, and other large bees. The flowers have a long vase life, making them an excellent cut flower choice as well. Snapdragons are low-care—just plant them in a sunny spot and make sure they do not dry out entirely. Mulching, fertilizing, and regularly snipping off their spent blossoms can help them stay healthy and more floriferous. And, oh yeah, they are deer-resistant! That makes them pretty useful among other cool-season annuals that are practically deer- and rabbit-candy. If you have a bare spot in a bed or container in the cooler gardening months, think about adding snapdragons. o Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of Washington Gardener.

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MARCH 2022

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS Classes, Events, and Plant Shows/Sales • Saturday, March 26, 11:30am Seasonal Containers for Food and Beauty (Online Lecture) Container gardens bring joy, particularly in an urban setting. From edible plantings to unexpected scents, containers can add seasonal lift no matter what size pot is available. During this online lecture, join Teresa Speight, owner, Cottage In The Court; author of Black Flora (coming spring 2022), and co-author, The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty In The City (coming spring 2022,; as she shares hints, tips, and suggestions that can add value to basic containers, all while they are simply beautiful. Free, but pre-registration required. Go to https://www.usbg. gov/OnlinePrograms. • Saturday, March 26, 9am–3pm Native Plants: Forces for Conservation and Community The 35th Annual Lahr Symposium returns with its tradition of presenting subject matter experts on ecological, botanical, and horticultural advancements in a day-long program. Join the U.S. National Arboretum to learn and find inspiration from the invited speakers. This year’s program will be held virtually. It highlights the role of public gardens in native plant awareness and explore research about the impact of woodland wildlife on the dispersal and evolution of oak species. For more details, contact programs.usna@ars. usda.gov. • Sunday, March 27, 9am–2pm Native Plant Sale This sale will take place along Meadow Road between the U.S. National Arboretum’s Visitor Center and National Herb Garden, and will feature several native plant vendors. Be prepared to wear a mask when browsing plants and interacting with vendors. Registration is preferred, but not required. See https:// www.fona.org/. • Tuesday, March 29, 7:30–9pm Speciation in North American Fringed Orchids Talk The Orchidaceae is one of the most

species-rich plant families, representing nearly 10% of flowering plant species. Evolution of specialized pollination syndromes and adaptation to a variety of habitats has been connected to large radiation events in Orchidaceae, but orchids’ symbiotic relationship with specific fungi may also play a role in diversification in the family. This talk is hosted by Maryland Native Plant Society both via Zoom and in person at the Hilton Garden Inn, 7810 Walker Drive, Greenbelt, MD. Register for free at https://www.mdflora.org/. • Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, 10am–4pm AHS River Farm Plant Sale & Garden Market Each year, the American Horticultural Society holds a two-day plant sale and garden product marketplace at its River Farm headquarters in Alexandria, VA. After a two-year hiatus, the event is back. Explore the gardens in spring bloom. Food available for purchase onsite. Visit the River Farm Garden Shop for books and unique gifts. See the list of vendors at https://ahsgardening. org/about-river-farm/events-programs/ spring-garden-market/. • Sunday, April 10, 2–3pm Small Space Gardening Co-authors Kathy Jentz and Terry Speight will discuss their book, The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty In The City, at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, MD. Small space gardening is one of the hottest trends in horticulture in 2022, as people work to maximize every inch of planting space in backyards, patios, balconies, and porches. Learn how you can maximize the small spaces on your property for fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and pollinators! Drawing from their recently published book, Jentz and Speight will include all the ways small spaces can count, including container gardening. This class is free, but requires registration. Register at https://homesteadgardens.com/upcoming-events/. Participants will have the opportunity to purchase the new book and enjoy a signing with the authors.

• Tuesday, April 12, 7–8:30pm Native Gardens for Your Woodland A fun collaboration between Sustainability Matters and Blue Ridge Wildlife Center with some great info about planting natives plus a special appearance by some “animal ambassadors.” It’s free/virtual, but registration is required: https://www.sustainabilitymatters.earth/events/woodland0422.

Looking Ahead • Saturday, April 23, 10am–3pm Spring Celebration and Plant Sale at the Glencarlyn Library Garden Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day with an educational tree walk starting at 1pm, featuring the beautiful native trees in and around the garden. The Small Trees Make Big Canopies program of the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) will give away saplings during the event. There will be children’s activities throughout the day. Other event offerings include native plants from Hill House Nursery, locally grown vegetable and fruit starts, and a variety of plants propagated at the Library Garden, local honey, hand-made pottery, T-shirts, recycled bags, and used books from the Friends of Arlington Libraries. The Library Garden is at 300 South Kensington Street in Arlington, VA, and is a demonstration garden of the MGNV. Proceeds from sales at this free event support the garden yearround. • Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24 Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival Downtown Leesburg, VA.

Event Listing Updates See updated event listings on the Washington Gardener discussion list. Join by emailing WashingtonGardenersubscribe@googlegroups.com.

How to Submit Events To submit an event for this listing, email washingtongardenermagazine@gmail. com with “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is April 5 for the March 2022 issue, for events taking place after April 15. o MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

DAYtrip

Lilacs

at the U.S. National Arboretum By Mark L. DeBard

I visited the lilac collection at the U.S. National Arboretum (USNA) in Washington, DC, last year in late April. I was welcomed and assisted by Kevin Conrad, curator for woody landscape plants; Harlan Svoboda, herbarium curator; Susan Greeley, field manager for research plots; and Margaret Pooler, research leader. USNA has 334 lilacs in their possession, including most of the 10 natural and 15 hybrid species, but most of them are in private research areas. However, scores of lilacs are in their main public viewing area, easily accessible from either the New York Avenue or R Street entrances, seven days a week from 8am to 5pm. Because this is a research collection and not a featured garden collection, there is no public map or signage available to the lilac area nor for any individual lilac. But this won’t prevent you from enjoying the wide variety of early and common lilacs in this area (primarily S. vulgaris). It’s wonderful to enjoy 14

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the expected great lilac fragrance while viewing many of the unusual, unnamed test lilacs in the area. There is a free U.S. National Arboretum mobile app that can help you navigate the vast grounds of the Arboretum via a digital map. A search feature allows you to enter Latin or common names and locate specific plants on the grounds. Lilacs come in seven widely recognized colors: white, violet, blue, lilac, pink, magenta, and purple. Common lilacs can be bred to have double flowers as well. There are four types (or Series) of lilacs that don’t interbreed and bloom one right after the other, prolonging the blooming season for 8–10 weeks. An individual lilac will bloom 10–20 days, depending on the weather. Watch for the important feature of contrasting bud color, since the lilac bloom slowly moves from the base to the tip of the panicle. If you’re lucky, you’ll notice some of the few named cultivars present, such

as the multipetal blue ‘Wedgwood Blue’ or the deeply contrasting dark- and light-pink double ‘Sweetheart’ (pictured on page 15), or the soft-pink gradations of ‘Maiden’s Blush’. If you wander through the public research collection, look for one lilac whose florets have a “whirlybird” appearance—a trait that has become common and favored in the newer Eastern European cultivars, but is rare in North America. It will have a nicely saturated purple color. Perhaps you can find the deep-purple one that has a branch with a rare sport mutation of white buds and purple corolla giving rise to two-tone flowers. Or perhaps you’ll notice the violet one that has highly reflexed floret tips that point backward (most lilac petals are flat or cupped inward). I love the one with fabulous saturated magenta color and densely packed giant florets. Another great hybrid that has a nice contrast of dark-magenta buds with lighter-pink florets, but the

DAYtrip florets have lots of color gradations and are long, thin, and spaced apart so they can be clearly seen, with some white edging. Very interesting. There is always competition to see which lilac has the deepest purple color. USNA has a candidate: Look for the darkest purple you can see with nice cupping of the florets, a contrasting lighter backside, and giant florets and panicles. And did I mention the fragrance? Intoxicating to walk through the collection. As a bonus, the azalea and rhododendron collections will be blooming about the same time. Go see them both. o Mark L. DeBard, MD, is a retired emergency physician whose retirement hobby is indulging his lilac passion. He is a Master Gardener, an officer and member of the Board of Directors of the International Lilac Society, and registrar for the International Register & Checklist of Cultivar Names for the Genus Syringa. DeBard lives in Columbus, OH, where he grows 170 different lilac cultivars in-ground and 50 more in pots.

2022 is the Year of the Lilac!

The National Garden Bureau has declared 2022 the Year of the Lilac. Here are some facts about this enchanting shrub. See even more at https://ngb.org/year-of-the-lilac/. • Lilacs have myriad uses in the garden. In addition, new sizes, a wider range of growing zones, and reblooming

characteristics make them attractive and accessible to gardeners who may not have thought about growing them in the past. • Clusters of small, four-lobed flowers are borne in conical to narrow pyramidal clusters (panicles) up to 8 inches long that stand out from the green heart-shaped leaves. • Carl Linnaeus first described the lilac genus, Syringa, in 1753. The name is derived from the ancient Greek word syrinx, meaning pipe or tube. The stems of the common lilac have a spongy pith that can be removed, leaving hollow tubes that were used to make panpipes. • Rejuvenate an overgrown plant or one that blooms sparsely by cutting onethird of the oldest branches back to 12 to 15 inches from the ground. Do this over a three-year period to refresh the plant without sacrificing blooms. • These plants are at home in so many types of themed gardens, including pollinator, butterfly, cutting, fragrance, cottage, deer-resistant, and single-color (white, purple) gardens. Some are used for firescaping and firewise gardens. o

MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

LOCALnews

Our Bradford Pear Trees:

Beautiful, Invasive, and Dangerous By Patricia Valentine Bradford Pear trees are found everywhere in Columbia, MD. In the spring, we await their gorgeous clusters of creamy-white flowers, and we’re never disappointed. Bradford Pears were planted not just in Maryland, but liberally all over the Eastern U.S. Originally these ornamental trees were thought to be sterile (no fruit), but unfortunately, they did cross-pollinate with other pear trees and have multiplied. When birds feast on the fruit, they spread the seeds of this Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) everywhere, causing ecological and economic damage far into the future. These beautiful trees, originally chosen to enhance the Hawthorn neighborhood where I live, have instead invaded our community. The limb structure of the Bradford Pear is another problem. The branches often grow out broadly and densely as the trees mature, providing wonderful shade during the hot summer days. However, these beautifully arching branches are weak because they all grow from the same area of the tree and are susceptible to splitting, especially during strong winds, heavy ice, and snow. Mature Bradford Pears have

become a hazard, dangerous to people, property, and roadways. Our Tanglewood Homeowners’ Association (HOA) community (18 homes) decided to act on this problem. The HOA reached out to the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBTrust) and Howard County Forest Conservancy District Board for a community grant to replace these invasive trees with native species. The Bradford Pear qualified because it has been designated as invasive by both the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Division of Natural Resources.

needs 20 gallons of water each week, volunteering to water is both a significant commitment and long-term undertaking. Readers are invited to visit our project along the 6300 block of Sunny Spring (road) near Dusty Glass in Columbia, MD. Let’s watch them grow! Questions? You can contact us at Tanglewood.21044@gmail.com. o

The community got to work: In December 2020, we removed four Bradford Pear trees. In March 2021, they were replaced with 13 native trees, planted by 25 volunteers. Underground utilities limited the planting area, so the HOA chose smaller native trees. These include Redbud, Southern (Green) Hawthorn ‘Winter King’, Serviceberry, ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia, American Hornbeam/ Musclewood, and Black Gum (Tupelo). Six residents are sharing the three-year watering responsibility, necessary for the plants to thrive. Since each tree 16

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MARCH 2022

Tricia Valentine came to appreciate trees while growing up in New York, NY, where every tree counted. Summer vacations to woodlands and forests instilled in her a love of trees. While working as an environmental planner, her understanding of the importance of maintaining stream buffers and forests deepened. Her passion for tree planting grew while she served on Maryland Forest Conservancy District Boards in Harford and Howard Counties for more than 20 years. Fortunate to be hired by the Neighborhood Design Center to support the urban tree program in Prince George’s County, MD, she became an arborist and roadside tree expert.

MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

BOOKreviews the florists are all of Black descent, where they come from and how they were introduced into gardening are different. Beautiful pictures of flowers also accompany each profile to show the florists’ work. The chapters aren’t very long, so they are very quick to read. I highly recommend that everyone read this book. It highlights the work of Black florists and promotes alternatives to fulfill your floral needs. And for gardeners, especially those of color, Speight’s book can feel empowering. o Dorvall Bedford is a journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an intern this semester with Washington Gardener. He is a native of Frederick, MD.

Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers + Florists Author: Teresa J. Speight Publisher: BLOOM Imprint List Price: $24.95 Order Link: https://amzn.to/3Jo45sa and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781736848135 Reviewer: Dorvall Bedford The contributions of the Black community are underrepresented in the United States, even in regard to gardening. However, author Teresa J. Speight is providing a way for their voices to be heard. In her book, Black Flora, Speight shines a spotlight on the careers and gardens of many Black florists and flower farmers from across the country. Speight’s book is a collection of profiles. Each chapter provides a brief biography of a Black florist, with occupations varying from wedding decor to agriculture and places of origin ranging from Hawaii to far-flung Eswatini. She describes how they discovered their love of flowers and began their respective careers. Every story is a personal tale of Black success. Speight has clearly put a lot of work into this. What’s interesting about the book is that it shows diversity in an overlooked community. The profiles are full of personality and told in an engaging way, describing what makes all the florists special. Not only does Speight talk about their gardens and business, but she also includes little details like everyone’s favorite flowers that help us understand who they are. Even though 18

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MARCH 2022

Gardening for Everyone: Growing Vegetables, Herbs, and More at Home Author: Julia Watkins Publisher: Mariner Books/Harvest Publications/Harper Collins List Price: $26.99 Order Links: https://amzn.to/36pD74Y and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780358651901 Reviewer: Stacey Evers Like most of you, my bookshelves sag with gardening guides, memoirs, howtos, and histories. I have an especially large section on how to grow food, so when I sat down to read Julia Watkins’ Gardening for Everyone, it was with a combination of anticipation and skepticism. Watkins, the Chicago-based @simply. living.well Instagrammer, could have provided a book that was heavy on color-popping photos and big-print sidebars. While Gardening for Everyone teems with gorgeous photos, it’s also an information-packed volume that I’m eager to add to my personal collection. In less than 300 pages, Watkins comprehensively covers gardening manual standards like siting your garden, preventing disease, and cleaning your tools. What makes her well-organized volume refreshing—and interesting to gardeners of all experience levels—is how she’s updated these standards. Watkins maintains a consistent focus on sustainable practices, like ollas, no-till gardening, lasagna gardening, and upcycling, or the creative re-use of materials. She doesn’t assume that her

reader has a lot of money or a backyard. She provides practical, affordable DIY tips and at every turn, focuses on growing in small spaces and containers, as well as in raised beds and in-ground plots. She even addresses inexpensive indoor gardening and how to make your own potting mix, which can be cheaper than buying premade mixes and allows you to be in control of the ingredients. In a nutshell, this book is as the title advertises. It’s not surprising that Watkins, whose first book was Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural Low-Waste Home, would write a gardening guide focused on techniques so old that they’re new again. She spent much of her childhood working in her grandparents’ vegetable garden and at their always-from-scratch dinner table. She served in the Peace Corps and pursued a career in conservation and international development. These experiences taught her “the old ways and slow, natural living,” she says on her Simply Living Well website (simplylivingwell.com). Gardening for Everyone begins with planning your garden and, chapter by chapter, works through the stages of the growing season to harvesting. Then Watkins turns to joy and fun. In the “Playing” chapter, readers will find 24 creative, kid-friendly, and practical projects. Some, like making seed tape and origami seed envelopes, are useful for gardening. Others, like citronella lemon bowl candles, gardener’s hand scrub, and dandelion flower syrup, will rely at

BOOKreviews least partly on the fruits of your labor. About 50 pages of the book are devoted to an arugula-to-winter-squash alphabet of plant profiles, with each page devoted to the ins and outs of one plant. In a consistently formatted sidebar, Watkins efficiently dispenses information about everything you need to know to plant, grow, and harvest each type. She fills out the profile with tips for cooking, interplanting, and fending off problems. Gardening for Everyone is intended to be a “ready reference,” Watkins says. It’s not a volume you read in the cold of winter, cozy by the fire or radiator, while you wait for the soil to warm. It’s a companion for the growing season, and she envisions it “being smudged with soil and stained with flowers. It’s designed to spend as much time in your garden as you do.” o Stacey Evers is the co-founder and board chair of Hands On Harvests, a Northern Virginia nonprofit that teaches people how to grow food and makes it easy for gardeners to donate those surplus squash and tomatoes.

A Rose Named Peace: How Francis Meilland Created a Flower of Hope for a World at War Author: Barbara Carrol Roberts Publisher: Candlewick Press List Price: $18.99 Order Link: https://amzn.to/3MZTrdz and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781536208436 Reviewer: Beth Py-Lieberman As we watch in real time the diabolical impulses of a certain sadistic Russian leader bringing violence and destruction to the people of Ukraine, this children’s picture book A Rose Named Peace arrives with searing relevance. The illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline depict the pastoral daily life of a 1930s pre-war French family in the same manner as the images we saw on our television screens of the peaceful Ukrainians in those days leading up to the Russian invasion of their country. Gentle slopes, orchards, rolling grasslands, and a blue sky surround a little boy and his cat in his garden, admiring roses of many colors growing in uniform raised beds. In this way, we are introduced to Francis Meilland, who,

at a very young age, had a fascination with watching the unfurling of rosebuds on their stems. Author Barbara Carrol Roberts notes the boy’s delight in the “petals, soft as lambs’ ears between his fingers.” She reimagines how this youngster’s childhood was played out in a garden world perfumed with the scent of roses “light and sweet,” and “floating on the breeze.” Little Francis and his family tend their orchard and garden to sell their produce at the local market. Their farm is also the source of roses that are packaged and shipped to gardeners all across Europe. Here is little Francis feeding a goat, watching his father tend the roses, and helping him by carrying in a wicker basket the assorted tools for the task. In the 1930s, young Francis, now 17, is himself schooled in the family practice of cultivating roses. He becomes entranced by the science of crosspollination and sets out to create his very own new rose. His lab is a charming garden shed with notebooks and flower pots and rosehips and seeds and seedlings. You can almost feel the cool breeze and hear the rustle of the leaves as you turn the book’s pages to watch the young man as he goes through the slow, steady process of growing his generations of rose bushes. Until you turn the page to the dark violence of Germany’s invasion of Poland at the start of World War II. Planes and tanks against a red sky mark the end of Francis’ happy idyll. It was September 1939 and “World War II had exploded across Europe.” But just months earlier, a rose had

appeared in Francis’ garden. “An enormous rose—5 inches across in full bloom—with pedals that shaded from pale ivory at the center through creamy yellow to a fringe of deep pink at their outer edge.” As the country faced off against the rapidly advancing German army, Francis hurriedly packaged up cuttings of his new rose and shipped them to rose growers throughout Europe and to Robert Pyle in the United States. France would be cut off from the rest of the world and the roses on the family farm burned so they could grow food. Years would pass. And as we turn the pages, the dark images of the historic war capture the same vivid devastation, and the sorrow, of the modern war. When the Allied armies sweep into Berlin and the German army surrenders, joy is at last at hand. Letters begin to arrive and Francis learns that the roses he sent out before the invasion are now blooming all over the United States and Europe. His friend Robert Pyle has even filed a U.S. patent in his name for the rose with the “pink-tipped golden flowers.” And then Francis learns that Pyle has named his rose. On April 29, 1945, in a California ceremony, Pyle announces: “We are persuaded that this greatest new rose of our time should be named for the world’s greatest desire: Peace.” Go in peace, my friends; buy this book, it’s gorgeous. It also has a local connection because the author currently resides in Virginia with her family. And also, in the name of peace, may I suggest the following charitable donations to help the people of Ukraine: the Ukrainian Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, GlobalGiving Crisis Relief Fund, VostokSOS, and the Voices of Children. o Beth Py-Lieberman is Smithsonian magazine’s senior museums editor. She gardens at home with visiting deer in Silver Spring, MD, and is the volunteer liaison for the Fenton Street Community Garden.

Note: These book reviews include links to Amazon.com and BookShop. org for ordering them. Washington Gardener Magazine may receive a few cents from each order placed after you click on these links. MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

BOOKreviews

The Elegant & Edible Garden: Design a Dream Kitchen Garden to Fit Your Personality, Desires, and Lifestyle Authors: Linda Vater Publisher: Cool Springs Press List Price: $30.00 Order Link: https://amzn.to/37GopHu and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780760372371 Reviewer: Andrea F. Siegel This book comes from a self-taught gardener who, three decades ago, set out to create gardens that would complement her English Tudor-style home in

Visit DCGardens.com for Photos of the 16 Major Local Public Gardens in the Washington, DC Region shown in each month of the year. And local resources like... 20

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MARCH 2022

Oklahoma City, OK, as well as her lifestyle and personality. The lovely English-style gardens surrounding Linda Vater’s home match its architecture and capture what she sought. Vater has gone beyond her own garden fence to become a garden stylist/writer/brand and more, as she is known in her area and beyond, through television, magazine articles, YouTube, her website, social media, and the like. Vater’s book, The Elegant & Edible Garden: Design a Dream Kitchen Garden to Fit Your Personality, Desires, and Lifestyle, is not a dry, nuts-and-bolts how-to instruction manual, although there’s lots of information and advice in here. It’s more romantic than that. Your garden, she says, is a living work of art and a way to express yourself in its design, shapes, colors, textures, layering, spaces it contains, and so on. In the book, Vater shares more than knowledge she’s gained; she offers encouragement in many ways—as she tells readers, I did it and you can too—and recounts her personal experiences. Many a gardener will relate to those, as Vater shares the realities of gardening. There are successes, yummy flavors, pretty flowers, and nooks for

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relaxing and enjoying good company. And there are plants that won’t grow, do overgrow, grow well in a space where you didn’t really want them, and are too needy now that you’re not as flexible as you used to be. Take delphinium, which, despite her repeated efforts, refused to grow in her yard. She learned that it’s not a good fit for her area, given that it prefers a wetter climate—a problem resolved by planting something similar that is flourishing. Or take the boxwoods framing her potager, which, despite pruning over the years, are too big and affecting the potager’s functionality. She is methodically considering what to do about it. Moving—or removing—thriving plants can be emotionally trying for gardeners. Vater takes readers through what inspired her and how she went about pursuing her garden’s look in a climate far from England’s, and creating the backyard’s centerpiece kitchen garden: the mix of edibles, ornamentals, and evergreens. The author offers a way to reach your garden plan, so you consider what you want ideally; what’s a good fit as you examine everything from climate to community; and what works with your lifestyle, budget, and land, so your individuality comes through in the look you create. Beyond offering views of Vater’s garden, great photos also show other gardens and are instructive in depicting the elements of a garden through Vater’s lens. She shows and tells how things like the placement of colorful vegetables, symmetry of a potager design, and views through an arbor enhance a garden’s visual harmony and ambiance. The book is educational in other ways too, teaching about garden tools, soil, watering, sunlight, and similar necessities. Vater speaks to what we think of as good stewardship, such as growing organically, using native plants, and composting. Perhaps most importantly, Vater reminds us that the joy is in our gardening journeys and in the multifaceted beauty of the gardens we create and share with others. o Andrea Siegel is a master gardener in Maryland.

INSECTindex

Holly Leaf Miner By Carol Allen

I have a deep love for American holly (Ilex opaca). It is tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions and found growing in flood plains, as well as upland areas. In our region, it can be found from the coastal plain to the mountains and all through the piedmont. Associates can include the pines and sweetgum of the coast. Holly has some salt tolerance and can be found in the beech-oak-hickory woods of the piedmont. In the landscape, holly will tolerate some shade and do well in sun. It has high wildlife value in its berries and dense evergreen boughs for shelter.

Pollinators include bees, ants, wasps, and night-flying moths. Deer do not generally eat them. Holly is fairly pestresistant, although it does have one very curious pest: the holly leaf miner. You may never notice the small, house-fly-like adults, but they emerge at the same time as the new holly leaves unfurl in the spring. What you may notice on the new holly leaves are scattered, pin-prick-like damage where the female fly has used her ovipositor to pierce the leaf surface and allow the sap to well up in droplets. The hungry flies slurp up that liquid. That pricking damage is generally misidentified as

holly spine damage having poked the other leaves in a wind storm or similar disturbance. It is with this new leaf emergence that the female lays her eggs on the underside of the leaf. The eggs hatch in about four days. The developing larvae or maggots burrow and feed between the upper and lower leaf surfaces, leaving serpentine trails at first and then blotches. They molt twice during the summer and overwinter as larvae. After pupation, they emerge just in time to start the cycle again with the new holly leaves. Males live two days and females three. They do not have sharp mouthparts so the pin-prickderived welling sap is the only food they get during their short lives. There are several species of holly leaf miner and each is specific to a species of holly. Our native Phytomyza ilicicola and Phytomyza opacae only feed on American holly. If you have English holly (Ilex aquifolium), the leaf-mining damage would be from Phytomyza ilicis, which is native to Europe. Inkberry (Ilex glabra) has its own leaf miner, Phytomyza glabricola, also a native species. Generally, no control is necessary. Often the holly will drop infected leaves before the flies can mature. Beneficial insects also effect natural control. Heavy populations seem to occur only in stressed trees found in the managed landscape. Although this pest is widespread throughout its range, severe damage is not commonly found in nature. 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; is a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the state of Maryland; and is an ISACertified Arborist. She can be contacted at carolallen@erols.com. Shown at top, left: American Holly Leaf Miner (Phytomyza opacae) in Mason Neck, VA. Photo by Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

BIRDwatch

Tufted Titmouse By Cecily Nabors

“Here, here!” The call of a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) demands attention. This small gray-and-white bird with big, dark eyes and loads of personality is the largest American titmouse and the only one in the East. Males and females look alike. Gray crests and dark foreheads make titmice easy to recognize, although they are often heard but not seen. Their two-note song, “Peter, peter, peter,” rings through woodlands, and their buzzy fussing brings other birds to harass an intruder. Titmice are common in our area, and because they don’t migrate, we can enjoy their active, noisy presence yearround. They are in the same family as chickadees, and in winter are often found in mixed flocks with their family members. Winter is a challenge for a 21-gram bird. To reduce heat loss, titmice seek shelter and fluff out their feathers; they will also shiver to raise their metabolism rate. Bird feeders can provide significant support for these small stalwarts. Tufted Titmouse pair bonds may 22

WASHINGTON GARDENER

MARCH 2022

last a year or more. Territorial singing starts in late winter. In early spring, with hormones perking, courtship behavior begins. If two titmice are bouncing around in branches or foraging on the ground in a companionable way, and if one feeds a tidbit to the other, the odds are good they are a pair. What’s a titmouse tidbit? Almost anything! Titmice are omnivores, gleaning and probing crevices along shrub or tree branches, or foraging amid leaf litter on the ground. Much of their diet consists of caterpillars, spiders, and beetles, but they also eat berries, acorns, and seeds. They are great savers of seeds, caching them in cracks, under loose bark, or even in the angles between branches. Fortunately, titmice have amazing memories, as many studies of both titmice and chickadees have shown. Their astute memory and spatial cognition compare well with those of corvids, so these little “bird brains” easily retrieve their stored hoards. Besides offering tidbits, courtship may include chases through the woods or

gliding together on spring breezes. Males fight off other males in agitated combat, and join with other birds to scold dangerous intruders such as hawks. The birds scout nest sites in March, with building occurring in early April. Tufted Titmice nest in cavities, often using woodpecker holes, knotholes, or hollows in large trees, such as beeches, oaks, and maples. They will also use bird houses, fence posts, or broken tree branches—any cavity that will hold a nest. They line the bottom of the cavity with bark strips and dead leaves, adding moss and grass to form a cup. Then they decorate with a strip of snakeskin, and finish with a comfortable pad of fur and hair. The latter materials may be snatched from raccoons, rabbits, and other animals, including pets and people’s heads(!). The female incubates the eggs, sitting tight despite any external commotion. Her mate calls her out to him when he brings her food. Both parents feed the hatchlings, usually with caterpillars and soft insects. The young may stay with the parents for the rest of the year. Luring titmice to your yard involves the usual trio: food, shelter, nest sites. Tufted Titmice come readily to feeders, preferring black-oil sunflower seed. Studies show that they always take the largest seed they can find—more evidence of their cognitive abilities. They may hammer the seed open with their stout beaks and eat it near the feeder or fly off with it to save in their “food bank” for future need. A location with plenty of native plants and shrubs, and trees that produce seeds or nuts, will draw in titmice and many other avian species. It’s a good idea to leave dead trees standing, if possible, because their natural or woodpecker-carved cavities will provide shelter as well as nest sites. Titmice will also use bird boxes, so one that’s up and ready early might be a titmouse magnet. Bright eyes brimming with secret knowledge, jaunty crests flashing with energy—Tufted Titmice bring pizazz to our gardens. o Cecily Nabors is a retired software manager who has been watching and counting birds for much of her life. She publishes the GoodNatured Observations blog at cecilynabors.com.

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MARCH/APRIL 2005 • Landscape DIY vs. Pro • Prevent Gardener’s Back • Ladew Topiary Gardens • Cherry Trees

MAY/JUNE 2007 • Roses: Easy Care Tips • Native Roses & Heirloom Roses • Edible Flowers • How to Plant a Bare-root Rose

MAY/JUNE 2005 • Stunning Plant Combinations • Turning Clay into Rich Soil • Wild Garlic • Strawberries

JULY/AUGUST 2007 • Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass • How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head • William Paca House & Gardens • Hardy Geraniums

JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Water Gardens • Poison Ivy • Disguising a Sloping Yard • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 • Succulents: Hardy to our Region • Drought-Tolerant Natives • Southern Vegetables • Seed Saving Savvy Tips

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Container Gardens • Clematis Vines • Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens • 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 • Gardening with Children • Indoor Bulb-Forcing Basics • National Museum of the American Indian • Versatile Viburnums

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 • Backyard Bird Habitats • Hellebores • Building a Coldframe • Bulb Planting Basics

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006 • Garden Decor Principles • Primroses • Tasty Heirloom Veggies • U.S. Botanic Garden MARCH/APRIL 2006 • Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs • Azaleas • Figs, Berries, & Persimmons • Basic Pruning Principles MAY/JUNE 2006 • Using Native Plants in Your Landscape • Crabgrass • Peppers • Secret Sources for Free Plants JULY/AUGUST 2006 • Hydrangeas • Theme Gardens • Agave • Find Garden Space by Growing Up SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 • Shade Gardening • Hosta Care Guide • Fig-growing Tips and Recipes NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Layer/Lasagna Gardening

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

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

U MAY/JUNE 2008 DO SOL • Growing Great Tomatoes UT! O • Glamorous Gladiolus LD ! SO • Seed-Starting OUT Basics D L •SFlavorful Fruiting Natives O

JULY/AUGUST 2008 • Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses • Edible Grasses to Graze On • Slug and Snail Control • Sage Advice: Sun-Loving Salvias SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 • Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now • Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums) • Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs • 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • Outdoor Lighting Essentials • How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, Vines • 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs • Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer • Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden • Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum • Grow Winter Hazel for Winter Color

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 • Indoor Gardening • Daphne Care Guide • Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes • Houseplant Propagation

MARCH/APRIL 2009 ! OUT Tips D • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden SOL ! T • Spring Edibles Planting Guide OU LDfor a Fresh Start • Testing YourSO Soil ! Selection and Care UTTree • Redbud O LD Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells • SOBest

MARCH/APRIL 2007 • Stormwater Management • Dogwood Selection & Care Guide • Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips • Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens

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

FALL 2009 • Apples • How to Save Tomato Seeds • Persimmons WINTER 2009 • Battling Garden Thugs • How to Start Seeds Indoors • Red Twig Dogwoods • Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region SPRING 2010 • Community Gardens • Building a Raised Bed • Dwarf Iris • Broccoli SUMMER 2010 • Fragrance Gardens • Watering Without Waste • Lavender • Potatoes FALL 2010 • Vines and Climbers • Battling Stink Bugs • Russian Sage • Garlic WINTER 2010 • Paths and Walkways • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi SPRING 2011 • Cutting-Edge Gardens • Final Frost Dates and When to Plant • Bleeding Hearts • Onions SUMMER 2011 • Ornamental Edibles • Urban Foraging • Amsonia/Arkansas Blue Star • Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic FALL 2011 • Herb Gardens • Toad Lilies • Sweet Potatoes • Cool Weather Cover Crops WINTER 2011/EARLY SPRING 2012 • Green Roofs and Walls • Heaths and Heathers • Radishes SPRING 2012 • Pollinator Gardens • Brunnera: Perennial of the Year • Growing Yacon SUMMER 2012 • Tropical Gardens • Captivating Canna • Icebox Watermelons SPRING 2013 • Great Garden Soil • All About Asters • Squash Vine Borer SUMMER/FALL 2013 • Miniature/Faerie Gardens • Beguiling Abelias • Growing Great Carrots WINTER/EARLY SPRING 2014 • Ferns for the Mid-Atlantic • Chanticleer Gardens • Beet Growing Basics

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MARCH 2022

WASHINGTON GARDENER

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Antique prints are affordable — most in the $10-$30 range — and they are the perfect gift idea for that plant lover in your life. And don’t forget to buy a few for yourself! For more information, to make a private appointment, or to get a detailed show schedule, please contact Jentz Prints by email at UllrichJ@aol.com. You can also find Jentz Prints on eBay.com under the seller ID: printyman. 24

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Washington Gardener Magazine March 2022

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