Washington Gardener Magazine July 2018 by Kathy J

JULY 2018 VOL. 13 NO. 5

WWW.WASHINGTONGARDENER.COM

WASHINGTON W WAS ASHINGTO

gardener

tthe magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

New Dwarf Brugmansia 5 Pet-Friendly Gardening Tips “Tropical” Native Agave Virginica

Hot Color with Ornamental Peppers Meet Lynley Ogilvie Up the Ladder at Evening Star Cafe’s Chef Garden

Tick Control and Prevention Tips

Gardening in a Changing Climate

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. Haven’s Natural Brew Tea conditions the soil so your plant’s root system can better absorb nutrients needed to build a strong, healthy root base. The manure tea can also be applied to compost piles to accelerate the composting process.

Order some today at: www.manuretea.com

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RESOURCESsourc

Need a Garden Club Speaker?

Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the greater DC region. Call 301.588.6894 or email KathyJentz@gmail.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

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

www.sunfarm.com ��

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INSIDEcontents

FEATURES and COLUMNS

A female Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum). Note the characteristic “Lone Star” marking located centrally on its dorsal surface. This tick’s bit can cause hives, also known as Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness. Photo source: CDC.gov.

o Ornamental Pepper Chilly Chili was the first familyfriendly ornamental pepper with exceptional garden performance. The “heat” was bred out of the peppers, which is perfect for households with children who like to explore their environment. The fruit changes color from yellow to orange and matures at red. It was an 2002 AAS Flower Winner.

Photo courtesy of All-America Selections.

The Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria, VA, serves produce grown on its own rooftop and by local farmers throughout the region.

BOOKreviews 6-7 Plant Style; Success with Hydrangeas; Planting for Honeybees; Mushrooms CHEFgardens 14-15 Evening Star Cafe GOINGnative 22 Agave Virginica GREENliving 14-15 Gardening with Climate Change HORThappenings 12 Pollinator Week; Floral Design Meeting; Bartholdi Re-do; INSECTindex 18-19 Ticks NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Brug. ‘Angel’s Summer Dream’ NEIGHBORnetwork 20-21 Lynley Ogilvie PLANTprofile 13 Ornamental Peppers TIPStricks 10 Soil Microbes; Climate Victory Gardens; Pet-Friendly Gardens

DEPARTMENTS

ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENcontest LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue READERreactions RESOURCESsources

23 11 4 5 8-9 11 3 5 2

ON THE COVER

Sunflowers at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in western Montgomery County, MD.

In our August 2018 issue:

Meditation Gardens and much more . . .

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by August 1 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication! Be sure you are subscribed! Click on the “subscribe” link. JULY 2018

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EDITORletter

We Won an Award! I was so pleased to receive this news in my email inbox a few weeks ago, but had to keep it mum until all the entrants had been notified. I was practically bursting to share this good news with all of our readers and many contributors, so am glad I am finally given the go-ahead now to publish this announcement. Most exciting is that there were no others awarded in our small-circulation magazine category and now we are up for the Gold Award against all the other “big” publications. Wish us luck! The Gold Award winners will be announced in August at the GWA Annual Meeting in Chicago. Here is the official press release: Washington Gardener magazine and the magazine’s founder Kathy Jentz received the 2018 Media Awards Silver Medal of Achievement for Magazines (under 20K circulation), presented by GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators. This national award recognizes individuals and companies who achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications. The 2018 competition had more than 260 entries in 56 categories. Recipients of the Silver Medal represent the top winners in each competition category and will now compete for best of group in the areas of writing, photography, digital media, broadcast media, publishing and trade. “The GWA Media Awards showcase the writers, photographers, editors, publishers and trade companies that have pursued excellence in gardening communication in print or electronic communications,” says Becky Heath, president of GWA. “The Media Award winners have been judged by industry experts and show significant distinction and merits that exemplify exceptional work.” Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of Washington Gardener magazine. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable. Her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration. Washington Gardener magazine is the gardening publication published specifically for Washington, DC, and its suburbs. Since the early 1980s, the GWA Media Awards program has recognized outstanding writing, photography, graphic design and illustration for books, newspaper stories, magazine articles and other works focused on gardening. In recent years, the awards program has expanded to include on-air talent, production and direction for radio, television, video, Internet and other electronic media. To view all the 2018 GWA Media Award recipients, visit www.gardenwriters.org. Happy gardening!

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener, KathyJentz@gmail.com P.S. At press time, we received word that Washington Gardener was named a “Top 10 Gardening Magazines And Ezines To Follow In 2018” at https://blog.feedspot. com/gardening_magazines/. What an unexpected surprise! 4

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Credits 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! Rosie Kean Racquel Royer Interns Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Cover price: $4.99 Back issues: $6.00 Subscription: $20.00 Address corrections should be sent to the address above. • 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 Facebook Page: facebook.com/ WashingtonGardenerMagazine • Washington Gardener is a womanowned business. We are proud to be members of: · Garden Writers Association · DC Web Women · Green America Magazine Leaders Network · Green America Business Network To order reprints, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877.652.5295, ext. 138. Volume 13, Number 5 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2018 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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READERcontt

Reader Contest

For our July 2018 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a CobraHead® “mini” Weeder and Cultivator tool. The best garden tools make gardening chores easier, and the new CobraHead® “mini” Weeder and Cultivator is perfect for precision weeding in flower beds, vegetable gardens. and even flower pots and containers. The strong, sharp, tempered blade cuts through all soils, even the toughest clay, and it makes short work of cleaning weedchoked gardens. The CobraHead “mini” Weeder was honored with a 2018 Green Thumb Award by the Direct Gardening Association as one of the best new garden tools on the market. The CobraHead “mini” is smaller and lighter than the original CobraHead Weeder, so it’s easier to use in tight spaces. The original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator is a bit larger and heftier, so it’s well-suited for weeding larger garden spaces. Both of the CobraHead hand tools have comfortable, ergonomically designed handles that are made from a mix of recycled plastic and wood fiber. The attractive blue handle is molded around the unique steel blade to ensure it can never work loose. The CobraHead “mini” Weeder hand tool sells for $21.95 and the original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator sells for $24.95 at garden centers or www.cobrahead.com. To enter to win the CobraHead “mini,” send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on July 31 with “CobraHead Mini” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Include your full name and mailing address. Tell us which was your favorite article in this issue and why. The pass winners will be announced and notified on August 1.

Our Readers Share Their Thoughts and Ideas June 2018 Issue My favorite article in the June issue was “Four Seasons of Floral Designs.” It was interesting to learn about the slow flower movement, and how women are choosing local farms to buy their wedding flowers. ~ Roshani Kothari, Bowie, MD I particularly enjoyed reading the article about Dumbarton Oak’s new director of Gardens, Jonathan Kavalier. I can agree wholeheartedly with his advice to experiment in gardening and not be afraid of making mistakes. This makes for a much more interesting and dynamic garden. ~ Alison Kindler, Arlington, VA My favorite article: “Edame.” Why: I like articles about growing food, because growing food is very satisfying—people smile when you give them food you have grown yourself. ~ Jane Mandelbaum, Washington, DC

May 2018 Issue My favorite section of the May edition of Washington Gardener is actually your editor’s comments section in which you related a bit of conversation with Piet Oudolf and the concept of editing a garden “to reveal patterns and connections

between groupings” This blew me away. And, I need to reflect—and ask you to consider a dialog in your magazine or blog on the process of visioning the whole and yet which plants should stay/be eliminated—as one process or allowing which plants do best to have the dominating role in a garden. I’m keeping this thread (for my own reflection) especially after WSSC destroys three-quarters of one of my yards (I have a row house, so two yards) this summer to replace a sewer line (removing a tree in the process), so I’ll have a new area—with different sunlight patterns—to explore and create. ~ Annie Shaw, Greenbelt, MD I really liked the article on direct-sowing annuals in the May issue! ~ Johanna Kearns, Washington, DC My favorite article was the one on calla lilies—the tips and trick piece. I have never grown them, but am thinking I may want to give them a try, ~ Madeline Caliendo, Washington, DC I best liked the article about easy-sowing annuals, a few in there I hadn’t known about such as Nigella. ~ Kathy May, Kensington, MD My favorite article was the one on L’Auberge Chez Françoise. I had no idea that the restaurant grew some of its own produce! Maybe that is why every-

thing there tastes so good. I love going there. ~ Barbara Delaney, Bethesda, MD My favorite article was “Easy Annual Flowers for Direct Sowing,” because I love to start my zinnias in my greenhouse. Maybe I will save myself some time and just do them directly into the ground next year. ~ Carol Yemola, Drums, PA

April 2018 Issue I’m a new reader of Washington Gardener, and my favorite article this month was “Your Garden Task List”— there’s so much to do in the garden this time of year! I’ll be sure to get to Jefferson’s Poplar Forest and the others when I have some downtime. ~ Anamaria Anderson, Arlington, VA I subscribe to the Washington Gardener magazine and love the informative articles and information on gardening and events. I read and enjoyed learning about the reblooming azalea now available to plant. This was my favorite article in this issue! Thanks for such an informative garden magazine! ~ Aldene Ault, Silver Spring, MD

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Send your reviews, thoughts, suggestions, etc., to Washington Gardener at washingtongardener@rcn.com. o JULY 2018

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BOOKreviews space that had previously been devoid of decoration. Although they are only mentioned briefly in the book, I am especially drawn to terrariums and mossariums, whose stunning appearance belies their minimal maintenance requirements. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to incorporate more greenery inside with sophisticated flair. Jamie Moore gardens in Frederick County, MD. In addition to gardening, she loves to read; cook with local and seasonal produce; hike; and spend time with her husband, three children, and four cats.

Plant Style: How to Greenify Your Space By Alana Langan and Jacqui Vidal Publisher: Thames & Hudson List Price: $25.00 Reviewer: Jamie Moore Plant Style was written by an interior stylist and a gallerist who are partners in a botanical wares studio, Ivy Muse, in Melbourne, Australia. Their mission is “to encourage creativity with greenery.” This book explores the uses for plants in interior design, educating mainly through lush photographs with minimalist text. Using plants effectively indoors first requires understanding individual plants’ environmental needs, such as optimal light, temperature, and humidity. Langan and Vidal then apply the basic concepts of interior design to helping readers create their own indoor sanctuary. They highlight examples of costal, contemporary, minimalist, and bohemian styles. They also discuss styling considerations for different rooms and point out various locations in a house that can benefit from the addition of a plant. They conclude with plant care and a very helpful index of recommended plants for an indoor environment and their specific needs. My gardening focus has always been outdoors, and I only had one indoor plant before reading this book. After toiling for hours outside, I was not interested in taking care of a bunch of fussy houseplants. However, this book inspired me to add a few succulents to my home. I really like the softening effect they have on my bathroom, a 6

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

Success with Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide By Lorraine Ballato Publisher: B&B Publications, List Price: $24.95 Reviewer: Andrea F. Siegel What with the ongoing development of new hydrangea cultivars—smaller shrubs, reblooming plants, hardier plants, showier blooms, and foliage— these days, there’s a lot more to know about them. Among the hydrangea books out recently is this one by horticulturist/garden writer/instructor Lorraine Ballato. Hers is a highly organized 13chapter book to help you make sense of the increasing choices and understand what the plants need to thrive. The book’s easygoing style makes all the material understandable. The nearly 150 color photos are helpful because

they show hydrangeas up close, as well as in varied settings. Notably, the final chapter, on garden uses, is full of photos: The newer, small hydrangeas are shown in containers and in small settings; climbers are not only trellised, but shown covering a stump; and readers see hydrangeas as borders, specimens, massed, and in larger mixed garden settings. Systematically covered are what the author says are the five hydrangea species you’re most likely to encounter, and she tells you where each is native to, each one’s features, optimal growing conditions (including zones), species requirements, and pruning needs. She reminds potential buyers to “read plant tags and descriptions for specifics about individual plants.” If you want the choice of getting your hydrangea to flower as pink or blue, make sure to buy a pH-sensitive plant. A lot of explanation is devoted to pruning. Whether your plant blooms on old wood, new wood, or both plays a large role in what and when to prune to have flowers at all. That’s one good reason to understand as much as possible about the characteristics of your particular hydrangea. Three chapters focus on what nobody wants: plant problems. But fungal and bacterial diseases, root rot, and insects can attack. The book recommends preventive measures and says what to look for on organic fungicide labels. Bacterial problems may lead to removing a plant, if earlier steps don’t clear it up. The book recommends IPM techniques for insects. Bunnies and deer enjoy a hydrangea buffet, and warding them off—with sprays and dogs—is your best bet. Chapters on toxicity, hardiness, and warm-climate hydrangeas provide more valuable information. Area readers should pay attention to advice on heat tolerance, weather woes, and hydrangeas that are somewhat salt-tolerant. And there’s a chapter on how to make more hydrangeas from your lovely plants. Obviously, not everyone wants to propagate hydrangeas, although no doubt takers for the new ones would line up. Andrea Siegel is a Master Gardener in Maryland.

BOOKreviews

Mushroom CULTIVATION: An Illustrated Guide to Growing Your Own Mushrooms at Home By Tavis Lynch Publisher: Quarry Books List Price: $24.99 Reviewer: Racquel Royer For centuries, people throughout the world have cultivated mushrooms for food, fiber, and medicinal purposes. In recent years, mushrooms have become more popular in North America as Americans have accepted them as food and continue to discover their exotic varieties and many uses. In this easyto-follow book, mycophile (expert on mushrooms) Tavis Lynch demonstrates how to cultivate, prepare, and enjoy all types of mushrooms, right from your home. “Mushrooms don’t exactly grow in thin air,” Lynch writes. Most of their growing takes place underground, on logs, or in a straw pile, so this book is a very interesting and thought-provoking read for a “traditional” home gardener who may stick to flowers or vegetables. Depending on the type of mushroom chosen, cultivation requires a gardener to replicate a certain climate that enables mushrooms to survive in the wild. This well-organized, graphically pleasing book is full of information about mushrooms varieties, substrates (the medium in which the mushroom will grow), spawn (the material used to inoculate the substrate and start the crop growing), and fun facts. Did you know, according to the book, that a giant mushroom living in Oregon

is thought to be the world’s oldest organism and is at least 2,400 years old? Another fun fact is mushrooms are more closely related to humans than plants, according to DNA sequence analysis. The reader receives an informative look into the art of mushroom growing and the symbiotic relationship between mushroom cultivation and host organisms. Lynch provides extensive information about tree types and growing style methods. Some suggestions seem like complicated science projects, although the results seem rewarding. In the “Growing Mushrooms on Straw” chapter, Lynch discusses a pasteurization method that includes time-consuming methods such as preparing the straw for days, ensuring the perfect PH of the substrate, and additional highly specific steps that require patience and attention to detail. In my opinion, the “Problems and Solutions” chapter is where the magnitude of issues that may arise with mushroom cultivation really gets overwhelming. Lynch describes why it may be difficult to identify what mushroom you have grown, since other fungi may take over your crop. Additionally, overwatering and underwatering seem to be frequent problems. While a gardener of any crop knows this, mushroom cultivation appears to be a much more time-consuming and delicate process. The most fun and worthwhile information for me came at the end of the book, where Lynch discusses storing, drying, and cooking with mushrooms. Lynch notes that refrigerated mushrooms last a little over a week using correct storage methods, but drying or freezing mushrooms is also an option for many varieties. Yummy recipes at the back of the book include “Spicy Asian Oyster Mushroom Soup” and “Savory Mushroom Tart.” Overall, this book may seem intimidating for new mushroom growers who do not have the time or patience for the very specific and time-consuming process of cultivating and preparing mushrooms. The details and instructions given in the book are very helpful, if you do decide to embark on the mushroom-growing journey; and if you

experience success, the results seem rewarding and tasty! Racquel Royer is a senior studying broadcast journalism in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. This summer, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

Planting for Honeybees: The Grower’s Guide to Creating a Buzz By Sarah Wyndham Lewis Publisher: Quadrille Publishing List Price: $16.99 Reviewer: Rosie Kean If you’re looking to attract more honeybees to your garden, Sarah Wyndham Lewis presents a great guide to doing exactly that in Planting for Honeybees. The book is laid out in bite-size sections with lovely illustrations accompanying the text. The author explains why keeping bees in mind when planting is very important: Loss of wild habitat and climate change limit their nectar sources. Widespread use of pesticides also threatens honeybees, so if you want to attract them to your garden, the author recommends avoiding pesticides or limiting yourself to organic options. The book is about 120 pages long, but reading it is a breeze. A large part of the book consists of many lists of honeybee-friendly plants for each season, regardless of how big or small your garden is. Ranging from planting continued on page 8 JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS Book Reviews continued from page 7

on a windowsill or a balcony to a large garden, there are recommendations for flowers, edibles, shrubs, and trees for different-sized spaces in every season. It doesn’t stop there, though. Plant suggestions for living walls are listed, as well as green roofs. The book also includes tips on creating a more honeybee-friendly lawn through methods like planting patches of wildflowers and allowing so-called “weeds” like dandelion and clover to grow. No matter what kind of space you are working with, Planting for Honeybees will help you put together a plan to create a happy garden buzzing with pollinators. It is important to note that the author is based in England, so not every recommendation she makes might be good for your climate here in the MidAtlantic. Even so, many suggestions will generally work in our region, such as alliums, rosemary, hydrangea, and many more. If you see a plant you’re not familiar with, you can easily look it up and see if it will grow well in your area, and if there are any native varieties. In addition to offering plenty of planting recommendations, the book features a brief background on honeybees, their importance to our food and society, and how they pollinate plants and make their own food and hives. I found these little tidbits of information to be especially fun and interesting (did you know humans practiced beekeeping as early as 3000 BC?), fueling my fascination with these amazing insects. Although the book is a quick read, the author includes the 10 most important things to know when you are planting for honeybees, which are true no matter where in the world you are. If you are pressed for time, you can take 2 minutes to read these top 10 tips, and you’ll be on your way to making your garden very popular among bees (and other pollinators, too!) o Rosie Kean is a senior multiplatform journalism and English major at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is from Macungie, PA. This summer, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Events ~ July 15, 2018 • Thursdays, 12:15–12:45pm Smithsonian Gardens’ Let’s Talk Gardens Turn your thumb green! Join Smithsonian Gardens’ horticulturists for a series of free lunchtime talks and demonstrations on gardening basics. Meet at the East Walk of the Enid A. Haupt Garden. July 26 - Tomatoes! August 9 - Identifying and Treating Indoor Pests August 16 - Selecting Shrubs for YearRound Interest August 2 - Placing, Planting, and Pruning Shrubs August 23 - Summer TLC for Trees August 30 - Stunning Shade Gardens In the event of inclement weather, this program will be moved to the Smithsonian International Center (Suite 3123) in the S. Dillon Ripley Center. See www. gardens.si.edu for updates and details. • Saturday, July 21, and Sunday 22, 10am–5pm Lotus and Waterlily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Celebrate the internationally loved lotuses and waterlilies during peak bloom. See cultural performances from Latin, Asian, and African origins. Play fun games, enjoy arts and crafts, and dance to music from around the world. This free festival celebrates nature, culture, and community at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a one-of-a- kind destination in Anacostia Park. Celebrate the centennial of Anacostia Park at DC’s hidden oasis during the Year of the Anacostia. Visit go.nps.gov/lotus for more event information. • Sunday, July 22, 10am–1pm Garlic Festival at the Takoma Park Farmers Market Celebrate all things garlic! Freshly dried garlic will be the star of the market. The Takoma Horticulture Club and Tony “The Garlic Guy” will answer questions about different types of garlic and how easy it is to grow at home. Taste garlic dishes and take garlic selfies. Come to the market at the corner of Laurel and Carroll Avenues, Takoma Park, MD. See event details at https://www.facebook. com/events/1852482265046095/.

• Wednesday, July 25, 7–8:30pm All About Honey Bees Garden Talk Want to start a bee hive or just understand how a bee hive works? Learn the basics of bee-keeping from an expert bee-keeper. Held at the Central Library, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA. Free. No registration necessary. Presented with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). • Thursday, July 26, 6:30–8pm Garden Book Club Summer 2018 Discuss “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben. Held at Soupergirl, right next to the Takoma Metro stop. RSVP at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine, The Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Book Club is free and open to all. • Saturday, July 28, 9:30–10:30am Tips & Tools for Timesaving Garden Care Finding time and energy to keep your yard and garden thriving is always challenge. Learn how to work smarter, not harder. Get timely tips and strategies for keeping a beautiful garden from seasoned horticulturalist Karen Rexrode. She shows you how to make the most of your garden efforts and which tools can help you get the job done. $18/ person. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes using code 290 383 0701 or call 703-642-5173. Held at Green Spring Gardens. • Saturday, July 28, 10am–2pm Tanabata: The Japanese Star Festival Celebrate Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, through storytelling, live music, crafts, and more. Held at Hillwood, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. See www.HillwoodMuseum.org . • Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29, 10am–2pm Garden Wild Take a walk on the wild side of gardening, and celebrate the wonder of wildlife with hands-on learning activities at the Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, DE. Children and adults alike can get to know the insects, birds, and animals that call the gardens home while discovering

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Events ~ July 16–August 15, 2018 the joy of sharing a garden with natural neighbors. Garden Wild activities include a look into the underwater world of our ponds, gardening tutorials, carnivorous plant demonstrations, pollinator watching, wildflower crown-making, live music, and more. Each family will receive a free native plant to take home, while supplies last. A variety of food selections will also be available for purchase from local food trucks. All activities are included with general admission. See mtcubacenter.org. • Saturday, August 4, 1–4pm Herbal Bitters: Sweeter than You Think! at the National Herb Garden Discover the benefits that bitter herbs offer, from jazzing up your favorite cocktail to aiding digestion after a heavy meal. A variety of hand-crafted bitters will be available for tasting. This program is part of the Under the Arbor series and is free. No registration required. Held at the U.S. National Arboretum. • Saturday, August 4, 11am Tackling the Toughest Weeds (including poison ivy & bamboo) When is the best time to wrestle with weeds? What to use? How to approach poison ivy and bamboo? Where to begin? Yikes! Join Christopher Lewis, Behnke Horticulturist, CPH, as he tackles the tough questions (and weeds). Registration requested at behnkes. com/upcoming-events. • Saturday, August 4, 9am–12n Tree Care at Armed Forces Retirement Home Help Casey Trees care for trees at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Your help with weeding, mulching, and watering these vulnerable young trees will give them a leg up in becoming an important part of our growing tree canopy. Register at caseytrees.org, • Tuesday, August 7, 10:30am–12n Horticultural Backstage Pass: The U.S. Botanic Garden Production Facility Go behind-the-scenes on this guided horticultural highlights tour of the U.S.

Botanic Garden Production Facility. Featuring almost two acres of greenhouses, this facility is the largest support facility for a public garden in the U.S. Explore unique and unusual plants from the USBG collection and witness gardeners and horticulturists in action. Please note: This is a working greenhouse facility. Some rooms may not be available for viewing due to horticultural need. Wear comfortable shoes; bring water; and dress in layers, since greenhouse bays may become quite warm. Directions to the facility can be found with the online listing. Tour will meet at the entrance to the Production Facility Free: Pre-registration required; visit www.USBG.gov/Programs. • Thurs, August 9, 6 - 8 pm Pickles and Relishes Workshop Held at Common Good City Farm, V Street NW, between 2nd and 4th Streets NW. Washington, DC. Register: https://cgcffoodpreservation.eventbrite. com. • Saturday, August 11, 10am–12n Herbal Salves: They’re the Balm! Learn how to make herb-infused oils for use in soothing salves. The healing properties of various oils and herbs will be covered, and participants will get to take home a jar of salve made in class. Fee: $35 ($28 FONA members). Registration required. Held at the U.S. National Arboretum’s Visitor Center classroom

Save These Future Dates • Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26 33rd Annual Begonia Show and Sale Feast your eyes on this show sponsored by the Potomac branch of the American Begonia Society. Be tempted with splashes of color and shape for homes and greenhouses that last long after frosts have put our outdoor gardens to bed. The sale offers a wide variety of begonias, including subtropical species. Free. Held at Green Spring Gardens. • September 7-9 25th ZNA Potomac Koi Show Sww znapotomac.org-- Washington, DC.

• Saturday, September 8, and Sunday, September 9 FOBG Annual Plant Sale Held at Brookside Gardens. • Saturday, September 22 3rd Annual Paw Paw Fest @ Long Creek Homestead See details at www.ecologiadesign.com.

Still More Event Listings

See even more 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, contact kathyjentz@gmail.com with “Event” in the subject line. Our next deadline is August 1 for the August 2018 issue, for events taking place August 16–September 15. o

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TIPStricks

Tips for Creating a Pet-Friendly Yard

It’s summer time and that means more fun in the sun for everyone! Here are a few tips from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (opei.org) to ensure that your yard is the most comfortable and relaxing outdoor playground for you and your furry friends. • Pick the Right Plants & Grasses Go for something resilient that can withstand lots of treading and rough puppy play. Bermuda and Buffalo grasses are a great choice, depending on your climate zone. For plants and shrubs, check out the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic garden plants for advice before purchasing anything. Sturdy, yet soft, foliage is a must near walkways— refrain from planting delicate decorative flowers that may be easily trampled on. • Skip Fake Grass Plastic grass gets is extremely challenging to clean and not environmentally friendly. It gets very hot during the summer, which is why you should pass on artificial turf (fake grass). It cannot be recycled and requires a lot of water to clean and cool it. Real turf grass is a much better alternative. • Choose Natural There are several ways to prevent pests in your yard, which is great news for you and your pets. Scented marigolds repel unwanted insects and wind chimes near garden beds can help keep pets and pests away. The oil in basil plants repels mosquitoes and flies, and the lovely scent of lavender keeps fleas and moths away. • Consider Pollinators & Other Wildlife While almost everyone wants to keep pests far away, remember that nature starts in your backyard. Your outdoor playground is also a habitat for butterflies, bees, and birds, which help pollinate human food crops and flowering plants. Take this into consideration when you’re selecting or creating your landscapes. • Create a Doggy Dream Yard If you want to make a dream yard for your dog, consider a splash pool for cooling off or a sandbox for your puppy to dig into! A puppy pergola is also a great idea for providing shade on those extra-sunny days. Your furry friend will thank you. o 10

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

Soil Microbes Influence Nutrient Availability

The hundreds and thousands of organisms in a handful of soil play critical roles in the development and well-being of plants. Algae, archaea, and fungi play specific roles in helping plants grow. “Soil is rich with biological diversity and complexity that is not immediately apparent to the unaided eye,” writes Caitlin Hodges of Pennsylvania State on the Soil Science Society of America blog (soilsmatter.wordpress.com). Soil microorganisms make nutrients available for plants in three ways: “Recyclers” break down plant and animal matter. Microbes that work in the recycling role free up nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous by using the organic carbon in organic matter. Hodges says plant life would be nearly impossible without these organisms. “Miners” work on extracting nutrients from rocks and minerals. They excrete a substance with “a special pH and other key characteristics specially formulated to bind and extract nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, and potassium.” Plants need these minerals for healthy growth. An example of a miner is mycorrhizal fungi, which provides plants with energy-rich carbon by connecting with plant roots. “Refiners” are rhizobia bacteria, which take nitrogen from the air and process it into a form usable by the plant. “These ‘nitrogen-fixing’ bacteria take inert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2 gas) and convert it to plantavailable ammonia and other nitrogenrich organic compounds,” Hodges says. These refiners live in the “nodules” or special root formations of legume plants like alfalfa, beans, and peanuts. The dead tissues of legumes can save farms a lot of time, money, and energy by providing nitrogen-rich nutrients for the next planted crop. For these wonderful microorganisms to help your garden, you must “feed” the microbial communities in your soil. Recyclers use organic carbon in dead matter as an energy source. Compost or mulch is a great help to recyclers. Refiners can benefit from the planting of cover crop legume plants like clover or alfalfa. o

Make America Green Again! Campaign

You can fight climate change and high food bills by planting a “Climate Victory Garden” like the victory ones our grandparents planted following World War II. Your efforts will reduce carbon emissions and enable you to grow safe, healthy, and inexpensive food. Just join the Green America (www. greenamerica.org) “Climate Victory Gardens” campaign, which advocates for all Americans to plant a Climate Victory Garden in their backyards or community gardens. These gardens include practices like no-till, cover crops, perennials, and composting to create healthy soils. The effort is aimed at lessening carbon emissions and storing carbon in the soil while growing healthy and safe foods. During World War II, Americans fed their communities at home and supported troops overseas by planting “Victory Gardens.” By 1944, around 20 million victory gardens produced 8 million tons of food, which accounted for about 40 percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the U.S. at the time. Industrial agriculture is one of the most carbon- and water-intensive industries, and the massive chemicals used in industrial farms damages the soil, pollutes local communities, and put the consumers’ health at risk. Climate Victory Gardens campaign advocates for a regenerative agricultural system that protects our soils and sequesters carbon, while eliminating toxic chemicals. More than 35 percent of households in America already grow food at home or in a community garden, according to the National Gardening Association. Many of these gardens could adopt climate-sensitive practices. Climate Victory Gardens can have a huge impact on nourishing the soil and mitigating climate change, while also providing safe and healthy food for families. See more about climate-friendly gardening in our cover story on page 16 of this issue. o Tips column compiled by Racquel Royer, a senior studying broadcast journalism in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

GARDENnews Photo courtesy of Logee’s.

Quick Links to Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Make a Real Cotton Wreath • Native Plant Container Gardens • Local Gardening 101 • Friday the 13th Garden Horror Story See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

July-August Garden To-Do List

New Plant Spotlight

Brugmansia ‘Angel’s Summer Dream’ Looking for a great tropical plant to grow on a patio or balcony? Brugmansia hybrids, also commonly known as Angel’s Trumpets, are favorite tropical flowering plants because of the long, trumpet-shaped flowers that hang gracefully from the plant during the summer. Brugmansia ‘Angel’s Summer Dream’ is a new hybrid that starts blooming at only 12 inches tall. This dwarf variety, created by horticulturist and Logee’s owner, Byron Martin, has prolific, fragrant blooms year-round. The fullsize, 5-6" long, orange-yellow flowers have tones of deep orange when fully mature. Perhaps best of all, the flowers fill the air with a delightful nighttime scent. Similar to Brugmansia ‘Inca Sun’, ‘Angel’s Summer Dream’ will flower continuously throughout the growing season from shoots and spurs. The lateral branching habit makes it perfect for containers or hanging baskets. Brugmansia ‘Angel’s Summer Dream’ thrives in full sun. This delightful plant won a Green Thumb Award as an outstanding flowering plant for container growing. Brugmansia is a tropical plant that is only cold-hardy in deep southern parts of the USA, so it needs to be brought inside during the colder months. The main stem is a hard wood. It is best to prune in spring or when the plant is placed outside. After pruning, it can take a month before the plant reblooms. A plant in a 4-inch pot sells for $24.95 exclusively from www.logees. com. o

• The heat of summer is here. Time to start doing chores during early morning or evening. Take a break during the hottest parts of the day. • Prune Wisteria. •If your pond water gets low from prolonged drought, top it off with tap water and add a dechlorinator according to package instructions. • Cut back spent stalks on common daylilies. • Pinch back any annuals that may be growing leggy. • Divide and cut back bearded Iris. • Check your pond pump for any debris—clean it out every few weeks. • Weed. • Cut off bottom, yellowed foliage on tomato plants. • Stake and tie up any tall-growing perennials such as phlox or delphiniums. • Wash out birdbaths weekly with diluted bleach solution. • Water thoroughly, especially if you receive no rain for more than seven days. • Take cuttings from azaleas, boxwoods, and camellias to start new plants. • Check your local garden center for mid-summer bargains. • Hand-pick Japanese Beetles or shake them off over a bucket of dishwater. Early morning is a good time to catch them, while they are still drowsy. • Re-pot the houseplants you’ve moved outdoors for the summer. • Pick blueberries at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market. • Pinch back any straying strawberry runners. • Deadhead perennials for a second flush of blooms later this summer. • Thin out small trees and cut off any suckering branches growing from the bottom root ball. • Inspect your garden for powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation. • Annuals are now hitting their peak. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through September. • Check your plants at night with a flashlight for any night-feeding insects like slugs. • If you find slug damage, set out beer traps or Sluggo pellets. • Pinch back mums so they grow bushier and won’t flower until autumn. • Hold off on planting new trees and shrubs until the summer heat has passed. • Caulk and seal your outside walls to prevent insect entry into your home. • Harvest regularly from your vegetable garden to prevent rot and waste. • Put up a hammock or a garden bench for enjoying your views. • Turn compost pile. • Check out gardening books from your local library to read on vacation. • Check for any stagnant-water mosquito breeding grounds, especially your gutters. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days. • Add Mosquito Dunks to any standing water in your yard, such as birdbaths, downspouts, plant saucers, and gutters. • Gather roses to enjoy indoors—be sure to make the cut just above a five-leaf unit. • Harvest onions when tops die back. • Sow seeds of fall crops such as broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, etc., in late July. o JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

HORThaenings

Slow Flowers Meet-Up

On June 28, horticulture professionals in the DMV area gathered at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA, for the “Slow Flowers Meet Up.” Cut-flower farmers, garden writers, public garden employees, floral designers, and others in the local green industry gathered to meet, greet, network, stroll the beautiful gardens, and discuss the Slow Flowers Movement.

Pollinator Week 2018

Floral Designers Annual Symposium of Discovery

The American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) held their 2018 Discover National Symposium from June 30–July 4 in Washington, DC, at the Marriot Wardman Park. The event included floral competitions, talks, exhibits, demonstrations, and networking. Competition participants showcased their bouquets, succulents, and wearable flower art. Many also volunteered to create floral pieces that were donated to local hospices and retirement homes.

Flamboyance of Yard Flamingos in Parade

The Takoma Horticultural Club won 2nd place in the “Wacky Tacky Takoma Award” when they dressed as pink flamingos for the Takoma Park Independence Day Parade. The “Hort Club Flamingoes” proudly paraded the streets with their bright-pink shirts, flamingo beak hats, pink tutu feathers, and a banner draped with a boa. 12

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

Smithsonian Gardens kicked off Pollinator Week by hosting its fourth annual Pollinator Party on Tuesday, June 19, in its pollinator garden outside the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Visitors witnessed pollinators in action with the abundance of bee and butterfly-friendly plants while learning about how to attract more of these helpful creatures to their gardens. Stations were also set up for kids to learn about and identify different pollinators. As part of Pollinator Week, the short film Pollinators Under Pressure premiered at the National Press Club on Thursday, June 21. The film, created by Tree Media and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, demonstrates the importance of pollinators for our food and well-being. It describes the threats pollinators are facing from pesticides and loss of habitat, and presents solu-

tions to help. After the showing, there was a panel featuring the film’s creator, as well as representatives from other organizations invested in the health of pollinators.

Bartholdi Re-do

An event celebrating the recent renovations for Bartholdi Park (pictured below), part of the U.S. Botanic Gardens, was held on Thursday, June 21. The park began renovations in 2016 to increase its sustainability. The park also received its SITES certification, a program that promotes sustainable design through assessing a landscape in five main areas: water, soil, plants, materials, and human health. Among other changes, the park now features 10 water gardens that capture rainfall, more native plants, and additional seating areas. o This issue’s “HortHappenings” were compiled by Rosie Kean and Racquel Royer. Both are editorial interns at Washington Gardener. See photos from events listed here, as well as many more photo albums of recent local garden events attended by our staff, at the Washington Gardener Facebook Page: facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine. Recent albums include pictorials from the Slow Flowers Conference. Click on the PHOTOS tab, then select from the ALBUMS listed.

PLANTprofile

Colorful and Bold Ornamental Peppers By Kathy Jentz

Heat up your garden with these little balls of fire! Ornamental peppers make great container and foundation plants. They really are three-season plants, but fall is when they put on their best show. The peppers come in a range of colors, from white to orange/red to purple to black—often with multiple hues on the same plant. The plants are short and compact. The foliage is also colorful. Look for plants with almost-black leaves or ones with bright variegation that contrasts with the fruits. They need full sun for best coloration, but will do all right in part sun. They are not very fussy plants. Pinch back any new growth in order to encourage branching and fullness. Keep the soil evenly moist. You can also bring them indoors as houseplants once the night temperatures dip: Place them in a sunny window through winter and then back outside once the last frost has passed. I like to cut a branch for use in dried flower arrangements or in a seasonal wreath. I also string some, using floral wire, to make a holiday garland. When working with them, be sure to wear eye protection and gloves in handling the fruit so you don’t feel the heat from these potent plants. Ornamental peppers are deer-resistant, nor will squirrels or rabbits touch them, but birds may give them a try. And yes, they are technically edible, but you really wouldn’t want to consume them since they are very hot and not bred for flavor, and therefore are not very tasty. Also, since they are raised as ornamental plants, they may have had pesticides applied to them by the grower. My favorite varieties to grow are ‘Black Pearl’, “Sangria’, and ‘Calico’—and new ones are being bred and introduced all the time. It is fun to try a few new ones out every year in my garden. o Kathy Jentz is editor of Washington Gardener and grows ornamental peppers in her community garden plot as a barrier against the rabbits.

JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

GREENliving

How Gardeners Can Adapt to Climate Change By Racquel Royer

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

GREENliving Everyone knows that the climate is changing. Days and nights are getting warmer, and the weather is becoming less predictable. The constant burning of fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere at a terrifying rate, and the warmth is having a huge effect on our plants. According to a recent National Climate Assessment report, “Some extreme weather and climate events have increased in recent decades.” “It’s the greenhouse effect,” says Dr. Bert Drake., a plant physiologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center near Annapolis, MD. “It’s like the heat that happens when you leave your car out on a hot day.” What used to alarmingly be called “global warming” has been commercially renamed “climate change” because industries that rely on selling fossil fuel and power realized they were under the gun, Drake says.

Climate Change Effects Garden Plants and Crops

Although carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis, “it also traps heat, and the resulting higher temperature leads to less moisture and more stress for plants,” says Janet Young, a Montgomery County master gardener who speaks on the topic of gardens and climate change. “Plants don’t like that heat,” Drake says. “It dries them out and they’re very sensitive to drought. They use up more water rapidly, which is something immediate that everyone would notice.” Young noted that when temperatures exceed 86°F, plants decrease in pollination and fruit production. She said, for example, that peppers drop flowers and fruit when night-time temperatures are too high. Warmer temperatures have been shown to lower yields for certain varieties of grain crops by speeding up the development cycle, according to the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. They note that potatoes, apples, cabbage, and snap beans will be more challenging to grow. Cornell and Young suggest exploring new heattolerant varieties and planting earlier in the spring or later in the fall. Shade cloths can reduce sun exposure by as much as 30 percent.

Young also described how herbicides are less effective in high CO2 conditions and many noxious weeds thrive. Cornell notes that certain weed species that thrive in the south, such as kudzu, are migrating northward, while native weeds (like poison ivy) are also becoming stronger. To combat these “super” weeds, pressure to use chemical control will increase. This can be combated by weeding by hand early and often, and making use of cover crops and sustainable mulch (newspapers, hay, straw). The organic matter suppresses weeds, reduces erosion, and brings nitrogen and phosphorous to the surface. Aside from the physical effect on plants, higher temperatures mean increased animal populations and more disease-bearing insects. (If you find that pests are a specific problem in your garden, it’s best to take photos and contact an expert or your local extension service.) Another issue that comes with climate change is inconsistency in the seasonal weather that we may be used to. Young explained that heavy rainstorms in Maryland have increased by 71%—leading to rot, especially among root vegetables, and making good drainage very important. When drought occurs, sustainable mulching and drip irrigation can be a big help.

What You Can Do in Your Own Home Garden

When asked about ways that gardeners or anyone in the community can help combat climate change and reduce the amount of CO2 in the air, Young advised avoiding gasoline-powered tools. She said that around 5% of carbon emissions come from lawn mowers! Additionally, gardeners should weed smart by using cover crops, composting, controlling erosion, and avoiding tilling, because it turns up new weed seeds. Stick to natural fertilizers and avoid chemicals in your yard. Consider ecolandscaping such as permaculture, and avoid invasive species. Make use of porous surfaces rather than concrete or other impermeable materials for your pathways. Some other climate-friendly practices include planting evergreens on the windy side of your house, which she

says can reduce heating costs by 20%, or putting deciduous trees on the south side of the house to block heat in the summer and allow sun exposure in the winter. Shrubs around the foundation can also reduce heat loss. Something else to consider is planting native shrubs and perennials instead of maintaining turfgrass lawns. Drake suggested thinking of CO2 like garbage. “Individuals produce something like 40-times as much CO2 as the ‘other type’ of garbage that we produce,” he says. Switching from a pickup truck to a hybrid car (or going car-free!) is one of the biggest things you can do to help yourself and the environment. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) includes a few tips for “Taking Action in Your Backyard” to help the environment on their website (www.nwf. org). Of course, at the top of the list is using energy efficient products. Gardeners can install outdoor automatic light timers, avoid using human powered tools, and instead purchase solar-powered garden products. They also advise removing invasive plants and opt for native alternatives. When it comes to reducing water consumption in your garden, they suggest mulching, installing rain barrels, and using drip irrigation. Mulching, as previously stated, also provides nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, which take a lot of energy to produce. The NWF says that composting kitchen and garden waste can tremendously reduce your contribution to carbon pollution, especially methane. Planting trees can help absorb CO2. The NWF says that trees can absorb and store as much as a ton of carbon pollution from the atmosphere. “If every one of America’s 85 million gardening households planted just one young shade tree in their backyard or community, those trees would absorb more than 2 million tons of CO2 each year.” Shade trees can also be used for cooling in the summer. o Racquel Royer is a senior studying broadcast journalism in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. This summer, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.

JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

CHEFgardens

Up the Ladder at the Evening Star Cafe

By Ana Hurler During the summer of 2017, we spole to Keith Cabot, then executive chef of Evening Star Cafe. He loved nothing more than to go up to his rooftop and harvest produce for that night’s service. “There’s nothing better than going upstairs and pulling it out of the ground,” he said. The 1,300-square-foot garden provides more than 60 percent of the restaurant’s produce during the peak season, Cabot said. With the installation of tarps to cover the beds and fans, the garden continues to produce throughout the winter, although at a lower rate. Evening Star has served as a popular dining spot in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA, since 1997. The restaurant has several distinctive areas for friends and families to gather, from the main dining room and Front Porch, to The Majestic Lounge and No. 9 Lounge. The restaurant is open to Planet Wine next door, where Cabot creates meals paired with wines at The 16

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

Evening Star’s chef Keith Cabot and master of soil Jonathan Stark.

Farm Table. Each has its own seasonal offerings. “It’s only 1,300 square feet,” Cabot said. “I say ‘only’ because that’s small for a whole restaurant, but that’s bigger than most people’s apartment, so it’s big for what it is, but it’s small in the sense of what it’s providing for. So how do we get a product to produce the fastest, the best, the largest?” The rooftop garden started four years ago, and Cabot has been at the restaurant for two and a half years. With help from Jonathan Stark, who does handyman work for several restaurants under the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and whom Cabot calls the “master of soil,” the garden has grown and become more efficient. “In the last year, we just started making it the most efficient we can,” Cabot said. “Jon was getting to know the soil, he was getting to know different plants, and he was trying a lot of things out so there were a lot of one-offs, and to use that on the menu for a whole restau-

rant, you really need to see quantity.” Now, the garden produces enough to have an item on the menu for the whole season. By dividing the garden into 24-square-foot garden-style beds, they can calculate how many blocks of each plant are needed to produce the yield they are looking for. Within the blocks, smaller herbs are planted on the outside, while larger, taller plants, such as tomatoes and beans, are placed in a row in the middle to maximize access. Cabot said they also only plant varieties they can use responsibly, and do not like to use anything with a germination period of more than 80 days. “Then the bed is just not getting used,” he said. “There’s something in it, and it’s growing, but we’re not getting anything out of it. And it really slows down what we’re able to use on the menu.” To supply the rest of their produce needs, Cabot works closely with Northern Neck Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for deliveries gathered from local farms.

CHEFgardens This partnership also includes a weekly CSA where anyone can order a produce box and pick it up at the restaurant. “My philosophy is that if you know where your product’s coming from, you have that much more insight into what to do with it,” Cabot said. “You know when it’s going to be ready, you know when it’s going to be harvested, you know how much you’re going to get. You just have that connection.” While the rooftop garden takes much more planning, time, and effort than ordering produce, Cabot said the payoff is “going up there, climbing that ladder, and picking that produce off the plant and then using it right away.” “The product doesn’t get any fresher than that,” he added. “No matter what anybody says, no matter how they want to phrase it, no matter what term they want to use, it doesn’t get any fresher than picking it off the plant and putting it on the table.” The other benefit to the rooftop garden is extending the shelf life of the produce. By the time Cabot gets to the bottom of a box of purchased produce, it’s no longer fresh. With the garden, the produce is harvested during the day and used up during the same service. “No matter what avenue of produce vendor or how you’re getting your product, that’s the number one thing,” Cabot said. “How do you manage that time to make sure that what’s going on the plate is as fresh as it can be?” To emphasize this freshness, almost everything from the rooftop is served raw or only slightly cooked. “The fresher the vegetables are, then the less cooking heat you apply to them, because once you apply heat to something, it starts to deteriorate,” he said. “You’re losing its flavor, you’re losing its texture, and those things you’re compromising at that point.” Rooftop produce is the centerpiece of many current dinner offerings, such as shishito peppers with mint, feta, and lime, and tomatoes with purslane, basil, and sherry. “For me, it’s really about letting the produce shine,” Cabot said. “The roof takes so much time, it takes so much effort, so much thought to get the produce to a point where we’re ready to harvest it. And when we harvest it, I

Chef Recipe

Chef Keith Cabot shared his recipe for Sweet & Sour Eggplant, a variation of which is currently being used in his duck dish.

don’t want to do something to the product to disrespect that process.” By serving the produce this way, Cabot gives patrons a chance to taste the full payoff of all their hard work up there. While this payoff does take extra time and resources (Cabot and Stark are already planning next season’s harvest), Cabot said working in the garden is simply what he loves to do. “I think it’s an amenity for me,” he said. “It’s there so we can get the best product for the guests, but I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for the garden, I’m grateful for Jon, and having those resources at our disposal.” o Ana Hurler is a senior multi-platform journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park. She was an intern with Washington Gardener during the summer of 2017.

Ingredients: 1# Italian globe eggplant diced, 1 inch cubes 1# Japanese eggplant sliced, 1 inch pieces 1/2 cup red onions diced, small 1/2 cup fennel diced, small 1/2 cup honey 1 cup red wine vinegar 4 cups apple juice Pinch chili flake (you can add more or less based on your preference for spicy) 2 laurel leaves, fresh 1/8 cup cornstarch Instructions: Toss eggplant in oil. Bake at 375 until light brown. Sweat onion and fennel with chili in enough canola oil to cover a rondo on medium heat until tender, no color. Deglaze by adding laurel, honey, vinegar, and juice. Reduce by half. Add eggplant and cook until glazed.

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. JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

INSECTindex

by Carol Allen

One does not think of gardening as an extreme sport. Not like bungee jumping, zorbing, or parasailing. Gardening is a thrill that, in most cases, does not require a sudden spike in adrenalin to be exciting, but it has its adrenalinproducing risks. Consider heat exhaustion and sunstroke. Ponder strained backs, sore knees, and “tennis” elbow! In the Mid-Atlantic, there are the threats of Zika, West Nile virus, and Chikungunya via mosquito bites, but the biggest risk is contracting a disease through tick bites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that between 2004 and 2016, there were 22,166 tick-borne disease cases just in Maryland. In that report, Maryland and Virginia were in the top 20 percent of states for tick-borne diseases. What are we up against? As gardeners, we are outside as much of the day/ week/month that we can. Our potential exposure to ticks might be greater than for the average hiker, runner, or other sportsperson. However, there are some protocols that we can follow to protect ourselves. First, know the environment you occupy and the species of ticks most likely to be found in that habitat. Second, know the life cycle of that particular species and when your risk is the greatest. Thirdly, choose a reasonable method of protection using proven repellents that you are comfortable with and, most importantly, conduct routine body inspections. Tick-borne diseases generally require a tick biting for 24 hours or more, so remove your clothes and wash immediately (don’t put them in the hamper 18

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

or in your bedroom), shower right after gardening, and inspect for any ticks that may have escaped your detection. Lastly, consider what acceptable modifications can be made to your surroundings to diminish your risk of encountering ticks.

Tick Life Cycle

Ticks are not insects, but are allied with mites and spiders. They go through a gradual metamorphosis, starting with egg, then larvae (six-legged), nymph (eight-legged), and finally adult. Each life stage requires a blood meal to mature to the next stage. Some ticks, like the American dog tick, will seek out dogs for each life stage, but others will prefer a different host for each stage. Most ticks require at least two years to reach maturity. Ticks do not fly, jump, or fall on their host, but clasp plants with their hind legs and extend their front legs to grab onto a passerby. This behavior is known as “questing.” Ticks will find their host by the animal’s breath, body heat, moisture, or vibrations and can be found in higher numbers questing on well-used pathways. If a tick does not find a host for a blood meal, it may die, but some ticks can live for months, even nearly a year, without a meal.

4 Mid-Atlantic Ticks

• The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), probably our most common tick, is found in deciduous forests where its reproductive host—deer, mice, and chipmunks—are plentiful. This tick is known to carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan disease. The adult phase is found year-round.

A deer tick questing on a blade of grass. Photo source: CDC.gov.

Ticked Off!

The eggs are laid in the spring and larva hatch from July to September. The nymphs appear the next year in May through August. Nymphs and larvae feed on rodents. Adults often spend the winter on white-tailed deer, mate, and lay their eggs the following spring. • Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) feed on three different hosts throughout their two-year life cycle. Adults can be found in April through late August. After mating, eggs are laid in the spring and larvae are common from July to late September. Larvae are often associated with wild turkeys. Nymphs are most common from May to early August. Adults can be very aggressive in seeking a host. Lone Star ticks can be found on ground-dwelling birds, small animals (squirrel, opossum, hares), domestic animals, deer, coyotes, and humans. Lone Star ticks are found in deciduous woodlands and in areas where animals bed down. They can transmit human ehrlichiosis, tularemia, southern tick associated rash illness, and meat allergy. • The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is generally found in open areas with little tree cover. It will feed on three different hosts in its lifetime. Larvae are found from April through September and feed and over winter on small animals. The nymph stage is most common in May through July and adults in April through early August. The adults prefer dogs (or humans) for their meals and nymphs feed on smaller animals such as opossums and raccoons. The American dog tick transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and tularemia, and can cause canine tick paralysis. • The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) has adapted its life cycle to life indoors. It is active all year and in warmer climates can produce several generations per year. It is the most common tick found worldwide. It goes through the same life stages as the previously mentioned ticks and its preferred host is canine, although it can occasionally be found on cats or humans. This is the tick that can sometimes infest our homes as well as survive out of doors. The brown dog tick transmits RMSF, canine ehrlichiosis, and canine babesiosis.

INSECTindex

Tick Prevention Tips

In areas where people congregate, the University of Maryland (UMD) recommends eliminating habitats that provide moisture and cover for tick eggs to hatch and life stages to be completed. Suggestions include keeping grass (and weeds) mowed to 3", limiting the use of groundcover plants, and pruning trees and shrubs to bring sunlight and dryer conditions to garden beds. Since rodents are often intermediate hosts, home gardens should discourage their occupation. Bird feeders should be moved away from prime human spaces, firewood should be kept dry, piles of leaves around the base of the house or woodpile should be eliminated, and hiding places in stone walls or under sidewalks should be sealed off. Deer should be strongly discouraged by the use of less-favored food plants, repellents, and fencing. Fruit trees should not be planted and, if fruit trees already exist, any fallen fruit should be kept cleaned up. As the incidence of tick-borne diseases escalates dramatically, biologists study where ticks fit into the urban and suburban ecosystems. Recent studies have found that areas planted with Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) or where it has escaped into natural areas are especially good environments for small animals and the ticks they carry to hide and breed. This invasive species is currently listed in Maryland Invasive Terrestrial Plants of Concern (http:// mdinvasives.org/archive/list_terrestrial_ plants.html), but has not yet achieved the legal status of Tier 1 and Tier 2 lists of invasive plants. The propagation, distribution, and disposal of Tier 1 plants is prohibited or regulated and Tier 2 plants can only be sold or distributed with adequate warning by the seller. On the other hand, studies have indicated that white-tailed deer (and the ticks they carry) are found in higher numbers where the Maryland Tier 1 invasive plant Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is abundant and are greatly reduced in areas where it has been removed or does not exist. Although deer do not find it tasty, it significantly alters the environment and deer like it for shelter. The most recent study, published just

this month and reporting on 20 years of data, indicates that Lyme diseasecarrying ticks are found most abundantly where high numbers of rodents occur and natural predators such as foxes are few. The fragmented natural areas found in our urban and suburban neighborhoods do not support adequate populations of these predators. Rodents, such as the white-footed mouse, are a favorite host for the blacklegged tick nymph. As a proponent and practitioner of sustainable horticulture, I will continue as I started out years ago. My property is protected by a deer fence, I ruthlessly remove invasive plants whenever/wherever encountered, and I reestablish native plants in communities where possible. I maintain my property as a conservation area. I am lucky to live in an area where I have the luxury of a predator-supporting habitat. Most of us want to include animalsupporting areas in our home landscapes. Will that pollinator garden be tick-supporting as well? Every gardener will need to make their own decisions based on individual and family needs.

There may be a less habitat-destroying way to control ticks! A professor in the UMD plant science department shared that he soaks cotton batting (or cotton balls) with Bifenthrin*, lets it dry, stuffs it into a toilet paper roll tube, and places them about every 10 feet or so around the perimeter of his suburban property. He places the rolls in brush piles, stacks of firewood, sheds, and similar areas that might shelter small rodents. He has noted a sharp decline in ticks since he started this a few years ago. There are commercial products (Tick Tubes) available as well. He suggests putting them out in prime nesting seasons (early spring and early fall). Make sure you use protective gloves, eye-wear, long sleeves, etc. if you are handling pesticides. o Carol Allen describes herself as a committable plant-a-holic. She has more than 25 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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.

This diagram shows the life cycle of blacklegged ticks. Photo source: CDC.gov.

*Please use pesticides safely! Read and heed all label directions! JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

NEIGHBORnwork

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Meet Lynley Ogilvie: President of APLD DC/MD/VA Chapter By Rosie Kean

Lynley Ogilvie is a landscape designer in McLean, VA. She offers landscape design and installation services to clients in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. After a career in law, she decided to make a major career shift in 2011 when she opened her landscaping business. She is also currently the president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD)’s local DC/MD/ VA Chapter. We caught up with Ogilvie at a local bakery to learn more about what it was like to transition to such a different career, her success as a landscape designer, and her process for tackling a project. Can you start by telling us some of your background? I was born in West Virginia, and I grew up there. When it came time to go to college, I applied to Harvard and got in. I majored in East Asian Art History at Harvard. Then I came to Washington because there weren’t any jobs in West Virginia, and I worked on the Hill for three years and ended up applying to 20

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

law school. I went to the University of Virginia for law school. I graduated from UVA and took a job at a law firm in DC. I worked there for seven years, and then I went in-house to a public relations firm and was associate general counsel for nine years, so altogether, 16 years as a lawyer. While I was working as a lawyer, I started taking classes at GW in the landscape design group and loved it. I bought my first house and needed to take care of the yard, so I started implementing things I had learned growing up from my parents who were avid gardeners. I just realized that I liked it more than practicing law, so when the time was right, I made the transition. I left in 2011 and opened my own landscaping firm (lynleyogilvie.com), and I’ve been a landscape designer for eight years now. What was the transition like, moving to such a different career? It was scary at first. It’s pretty risky to leave a long-track career with guaranteed high income and start a business. I had a lot of very nice people take a

chance on me when I started working: some former colleagues, parents from schools, a few neighbors. That helped me get started and also learn how to work as a designer. A lot of skills that have been helpful going into landscape design acquired in my other work: attention to detail, understanding regulations and tax obligations, being a project manager, dealing with clients. All of those skills are very translatable, but it’s very different. I went from sitting at a desk 10 hours a day to doing what a landscape designer does. Sometimes I’m drawing, sometimes I’m meeting with clients. A lot of the time, I’m out in the field working on installations. It’s very different. What would you say is the best part of your job? I really enjoy coming up with elegant solutions to problems. Almost every client calls me because they want to change something about their landscape. Either they have a problem that needs to be fixed or they just want it to be more appealing, and I enjoy coming up with solutions that fix problems in a

NEIGHBORnwork beautiful way. There are a lot of contractors who can come in and fix an erosion problem—but how do you make it look good, and how do you do that in the client’s budget? That’s the challenge I really enjoy the most. What is your biggest success? I’m very proud of trying new methods, being open to researching solutions that I don’t know about and then figuring out how to implement them. For example, I had a client who had a very steep slope in her front yard underneath an old oak tree, with a lot of deer traffic. The deer would come to eat the acorns, they would walk over the hill, erode the soil, and the shade from the tree prevented any grass from growing, so we had to come up with a completely different approach for how to deal with that slope. I researched a method involving jute matting and installing landscape plugs, and it’s a beautiful slope now that doesn’t suffer from deer damage. And it’s thriving in the shade. I love problems like that: figuring out how to do something. It’s not always something taught in landscape class. It might be something that requires an entirely new method. What was your biggest challenge? The biggest challenge in starting a landscape business was finding the right relationships with the right contractors. So much of what I do depends on having high-quality installation services, whether it’s masonry, or the planting installation, or lighting, or irrigation. And it takes awhile to develop those relationships. I have them now, and it makes my day so much better. I can count on a contractor to be there when they say they will, that they’re going to do a good job, and think of things I haven’t even thought of. They’re experts in their fields. That was the biggest hurdle; it took a lot of time, but now that I’ve got it, it’s really invaluable. What is a typical work day like? I have two types of days. I have days when I’m at my desk. I might be doing paperwork, or researching methods, or doing plant orders, or designing because I still hand-render all my designs. Then there are field days. Field days involve either meeting clients or

supervising installations. For example, this morning I was out the door at 6:30 to meet the contractor on site. We’re regrading a front slope, and we’re preparing it for planting. The plants will arrive tomorrow at 7am, and they’ll have to be unloaded and installed. I usually help unload the truck. I went back out just before coming to this meeting to check that they were getting the soil amendments down and preparing the site. I also wanted them to predig the bigger holes for the trees so that when the delivery comes tomorrow, they can place the trees directly off the truck into the holes. I’ll go back there probably twice a day. Sometimes I’ll stay long because I have to place plants. Then I’ll have to follow up with watering and check in with the client. It’s very handson. I get dirty, I eat my lunch in the car, I make quick trips to the quarry or the nursery to pick up things we didn’t get. What kind of process can your clients expect when they work with you? I usually start with a site visit, where I ask them to give me a copy of the plat and any ideas they’ve collected or pulled from magazines or websites. Then I want them to walk me through the landscape and tell me what they do and don’t like, what’s working, what isn’t working, what they wished they had more of, and how they use the space. And I just take notes. I write everything down so I can look at it later. Then I follow up with them in a few weeks and show them some preliminary sketches, some layout options, some material options, and some plant options, and get some feedback from them. After that meeting, I do a landscape plan in pencil. I meet with them and check for anything they want to change before the plan becomes final. Is there a common problem a lot of your clients come to you with? Erosion. We’ve had such extremes of weather here and it’s getting worse. We are definitely subject to global warming, and the huge storms we’ve gotten over the last few years have caused people who might normally have had a pretty low-maintenance yard to face erosion anywhere there’s a low spot on the property. And that’s a challenge, but it’s pretty common.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I really like working in my own garden. For a while, I was so busy setting up my business that I didn’t do that. I realized that I was starting to look at my garden as a burden instead of a pleasure, so I made a very concerted effort a couple years ago to make sure I work in my garden, almost every day. Is there anything in your garden that you’re really excited about? My son and I decided to raise bees, so we got two beehives. We took a class over the winter, from the Northern Virginia’s Beekeeper Association. In the winter when we heard about how the pollinator habitat has been hurt by urbanization, we decided we wanted to add more native plants in our yard and more pollinator-friendly plants that would bloom continuously over the warm season. We have a pretty big grassy front yard, and I turned it into a meadow, so it’s got three big rectangles that are all native grasses and flowers. It’s an ugly duckling right now; it’s still growing in, but it was so much fun learning about how to do this and I loved experimenting with it. And the neighborhood—everybody stops by and says, “What are you doing?!” It’s just been a great project. I’m hoping that once I’ve gone through this process and finished observing this cycle, I can offer this service to clients if they want to do the same thing. Is there anything else you want to share with our readers? I would just say that I’m a big believer in reducing the amount of hardwood mulch that’s needed in a garden, either by adding more plants or using shredded leaf mulch. I think in this area, the typical garden is a big grass lawn that’s fed by chemicals and mowed weekly, with beds that are covered with 3 inches or more of hardwood mulch that nothing can penetrate. It’s a lot of artificial maintenance, and I think that people are starting to get that a more natural approach can be beautiful. o Rosie Kean is a senior multiplatform journalism and English major at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is from Macungie, PA. This summer, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener. JULY 2018

WASHINGTON GARDENER

GOINGnative

Agave virginica:

A Native Plant with a Tropical Slant By Barry Glick

I don’t know about you, but for me, hearing the word Agave conjures up images of the Mexican desert, or gargantuan plants in 50-gallon pots with 20-foot flower stems. Maybe you think of Tequila or Agave Nectar, certainly not a plant that’s native to the East Coast, and not just to Virginia, but to 16 other southeastern and Gulf states. Agave virginica, also known as Manfreda virginica (I’ll tell you more about Manny later), is an easy-to-grow native perennial, usually found in the wild on rocky outcrops in scrubby soil. In the garden, it does best in well-drained locations with dappled to full sun. If you’re lucky, it will bloom in mid-summer with interesting yellowish-green, tubular flowers on 36–72" firm stems. The tropical-looking leaves are fleshy and succulent—sometimes flecked with attractive red dots. They’re usually about 4–12" long, but I’ve had some that were up to 18" long. Their foliage really does resemble that of Aloe, explaining one of the common names that you’ll find it listed under: “False Aloe.” The flowers aren’t particularly showy, but the impact of the tall stems that they sit atop makes them quite an unexpected sight. I haven’t yet experienced a seed set, probably because they’re pollinated by very particular species of moths that may not live in my locale. They also attract hummingbirds, which draw their nectar, but that doesn’t seem to help with pollination. I think that I’m going to have to get out there with my #8 camel hair brush and sling some pollen around. I have been able to root offsets that are occasionally produced. In herbal medicine, the root of Agave virginica has been used to treat dropsy, snakebite, diarrhea, and worms. Strangely enough, this plant happens to be a member of the Asparagus family, and I still haven’t wrapped my brain around that yet. Earlier, I referenced the synonymous name of this genus, Manfreda. This name is in honor of a very interesting fellow who lived in the 14th century named Manfredus de Monte Imperiali. He was a well-known herbalist and illustrator of medicinal plants. So there you have it: a tropical-looking plant that is indeed hardy and native to our region. o 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.

Illustration by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727–1817) [public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

WASHINGTON GARDENER JULY 2018

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

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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

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