the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region
WASHINGTON g a rdener
An American Potato Story
Does Grass Seed Go Bad?
Meet the Calluna Flower Truck
Great Gardening Books Reviewed
Edmonston, MD
Receives National Recognition from America in Bloom
The Legend of the Marimo Moss Ball
Rainbarrel Basics
New Itoh Peonies
Latest Pollinator
Plant Research
The SharpShinned Hawk
S tunning Stoke’s Aster
Need a Garden Club Speaker?
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.
RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS FOR THE
Barry Glick
Sunshine Farm and Gardens
696 Glicks Road
Renick, WV 24966, USA Email: barry@sunfarm.com www.sunfarm.com
www.greenspring.org
Your Ad Here
Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Magazine goes out on the 15th of every month. Contact KathyJentz@gmail.com or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates (starting from $200). The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: KathyJentz@gmail.com.
Green Spring Gardens
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.
Got a Garden Question?
Luther Burbank’s work on potatoes produced healthy, sustainable vegetables that have
Celebrity Sightings
The more places I go to spread the word about gardening, the more “celebrities” I meet. They are usually my fellow presenters and speakers at conferences. Many are known only in one area or region and have a large local following; others are known exclusively online and are “TikTok-famous,” but a few are internationally famous names. From Doug Tallamy to Prince (now King) Charles to Margaret Roach, it is such a thrill to get to know the biggest names in modern horticulture.
Those who have authored new books are some of my favorite garden celebrities that I have had the pleasure of getting to know. The new authors are usually relatively unknown when I interview them, but many go on to big things. I have invited several of them to join me on the GardenDC Podcast. In those podcast interviews, I get to pick their brains about their projects and research, but I also get to know about them and how they got where they are.
We have lost a few garden celebrities recently and their passings have made me think of how much knowledge and wisdom we lost with them. It makes me especially sad that several of them were folks I had intended to spend more time with and never got the chance. This has made me resolve to treasure those garden gurus who still walk among us and to get to know them better while they are still here.
Sincerely,
Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener, KathyJentz@gmail.com
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
Zachary Intrater Intern
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Volume 19, Number 9 ISSN 1555-8959
© 2024 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.
Your editor (at left) with Prince Snowflake and his two festive caretakers at the 2024 Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade.
Reader Contest
For our November 2024 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a delivery of up to 5 cubic yards of Bloom conditioner and a Bloom T-shirt from Bloom (https://bloomsoil.com/)
Give your trees, grass, plants, and flowers a boost with Bloom,® a soil conditioner rich in organic matter and nutrients made from Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids produced at DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.
To enter to win the gift certificate, send an email by 5:00pm on November 30 to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Bloom Soil” 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 December 1. Replies might be published. o
Your Ad Here
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.
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.
Reader Favorites
The article in the October 2024 issue of Washington Gardener on the Pitcher plant has given me a new challenge, and I loved that fabulous photo.
~ Kathy May, Kensington, MD
My favorite article from the October 2024 issue was “What is Killing the Arborvitae?” in the Ask the Expert column, because I have arborvitae that I planted as a living fence, that died, while others survived.
I also liked the Sunflower Protest article, because it shared a peaceful, beautiful way of protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while showing solidarity for Ukraine.
~ Grace Thomas, Raleigh, NC
My favorite article was the one on Pokeweed! I love it anytime you feature native plants.
~ Susan Loewy
My favorite article was “House Plants Humidity: Myths and Tricks” because I have long wondered about some of the myths and I bring a lot of plants in the house for the winter and can struggle with getting them to be happy.
~ Wendy Bell, Takoma Park, MD
The Sunflower Protest article was by far the most inspirational reading in October’s magazine. Perfect plant, perfect place for peaceful protest of the sunflowers in front of the Russian Embassy. The commitment of the group to replant shows the resilience of the Ukrainians as well as gardeners.
~ Jan Rothman, Kensington, MD
My favorite article in the October 2024 issue was about the Urban Tree Summit.
~ Elizabeth Schlackman, Rockville, MD o
Calluna Flower Truck: Bringing Blooms to You
By Zachary Intrater
Elissa Abod is a nature lover. This desire to connect with nature, as well as embrace her creative side, caused Abod to start the Calluna Flower Truck, where customers build their own bouquets, whether it be for a gift, home decoration, or just to express themselves and be creative. It is a fun and unique experience that can be for everyone—not just flower lovers or gardeners. Outside of the truck, Abod is a fulltime lecturer and Assistant Program Director in UMBC’s graduate program in Industrial-Organizational (IO) Psychology at The Universities at Shady Grove campus in Rockville, MD.
Q: Tell us about yourself. Did you grow up in the Washington, DC, region?
A: While I did not grow up in MD, I have spent the greater part of my life here. I grew up in NJ and went to college at Penn State. I landed my first professional job after graduate school at a consulting firm in Bethesda, MD. I currently live in Rockville, MD, where I raised two boys and two dogs. I love all things
nature, including hiking and star gazing. I am a full-time lecturer in UMBC’s psychology graduate program. Calluna Flower Truck is my side hustle and my passion.
Q: Have you always been interested in flowers? If so, how did that interest begin?
A: As I look back on my life, I have always been drawn to design in some way. My interest in flowers “sprouted” in adulthood, starting with landscape design. Flowers are a way to bring beauty and nature into my life.
Q: What are the origins of the Calluna Flower Truck?
A: After the pandemic, I started to shift my focus toward retirement. I wanted to embrace my creative side and find something that brings me joy and has a positive impact on others. I started searching online for business opportunities and stumbled upon flower trucks. It was perfect. I could get out and social-
ize, bring joy to communities, and feed my aesthetic soul.
Q: What is the inspiration behind the design of the truck?
A: I knew I wanted a vintage farm truck, because it represented a simpler, kinder time. The farm aspect also symbolized organic and spiritual growth to me. Other than that, I cannot take credit for the design. I found the truck in Atlanta, GA, and fell in love with everything about it, so the Tiffany Blue 1951 Chevy pickup truck became my brand.
Q: Do you have any floral mentors or influences?
A: Yes. Since I am not a floral designer by trade, I had to learn from others. There is a huge online floral education community and this is where I spent a lot of time during my first year in business.
Amy Balsters, “The Floral Coach,” gave me the confidence I needed to make a bouquet. It may seem easy,
but it is not. In addition to Balsters, Kelly Perry from Team Flower has an organic garden style that I love. I joined her three-day intensive workshop to practice with other novices. I cannot say enough about my flower-farmer friends who have mentored me: shout out to Jill Coutts (Tanglewood Flower Farm) and Carol Heitmuller (Plant Masters) who are part of the Chesapeake Flower Exchange co-op. I source many of my seasonal flowers from the co-op and other local flower farmers.
Q: Are there any specific types of flowers that have been your best sellers?
A: Oddly, stock is my consistent #1 seller. It has a spicy fragrance, can be used as a filler, and comes in many colors. Hydrangea and sunflowers are also a hit. In season, people love peonies and dahlias, of course.
Q: Is there anything else you want our readers to know about the Calluna Flower Truck?
A: We do all kinds of fun, unique events and activities where people can make their own bouquets: staff appreciation, private and holiday parties, marketing activations, makers’ markets, wineries, breweries, festivals, and more.
I also think it is important to educate people about the mental health benefits of flowers. Recent research out of Rutgers and Texas A&M shows that flowers can boost moods, improve memory, and reduce anxiety. In the workplace, flowers in the office increase creativity and performance. I will continue to bring flowers to settings where people benefit the most, and that’s basically everywhere.
The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City is all about small-space gardening solutions! By
Kathy Jentz and Teresa Speight
Published by Cool Springs Press/Quarto Homes Order it today at: https://amzn.to/3yiLPKU
Q: Who have been your best customers—men, women, older people, younger people, etc.?
A: I would say women aged 20-40, but it’s really for everyone. Men love the truck, kids enjoy picking out flowers, and women love it all. My favorite customer is the dad who comes up to the truck with their kiddos to make a bouquet for their mom.
Q: Do you have any goals for the future of the truck?
A: Yes: I would like to grow the business so it is self-sustaining. I am a big proponent of self-care, so my goal is to live the rest of my life filled with happiness and meaning. The Calluna Flower Truck gives me that. As long as the truck is in demand, I will keep spreading joy one flower at a time.
Q: How can readers contact you or find out more about the truck?
A: My website is www.callunaflowertruck.com. I have a calendar of my pop-ups locations and dates/times. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook. o
Zachary Intrater is a senior in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. This fall semester, he is an intern at Washington Gardener Magazine
Photos courtesy of Katy Murray Photography https://www.katymurrayphotography.com/.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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 Native Ferns and Weeding Techniques.
You can listen online at https:// washingtongardener.blogspot.com/ or on Spotify, Apple, etc o
Stoke’s Aster
By Kathy Jentz
Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis) is a perennial plant with white, pink-ish, blue, or purple flowers that bloom from summer into early fall. The flowers resemble thistles, but are much fluffier. The dark-green foliage is evergreen.
It is hardy to USDA Zone 5 to 9 and is native to North Carolina to Louisiana. Its native habitat is in the coastal plains, bogs, pine savannas, and open woodlands. It attracts butterflies and bumblebees.
Stokes Aster does best in full to part sun in moist, acidic soils with good drainage.
It is somewhat deer- and rabbit-resistant.
Remove spent flowers to prolong the bloom season. Other than that, this plant is extremely low-maintenance.
You can propagate it by dividing Stokesia clumps in the spring or fall. Available cultivars include ‘Blue Danube’, ‘Rosea’, and ‘Silver Moon’. o
Kathy Jentz is the editor of Washington Gardener
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November 22, 2024, through January 5, 2025
(Closed November 25-28, December 24-25, January 1)
Brookside Gardens transforms into a magical winter wonderland for the annual Garden of Lights display.
Stroll through the one-half mile, outdoor, walk through exhibit and enjoy the twinkling lights and glimmering one-of-a-kind displays adorning the flowerbeds and grounds throughout the 50 acre horticultural gem in Wheaton.
Shop for unique seasonal items at the Gift Shop
Hot chocolate and light snacks available for purchase
Tickets: Timed-entry tickets available at GardenofLights.org
$10 per person, ages 5 and older
Visitors must arrive within their half-hour time slot
Advance sale tickets only.
BROOKSIDE GARDENS 1500 and 1800 Glenallan Avenue | Wheaton, Maryland 20902 301-962-1400 | BrooksideGardens.org
Does Grass Seed Go Bad?
If you’ve ever wondered, “Does grass seed go bad?,” the answer is yes, according to Valerie Smith, Sod Solutions Content Strategist. Smith says that grass seed, like any other organic material, has a shelf life that affects its ability to grow a healthy lawn.
Smith writes that understanding how to store grass seed properly and recognize when it’s no longer viable can save gardeners time, money, and frustration.
Grass seed “going bad” means it loses its ability to germinate effectively. Typically, grass seed remains at peak viability for one to two years, but this can vary based on factors like seed type, quality, and storage conditions.
High-quality seeds generally have stronger embryos, making them more resistant to environmental stress.
Using expired seed can result in poor lawn establishment, with bald spots and thin patches. Investing in fresh seed with high germination rates makes a thriving green lawn more likely.
Factors Influencing Shelf Life:
• Seed Type: Cool season vs. warm season grasses.
• Storage Conditions: Ideal storage is cool, dry, and dark.
• Packaging: Airtight containers help preserve seed quality.
Expired grass seed shows visible signs of deterioration, including clumping, mold, or an unpleasant odor. The physical appearance of the seed may change—look for discoloration, a matte finish, or brittleness. Bad seed may also contain debris, such as stems or roots.
There are a few ways to test the viability of your grass seeds:
• Float Test
Place a handful of seeds in water. If most sink, they are probably still good.
• Paper Towel Test
- Place 10 seeds on a damp paper towel.
- Roll up the towel and place it in a plastic bag.
- Store in a warm place like on top of a refrigerator.
- Check after five to seven days for signs of germination.
- Calculate the germination rate: If eight out of 10 seeds sprout, you have an 80 percent germination rate, which is good for planting.
If fewer than 50 percent sprout, consider buying new seed for a fuller lawn or, if you’ve already purchased a significant amount, simply use twice as much seed to offset the lower germination rate. This approach can help you avoid patchy areas without needing to buy new seed immediately. You can always purchase more later if additional seeding is required.
When conducting a paper towel germination test, it’s important to consider the specific characteristics of different grass varieties, since germination times and conditions can vary:
• Warm Season Grasses (e.g., Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede): These varieties typically require warmer conditions to germinate effectively. They may need to be closer to the seven-day mark, or even longer, to show signs of sprouting in the test. Make sure the towel stays consistently warm, because fluctuations can affect results.
• Cool Season Grasses (e.g., Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue, Ryegrass): These grasses often germinate faster in cooler temperatures compared to warm-season varieties. For these, the five to seven day window should be sufficient, but it’s still important to maintain consistent warmth.
To extend the life of grass seed, store it correctly. The ideal conditions are cool, dry, and dark. Seal opened bags tightly or transfer seeds into airtight containers like plastic bins or metal cans to protect them from moisture, pests, and temperature extremes.
Common Mistakes that Shorten Seed Life:
• Humidity and Heat: High moisture and temperatures can lead to premature germination or mold growth.
• Light Exposure: Direct sunlight can damage seeds and reduce viability.
• Improper Containers: Failing to use airtight containers exposes seeds to oxygen, reducing shelf life.
Before disposing of old or expired grass seed, consider using it first.
• Overseeding or Less Critical Areas: Mix expired seed with fresh seed for overseeding or areas where full germination isn’t essential. Using double the amount can compensate for lower viability.
• New Lawns or Large Bare Spots: For new lawns or larger bare patches, use fresh seed to ensure strong growth.
If you still need to dispose of the seed:
• Compost: Organic seeds can be added to compost piles.
• Landfill: Non-compostable seeds can be disposed of in regular trash.
• Recycling Programs: Check if your local waste management offers yard waste recycling.
Best Practices for Purchasing Grass Seed
• Buy the right amount for your needs and check packaging dates. Choose reputable brands known for quality, like Lawnifi Premium Grass Seed, which offers high purity and germination, ensuring fewer weed contaminants and better lawn establishment.
Yes, grass seed can go bad, losing its ability to germinate, typically after one to two years. Shelf life, depends on seed type, quality and storage conditions—cool, dry, and dark environments with airtight containers work best.
Expired seeds may clump, mold, discolor, or feel brittle, resulting in poor lawn growth. Regular viability tests can help determine if your seed is still usable.
Grass seed does have a shelf life, and proper storage can significantly extend its viability. Regularly test your seeds to ensure they are ready for planting. By following these best practices, you can maintain a lush, healthy lawn without wasting time or money on ineffective seeds. o
New Plant Spotlight
Itoh Peony (Paeonia) Garden Candy® All that Jazz
The new Garden Candy® ITOH peonies series is available this fall. This line of intersectional peonies is available in 11 colors. Shown here is ‘All That Jazz’. This peony was selected primarily because of its unique speckled flowers. The flower petals are creamy white, moderately speckled (and often also randomly streaked) with dark maroon. The expression of these characteristics varies significantly from flower to flower, so every flower is unique.
Bred in the U.S. by former MIT professor, Donald Smith in New England, and grown in the U.S., these ITOHS are virus- and nematode-free. Deer don’t eat them. No staking, no mildew
Plant Facts:
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average garden soil
Moisture: Moist, but well-drained, (They are drought-tolerant after established.)
Hardiness Zone: 3–8a
Bloom Time: Early summer
Size: 3' tall by 3' wide
Pruning: Prune back any dead leaves to the ground in early spring, taking care not to disturb the new buds coming out of the soil. o
Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts
• Native Ferns
• A Touch of Frost
• Potato Takeover
• Fierce Flora
See more Washington Gardener blog posts at WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o
November–December Garden To-do List
• Switch your deer-deterrent spray if you’ve been using the same one for several months. Re-apply after heavy rains.
• Have your soil tested at least once every three years.
• Cover carrots and other root crops with straw to extend the harvest season.
• Deadhead spent mums and plant them if they are still in pots.
• Don’t panic over leaf/needle drop on established evergreen shrubs and rhododendrons. It is normal for them to shed a third at this time of year
• Bulb foliage already starting to surface? Don’t fret. It is also normal and will not affect next year’s blooms.
• Check for vole problems and set out traps.
• Caulk and seal your home to prevent wildlife from coming indoors.
• Protect fig trees from freezing by piling leaves around them.
• Clean the leaves of indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up.
• Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and trading.
• Turn off outdoor water valve and store hoses.
• Store terra cotta pots in a shed or protected area.
• Prune and mulch hybrid tea roses.
• Harvest the last of your vegetables and till compost into the beds.
• Plant garlic for harvest next spring.
• Force spring bulbs for indoor blooms this January by potting them up, watering thoroughly, and placing them in your vegetable crisper for about 10 weeks.
• Remove this year’s fruiting raspberry canes down to the ground.
• Clean out your ponds and compost annual plants. Move hardy plants to deeper water. Cover with netting to block falling leaves.
• Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools.
• Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except cyclamen).
• Set up a humidifier for indoor plants, or at least place them in pebble trays.
• Vacuum up any ladybugs that come into the house and release outside.
• Rotate houseplants to promote even growth.
• Pot up Paperwhites and Amaryllis for holiday blooming.
• Water evergreens and new plantings to keep them hydrated this winter.
• Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed.
• Transplant trees and shrubs.
• Continue to divide and transplant perennials.
• Rake leaves, shred, and gather in compost piles.
• Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for winter.
• Attend a local garden club meeting.
• Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds.
• Plant evergreens for winter interest.
• Weed.
• Take a break from holiday stress to enjoy your garden.
• Do not place live wreaths or greenery between your door and a glass storm door, especially if the doorway is facing south. This placement will “cook” the arrangement on a sunny day.
• Sign up all your friends and family for garden magazine subscriptions as holiday gifts. o
TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS
Classes, Events, and Plant Shows/Sales
• Starting November 22, 2024, every night through January 5, 2025, except November 25–28, December 24–25, and January 1
Brookside Gardens Garden of Lights
The Garden of Lights display transforms Brookside Gardens into a magical winter wonderland. Stroll through the half-mile outdoor walk-through exhibit and enjoy the twinkling lights and glimmering one-of-a-kind displays adorning the flowerbeds and grounds throughout the 50-acre horticultural gem in Wheaton, MD. Tickets are $10 per person, age 5 and older, and only available to purchase at https://brooksidegardens. ticketsauce.com/f/gol/garden-of-lights. Garden of Lights is an outdoor, rain or shine event. Dress accordingly.
• Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024, through January 5, 2025, closed on December 25.
Season’s Greenings at USBG
The annual holiday display at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) will run between 10:00am and 5:00pm each day—and on several evenings in December. Multiple model trains will run in the gated outdoor gardens and the Conservatory will feature botanical wreaths and holiday decor, thousands of poinsettias, and DC landmarks made from plant parts. Throughout the outdoor gardens, discover trees and shrubs lit with string lights, festive evergreens and decorations, and six large plant-based sculptures of pollinators in the Pollinator Garden. Tickets are not required to view the trains or any part of the USBG. Plan a visit at www.USBG.gov/SeasonsGreenings.
• Tuesday, December 3, 9am–8pm Holiday Bus Trip to Longwood Gardens
Get into the holiday spirit with Homestead Gardens’ bus trip to Longwood Gardens. Enjoy a festive day exploring the dazzling lights, enchanting holiday displays, and stunning fountains at your own pace with a self-guided tour. You will also get to see the new Conservatory. Price: $90. Details at https://homesteadgardens.com/upcoming-event/ longwood-gardens-bus-trip/.
• Tuesday and Thursday, December 3 and December 5, 11am–6pm NOVA Horticulture Club’s Annual Winter Poinsettia Sale
The poinsettia sale includes 14 premium and unique varieties, some of which won’t be found anywhere else in the area. Each 6.5" pot is $10 and includes a hand-wrapped decorative pot foil, support stake, protective paper sleeve, and care instructions. All profits go toward the Horticulture Club’s participation in the 2025 Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival, as well as supporting education in Horticulture. Held in the NOVA Horticulture Program Greenhouse at 46447 Ankers Shop Cir., Sterling, VA. Details at https://blogs.nvcc.edu/horticulture/2024/11/14/our-winter-poinsettia-sale-is-back/.
• Wednesday, December 11, through Saturday, December 14, from 3–7pm
A Ladew Christmas Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, MD, hosts a tradition for the entire family. The nonprofit garden will offer four days of enchanting Christmas activities, providing something for everyone to enjoy and get into the holiday spirit. Tour the historic Manor House decked out in holiday splendor. Each room is decorated with fresh flowers and greenery by floral designers and garden clubs. Details at https://ladewgardens. com/.
• Thursday, December 12, 4:30–6:30pm
Holiday Open House at River Farm River Farm, the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society at 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA, will be open with festive holiday decorations and seasonal cheer. Free. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/riverfarm-holiday-open-house-tickets-10690 32889149?aff=oddtdtcreator.
• Saturday, December 14
Two sessions available: 10:30am and 1:30pm
Winter Wreath Workshop
Create a winter wreath to take home for your front door after Green Spring staff demonstrate the possibilities. Greens, forms, ribbon, and cones included with the supply fee. Bring pruners and light
work gloves if you have them. Register for both the program and supply fee. Cost: $44 plus a $30 supply fee. Held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA. Register online at https://www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/winter-wreath-workshop.
Looking Ahead
• January 8–10, 2025, MidAtlantic Nursery Tradeshow MANTS is one of the largest private trade shows serving the horticulture industry. Held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. Early-bird registration is now open at MANTS.com.
Scholarship Notice
The Ladies in the Landscape Scholarship has been created to support young women who are interested in pursuing a career in the horticultural industry, from Integrated Pest Management (IPM), golf course management, and commercial distribution to retail business owners and landscape designers) by awarding $500 toward their higher education.
Requirements:
1. High school student graduating the following academic year
2. Minimum of a 3.0 GPA (unweighted)
3. Looking to enroll or already enrolled in a college or university in a horticulture-related field
Applications close on Monday, December 9, 2024.
Submit here: LIL Scholarship https://ladiesinthelandscape.com/ scholarship/.
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 December 5 for the December 2024 issue, for events taking place after December 15. o
The Latest Research on Favorite Pollinator Plants
By Carol Allen
Most gardeners realize by now that there is a world-wide crisis with insects in general and pollinators specifically. Populations are declining due to the destructive changes that human activities are making to ecosystems. For that reason, many folks turn to planting native plants in an attempt to support insect populations—but which plants for which region? Which bee species are generalists and which species require a more specific food source?
Often, information is based on European honeybee preferences alone. The bee species to support might best be those specific to the local region and those that have closer relationships with local native plants.
Researchers at Auburn University, in collaboration with USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), looked at the floral preferences of four bees: European honeybee (Apis mellifera), ligated or Poey’s furrow bee (Halictus poeyi/ligatus), brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), and common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens). All four species are common
in the DMV, so their findings are applicable to our gardens, too.
The Auburn University researchers stared by looking at 18 wildflower species from six families: Apiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Verbenaceae. These families should be familiar to native plant growers as a lot of our favorite native plants hale from these families.
Their study showed that butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella), and blue vervain (Verbena hastata) attracted the greatest number, as well as the greatest diversity, of the bee species studied. In Maryland, butterfly weed and blue vervain is common throughout the state, but Indian blanket is only found in three counties. Virginia populations are about the same, with Indian Blanket generally considered introduced and blue vervain and butterfly weed found commonly throughout the state.
Three plants—wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), frost aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum), and rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)—attracted a
low number and diversity of bees, but attracted the uncommon and specialist bee species. They should be included in a garden for their ecological benefits. Wild bergamot is fairly common in Maryland, but frost aster and rattlesnake master are only found in a couple of counties. In Virginia, wild bergamot and frost aster are considered wide-spread with rattlesnake master having a more restricted range.
A study such as this one illustrates the intimate relationship between a pollinator and its supporting plants. Although the study site was Auburn, Alabama, there are some direct takeaways for our region. For more information, read the full report here: https:// besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/2688-8319.12363.
A similar study was performed at Delaware’s Mt. Cuba Center in 2018–2019. Their study found 15 species that were not previously known to occur in Delaware and 23 species of pollen specialist bees, again some that had not been previously documented in Delaware. Their takeaway for the garden was to continue to monitor bee populations and increase floral diversity. Read more about that study at https:// mtcubacenter.org/native-bee-survey/.
The Mt. Cuba Center study emphasized the theory that “if you plant it, they will come.” My advice for DMV gardeners: Increase biodiversity and convert monocultures such as turf and beds of ivy, pachysandra, or vinca into areas of more site-appropriate plants as much as you can. Learn about the insects that use your garden as their habitat and stop the indiscriminate use of pesticides. 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.
Brown-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus griseocollis) in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. Photo by Katja Schulz, https://www.flickr. com/photos/treegrow/.
The Legend of the Marimo Moss Ball
By Savannah Scollar
Marimo moss balls move and groove in ways that few other plants could even dream of. During photosynthesis, these adorable aquatic spheres produce little air bubbles, which lift them up, closer to the water’s surface. Although “pet” marimo moss balls tend to be about an inch or two wide, the wild ones are much larger.
Lake Akan, in Hokkaido, Japan, is the primary home of the wild marimo moss balls. The name “marimo” is Japanese, with “mari” meaning ball and “mo” meaning aquatic plant. Some of the moss balls in this lake are 12 inches wide. It’s amazing, especially when you consider that these things only grow, at most, half an inch per year.
The marimo “moss” balls are actually made from a rare species of branching filamentous algae (Cladophora aegagropila or Aegagropila linnaei), native to Japan, but also present in Europe and parts of North America. In most of its habitats, the algae grows as floating mats or as fluffy green “wigs” for underwater rocks. Lake Akan, however, is one of the few locations where conditions are right for the “magical” formation of the marimo balls. The wind moves the moss balls in the lake, spinning them over and over and keeping them in shape. The smallest marimo
sleep at the bottom of the lake, while the larger ones rest at the top of their underwater pile.
As with many of nature’s most amazing creations, the wild marimo balls have faced their fair share of threats. In 1898, as soon as the marimo balls were given their name, they were put in danger. People loved them too much taking them, buying them, and selling them faster than they could grow. In 1920, the marimo balls were named as a Japanese Natural Treasure. This, unfortunately, resulted in even more of the moss balls being taken from lakes. Pollution only served to worsen the plight of the marimo.
In October of 1950, people decided to stand up against the damage being done. They gathered to return many of the marimo balls to Lake Akan. This was the origin of the Marimo Festival. Every October since 1950, Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu people have held a festival celebrating the marimo moss of Lake Akan with song, dance, and ceremonies. This helped to encourage conservation and save the marimo from threats of extinction.
Appreciation of the moss balls is far from an ancient tradition. Originally, many indigenous people viewed the marimo balls as something annoying
that got tangled in fishing nets. After people started coming to the lake and taking the marimo moss away, the Ainu people decided that the marimo needed their help. Marimo moss, like other plants, is an important part of the ecosystem, keeping everything balanced. Without the marimo festival, who knows if we’d even still have these moss balls?
In certain European lakes, where conditions had once been right for the moss balls to form, pollution and other issues led to their downfall—reducing their populations or eliminating them entirely. Now, only a few of these European lakes have marimo balls: Lake Myvatn in Iceland and the Shatsk lakes in Ukraine.
Semi-recently, marimo balls were wrapped up in yet another scandal. Around 2021, invasive mollusks were being found in moss balls sold in stores. Because of this, even to this day, you might have trouble searching for marimo to buy in person.
Zebra mollusks are probably some of the all-time worst invasive species. They breed ridiculously fast, clog pipes, ruin beaches, obliterate water quality, and out-compete local wildlife. The U.S. government spends $500 million each year on combating zebra mollusks in the Great Lakes.
It’s unclear whether this problem with marimo has been resolved. People discuss “bans” and marimo being “illegal,” but I was unable to find any information regarding official restrictions. Since the zebra mollusks are European in origin, it might be best to buy tankgrown marimo from the U.S. or Asia.
Moss balls, over time, can fall apart and turn into smaller moss balls. Each moss ball exists as a colony of organisms rather than a singular plant, so you don’t have to worry too much about hurting them. Moss balls can be rolled by hand, or shaped with felting needles. At Easy Little Plants, I use the felting needle strategy to turn marimo tufts into tiny moss balls, each the size of a pea. I like making kits with these tiny moss balls so people can enjoy them as an activity. It’s fun and relaxing to decorate the jars and set everything up. If you’re interested, you can pick up a marimo moss ball kit from
my shop in Olney. The marimo balls are ridiculously resilient and can go a long time without light or attention. They make great gift plants for this reason. You don’t have to worry about accidentally killing them in the time between buying and giving.
When it comes to care, the marimo balls are quite laidback: They can live in any container of tap water. There’s no need to dechlorinate the water or use rainwater, because they’re not that picky. Based on their natural habitats, they seem to like water with a good amount of calcium. Aquarium calcium might serve as a good treat to encourage your marimo to grow, but it’s totally optional. Distilled water, which doesn’t have any nutrients, would probably be counterproductive, even though it’s commonly recommended.
By the way, be careful not to let your marimo get sunburned! Marimo balls turn brown in intense sunlight and prefer something more gentle. Save those windowsills for your succulents! The marimo would rather be a few feet away.
I change the water out when it starts to look “funky”—about every month or so. If you have shells or stones decorating the container in which your moss balls reside, a pipette or turkey baster can come in handy. With these special tools, you can remove the funky water without the risk of dumping everything else out.
Marimo also do well in aquariums, especially with cherry shrimp. These tiny and brightly colored crustaceans enjoy standing on top of the moss balls and searching for food.
Soon, I’ll be moving my betta fish, Olive, to a much bigger tank at my shop. I’ll decorate it with plenty of plants, of course. The smaller tank? That’ll keep on running, with the introduction of its new tenants: cherry shrimp and marimo moss balls! o Savannah Scollar opened Easy Little Plants (easylittleplants.com) in July 2023 at age 21. It’s a houseplant shop in Olney, MD. She loves doing research, teaching private workshops, decorating with houseplants, and arranging miniature terrariums.
“Inspire. Connect. Grow.”
The National Garden Bureau is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate, inspire, and motivate people to increase the use of garden seed, plants, and products in homes, gardens, and workplaces by being the marketing arm of the gardening industry. Our members are experts in the field of horticulture and our information comes directly from these sources. Find out more at https://ngb.org/
Flickr.com.
Marimo moss ball photo by Jan Helebrant,
America’s Potato: The Burbank Russet
During the 1500s, the most extraordinary agricultural/horticultural phenomena in the history of the planet took place. It was called the Columbian Exchange. Within one century, more seeds, plants, roots, sets, bulbs, and tubers were exchanged between the Old and New Worlds than ever before. From Europe, Africa, and Asia came onions, wheat, oats, and bananas to the New World. From North and South America came potatoes, corn, beans, and tomatoes. The sharing of these invaluable fruits and vegetables significantly improved the lives of all people. Potatoes became a dietary staple around the world and would provide nutrition to some of the poorest populations on Earth.
Here is the story of one of America’s greatest seedsmen, Luther Burbank, and his quest to find a disease-resistant potato that would restore the economy of Ireland and allow the Irish Republic to grow into the nation it has become today.
The story begins in America in 1844,
when a new form of potato blight was discovered in the United States. The following summer of 1845 was unusually warm and very wet in the British Isles. About mid-summer, as some American ships lay anchored in the harbors of England, a heavy fog descended over the harbors and then blew into Ireland.
Within days of this weather event, the Irish potato crop began to turn into a black mush. Eventually, the blight was identified as a fungus, Phytophthora infestans.
For six years, the fungus waged war on Ireland and its singular staple—the potato. More than a million people died and one million people fled the country. Ireland lost 25% of its population. The Irish Potato Famine was and remains the most devastating
natural disaster in a single nation in recorded history.
This story then moves to the United States, where in 1872, in New England, a young Luther Burbank found a seed ball of the potato variety ‘Early Rose’.
‘Early Rose’ is a redskinned, white-fleshed oval potato that was developed by Vermont farmer Albert Bresee in 1861. Because of its flavor, vigor, and reliability, ‘Early Rose’ rapidly became very popular and eventually was recognized as one of the founding potato varieties of American potatoes.
‘Early Rose’ today is parent to many of America’s commercial potato varieties.
The seed ball contained 23 seeds. Burbank planted all 23 seeds and all grew and all produced tubers, but one seedling produced two to three times
Text and photos by Barbara Melera
A sample of ‘Early Rose’ potatoes.
more tubers than the others. Burbank sold the tubers from this one potato plant, which became known as ‘The Burbank’, to JH Gregory of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Gregory was a muchrespected seed merchant who became one of America’s greatest seedsmen. He is credited with introducing Americans to the ‘Hubbard Green’ and ‘Blue Hubbard’ winter squashes, the ‘Parisian Pickling’ cucumber, and the ‘Alaska’ shelling pea. Gregory paid Burbank $150 for all of the tubers from this one prolific potato plant, allowing Burbank to keep 10 of the tubers.
Burbank took the $100 and moved to California, where he purchased a farm in Sebastopol, California, and began commercial production of his 10 tubers, and by 1906, six million bushels of ‘The Burbank’ were being produced in California, Oregon, and Washington.
Despite its enormous success, though ‘Early Rose’, was not the ‘Burbank Russet’. ‘The Burbank’ was too long and too narrow.
‘Burbank’s Russet’ actually originated with a Denver, Colorado, farmer: Lon D.
Sweet. Sweet selected a chance sport of Burbank’s original potato and began to grow it. The sport was an ugly potato, but it appeared to have great resistance to blight. He showed the tubers to Burbank, who took a great interest. Burbank worked with Sweet’s tubers for a number of years.
Eventually, ‘Burbank’s Russet’ was introduced into Ireland along with several other blight-resistant potatoes. These potatoes helped to stabilize Irish agriculture and contributed significantly to the growth of the Irish Republic and the nation it became.
One of the greatest lessons learned from the catastrophic Irish Potato Famine was the importance of diversifying cultivars in any commercial agriculture crop, but especially in those crops that were dominant economic factors in a nation’s economy. o
Barbara Melera is president of Harvesting History (www.harvesting-history.com), a company that sells horticultural and agricultural products, largely of the heirloom variety, along with garden tools and equipment.
A field of healthy potato plants.
GROUNDCOVER REVOLUTION IS OUT NOW!
By Kathy Jentz
Published by Cool Springs Press Order it today at: https://amzn.to/3IlYHYL
“Groundcover Revolution is must-have book for anyone who is interested in having less lawn, fewer weeds, and reduced mulching. The properties charts will save the reader time and money, the pictures provide inspiration, while the detailed plant portraits give the focused information needed for creating beautiful, functional landscapes.”
―C.L. Fornari, GardenLady.com
Love Reading?
The book reviews in this issue are by volunteer members of the Washington Gardener Reader Panel. To join the Washington Gardener Volunteer Reader Panel, send an email with your name and address to: KathyJentz@gmail.com. We look forward to having you be a vital part of our local gardening publication o
Water is life. No doubt, this past spring and summer was a life-threatening one for many of our rose gardens in the greater Washington, DC, region. Weeks of drought and record heat had many of us making tough decisions about our water bills and which plants in our garden took priority for our limited time and resources.
One way to mitigate the reliance on dragging around a hose or on Mother Nature’s erratic watering schedule is to store water when it does fall from the sky to use on your plants later. Not only is having one or more rain barrels a cost-saver, but it also allows you to use water that is more beneficial to your plants. Here are several ways in which rainwater is superior to tap water.*
• Rainwater has a pH of around 5.5 to 6.5, which is ideal for most plants.
• Rainwater contains nitrates, which are a bio-available form of nitrogen that helps plants grow.
• Rainwater is free of salts, minerals, and chemicals that are found in tap water.
• Rainwater contains more oxygen than tap water, which helps plants grow full and lush.
• Rainwater brings carbon dioxide to Earth, which can help release nutrients for plants.
From my own anecdotal evidence, I can attest that the plants nearest the rainbarrel that get hand-watered with rainwater are much healthier than those relying on hose water.
Rainbarrel Basics
By Kathy Jentz
My own rainbarrel is an English-style one that I purchased from Gardener’s Supply Company many years ago. It has a ribbed outside wall so if the water inside it freezes and expands, the barrel is less likely to rip at the seams. That being said, if I thought the winter was going to be especially cold or harsh, I’d drain the barrel and turn it over for storage.
My barrel has a screen set into a top lid that can be removed to dip a watering can in. It also has a spigot at the bottom with a short length of hose attached to access water that way.
Repurposed barrels are often converted into rainbarrels. If you choose this route, make sure it is foodgrade and should be marked “Resin Identification Code” of 2, 4, or 5. You will need buy a spigot kit and to punch a hole to add the spigot.
Many people set their rainbarrels up on cinderblocks or on some kind of a raised platform to get easier access to that bottom spigot. Some attach a pump to get water to flow from it to a drip irrigation line. This would require an electrical source nearby.
How will the rainwater get into your barrel? You can buy a hinge that you insert into the middle of your downspout. When the hinge is down, it guides water into the barrel; when it is up, the water goes down the spout as usual. Cut a section out of your downspout above the barrel to place the hinge in.
This sounds scary at first, but guess what? It is a super-easy DIY project. Downspouts are relatively cheap and easily cut with tin snips. I did it myself and had it set up this way for several years and then decided to shorten the downspout to right above the barrel and let it pour directly in there.
If you are having your gutters replaced anytime soon, my advice is to go with the widest width you can for the gutter system and to tell the installer that you are putting a rainbarrel at the
bottom of each downspout and discuss the connection options with them.
Your next consideration will be size. Go big is my advice. My barrel is filled up in under 5-minutes during most summer storms. If I was a new homeowner and could install a huge underground cistern, I would. Other alternatives are stringing several rainbarrels together with a connector.
You are likely wondering about now, “What about those pesky mosquitos?” Good question. Mosquitos will lay their eggs in any available standing water. It takes as few as five days to go from egg to larvae to biting adult. If I kept the screened lid on tight or drained the barrel every few days, that is not an issue, but as I often open the lid to access the water and I’m too busy to keep track of how many days since it was last drained, I simply throw in a piece of a Mosquito Dunk** or sprinkle in Mosquito Bits every month or so.
A final consideration is your roofing materials. My roof is New England slate so that in not a problem. If your roof is made from older asbestos shingles or has a chemical treatment applied to kill moss, proceed with caution.
Rainwater also washes off any accumulated pollutants on your roof, including bird waste. I suggest only using the collected rainwater on the nonedible parts of your garden—never on herbs or vegetables. o
*Source: https://www.ecolandscaping. org/08/developing-healthy-landscapes/ ecological-landscaping-101/rainwaterfor-gardens-why-plants-love-rainwaterbest/
**Mosquito Dunks and Bits are a product with BTI, a bacteria toxic only to mosquito larvae.
Kathy Jentz is the editor of Washington Gardener
An earlier version of this article appeared in The Capital Rose, the publication of the Potomac Rose Society.
The 10-Minute Gardener: How to Have a Veggie Garden and a Life 85 Time— Saving Tactics to Be More Efficient
and Grow More Food in Less Time
Author: CaliKim
Publisher: Cool Springs Press List Price: $24.99
Order Links: https://amzn.to/3V4vzv4 and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780760391860
Reviewer: Zachary Intrater
In The 10-Minute Gardener, CaliKim goes over 85 different time-saving gardening tactics to help gardeners “be more efficient and grow more food in less time.”
CaliKim opens up the book with an introduction explaining why it is important to be efficient when you’re gardening. She makes the point that while many people would love to have a thriving vegetable garden filled with fresh produce and beautiful flowers, a lot of people are deterred from starting their own garden due to how time-consuming it appears to be. However, she explains, it doesn’t have to be!
By using her time-saving tactics to enhance efficiency, anyone can have both a garden and a life, regardless of their busy schedule. CaliKim does a great job in this introduction of explaining the importance of efficiency in the garden, and could certainly sway some people who are initially hesitant to start their own garden due to the time aspect.
Also in the introduction section, she explains how time-saving strategies are not only convenient, but can actually result in being a better gardener. This can be due to reduced burnout, increased enjoyment in the garden, and capitalizing on the perfect timing for successful harvests.
Next, CaliKim explains how the book is laid out, which is in five sections based on the estimated timing of the tasks in each section.
Finally, she concludes the introduction by going over the seasons of a garden: dormant season, mid-season, early season, and late season.
The first chapter, titled “Short and Sweet in 3 Minutes,” includes a number of 3-minute tasks and tips, covering pest prevention, watering, fertilizing, and more. My personal favorite task
in this chapter is the “Dash-and-Dine Harvest,” a “daily, late-season forage into your garden grocery store.” The Dash-and-Dine Harvest simply entails going into your garden on a daily basis, picking out certain fruits and veggies at the peak of their ripeness and taste, and then transferring them straight to the kitchen or dinner table. Doing small, fresh, daily harvests like this provides many benefits, according to CaliKim, such as optimum flavor and nutrition, waste reduction, and continuous production.
By only picking out exactly what you need on that given day based on what is ripe, you are eating things at their peak stage, as well as not picking anything for later that may end up being wasted. Overall, this chapter includes many great and efficient tips to help your garden in so many ways.
In the next chapter, titled “Mini but Mighty in 5 Minutes,” CaliKim shares more tips and tasks taking just five minutes. This chapter covers topics like container prep, composting, and cleanup, but my favorite is the “Hornworm Hunt.” Hornworms are a common pest for tomatoes, therefore CaliKim goes over how to perform a fast and efficient hornworm hunt. She provides a six-step process for getting rid of hornworms, including tips on how to locate them, such as “follow the droppings.” She also says what you can do with them once you do capture them, one option being to drop them in a bucket of soapy water.
Much like the first, this chapter has
practical, awesome time-saving tips.
Next up we have “Powerful 8-Minute Accomplishments,” providing more helpful tips, with these lasting—you guessed it—eight minutes. In this chapter, CaliKim opens up a bit more with what she talks about, no longer being limited to five minutes or less. She discusses topics such as seed thinning, summer salad stations, and pruning strategies.
My favorite task from this chapter is the “Bamboo Blitz Trellis.” CaliKim gives instructions for creating a garden trellis out of bamboo that will bring “both charm and efficiency to your outdoor space.” According to CaliKim, the vertical setup of the trellis makes veggies more visible and easier to harvest, as well as maintaining their health by keeping them off of the ground.
The next chapter is “Quick Wins in 10 Minutes,” where CaliKim goes over some ten-minute tips on areas such as garden bed prep, seedling transplanting, and irrigation checkup. My favorite is definitely the “Garden Grocery Store Grab ‘n Grill.” Similar to the Dash-andDine Harvest from the first chapter, this task shows you how to take what you’ve grown and transfer it from the garden to your plate. However, this time, with 10 minutes instead of three, you’re going to grill your veggies instead of just eating them raw.
CaliKim goes over all the steps of grilling up veggies straight from your garden, from picking out the right ones, to using olive oil, herbs, and seasonings to flavor your veggies, to finally grilling, plating, and enjoying the delicious final project.
In the final chapter, “Beyond the Basics: 30-Minute Level-Up Bonuses,” CaliKim goes over a fewer total number of different tips and tasks, but is able to be more in-depth with each individual one, since these take 30 minutes each. In this chapter, she offers 30-minute tutorials on composting, DIY tree branch trellises, and drip irrigation.
My favorite task from this chapter is the “Vegetable Garden Once-Over.” Here, CaliKim recommends dedicating 30 minutes every two to three weeks to a four-step process to help maintain a healthy garden while avoiding overwhelming maintenance. The process
involves pruning, water spraying, mulch touching up, and plant boosting with either compost or fertilizer. By incorporating this routine, you will “keep your garden healthy and thriving, and help you stay ahead of potential problems,” according to CaliKim.
Overall, The 10-Minute Gardener is jam-packed with tips, tasks, and strategies to help you become a better and more efficient gardener. What stands out is the diversity and wide range of the different tips, not only as far as time lengths, but as what specific area of the garden they are addressing. If you’ve been wanting to start your own garden, but have been hesitant due to time constraints, or if you already have a garden and wants to learn new, time-saving techniques, this book is a must-read! o
Zachary Intrater is a senior in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. This fall semester, he is an intern at Washington Gardener Magazine
Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop
Author: Paula Whyman
Publisher: Timber Press
Order Link: https://amzn.to/404y2sH and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781643262178
List Price: $30.00
Reviewer: Beth Py-Lieberman
It was a big idea and, like the wildflower seeds that stuck to her trousers, Paula Whyman latched on to it and couldn’t shake free of it: “What if I could take a piece of land and restore it to a more natural condition?”
Whyman and her husband were suburban empty-nesters with a large standard poodle, on a quest to own an old farmstead where they could grow vegetables, hike, and build campfires—the place of a thousand dreams, and yet in reality, incredibly illusive.
And then one day, on a steep Blue Ridge Virginia mountaintop, Whyman found her Valhalla: “A place where hawks circled, voles tunneled, deer wandered, and bears and bobcats lurked,. . . a landscape of preternatural beauty and drama—and a massive tangle of weeds.”
As a result, 200 acres (about 150
football fields) of former orchard and cow pasture is being transformed under Whyman’s generous stewardship. How she got there is now chronicled in her glorious new book—part memoir and part inspirational guide, and hilariously titled Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop. Whyman is a writer and storyteller, who in 2016 won critical praise from The New Yorker for her debut novel You May See a Stranger, a collection of linked stories tracking a woman’s life from adolescence to middle age, and which won the Towson Prize for Literature.
Always with an eye towards the natural world, Whyman leans into her youthful fascinations (as a child, she tried to rescue horseshoe crabs by putting them in a hotel bathtub) and growing wisdom (as a young mother, she reads her child a work by the evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson as a bedtime story). As she begins this project, Whyman claims a kind of false ignorance that enhances this self-deprecating tale of the travails she encounters as her idea grows from fantasy to reality.
Regenerative biodiversity is not an untrammeled path. Doug Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delaware, has famously advanced his “Homegrown National Park” concept
with the publication of his 2020 bestseller Nature’s Best Hope, awakening American homeowners to the ecological benefits of growing native plants in their backyards and on every scrap of land, from highway edges to suburban and city parks. Tallamy often reminds his followers that a whopping 86 percent of the land between the Mississippi River and the eastern coastal region is either planted as a lawn monoculture or for the production of food. As a remedy, Tallamy asserts that the ecological benefits of removing invasive plants; planting just one native tree in your yard and planting natives “everywhere you live, work, learn, pray, and play” is not insignificant; and every square foot counts.
Whyman takes on this square foot challenge in a way that few have the resources or the willingness to pursue; and with humility and a sense of humor, especially when she fesses up to her own shortcomings. She can’t, for example, even recognize a wild geranium at the outset, but soon she is well-versed in the intricacies of ecology, chatting amiably with experts like Charlotte Lorick of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes; native grassland scientist Bert Harris, director of the Clifton Institute; and Celia Vuocolo, a private lands biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Despite her own middle-age physical limitations, Whyman still manages to beat back weeds like invasive thistle, Asiatic bittersweet, Japanese Honeysuckle, and the fast-growing milea-minute vine, all while reassessing the goals and priorities for a large-scale restoration plan—should she aim for 75 percent native plants or is 50 more realistic? Should she first spray herbicide and seed the empty acres with natives? How can she avoid purchasing seed that could be a hybrid or a cultivar.? Should she use the practice of controlled burning? Who could she find to help with the dangerous work of bush-hogging and excavation of the exotic shrub autumn olive, which can grow as high as 20 feet tall and spread as far as 30 feet in diameter, and worse, returns with a vengeance when you try to cut it back.
While advice was plentiful, consensus was not. “I was sure there must be an optimal approach,” Whyman frets, as she set out to find “The One Right Way.”
Vuocolo helps her with an initial plan: Identify the existing native plants on the mountain, treat and remove the most aggressive introduced species, and keep the meadow from becoming forest land with the removal of unwanted saplings. A local farmer and excavator helps with the heavy work of eradicating autumn olive bushes and pulverizes the stumps so they won’t return. A prescribed burn is managed and supervised with the help of the Friends of the Rappahannock, a nonprofit working to protect Virginia’s rivers and streams that is also an advocate for land restoration projects.
With baby steps, Whyman climbs her mountain and her work gives way to several successes. Crownbeard, milkweed, and blackberry appear on a bare slope that had once been covered by autumn olive. Yarrow and tiny asters push through dead grass. “A high concentration of native plants,” she writes, “had waited in the soil for an opening, a chance to emerge and shine.”
Despite age-related hip issues, a fear of snakes, a lack of knowledge (or because of it) the weed bramble is diminished and a “Right Way” emerges. But perhaps Whyman’s greatest success is that with this delightful book, she distills useful practices for other landowners, as well as the importance for doing what she did. As she points out: “The land grabs hold…and it won’t let go.” o
Beth Py-Lieberman is the author of the 2023 book The Object at Hand: Intriguing and Inspiring Stories from the Smithsonian Collections. Over a 37-yearcareer, she frequented the halls and galleries of the Smithsonian museums, educating readers about their history, art, and science collections, and exhibitions.
Note: The books for these reviews were provided free from their publishers. These book reviews include links to Amazon.com and BookShop.org for ordering them. Washington Gardener Magazine might receive a few cents from each order placed after you click on these links.
Edmonston, MD, Receives National Recognition from America in Bloom
Top honors for the prestigious 2024 America in Bloom (AIB) Program were announced at the annual symposium and awards celebration held in Columbus, Ohio, September 26–28.
Edmonston, Maryland, was the winner of the Environmental Initiatives Outstanding Achievement Award and Best Environmental Garden Program Award, and also received special recognition for its Environmental Initiatives from its Advisors. AIB Advisors Kristina Whitney and Ellen Paparozzi, spent two days in the summer touring the community, meeting municipal officials, residents, and volunteers.
All participants were evaluated on seven criteria: community vitality, overall impression, environmental initiatives, heritage celebration, urban forestry, landscaped areas, and floral impact. America in Bloom is the only national awards program that sends specially trained advisors to personally visit participants. In addition, each participant receives a detailed written evaluation that can be used as a guide for future improvements.
“America in Bloom is helping communities of all sizes achieve their potential,” said America in Bloom Executive Director Laura Kunkle. Every year, our participants raise the bar, and the accomplishments and progress shown by this year’s group are remarkable. These are, without a doubt, some of the best places to live, work, and visit. Congratulations to Edmonston for the excellent work in making your community more beautiful and vibrant.”
To date, more than 360 communities in 43 states have participated in the program and more than 22 million people have been touched by it. Registration for the 2025 national awards program can be submitted until February 28, 2025. Eligible participants include towns, cities, college and university campuses, business districts, military installations, and recognized neighborhoods of large cities. o
Wings flutter as birds flee the feeders as a Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) swoops into the leafless apple tree. The hawk perches on an upper branch while chickadees gather to sound the alarm. The little birds are careful to stay in the lower, tangled branches of the tree, chattering loudly. The Sharp-shin, a juvenile, with brown back, streaky breast, and pale head, grips the branch with thin yellow feet. Fierce yellow eyes above the hooked beak scan the yard. After a few minutes of acoustic assault, the hawk drifts down through the tree, as if saying, “Go away, kids, you bother me.” The little birds retreat, then move to branches above the hawk, their fussing continuous. Finally, the chickadees, having given adequate warning to the neighborhood, fly away. The Sharpshin stays put, unperturbed.
Built for woodland flying, accipiters (Sharp-shins, Cooper’s Hawks, and Northern Goshawks) have short, broad wings and long tails for speed and maneuverability. In contrast, buteos like the Red-shouldered Hawk have long, narrow wings, short tails, and broad bodies, well-purposed for soaring over fields or open woodlands near water. (See more about the Red-shouldered Hawk in the BirdWatch column in the March 2023 issue of Washington Gardener.)
Sharp-shinned Hawks, the smallest hawks in North America, are with us here in the Mid-Atlantic year-round. These agile hunters are easiest to see during spring and fall migration and near bird-feeding areas in winter. Their
The Sharp-shinned Hawk
By Cecily Nabors
flight behavior is distinctive: sharp, quick flaps interspersed with a glide.
During breeding season, these secretive hawks primarily frequent the deep woods. They favor conifers for their nest sites. The nest is a broad platform of sticks and twigs supported on limbs near the trunk. Sharp-shin eggs, usually four or five, were much favored by collectors in the bad old days. The “most handsome of hawk eggs,” their pale bluishwhite shells are decorated with bright, varied splashes of brown.
Males bring food to the nest, where females pull shreds of meat to feed the youngsters. The menu usually features songbirds, but also includes frogs, lizards, small mammals, and large insects. As with most predatory birds, female Sharp-shins are larger than males, so the male fledglings leave the nest first, while the females stay a few more days to reach their fuller growth. Parents continue to feed them while the young birds learn to hunt for themselves.
Young Sharp-shins will keep their juvenile plumage until early spring. The adult plumage features a reddish-brown barred chest and a dark-blue-gray back with a gray hood covering its round head and neck. The nearlookalike accipitercousin, the Cooper’s Hawk, has a black cap on its blocky head and a pale nape. Sharp-shins are a little smaller than Cooper’s Hawks, but a female Sharp-shin may be almost the size of a male Cooper’s. “Sharpies” have squared-off tails, while the Coop’s tails are rounded and end with a broad white band.
can suspect a hawk’s been feasting. We bird-watchers may cringe when a hungry hawk invades the yard. We admire their beauty and respect their place in the ecosystem, but also wish we could give them a list of acceptable dietary choices. “Please just catch starlings and house sparrows,” we silently plead with the hunter. Or could we at least give the hawk a list of no-nos? Fortunately, the smallest no-nos, like chickadees and kinglets, may not be worth the hunter’s effort.
If a hawk stakes out your feeders and keeps coming back, the best thing to do is to take the feeders down for a couple of weeks. The hawk will give up and the small birds will return when you put the feeders back up.
Population status for this hard-to-see bird is often estimated by the numbers that are seen at hawk-watches during
migration, and by how much suitable habitat is available. Current estimates indicate that the Sharp-shinned Hawk is a species of low concern. Good news: Our feisty little Napoleon of hawks is doing well. o
A Sharp-shinned Hawks often has a place in its territory where they take prey to prepare it for eating. When you find a small pile of plucked dove or starling feathers near a stump or fence post, you
This is the final BirdWatch article by Cecily Nabors. At 84, she is retiring to spend more time studying, admiring, and watching birds. Rick Borchelt will be taking on the bimonthly column in the odd months and will continue the WeedWatch column in the even months.
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MARCH/APRIL 2005
• Landscape DIY vs. Pro
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MAY/JUNE 2005
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JULY/AUGUST 2005
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006
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MARCH/APRIL 2006
• Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs
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MAY/JUNE 2006
• Using Native Plants in Your Landscape
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JULY/AUGUST 2006
• Hydrangeas
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006
• Shade Gardening
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006
• Horticultural Careers
• Juniper Care Guide
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007
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MARCH/APRIL 2007
• Stormwater Management
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MAY/JUNE 2007
• Roses: Easy Care Tips
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JULY/AUGUST 2007
• Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass
• How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head
• William Paca House & Gardens
• Hardy Geraniums
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007
• Succulents: Hardy to our Region
• Drought-Tolerant Natives
• Southern Vegetables
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
• Gardening with Children
• Indoor Bulb-Forcing Basics
• National Museum of the American Indian
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
• Dealing with Deer
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MARCH/APRIL 2008
• Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens
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• Coral Bells (Heuchera)
MAY/JUNE 2008
• Growing Great Tomatoes
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SUMMER 2009
• Grow Grapes in the Mid- Atlantic
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FALL 2009
• Apples
• How to Save Tomato Seeds
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WINTER 2009
• Battling Garden Thugs
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• Red Twig Dogwoods
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SPRING 2010
• Community Gardens
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SUMMER 2010
• Fragrance Gardens
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FALL 2010
• Vines and Climbers
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WINTER 2010
• Paths and Walkways
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SPRING 2011
• Cutting-Edge Gardens
• Final Frost Dates and When to Plant
• Bleeding Hearts
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JULY/AUGUST 2008
• Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
• Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
• Outdoor Lighting Essentials
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• Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009
• Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer
• Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden
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• Grow Winter Hazel for Winter Color
MARCH/APRIL 2009
SUMMER 2011
• Ornamental Edibles
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• Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic
FALL 2011
• Herb Gardens
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WINTER 2011/EARLY SPRING 2012
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SPRING 2012
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SUMMER 2012
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SPRING 2013
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SUMMER/FALL 2013
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MAY/JUNE 2009
• Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat
• Salad Table Project
• Grow and Enjoy Eggplant
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WINTER/EARLY SPRING 2014
• Ferns for the Mid-Atlantic
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