Washington Gardener March 2020 by Kathy J

MARCH 2020 VOL. 15 NO. 1

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Native Powerhouse

Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) Aster Yellows: Why Does My Flower Look Like That? Solutions for Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes 12 Easy-from-Seed Bird Favorites What To Do in the Garden This Month Celebrating the Diverse Ways African Americans Engage in Nature

Gardening CSI: When Should You Call in a Professional?

Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume)

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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.

�� RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS

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GARDENER AND COLLECTOR �� Barry Glick �� Sunshine Farm and Gardens 696 Glicks Road �� Renick, WV 24966, USA �� Email: barry@sunfarm.com

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

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FEATURES and COLUMNS

Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) can spread and form large colonies either by seed and/or underground roots. It prefers to grow in part-shade and moist soils, but can withstand full sun or full shade. It is a good choice for the rain garden because it will tolerate seasonal flooding well.

Win a fun Garden Gnome. See contest details on page 5.

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Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpura) showing phyllody due to aster yellows infection. Normal, non-infected coneflowers can be seen in the background. Photo by Estreya, CC BY-SA (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/3.0)

Japanese Apricot has more than 300 cultivars and includes blossoms in a range of colors from white to pink, rose, and red. This ornamental deciduous, rounded tree is a must to brighten up any winter landscape.

ASKtheexpert 12 Lush Lawn, Oak Slime, Shade Vegetables, Fertilizing Trees BOOKreviews 16-18 Wild about Weeds, Artist’s Garden, Nature’s Best Hope, Tomatoes, Greenhouse Knits GARDENbasics 8-9 Do You Need a Professional? GOINGnative 22 Golden Ragwort GREENliving 6-7 Green Matters 2020 HORThappenings 14 Rooting DC 2020, U.S. Botanic Garden’s 200th Anniversary INSECTindex 19 Aster Yellows NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Dwarf Fig ‘Little Miss Figgy’ PETgardens 15 Toby the Insect Hunter PLANTprofile 21 Japanese Apricot SPECIALfeature 20-21 Taking Nature Black Conference TIPStricks 10 Heirloom Daffodils, Plants Need Nutrients, Seeds for Birds

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ON THE COVER Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume) ‘Matsubara Red’. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Botanic Garden. In our April issue: Garden Tours Preview Tomato Fruit Virus and much more . . .

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Credits

EDITORletter

Happy 15th Anniversary to Us! I hardly know where to begin. From the time I planned out this issue to finishing up the layout today, there has been a tremendous sea-change in our lives. I don’t need to remind anyone of the current virus crisis and what it has done to our collective “normal” lives. Most of my week has been spent crossing garden talks and festivals off my spring calendar (and the listings in this issue—see page 13). I have been able to reschedule a few of my talks, but the loss to my income is substantial at this point. Your editor preparing to giving a pruning There have been some silver linings to talk at the Rooting DC 2020 conference. this time being freed up. For example, I was finally able to launch the GardenDC Podcast (https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/). It had been in the works for almost two years, but it sat on the back burner while I addressed more-pressing matters. I have recorded two episodes already and planned out the next four. For now, the podcast is on a weekly schedule; when we are back to our normal busy schedule, that frequency may change. I hope you will take a listen to a few as you weed your gardens beds or dust around the house. I find garden podcasts to be excellent for keeping me company while doing repetitive tasks. Another back burner project that has moved up to the front is hosting webinars. With everyone stuck indoors, this is a chance for me to finally record and launch the series of online classes I had sketched out awhile ago. Stay tuned for when and where you can access those. This was supposed to be a bonus issue to mark our 15th anniversary, but due to social distancing and the cancellation of several meetings (and event advertisements), it remains at our usual page count and I am happy to be able to maintain that. In addition, I had a few big gatherings in the works to mark the anniversary occasion. One is an Open Garden inviting readers over to see my home garden and community garden plot; the other, a gathering of local horticultural professions at a local public garden. These are not canceled, merely postponed. Meanwhile, gardening is not canceled! The one thing we can do, while we have the energy and health to do so, is grow things. We can get out into our beds and plots. We can plant and affirm that life goes on. Weeding and mulching in the fresh outdoor air is actually a pleasure, more than a chore. Indoors, I have started seeds under grow lights and dividing and propagating my houseplants to share. Don’t forget your local independent garden centers! They are still open for business and many are taking precautions for social distancing, Many are letting shoppers pre-order and pay by phone, then pick up their orders or have plants delivered. Let’s take care of each other during these uncertain times. Happy gardening,

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener KathyJentz@gmail.com P.S. While you are at home and shopping on Amazon.com, note that Washington Gardener has an Amazon Store at www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener. Scroll down and hit “Fave Gardening Tools” for some of my tried-and-true garden helpers. 4

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Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher & Advertising Sales Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-588-6894 kathyjentz@gmail.com www.washingtongardener.com Call today to place your ad with us! Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Emily Coakley Charlotte Parker Dulany Interns Cover price: $4.99 Back issues: $6.00 Subscription: $20.00 • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Archives: http://issuu.com/washingtongardener • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Instagram: www.instagram.com/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Washington GardenerMagazine/ • Washington Gardener Youtube: www.youtube.com/ washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Store: www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener • Washington Gardener Podcast: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/ • Washington Gardener is a womanowned business. We are proud to be members of: · GardenComm (GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators) · Green America Magazine Leaders Network · Green America Business Network Volume 15, Number 1 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2020 Washington Gardener All rights reserved. Published quarterly. 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. All uncredited photos in this issue are © Kathy Jentz.

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Reader Contest

For our March 2020 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a Garden Gnome from Twig & Flower (prize value: $25). The gnome collection includes a variety of whimsical and life-like characters. Twig & Flower’s gnomes are individually hand-painted and packaged with care. They are made from durable poly resin to withstand the elements. Twig & Flower has a store on Amazon.com where you can order gnomes and faeries for your garden at: https://amzn.to/397iQh2. They have offered our followers 10% off when you use the code “10Washington”—this offer will be good until March 21, 2020. To enter to win a Garden Gnome from Twig & Flower, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 31, with “Garden Gnome” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in this issue and why. Include your full name and address. Winners will be announced on April 1. o

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Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/MidAtlantic area? Washington Gardener Magazine goes out in the middle of every month. Contact KathyJentz@gmail.com or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates (starting from $200). The ad deadline is the 5th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: KathyJentz@gmail.com.

Y ou Can Make a Difference. . . by

Sharing Your Harvest

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.

Philadelphia Flower Show Trip Attendees The trip was wonderful as usual. Looking forward to seeing how the “Habitat” theme is developed next year. ~ Judy Shanefelter Thank you so much for organizing this trip. It makes it so easy and fun. My husband says thank you for the secateurs and the plant potting material. I will definitely grow the squash for the bees. ~ Andrea Kline We had a wonderful trip with you as always. I planted the first packet of spinach last week. ~ Nina Faye Thank you so much for a wonderful day in Philadelphia yesterday. You do a great job taking care of us and your organization is so admired. Thanks and I hope you continue to do this for many years to come. ~ Barbara Mitchell

February 2020 Issue My favorite “article” in the last issue was actually not an article at all. What I appreciated most about this edition was the calendar of local events. I’m new to the area and new to gardening, so I’ve been doing quite a bit of online research to find local area resources. The calendar was very helpful in identifying events where I can both learn and interact with people. ~ Wendy Pond I love the “Pets in the Garden” column as I have four cats who garden with me. Actually, sometimes they supervise, but often they just nap. Your fun column features other people’s helpers in the garden, who probably nap in the garden more than they help, and it’s great to see. I especially like Monty, who looks like he has several favorite spots in his garden, and enjoy his namesake’s show. ~ Beth Blum Spiker The seed-starting tips were my favorite thing in the February issue—just in time for getting the season started! ~ Janet D. McCall o MARCH 2020

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GREENliving

Green Matters 2020: Solutions for Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes

goals and objectives. Yet even as Diblik has risen into his role as a steward of garden design, he still loves to be a gardener with hands and knees covered in dirt. After all, he said, “We don’t call it labor anymore, we call it the ‘joy of gardening.’” Charlotte Parker Dulany is a senior multiplatform journalism major graduating from the University of Maryland in May. She is an intern this spring semester with Washington Gardener.

Lawns to Meadows

On February 21, more than 330 people gathered for the annual Green Matters Symposium hosted by Brookside Gardens at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The event sold out months in advance and serves both home gardeners and horticultural professionals. Here are summaries of the four presentations given that day.

Low Maintenance Tips

By Charlotte Parker Dulany “You are not going to learn anything here from me today,” Roy Diblik began his keynote address to the Green Matters 2020 Symposium, “but I will show you how to change in modest ways of self discovery.” The plantsman’s speech, “Creative Design Strategies for Low Maintenance & Ecologically Beneficial Landscapes,” invited listeners to plant in healthier, more-thoughtful ways. In what Diblik calls the “most transformative period of horticulture,” we live in a time in which we can create flourishing environments with a variance of species, he said, “The healthiest place on Earth is the most diverse place on earth.” In this way, both people and plants can create a unique way of living, being, breathing, and loving. He encouraged everyone to not only learn about a plant, but come to know it as a friend; we are the ones responsible for caring for and nurturing these green living systems. Whereas 6

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planting is traditionally planned by flower time, bloom time, and height of plant, Diblik said the new considerations should be growth rate and growth habit. Diblik is a perennial plant grower, designer, speaker, and author with 35 years of knowledge of sustainable plant communities. He’s an expert who has never taken a horticulture class, and he laughed while saying that is the best thing that ever happened to him. He uses a watercolor style of planning to collaborate with plants and contribute to his love of these living connections on Earth. He spoke of plants as if they were his children; we are their caretakers, so we determine their lifestyle from youth to maturation, as well as create healthy and lasting relationships with their co-inhabitants. Diblik encouraged everyone to approach planting with our hearts and our minds, because “planting should be the expression of your style and cheering health.” Cultivation is our signature on the world, one full of adventure that we hand off to future generations with open hands. It’s up to us to fight to keep the Earth healthy, and by understanding plant patterns for combining plants, we can look years into the future to develop plant relationships. We can learn how native and non-native plants will grow into each other based on our individual

By Kathy Jentz The second presenter at the Green Matters Symposium was Catherine Zimmerman. Her topic was “Urban and Suburban Meadows; Transforming Lawns into Environmentally Friendly Habitats.” She is the author and director of The Meadow Project. Zimmerman admits to being a heavy lawn chemical user in the past and traced her educational arc to becoming an advocate for natural meadows over artificial turfgrass expanses. She describes lawns as “green concrete” because little stormwater is absorbed and most of it just runs off. The root system of meadow plants can absorb water better and hold fertilizer in place so it is not washed away into the Chesapeake Bay. She noted that to create a meadow, you need a lot of sunlight. Once you have found your site, you can check your soil type, soil drainage, and topography, and note whether the soil has been altered. Meadow plants can do well in poor soils, but you do need to check that the soil pH is appropriate for your plantings. To convert to a meadow, first prepare the site with minimal disturbance to the soil. Zimmerman advises applying blood meal about 10 days in advance, then smothering the lawn with an organic herbicide or with layers of newspaper with mulch applied on top. After preparation is complete, you can establish a meadow by seed or planting started plugs. The plugs are more expensive, but can give an immediate result, while seeding in a meadow may take a few seasons to establish. Zimmerman cautions that, in urban

GREENliving and suburban settings, you keep the edges of the meadow mowed for a more-appealing look for neighbors. The maintained edge lets folks know that the planting is deliberate and not just a lawn left unmaintained. Upkeep of a meadow may include an annual mowing or burning, if that is permitted in your jurisdiction. Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of the Washington Gardener.

A Regenerative Approach

By Emily Coakley At the Green Matters Symposium, Craig Russell and Paul Mills gave a talk titled “A Regenerative Approach to Sustainable Landscapes.” Russell and Mills have a landscape architecture firm out of Colorado, with ample experience in leading teams on public and private projects. They believe that sustainability is key to landscape architecture, especially since it is a profession rooted in the overall environment. Russell and Mills have been involved with many Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects and explained LEED’s success in creating awareness and helping others to embrace sustainability. LEED focuses on their clients, Russell and Mills explained, because clients essentially play a key role in the success of being sustainable. Within Russell and Mills work, they always consider key questions before starting a new project. They ask themselves first, where they can renew and evolve with their landscapes. Then they ask where they can do the most good. The two designers explained that they look at potential, rather than just focusing on solving problems. Russell’s and Mills’ then went on to give specific examples of the types of sustainability they have achieved through their work. The first example was their work at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. The two knew that Colorado State University would be a challenging environment to work with and that they would most likely have to completely rebuild the ecosystems. To start off the project, Russell and Mills explained they focused on thinking about how people move around the campus. From there, they decided to

create a new bike infrastructure. They did this because they wanted people to be able to interact with the outdoors and connect with nature, rather than relying on cars for travel. The next step in renovating the campus included the concept of injecting the Colorado landscape into the campus. This involved creating a new campus identity, one with a variety of grasses, native plants, and boulders from the foothill region. Building on this, Russell and Mills explained that they furthermore wanted to make the campus feel more immersive and make the public feel more connected to plants. The designers decided instead of closing gardens off to people, they would make them a community asset. By doing this, people have the opportunity to learn and interact with the environment. Russell and Mills also decided to bring institutional composting to the campus, something that attracts students to the university. They said that “composting is one of the coolest things you can do with food leftovers,” and urged everyone to take part in it as well. Lastly, Russell and Mills made the campus more sustainable by reducing the water on campus by about 50%. They decided to group together plants with the same water use, and recognized that the campus could treat its storm-water differently to recycle it. In conclusion, Russell and Mills explained that it’s all about recognizing major opportunities and where they can best maximize potential. They said when tackling a project, one should focus on framework and way of thinking, rather than using a checklist or metrics. Applying this way of thinking allows for a more holistic and significant change. Likewise, think in ways of opportunities rather than problems. Russell and Mills encouraged us to always consider a larger scale, and that we are part of something greater. Emily Coakley is a senior broadcast journalism major, as well as a history minor, at the University of Maryland. She is from Westminster, MD; loves to travel; and has an interest in sports journalism. She is interning this spring with Washington Gardener.

Creating Functional Ecosystems

By Anne Hilliard The final speaker of the day at the Green Matters Symposium was Rebecca McMakin. She discussed “Embracing Ecological Gardening Methods to Create Functional Ecosystems” as it applied to the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The park is 85 acres and will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. It is built on an industrial site of shipping piers and was made from reclaimed wood and materials that were available at the time. Bio swales were also created to clean the water. The park is in the Atlantic flyway and is managed for wildlife habitat as well as aesthetics, since the park attracts many human visitors. To maintain the park, leaves are left to break down and enrich the soil, stumps are hidden, and sticks are cut into small pieces. Certain areas of the park are left alone; workers do not cut back those areas in the winter. When they do cut things back in early spring, they leave stems 18 inches tall for the insect populations that live in those hollow plant stems. The staff does watch for diseases and pests. Diseased plants may be cut back or removed, as necessary. To combat pests, they promote the good insects, but they also tolerate a certain amount of pest population. One example of more-drastic measures taken was the removal of non-native praying mantises, because the park staff was finding piles of butterfly wings left by these predatory insects. During the Green Matters Symposium, we were shown how old industrial projects can be revived successfully reusing materials. These projects were turned into appealing sites that attract both human visitors and beneficial wildlife back to the area. We also learned how we can turn a small portion of a yard into a nature preserve. This should serve as an incentive to consider reducing our lawns and increasing our gardens for both aesthetic value and to host beneficial wildlife. o Anne Hilliard is the recording secretary of the Silver Spring Garden Club.

MARCH 2020

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GARDENbasics

Gardening CSI: Do you need a professional? By Joan M. Kasura

With the advent of warmer weather, all the early signs should point to a banner year in your garden. If not, though, how do you decide if you’re in over your head and should seek the assistance of a professional horticulturist or arborist? Early this past winter, Heather Zindash, a licensed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) consultant, offered a sold-out audience of more than 300 horticulture professionals a wealth of decisional tips from a process she has developed over the last few years of working with a wide range of clients, from green industry professionals to individual homeowners. Borrowing from the popular criminal investigatory process of crime scene investigation (CSI), Zindash, who writes about her passion for gardening as “The Soulful Gardener” (thesoulfulgardener.com), dubbed her seven-step diagnostic process “Gardening CSI.” Although she presented it to the professional audience as a means to determine the best management practices to address a problem encountered during their business activities, her diagnostic process can also be used to help a home gardener determine not only whether they need to elevate a gardening issue to a professional, but also what sort of professional. To begin, Zindash urges gardeners to “observe the crime scene”—that is, the area of concern or struggling in your garden. “You have to take in everything in the surrounding area,” Zindash said. Those observations include understand8

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ing the environmental parameters you have on your property. For instance, how much light does the affected area get? What are the soil conditions—sandy, clay, or something in between? Is the space adequate to meet the plant’s needs or has it overgrown the space available? “When a plant is put in its natural environment,” she explained, “it creates less stress for the plant and allows it to use its natural defenses” against pests, such as insects and disease pathogens. In addition, Zindash noted that the space consideration is especially pertinent when looking at problems with trees that may have been placed too close to impervious surfaces such as asphalt driveways and concrete side-

walks. When putting in landscaping, homeowners “tend to forget a tree’s roots go two to three times beyond their drip line,” Zindash said. “You need to make sure the tree has enough space to grow to maturity.” Such an inspection also usually reveals whether you’re dealing with a biotic problem, problems stemming from living pests such as insects and disease pathogens, an abiotic problem, non-biotic issues arising from weather, or mechanical injury from lightning strikes or construction near a plant’s root zone. Sometimes these first few steps may be enough to solve the inquiry, such as Zindash’s example of discoloration and then defoliation on a Japanese holly. In this particular example (see photo on facing page), the damage to the holly— ”the victim”—had occurred in “a straight line, which usually indicates an abiotic issue,” she explained. Since a quick survey of the neighborhood revealed a nearby construction site, Zindash surmised that “someone had thrown some liquid out before getting in their truck, not realizing the damage it would cause” to the holly. If the initial steps have not yielded gold as in the holly example, then the next four steps in the process will help you pull together additional, morecomprehensive details. Zindash also reminded everyone that when compiling the timeline, it is especially important to consider the weather the plant may have experienced.

GARDENbasics Finally, whether your pest is an insect, weed, or disease pathogen, if your CSI analysis points to the need to bring a professional in, “ask them to be up front with you about what chemical choices they’re using and if there is a softer, more-targeted option,” Zindash said. “Don’t accept the first thing they mention, unless they explain it to your satisfaction.” o Joan M. Kasura, J.D., M.S., is a freelance feature writer. She is also a professor in the Communications Mass Media Department at Towson University A shorter version of this article appeared in Shore Home & Garden magazine.

Gardening CSI: The 7-Step Diagnostic Process 1. Observe the crime scene. Be sure you take in everything in the surrounding area. Don’t forget to check around the corners and consider daily routines. 2. Inspect the victims. Closely examine the plants mostaffected, including checking the underside of leaves. 3. Create a timeline. Don’t forget to include relevant weather events that may have affected the plants involved. “Most people forget about the weather,” Zindash said. “Yet, the weather events a plant has faced even a year ago can directly affect the problems you’re seeing now,” she continued. Indeed, the weather conditions over the last two years offer an excellent example of how weather can have a delayed impact on your garden. For instance, as noted in her weather graphic, January 2019 opened with a polar vortex bringing “very low temperatures and desiccating winds, which was then followed by a 40° weekend,” Zindash related. It becomes nothing less than “plant whiplash,” she explained, “because a lot of plants can’t deal with frequently fluctuating temperatures fast enough to protect themselves.” Add in 2018’s record rainfall, more rain during 2019’s spring months, all followed by a drought during the late

summer and early fall of 2019. Then, think back to the perennials, shrubs, or trees you might have planted back in the fall of 2018 during the brief break from the raindrops. “Anything planted in the fall of 2018 went through all that,” said Zindash. Plants being plants, means you “might not have seen the results of all that cascading weather until late last calendar year, or even early this spring.” In that instance, your best management practices may be to begin by re-evaluating your environment. Perhaps that spot you thought was fairly well-drained turned into a virtual swamp under the onslaught of month after month of rain. In other instances, the appearance of powdery mildew on a previously disease-free plant means you may have to re-consider the disease resistance of that particular plant variety.

4. Complete your interrogation of all involved parties. Ask probing questions. For instance, did your teenaged son weed-whack just a little too close to the affected area/plant/tree? 5. Compile your data. You might have to take samples, both plant and soil, as well as ensure proper identification of the plants involved. 6. Use your resources. Make sure you’re using a vetted source. Rely on <dot edu> sites. 7. Formulate your hypothesis. Once you have all your information, use your hypothesis to decide your next step, including whether you need to bring in a professional to assist with resolving the identified issue. o MARCH 2020

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Make Your Garden a Home for Songbirds

Top Heirloom Daffodils

Typically, daffodils are defined by their blossoms. What gardeners usually refer to as the petals are actually called the perianth. Daffodils normally have six “petals” in a perianth. The outer-most three are known as sepals, while the innermost are called petals. The daffodil family is believed to have originated from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, according to Barbara Melera at HarvestingHistory.com. People first began collecting and growing daffodils in the 16th century. Melera describes a select few heirloom daffodil varieties that are outstanding examples of the Narcissus family and have been treasured by gardeners for a long, long time. • Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’, first introduced in 1953, is one of the most-famous types of white daffodils grown today. These daffodils are large, nearly 4 inches in diameter, and when fully grown, can reach a height of 18–20 inches. The trumpet matures to a pale greenish/yellowish color, while the perianth stays glistening white. • Narcissus ‘Canaliculatus’, on the other hand, first introduced in 1915, is a tiny daffodil that never grows taller than 6 inches. Its perianth is a gleaming white, and the corona is tiny, yellow, and hoop-shaped. The daffodil has to be planted deep in the ground, about 6–8 inches to grow best. • Narcissus ‘Thalia’, introduced in 1916, has “long, stove-pipe coronas” and swept-back perianths, and the flower is normally white, with either a pink or lavender tinge to it. These flowers also give off wonderful fragrances. Typically, they can grow to be about 16–18 inches high and are very late bloomers. • Narcissus ‘Barrett Browning’ is one of the most-striking daffodils available today. As a small-cupped daffodil, its trumpet is never more than a third the length of its perianth, but the intense orange color of Barrett Browning’s trumpet draws and keeps the eye absorbed in the orange. The plants reach a height of 18–20 inches and bloom very early. As few as five bulbs can produce a presence in the garden. Introduced in 1940, this daffodil makes an excellent naturalizer. o 10

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Magnesium deficiency in a canola plant leaf. Notice the vein area remains green, while the rest of the leaf is turning yellow. Photo by Ivan Izgagin.

Plants Need Nutrients, Too

Just like humans, plants need essential nutrients to live a healthy life and maintain a balanced lifestyle, according to the American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America (https://sustainable-secure-food-blog. com). What nutrients should you give your plants to keep them happy? Let’s start off with nitrogen (N). Nitrogen helps in leaf, stem, and root growth and gives the plant chlorophyll, the green color in plants. Nitrogen is also used by plants to create amino acids, the building blocks of protein—an essential part of any plant cell. However, be careful to avoid giving the plant too much nitrogen because that may result in stunted growth with plants looking dark green. Too much nitrogen may also result in vegetative bud formation: more plant leaves or stems compared to flowers or crops, which isn’t good for yield. Potassium (K) helps with water uptake, improves the resistance to pests and diseases. Be careful about giving the plant too much potassium— that may lead to calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen deficiencies. Next comes calcium (Ca), Calcium assists with leaf and root growth, as well as cell division and nutrient uptake. Too much calcium can cause magnesium and boron deficiencies. Magnesium (Mg) activates enzymes and helps a plant with photosynthesis, but high levels of magnesium in plants results in calcium deficiency. Phosphorus (P) helps keep the plant’s flowers, fruits, and seeds healthy and is important in plant metabolism, but too much phosphorus can result in iron and zinc deficiencies. Lastly, sulfur (S) contributes to photosynthesis and the amino acids in plants. Another good thing about sulfur is that it is pretty difficult to create toxic levels of it, so you don’t have to worry about that as much. To keep track of the amount of nutrients in your own garden, keep a periodic soil test nearby. o

Want to attract songbirds like finches, chickadees, and cardinals to your garden and just don’t know how? The Home Garden Seed Association (www. homegardenseedassociation.com) shares the varieties from seed that help support birds throughout all seasons. Sunflowers come in as the top choice for birds, with a variety to choose from. According to the seed association, “Towering ‘Mammoth’ heads produce a prodigious amount of seed. Multibranching varieties such as ‘Valentine’ are less apt to crash in the wind. ‘Peredovik’ black oil sunflower, often sold as a foraging crop, bears thinshelled seeds that are high in energy and easily cracked by birds.” Here are some more easy-from-seed bird favorites: • Anise hyssop (Agastache spp.) • Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus) • Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) • Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) • Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) • Cosmos (Cosmos spp.) • Indian Blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella) • Love Lies Bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) • Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) • Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Jester’) • Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) • Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) It’s important to recognize that different birds have differing dietary needs, but also that these needs may change depending on the season. The association said, “These preferences can determine their migration behaviors. Most species of warblers and vireos primarily eat insects; for them, fall migration is a must. Omnivorous birds such as sparrows eat insects, seeds, and fruits, giving them lots of flexibility. Their fall migration can occur much later in the season. Yet other birds have digestive systems that allow them to switch from a summer insect diet to one composed of available fruits and seeds in fall and winter.” o These tips were compiled by Emily Coakley, a spring intern with Washington Gardener.

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Washington Gardener Blog Posts • A Virtual Environmental Film Festival • Daffodils Delight on Bloom Day • Public Gardens Still Open During Coronavirus • GardenDC Podcast Debut • DIY: Stamped Relief Jewelry See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

March-April Garden To-Do List

New Plant Spotlight

Dwarf Fig Tree ‘Little Miss Figgy’ (Ficus carica) PP27929 Among the new plant introductions from Southern Living® (southernlivingplants. com) in 2020 are several new berry bushes and fruit trees, including this dwarf fig. ‘Little Miss Figgy’ is an excellent ornamental and fruit-bearing landscape plant. With a dwarf compact habit, it is smaller and more cold-hardy than comparable figs, yet bears large and more-prolific fruits spring and fall. It boasts dark-green, deeply lobed leaves and deep-burgundy fruits with a sweet center. This prolific little tree yields darkpurple fruits in late summer. It also tolerates clay soil. It is hardy to 0°F (USDA zones 7a to 10b). It needs little care; just fertilize it early, in early spring. Pruning is not needed, but if desired, do so in winter. For maximum fruit yield, plant it in full sun, but it can tolerate part shade. o

Photos courtesy of Southern Living®

• 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 daffs 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. Arbor Day 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 2020

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KNOWitall

Ask the Expert by Debra Ricigliano

A Thick, Lush Lawn Crowds Out Weeds

We recently moved into a new home community and I want to start working on thickening up my lawn. I recently read that a thick lawn helps to keep the number of lawn weeds down. Is that true? I bought a DIY soil test kit, which shows the pH is 6.5. Based on that number, should I be applying lime now? Yes, it is true that a thick, healthy lawn helps to keep lawn weeds out. Mowing a tall fescue to a height of 3–4 inches in the growing season also helps. Crabgrass seeds need light to grow and the taller grass blades shades them out, reducing germination. Other lawn care practices that encourage a healthy lawn are planting a mixture of tall fescue varieties, overseeding in the fall if needed, letting the grass clippings lay to decompose naturally on your lawn, running over fallen leaves in the fall with your lawnmower instead of raking them up, and fertilizing at least once a year with a slow release fertilizer. Consider planting a lawn alternative like a native groundcover or sedges in shady areas where the grass will not grow well. Based on your DIY soil test, do not apply lime now. However, I suggest that you submit a soil test to a certified soil testing lab. The results would provide baseline information on soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient levels. A liming recommendation would be provided if needed. The HGIC website has information about where to submit your soil samples. Go to: https://extension.umd. edu/hgic/topics/soil-testing. 12

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Active slime flux.

Foam/Slime on Oak Tree

Should I be concerned about my very old, but seemingly healthy oak tree in my backyard? My husband noticed a patch of white, foamy stuff coming out of the trunk. What is it and what is the treatment? What he noticed is most likely something called slime flux. Slime flux is typically caused by common surfaceinhabiting bacteria or yeast fungi that invade bark cracks and wounds, and lives off the nutrients in the tree sap. The sap can flow more abundantly at times, can stop, and then start again. Microorganisms in the sap produce gases that force the sap out of the bark wound. Sometimes, dark streaks where the sap has run develop on the bark. The streaks can turn gray or white when they dry. The running sap sometimes has a fermented odor that can attract insects. There is no treatment to cure a tree with slime flux. For peace of mind, you can contact a Certified Arborist for an onsite evaluation of the tree. Monitor the tree and keep it watered during periods of drought.

No Need to Fertilize Trees I have three dead trees I need to replace this spring. I have always fertilized new trees at planting time in the past. Is this still a good idea? Fertilizing at planting time is no longer recommended. Establishing a deep,

healthy root system is the first priority before encouraging growth. Research shows that adding fertilizer at planting time slows root growth. Proper planting techniques like not planting too deeply and watering for at least two years until the trees are established are important practices to get them off to a healthy start. If the tree is putting out sufficient growth each spring, chances are it does not need to be fertilized at all. Start the practice of mulching your autumn leaves with your lawnmower and placing them around the base of your trees to break down. This is free mulch—as the leaves break down, they provide nutrients for your trees and shrubs. Also, if you fertilize your lawn, tree roots under the grass will use the fertilizer, too.

Vegetables in Shade

My neighbor’s tree is growing over my fence, shading my vegetable garden. Do any vegetables grow in shade? The first thing you might want to do is discuss asking your neighbor to have the tree pruned. If that is not feasible and you now have dense shade, there are not a lot of options. However, many vegetables can grow well in partial shade. Some suggestions for a garden that receives 4–5 hours of sunlight are broccoli raab, kale, cabbage, spinaches, chard, arugula, all Asian greens, radishes, peas (plant in early spring), leaf lettuce, and beets. You may want to try bush beans and cucumber in the sunniest spots. Some vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, actually benefit from a little late afternoon shade when summer sun gets really intense. o Debra Ricigliano is a Certified Professional Horticulturist. She has worked as a horticulture consultant for the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center since 1997. She is a graduate of the Institute of Applied Agriculture at UMCP. To ask a gardening or pest question, go to http://extension.umd.edu/hgic and click on “Get Help.” Digital photos can be attached.

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Events ~ March 16–April 16, 2020 Special Notice Because of coronavirus precautions, most of the upcoming area gardening events through April 15 have been postponed or canceled. To confirm whether events you’re interested in will still be held as scheduled, please go to the websites of the host organizations. While programs and events have been canceled, many local public gardens are still allowing visitors on their grounds. See our listing of current openings and closings at https://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/2020/03/public-gardensstill-open-during.html.

Save These Future Dates • Saturday, April 18, 11am–4pm Montgomery County GreenFest at Brookside Gardens Details at montgomerycountygreenfest. org. • Mid-April date to be determined. Burnside Farms’ Festival of Spring Details at www.burnsidefarms.com. • Saturday, April 25–Sunday, April 26 FONA Garden Fair Details at www.FONA.org. • Saturday, May 2, 10am–4pm Ladew’s Annual Garden Festival Details at www.ladewgardens.com. • Saturday, May 9, 9am–1pm Silver Spring Garden Club GardenMart Details at www.silverspringgardenclub. com.

Event Listing Updates See updated 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, email washingtongardenermagazine@gmail. com with “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is April 5 for the April 2020 issue, for events taking place after April 15. o

Garden Book Club Next Meeting For the next Washington Gardener Magazine Garden Book Club selection, we will be reading Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Doug Tallamy. “Douglas W. Tallamy’s first book, Bringing Nature Home, awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution? Plant more natives. In this new book, Tallamy takes the next step and outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation. Nature’s Best Hope shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. Because this approach relies on the initiatives of private individuals, it is immune from the whims of government policy. Even more important, it’s practical, effective, and easy—you will walk away with specific suggestions you can incorporate into your own yard.” (See also our review on page 16.) You can order it at our Amazon link: https://amzn.to/39ZN1Hk. Our spring 2020 club meeting will be on Thursday, June 11, from 6:30–8pm at The Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma Metro stop. Soupergirl offers soups for sale that are incredibly healthy. They are 100% plant-based, low salt, low fat, and—most importantly—absolutely delicious, so plan to come a bit early to purchase and eat your dinner with the Garden Book Club. Note: If we cannot meet in person by June, we’ll move the meeting to a virtual forum. Stay tuned for updates. RSVP under our event tab on the Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page, so we know how many chairs to reserve for our group. The Washington Gardener’s Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a Metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. o

GardenDC Podcast Debut 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 horticulture. Episode 1: A discussion with garden writer Marianne Willburn about the Philadelphia Flower Show, rose pruning, Edgeworthia, March gardening tasks, and more. The episode is posted at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/ episodes/March-7--2020-ebb59b. Episode 2: A chat with Kit Gage, a Chesapeake Bay landscape professional, about the recent Green Matters Symposium, the novel The Overstory, and Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope. Our Plant Profile in this episode is about the cool-season annual Sweet Alyssum. The episode is posted at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/episodes/March-14--2020-eatace. We are also available on: • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ show/5AsWArNpQo8OlzHoMDMSI8 • RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/ gardendc-G2ql5V • Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/ gardendc • PocketCasts: https://pca. st/9phvd8bk • Overcast: https://overcast.fm/ itunes1502631179/gardendc • Google Podcasts We welcome your questions and comments. You can leave one for us at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode. o MARCH 2020

WASHINGTON GARDENER

HORThaenings By Charlotte Parker Dulany and Emily Coakley

Rooting DC 2020

Rooting DC 2020 was held on Saturday, February 29, at Ron Brown College Prepatory High School in NE Washington, DC. The event was free to attend and run by volunteers. There were more than 1,000 attendees, 60+ information tables, and dozens of talks to attend. Topics ranged from growing mushrooms to cooking with food scraps. Here are a few of the program highlights. Many of Rooting DC’s speakers and attendees champion the healing power of plants and how this has the capability to bring together people and communities, while deepening our relationships with plants. With a talk geared at cultivating such relationships with plants in a climate of disconnection, Holly Poole-Kavana informed listeners of the inherent ability of humans to heal themselves naturally and thus express gratitude to the Earth. A practicing clinical herbalist, grower, and medicine-maker, Poole-Kavana makes herbal remedies from highquality, locally grown, and wild-harvested herbs to target specific health issues, explore the plant world, and deepen our connection to healing plants, according to her website. Instead of a lecture, Poole-Kavana’s talk was more of a conversation with those around her—she asked what plants people had traditions with or connections to, and how they show gratitude to the Earth. Even an experienced plant expert like Poole-Kavana seeks to learn new ways to coexist in a green way, whether it be in the countryside of the epicenter or an urban jungle. At this year’s Rooting DC event, Katherine Collins, representative from Arcadia Center for Sustainable Agriculture, offered a workshop titled “Crop Planting for a Bountiful Harvest.” In this workshop, Collins explained the techniques she uses and what she finds most helpful in producing a successful harvest. Collins started off with seasonality pointers, saying it is important to note your USDA hardiness zone and the first and last frost dates. Collins also men14

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tioned that root crops and leafy greens tend to have a narrower harvest window and normally grow the best in the spring and fall. On the other hand, she said that most fruit crops tend to grow best in summer months and usually have an extended harvest window. She said before starting planting, every grower should ask these basic questions about crop planning. Firstly, what do you want to grow? Think about the crop and the variety. When do you want to harvest it? Keep days to maturity and succession planting in mind. When do you need to seed or plant to achieve your timeline? Consider days to maturity, frost dates, and day length. Ask yourself, what is my overall crop list? Think of whether it is too much all at once and consider weeding. Should you direct-seed or transplant? And lastly, how much do you want, keeping in mind yield/bed feet? Collins said some resources to consider include other growers, the seed catalog/packet, calling customer service at seed companies, and just continuing to experiment, making sure to keep records. Collins also talked about some crop rotation pointers she uses. She said to identify the plant family the crop belongs to and avoid planting that crop in the same location for about three growing seasons. She said that the most pest, and disease-heavy families include solanaceae (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants), cucurbitaceae (squash, watermelon), and brassicaceae (broccoli). Lastly, Collins discussed other concepts to keep in mind when crop planting. She emphasized soil health and the importance of it. Collins said to know if your crop has any special seeding instructions and always remember to look at the seed packets. Be aware of whether the crop is an annual, biennial, or perennial and keep in mind the feasibility for each crop. Special growing practices she mentioned included a row cover for pest control, shade cloth to prolong summer greens, and drip irrigation to reduce disease. To break the pest cycle with a crop break, growers should have a variety of selection, companion planting and cover crops, and planting for beneficials.

U.S, Botanic Garden’s 200th Anniversary

To kick off its 200th anniversary, the United States Botanic Garden opened a new exhibit: “The U.S. Botanic Garden at 200: Deeply Rooted, Branching Outward.” The exhibit is on display until October 15, 2020,* in the Conservatory’s East and West Galleries. The exhibit encompasses the history of the past 200 years of the garden and features historic images. In addition, visitors can learn about how plant exploration has evolved over the years, as well as how the garden operates on a day-to-day basis. Executive director Saharah Moon Chapotin said, “As we celebrate 200 years of history at the U.S. Botanic Garden, I am excited to explore new ways of helping people make meaningful connections to plants.” The Botanic Garden also opened “Discover the World of Orchids,” which can be found in the conservatory until May 3, 2020.* o *Exhibit dates were announced before the coronavirus closings and may change. Charlotte Parker Dulany is a senior multiplatform journalism major graduating from the University of Maryland in May. She is an intern this spring semester with Washington Gardener. Emily Coakley is a senior broadcast journalism major, as well as a history minor, at the University of Maryland. She is from Westminster, MD; loves to travel; and has an interest in sports journalism. She is interning this spring with Washington Gardener. See more photos from events listed here at the Washington Gardener Facebook Page. Click on the “Photos” tab.

GARDENps Beth Blum Spiker shared these photos of her garden cats and said, “I have four who are in/out cats. This is Toby, who loves to spend much of his time in the garden in the summer. Often, he spends the night out while everyone else comes in at dusk. We live in Laurel, MD, and the back garden is for the bees, butterflies, and birds, so there are lots of native plants and everyone has enough to eat. Toby likes to sleep in the garden, as well as keeping his eye out for insects. He has fondness for crickets and dragonflies, although I wish he didn’t!” o This is an occasional column in Washington Gardener Magazine featuring photos of pets in gardens. Submit your photos to KathyJentz@gmail.com and use the subject line “Pets in Gardens.” Tell us a bit about the animal and your garden as well.

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BOOKreviews

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard Author: Douglas W. Tallamy Publisher: Timber Press List Price: $29.95 Order Link: https://amzn.to/38VgzVl Reviewer: Kit Gage I’ve been waiting for this book. Like many of you, I have read all of Tallamy’s other books and seen him speak a few times. I always came away wanting some more clarity on how to proceed, besides plant trees and plant natives. This book does it, with more detail, and yet, pretty straightforward recommendations. I’ll assume you agree our pollinators are in dire straits, and we’re losing birds and trees at terrible rates, so I’ll not use his arguments to convince you. Here is what Tallamy wants you to do—now: 1. Reduce your lawn. Back in 2008, Maryland had 1.1 million acres, and it’s the “crop” we irrigate most. Also it’s a wasteland for pollinators and most birds. 2. Create “Homegrown National Parks” in your backyard to help provide the contiguous native plant sites that support our biome. These include particularly trees but also understory. 3. Share the proof of survival. Those trees that support the most species of caterpillar are critical for birds to feed their babies. Now, lots of studies 16

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support the importance of natives in terms of how successful birds are in reproducing. Carolina Chickadees were studied for three years and their success rate in native landscapes was dramatically better than where there was a preponderance of non-natives. 4. Find your best natives. There are 2,137 native genera in the lower 48. Go to www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder or www.Audubon.org/plantsforbirds, and enter your ZIP to see what will grow where you are, and which of these support the most species. 5. Plant keystone species. Emphasize those natives that support the most species of caterpillars, such as oak (Quercus sp.), which supports 557 species in Maryland and 934 nationally. 6. Attract the best pollinators, not just any pollinator. Don’t look at a plant and be satisfied there are bees and bugs visiting the flowers. Go instead for pollen transferrers—those species that actually will fertilize the plants. Generalist pollinators like European honeybees may not help your plants, and waste their energy and pollen. 7. Support overwintering bees and other insects by leaving leaves where they fall, if you can, and especially under trees and shrubs. Don’t do an autumn cut-back of those shrubs that die back, since many bees overwinter in them. Just cut them back to a foot high or higher late in spring. That’s all excellent. Now to the controversy roiling among horticulturists and gardeners: How bad are nonnatives in gardens, and since don’t we seem to be able to get rid of nonnatives in parks and forests, can we declare defeat and let them have it? Tallamy addresses this a couple ways. Clearly, he says, non-natives don’t support as much of nature. Nonnative berries tend to have more sugar, while natives have more fat to get birds through the winter. Kudzu now hosts a silver-spotted skipper, but its growth destroys plants that host hundreds of species. Not a good ratio. Phragmites hosts 170 spp. in Europe and it’s been here for 500 years and now hosts five species here, so it’s too slow to help. He knows non-natives are wellestablished—both in home gardens and in the wild. But prioritizing making the

focused changes listed here can make a big difference in whether birds and pollinators will survive. Kit Gage is a gardener’s adviser who specializes in natives and stormwater issues (www.kitgage.com), and also an expert troublemaker.

The Artist’s Garden: The Secret Spaces That Inspired Great Art Author: Jackie Bennett Publisher: White Lion Publishing List Price: $40.00 Order Link: https://amzn.to/2Ql3kql Reviewer: Charlotte Parker Dulany In 224 pages, one can travel from Paul Cézanne’s countryside home in Aix-enProvence to Frida Kahlo’s Blue House in Coyoacán, unlocking secrets of artistic life and inspiration. The Artist’s Garden is a book with two sections dedicated to the artist at home and at work, and the artist’s community. Each artist featured was inspired by artists before them and became an inspiration for those to come later—but their grandest source of inspiration was the life that grew beside their feet and outside their windows. Gardens are a passion, a motif, and an essential part of life. Many a time, an artist would assemble their easel in a shady part of their outdoor space to observe life whirling around them, and materialize it onto the canvas with a stroke. Through the writing and graphics of real photographs and works of art, we not only see, but understand, how some beautiful paintings quite literally came to life. We are taken all over

BOOKreviews Europe and through a few spots in the United Kingdom, the New England region, and Mexico. Jackie Bennett, the author, wanted to comprise her book of solo artists and artistic communities inspired by their outdoor environments, where many have painted what they’ve grown. Yet, there are far more parts of the world that produce astonishing art derived from plant life than these two continents—notably, botanical artists from Asia, who have a particular style that has surpassed restrictive classification of artistic genre. Bennett is a writer of gardens, wildlife, and natural history; she is the author of seven books, all geared toward garden depictions in works of art. Charlotte Parker Dulany is a senior multiplatform journalism major graduating from the University of Maryland in May. She is an intern this spring semester with Washington Gardener.

has for creativity and design. The book features collections of patterns specifically picked to illustrate the best qualities of the plant-based fibers. Cornelia Bartlette has a passion for creating things with her hands, loves different types of fibers, and currently lives in New York. The book starts with a section dedicated to accessories, such as shawls, wraps, totes, stoles, and scarves. Detailed instructions for how to make each design are listed, as well as sets of pictures and charts to help guide the reader. The next section in the book is all about how to make garments, such as tees, tunics, tanks, vests, and tops, out of plant-based fibers. At the end of the book, the author provides a list of techniques she finds to be helpful in designing your own garments and accessories. This book is great for anyone who is creative and adventurous. If you are looking to try something new and green, this is the book for you. After reading this book, I (a beginner at knitting) feel as if I would have the confidence to try to knit something myself using plant-based fibers. Emily Coakley is a senior broadcast journalism major, as well as a history minor, at the University of Maryland. She is from Westminster, MD; loves to travel; and has an interest in sports journalism. She is interning this spring with Washington Gardener.

Knits from the Greenhouse: Knitting Patterns for Plant-based Fibers Author: Cornelia Bartlette Publisher: Interweave/Penguin List Price: $26.99 Order Link: https://amzn.to/33n20st Reviewer: Emily Coakley Knits from the Greenhouse is dedicated to creating a wardrobe out of unique plant-based fibers such as cotton, linen, flax, hemp, and more. The author explains why each material is so unique and the potential each material

Wild about Weeds: Garden Design with Rebel Plants Author: Jack Wallington Publisher: Laurence King Publishing List Price: $24.99 Order Link: https://amzn.to/2WheGzC Reviewer: Jim Dronenburg The book makes a case (in small gray print) for including weeds in one’s garden. Of course, at that point, the plant ceases to be a weed, since a weed is an unwanted plant, or a plant where it is not supposed to be. The book counters this with the idea that some plants, although enduringly labeled “weeds,” are actually useful in some situations (depending on the plant in question), and that one has to look past the weed label on a plant and consider its possible uses. Once past the sorting out of terms and reasons to use weeds, there is

a section about “weeds that crossed over into the good side.” Snapdragon, foxglove, and erigeron are examples. So are English bluebells, forget-menots, Primula vulgaris, and mullein. Your reviewer’s eyebrows rose at this, because quite a few of these have always been regarded as choice wild flowers in Britain, hardly weeds. The list of “weeds to include” extends to: purple toadflax, California poppy, evening primrose, castor bean plant, oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), perennial sweet pea, Buddleja davidii, Campanula portenschlagiana, sweet violet, English ivy, Centranthus ruber, and Bellis perennis—all of which your reviewer has sold as desirable perennials for over 30 years in the nursery trade. That brings us to a glaring shortcoming of the book: It tries to cover England and most, if not all, of America. Such an attempt would have to be encyclopedic to be useful. This book is not encyclopedic. The plants listed as deserving garden attention include crow garlic (Allium vineale), ranked a noxious weed here; tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris), banned in Britain; Lythrum salicaria, banned from sale here for years; giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), noxious and dangerous because it has a phototoxic sap; and lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, syn. Ranunculus ficaria). This is not as bad as it sounds on first hearing; the comments above came from the book itself, so the Book Reviews continued from page 18 MARCH 2020

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BOOKreviews author is well aware of the...er…short points. The book also lists ways to control the spread of each weed, if you do choose to introduce it. Growing conditions are also noted, and the list of weeds is divided into ones for shade, for sun, for dry… And, give the devil his due, a lot of “weeds” could be brought into one’s garden. Especially if you like them to begin with. There are interviews with gardening personages about including weeds. They don’t make much of a point. Some of the listed plants are spot on; Kenilworth ivy (Cymbalaria) comes to mind. In its place, it’s quite pretty. Teasel is another. Its usefulness comes in the autumn and winter, because the dried stalks are incredibly sculptural in the winterscape. And the book points out that since weeds generally got their designation by being hardy, robust plants, they are survivors. No argument there. For the most part, the book’s thesis can be boiled down into one sentence; if you see something you like, use it in your garden, and pay no attention to whether it is labeled “a weed.” (Your reviewer uses plenty of them.) The best account of using weeds, though, is in another book altogether: Old Herbaceous by Reginald Arkell, 1951, quoted for corroboration: “Great Mulleins (verbascums) grew like weeds. They seeded everywhere… Most head gardeners declared war on these woolly interlopers, but Mr. Pinnegar always had an eye to the accidental effect… If you left them alone, you got a bit of height and color just where it was wanted. …Mr. Pinnegar took his spud and proceeded to cut out all the verbascums that didn’t fit into his scheme. The others he left, and in the second year their great yellow spikes began to glow like giant candlesticks in a cathedral. .. The verbascums…became the glory of the garden. ‘Who would have believed it, after all this drought?’ said one …gardener. .. ‘Just a lot of mulleins!’ said another… ‘Ah, but they’ve been artful with ‘em. said a third.’” Jim Dronenburg is a retired accountant and now gardens full-time in Knoxville, MD. 18

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You Bet Your Garden Guide to Growing Great Tomatoes, Second Edition: How to Grow Great-Tasting Tomatoes in Any Backyard, Garden, or Container Author: Mike McGrath Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing, List Price: $14.99 Order Link: https://amzn.to/2w1f9eF Reviewer: Andrea F. Siegel It’s no shock that tomatoes are the most-popular homegrown vegetable (fruit?), given that they’re fairly easy to grow and there’s a dizzying abundance of varieties. Just in time for planting comes the latest edition of You Bet Your Garden Guide to Growing Great Tomatoes by Mike McGrath. Nationally syndicated and a wellknown garden voice and writer, McGrath is familiar to radio listeners in the Washington, DC, area, who can hear to his garden advice on public broadcasting stations and WTOP; he’s got other platforms and books, too. This is a slim volume, which is okay and reassuring, especially for novice gardeners, that walks gardeners of any skill level through growing colorful, delicious, enviable tomatoes. And here’s that reminder: If you’ve ever grown a tomato, you know that homegrowns have a taste and aroma superior to store-bought ones. The advice here is not novel, but it is coherently organized, all with McGrath’s trademark humor, lots of tomato photos, and line art that will make you smile. If the down-to-earth chatter were omitted, this would be a shorter book indeed, and some gardeners may prefer getting their information

in a more-serious way. The lighthearted style helps move the book along, even if a few lines seem a bit off. Some book sections have titles that include things like “Making your soil slightly less lousy” instead of the usual and more-intimidating “Amending your soil …,” and “Location, location, location” instead of “Where to plant … ” Obviously, a reader will recognize the upcoming subject matter. In with the entertainment is solid, straightforward advice: Tomatoes are native to the Andes areas in South America, where their leaves rarely get wet. Despite our rain, there are ways to plant and sites to seek out that are not conducive to disease, all of which is spelled out clearly. Plenty of McGrath’s tomato expertise is based on experience in addition to book knowledge. The information leads readers from selecting tomato varieties through all facets of growing—from germinating seeds and buying plants, to planting, feeding and staking/caging through dealing with pests and disease to harvesting and making sauce (recipe included). The book shows popular backyard tomatoes, their characteristics, and how they’re generally used. McGrath advocates for compost and compost tea, plus fermented compost tea (recipes included) for feeding. He eschews chemical pest control and disease management in favor of more-natural controls (recipe here, again), and tells readers, “No garden problem requires a chemical solution … .” A favorite feature of mine is McGrath’s how-to for making wire tomato cages. It’s easy and these are quite sturdy. Brief lists of resources are tucked in the back; they include lesseras well as better-known companies. That’s helpful for all backyard tomato growers. o Andrea F. Siegel is a writer and a master gardener in Maryland.

Note: These book reviews include links to Amazon.com for ordering them. Washington Gardener Magazine may receive a few cents from each order placed after clicking on these book order links.

INSECTindex

Effects of aster yellows phytoplasma infection on the flowers of marigold and tagetes. Photo by Whitney Cranshaw / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0).

Aster Yellows: Why Does My Flower Look Like That? By Carol Allen

There is a lot of scary talk about viruses lately. Fortunately, with plant viruses, you don’t have to avoid movie theaters, practice social distancing, and wash your hands all the time. Thankfully, plants don’t sneeze or cough. But plant viruses do have their scary aspects. They can be moved by our hands, our tools, through water, and certain insects called vectors. Vectors are usually sucking insects. Sometimes the viruses actually spend part of their life cycle inside the insect and other times, an infected insect bites an uninfected plant and voila, transfer of virus or virus-like particle. There is a whole group of virus-like particles called phytoplasma and they can cause problems, too. This ease of movement of a pathogen we cannot see makes virus and phytoplasma diseases difficult to control through exclusion. A particularly frustrating one is aster yellows. The phytoplasma that causes the disease is filamentous in shape and less than 1 micron in diameter. Phytoplasmas are classified as obligate bacterial parasites. They cannot live outside either the host or the insect vector. In the case of aster yellows, there is a lag time between ingestion of the parasite by the vector and when the vector can infect another plant.

Since there is no cure for aster yellows, any plant that shows the symptoms must be destroyed because it becomes a repository for the pathogen. Aster yellows has a broad host range that includes a lot of the plants that butterflies and other pollinators favor. These include many of the plants that we grow in our butterfly/pollinator gardens. A whole lot of them. We create an all-you-can-eat vector buffet and that makes controlling this disease even more difficult. Some of these plants include: asters, coneflowers, zinnia, marigold, chrysanthemum, petunia, snapdragon, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, celery, grasses, and grains, as well as weeds such as dandelion, plantain, and other broad-leafed plants. What does an infected plant look like? Flowers have distorted petals, immature green petals, and distorted center cones, often with mini-flowers sprouting from the center. These types of symptoms are found in daisies, asters, and coneflowers. Similar distortion can be caused by eriophyid mites in coneflowers, but the distorted part of the center cone is more symmetrical. Snapdragons and petunias will exhibit clusters of distorted and immature flowers. Aster yellows is vectored specifically by the aster leafhopper (Macrosteles

quadrillineatus). Leafhoppers have an unusual life cycle in that many overwinter in the southern states and “ride” the strong northerly winds to move into the Mid-West, Mid-Atlantic, and further north with the warm weather. It is a small leafhopper, with the males reaching about 3.3 mm (0.13 in) in length and females about 3.7 mm (0.15 in). The overall color is greenishgray and there are six pairs of minute black spots or streaks on the head that give the insect its alternate common name of six-spotted leafhopper. There can be a locally over-wintering population as well as the late spring influx from the south. Aster leafhoppers have been observed executing mass flights and migrations during the breeding season. The causes of this phenomenon are unknown, but may account for their sudden appearance and subsequent disappearance in our gardens. They can have two to four generations per year in our area. Aster leafhoppers are a problem on the agricultural crops of potatoes and small grains as well. Commercially, they are controlled by pesticide applications. That is not appropriate in our gardens. The combination of erratic appearance and feed-and-leave behavior makes control difficult. In agriculture, the application of reflective mulches has demonstrated reduced feeding damage. There have been trials of both aluminum foil and straw. Realistically, what can a gardener do? Diversify your garden. Reduce the number of susceptible plants. Avoid monocultures. Closely examine any new plants from the susceptible group before adding them to your plantings. Ruthlessly destroy any plants exhibiting symptoms, root and all; do not compost. Put any infected plant material in a trash bag and dispose of it. 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. See more photos at Ohio State University’s web site: https://bygl.osu.edu/node/881. MARCH 2020

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SPECIALfeature

By Teresa Speight On the last Thursday in February, the Audubon Naturalist Society celebrated Black History Month in an impressive way: The Taking Nature Black Conference celebrated the diverse way African Americans engage in nature. Conference chair Caroline Brewer described creating a love story of Inclusion, Diversity, Education, and Accessibility or “IDEA.” Each of us has a personal journey as we experience nature. While the journey may be about collectively protecting nature, what we are “being” as we embrace this journey is key. Brewer called on all of us to understand our why and be prepared to have new experiences. She challenged us to be relentless This conference was a day that shared how African Americans experience a deeper form of authentically loving nature. For those who wanted to embrace the cold and greet the day, there was a sunrise meditation and walk in the woods. The beautiful Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD, set the tone for the day Rabiah Nur, an indigenous healer, led participants. The Audubon Naturalist Society, in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, could not 20

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have chosen a more-serene setting for the start of this powerful day. A diverse offering of continental faire was perfect as the drummer, Nature Boy, and hip hop artist Jabari Exum, provided a uniquely rousing welcome to all attendees. Lisa Alexander, executive director, Audubon Naturalist Society, and Brewer made sure we had all the information we needed about the timeline of the day. As I looked through the program, I knew that each session would only serve as an appetizer, enabling us to reach out to the presenters to find out more. The menu of ideas and speakers was like a Thanksgiving meal where everything has to be tasted—before going back for second servings of your favorites. The first topic of the day was on climate change. How refreshing it was to hear a panel that openly discussed the realities of this topic from their own experiences. This was an honest panel of activists who see firsthand how climate change is affecting nature in not just the African American community, but all communities. Representing Virginia, Maryland, and DC, the resounding voices of the panelists made it clear that we need to be observant,

monitor, and aware, as we notice how climate change is affecting our lives. The presenters were Mustafa Ali, VP for Climate, Community, and Environmental Justice with the National Wildlife Federation; Brandi Colander, chair of the DC Green Bank; Charles Glass, deputy secretary, Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Dawone Robinson, eastern regional director, National Resources Defense Council; and BeKura Shabazz Branch, Internal Policy Committee member, Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative. The moderator was Veronica Johnson, meteorologist, WJLATV (ABC7). The other sessions covered topics like Green Careers: Carving the Path to Environmental Justice and Economic Sustainability; Environmental Champions Awards; Environment Joy: Playing, Progressing, and Pioneering in The Great Outdoors; Greening Black and Brown Communities Now; Youth In Action: Recreation, Education, and Revolution for a More Sustainable Planet; and, Super-Natural: Building Tenure, Wealth, and Equity on Land Owned by African Americans. All of the panelists were encouraging. I could never name all of them without

PLANTprofile telling each of their stories. To name a few, there was Jacqueline Goodall, mayor of Forest Heights, MD, who had no idea of how to get funding for her vision of a Green Town Hall. She rolled up her sleeves, did the research, and has accomplished this goal. Ronnie Webb, president and founder of The Green Scheme, is ever growing his business as he greens up landscapes throughout DC. Symone Johnson, BWET program coordinator, National Aquarium, shared how she makes certain she is available to educators who ask for her assistance in engaging students in the aquarium experience. Her love for the aquarium evolved from her experiences visiting the aquarium as a student. She never imagined that she would be an integral part of encouraging her community. Each panelist had a story about their journey and how they want to encourage others to simply engage in this love story. The Taking Nature Black Conference was attended by a diverse, multi-generational audience of like-minded people. The speakers were all heavyhitting activists, community leaders, and young people as well. These panelists believe in the need to embrace the positive ways the African American community is involved and cares about nature. The misconception that there is minimal engagement with the exception of urban farming was certainly proven wrong and definitely requires further exploration. What I found refreshing was the honesty of the panelists in sharing their experiences in getting the necessary answers in spite of it all. The lunch was divine, the attendees engaging, the presentations informative, and the musical interlude by Word to Our Mother a terrific touch to this unique conference. Ending the day was a little sad, simply because there was so much more to talk about. The Taking Nature Black Conference was merely a chapter in the ongoing love story about the African American experience as we engage in nature. To find out more, visit https:// anshome.org/taking-nature-black/. o

Japanese Apricot By Kathy Jentz

Prunus mume, commonly called Japanese apricot, is often mistaken for its cousin, the Japanese cherry tree. However, the Japanese apricot blooms much earlier—usually from February to March in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Prunus mume flowers have morerounded petals than cherry blossoms that are more fragrant as well. It is native to China, Korea, and Japan. (You will also hear it referred to as the Chinese plum or Japanese plum.) This small tree grows to about 15–20 feet tall. It is winter-hardy to USDA Zones 6–8. It prefers average soils with medium moisture that are well-drained, acidic loams. It will not do well in heavy clay and poorly drained wet soils. Japanese apricot likes a location in full sun to partshade, with its best flowering in full sun. The Japanese apricot is primarily grown for ornamental purposes, especially for its late-winter blooms. The flowers are followed by small, greenish-yellow fruits. The apricots ripen in summer and are technically edible, although very bitter if eaten straight from the tree. The fruits may be harvested for making jams and preserves. In Japanese cuisine, the Prunus mume fruits are made into a mouth-puckering sour and salty pickled fruit treat. This tree requires little care; if you ever do need to prune it, do so immediately after it finishes flowering. o Kathy Jentz is the editor and founder of Washington Gardener.

Teresa Speight blogs at Cottage In The Court (https://www.cottageinthecourt.com) and is a garden experience curator.

MARCH 2020

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GOINGnative grow Packera aurea, but the black buds on their black 12–24" stems pop open into brilliant yellow, daisy-like, 1" diameter flowers that stay open for a long, long time. The foliage provides a wonderful, evergreen groundcover, while the flowers are bright harbingers of all the other woodland blooms to follow. I’ve used those blooms as early, longlasting cut flowers as well. And oh, my goodness, I forgot to mention that this plant has no predators. Yes, not only do the deer, rabbits, et al., not chomp on it, they don’t even step on it. And just because, on its own, it chooses to naturalize in moist areas, don’t think for one minute that it wouldn’t be happy in just about any home garden environment. It looks good in a shady border or around the margins of a pond, in a sunny or shady perennial bed; use your imagination. Packera aurea formerly carried the name Senecio aurea, but, along with several other Senecio species, was found to have different morphological characteristics and chromosome numbers, so it was given its own genus, Packera, in honor of Canadian botanist John G. Packer, of the University of Alberta, who has done extensive work with this group of plants. They are still members of the largest plant family on Earth, Asteraceae (the Aster family). o

A Sea of Gold: Packera aurea By Barry Glick

Scratching my head here, trying to decide what I appreciate more about Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea); the flowers or the foliage? I’ve come to the conclusion—both! Before we get too deeply into this story, let me sort of “put the cart before the horse” and quell any potential naysayers who are getting poised to attack this charming, useful plant. They’re going to say that it’s weedy; I know that they are. But it’s actually not! It will gently self-sow itself lovingly around the gar22

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den if you’d like, but the seeds take quite a while to mature. Unless your garden is acres upon acre and you’re the only person tending it, there’s plenty of time to get out there with your pruner’s and dead-head them. Now, about the merits of this native plant: the evergreen, supple, and brightgreen foliage of Packera aurea has always provided islands of life for me during those brown winter months when everything else is dormant. And this would be enough of a reason in itself to

Barry Glick, a transplanted Philadelphian, has been residing in Greenbrier County, WV, since 1972. His mountaintop garden and nursery is a mecca for gardeners from virtually every country in the world. He writes and lectures extensively about native plants and Hellebores, his two main specialties, and welcomes visitors with advance notice. He can be reached at barry@sunfarm.com, www. sunfarm.com, or 304.497.2208.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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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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