TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS Classes, Events, and Plant Shows/Sales •Friday, October 29, 11am–11:30am Composting: Leave the Leaves and Other Beneficial Practices Fall is the perfect time to use good composting and mulching practices for your trees and plant beds, and to start a compost system to create black gold for your spring garden. Instead of raking leaves to the curb, allow fallen leaves to feed your trees, enrich the soil, and provide overwinter protection for roots and habitat for insects. Extension Master Gardener Nina DeRosa discusses where to compost, what to compost and what not to compost, and how to manage your compost system. Held online via Zoom. Register for free at: https://mgnv.org/events/. • Thursday, November 4, 6:30–8pm Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter Beginner and intermediate gardeners are often overwhelmed by the long spring to-do list of garden tasks. Learn from Kathy Jentz, editor/publisher, Washington Gardener Magazine, what chores are essential and which you can safely skip as you prepare your garden for winter while making a big difference in the success of next year’s garden. Discover cost-saving tips and tricks, and how to “batten down the hatches” in case we have a bad winter. Hosted by Brookside Gardens. Held online. Fee: $12. Register at https://apm. activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/getting-your-garden-ready-for-winter/122666. • Friday, November 5, 7–8:30pm Caring for Seasonal Plants & Holiday Gifts Have you ever given or gotten a beautiful blooming Poinsettia or Amaryllis and then slowly watched it decline? What a New Year’s bummer! Kathy Jentz, editor/publisher, Washington Gardener Magazine, knows how you feel. This talk will teach you how to care for classic seasonal plants like Poinsettias and Christmas Cactus. We’ll also talk about green holiday gift ideas for the gardeners in your life (or yourself). You can watch this class live on Facebook or through Zoom. Register for free
at https://homesteadgardens.com/ upcoming-event/caring-for-seasonalplants-holiday-gifts/. • Saturday, November 13, 11:30am Unearthing The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic The Secret Garden has inspired generations of readers to cultivate their own bit of earth, including author Marta McDowell. She still thrills as she recalls reading about Mary Lennox turning the key in the door to the locked garden for the first time. Join McDowell for this book talk that explores Burnett’s life, work, and passion for flowers and gardening. Register for free at https:// www.usbg.gov/programs.
of western Maryland has more extreme winter protection requirements than possibly any other location in the American Rose Society’s Colonial District. However, the winter protection strategy that’s best for you will depend on the USDA Hardiness Zone and weather conditions specific to your location. In this presentation, Shipley will discuss winterization tactics ranging from little or no protection to extreme protection, depending on your local conditions. Shipley will also discuss how pruning and fertilization affect winter protection. Register for free at https://www.potomacrose.org/event-4532736.
Looking Ahead
• Thursday, November 18, 6:30–8pm Fall Garden Book Club Meeting We will discuss The Revolutionary Genius of Plants by Stefano Mancuso. You can order it new or used at https://amzn.to/2WdiGDn. We will also choose our 2022 garden book club selections at this meeting, so bring your ideas and suggestions. To see a list of all the garden books we have previously discussed in this group, see the list at pinterest.com/wdcgardener/ garden-books/. The book club meetings are free and open to all. Register for the Zoom link at https://us02web. zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdOqqDgrH9aMKM-GCrsnpbYt1diG3CCz.
•December 8-10 9th “Turning a New Leaf” Conference The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council’s information-packed program includes talks from a diverse array of talented and knowledgeable speakers. This year’s conference will comprise two virtual, online sessions on Days 1 & 2, followed by three optional regional field days—one each in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—on Day 3. The 2021 themes focus on normalizing sustainable practice and working collaboratively to ensure diversity, equity and justice in the field of conservation landscaping. Register at https:// www.chesapeakelandscape.org/.
• Friday, November 19, 1:30–2:30pm Garden Talk: Cacti and Succulents Do you want to branch out and try something different? Extension Master Gardeners will show you the wonderful world of cacti and succulents, which draw the eye with their wide range of color, texture, and form. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also easy to grow. $12 per person. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes or call Green Spring Gardens at 703642-5173. Code AE5.L2TT.
•January 29 Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens
• Sunday, November 21, 2–4pm Preparing Your Roses for Winter & ASK Ray! with ARS Master Rosarian Ray Shipley Join The Potomac Rose Society to learn how to protect your roses from winter damage. Due to geography, Ray Shipley’s rose garden in the mountains
How to Submit Events
•February 5 Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens
Event Listing Updates See updated event listings on the Washington Gardener discussion list. Join by emailing WashingtonGardenersubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To submit an event for this listing, email washingtongardenermagazine@gmail. com with “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is November 5 for the November 2021 issue, for events taking place after November 15. o OCTOBER 2021
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