Contributing in Small Ways

I’m pictured above at Longwood Gardens’ gift shop last month holding a book that I contributed a chapter about Dumbarton Oaks to. My contribution is a tiny part of this gorgeous book, but I’m still proud of being a small portion of its success.

The little things do make a big difference—from donating excess produce to the hungry to planting a public container on your street corner that brightens someone’s day.

Sometimes I only have the time or energy to be a small part of a bigger cause or organization, though I’d love to be able to devote more time or give more effort to it. Those small things can really add up though and as they say “many hands, mean light work.”

Look for the small ways you can contribute to groups you are in. In several local garden clubs that I am in, there are simple and easy tasks that need doing, but often go undone, due to lack of volunteers or interest. Sometimes just asking what you can do to help or what is falling through the cracks, can open up an opportunity to get involved.

Working with a team is a great way to make new friends and to feel part of something bigger than you. It can also create connections and keep you active in an area or hobby that you are interested in.

Taking a large task and breaking it into small chunks can make an impossible task possible. When faced with a project that seems insurmountable like clearing out a new area of the garden or reviving an overgrown one, I set a kitchen timer and commit to weeding and cutting back just a small section for 15 minutes. Often, at the end of that time, I extend it another 15 minutes or more as I can see the progress I’ve made and that is super-motivating.

Speaking of seeing progress, a great way to measure the small efforts you have made is to take a before picture and then an after one—or at least an in-process one that can show you later what you’ve accomplished.

Don’t forget to reward yourself for these small successes.

Sincerely,

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

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Volume 18, Number 8

ISSN 1555-8959

© 2023 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.

Reader Contest

For our October 2023 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a $100 gift certificate to buy bulbs online from Flowerbulbs.com ($100.00 prize value).

Looking for inspiration for your home and garden? Flowerbulbs.com is all about bulbs, bulb flowers, and bulbs in pots. Visit Flowerbulbs.com for inspiration for gardens, the most beautiful bouquets, holidays, and celebrations, and DIY tips with flowers and bulbs.

To enter, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on October 31 with “Flowerbulbs.com” 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 mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on (or shortly after) November 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.

Reader Comments

I enjoyed reading the article on growing carrots in the August 2023 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine, especially the part about growing them in containers. I tried that this year, with mixed success. I will try again, this time adding more compost, and being better about thinning my carrots, as the article suggested. I noticed that those growing along the outer edge of my grow bag grew larger. I’m wondering if that’s because they weren’t so crowded. Thanks for the terrific articles and podcasts. Congratulations too on your 2023 Media Awards.

~ Jennifer Whalen, Silver Spring, MD

My favorite article n the August 2023 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine was about growing carrots. I might try that next year in a pot!

I also love the book reviews. I am always inspired by your magazine!

~ Nadine Couture, Silver Spring, MD o

“Inspire. Connect. Grow.”

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.

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/