Washington Gardener Magazine September 2015 issue

SEPTEMBER 2015 VOL. 10 NO. 7

WWW.WASHINGTONGARDENER.COM

WASHINGTON WAS W WASHINGTO ASHINGTO

ggardener

the magazine for gardening enthusiasts in the Mid-Atlantic region

Apple-Picking Time Your Garden Tasks To-Do List How to Edge Your Garden Beds Local Garden Events Calendar

Why, What, and When of Fall Planting Sniffing Out Overwintering Stink Bugs Safe Lawn Care Resources and Allies

Take a Day Trip to the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum

Ninebark:

A Colorful American Native Shrub

GoGardeners Garden Coaching

Elise Stigliano Garden Coach elise@gogardeners.com • 301-518-8333

www.gogardeners.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 wgardenermag@aol.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

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.

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A “must visit” for everyone in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. It’s a year-round gold mine 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.

INSIDEcontents

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o ‘Amber Jubilee’ Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolus) was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. A distinctly different Ninebark, ‘Amber Jubilee’ was developed in Manitoba, Canada. Photo courtesy of First Editions® Plants.

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Win a pack of Deer Ban™ repellent capsules!

The contest entry deadline is 5pm on September 30.

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Apples ripen from the outside of the tree toward the center, so the apples on the outside of the tree will ripen first. Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Try to leave the stem on the apples as that can help them store longer.

FEATURES and COLUMNS BOOKreviews 14-17 Devotions from the Garden, Rooted in Design, Complete Guide to Herbs, Lawn People DAYtrip 6-8 Edith J. Carrier Arboretum EDIBLEharvest 18 Apple-Picking Time GARDENbasics 19 Edging Garden Beds HORThappenings 9 Field to Vase Dinner, Tomato Taste, 2015 DC State Fair, Brookside Book Donation NEWPLANTspotlight 11 Crape Myrtle Black Diamond PLANTprofile 20-21 Ninebark (Physocarpus sp.)

TIPStricks 10 Fall Planting Basics, Where Stink Bugs Overwinter, USDA Hardiness Zone Map App

DEPARTMENTS

ADVERTISINGindex BLOGlinks EDITORletter GARDENcontest LOCALevents MONTHLYtasklist NEXTissue RESOURCESsources

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ON THE COVER

Ninebark foliage at Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, PA. Photo by Carol Allen.

In our October 2015 issue:

In trench edging, the goal is to stop grass and weeds from crossing the divide into the garden bed. Adding mulch provides a finished look and helps stop weed seeds from sprouting. Photo courtesy of Preen.

Low-Maintenance Perennials Growing Cauliflower and much more...

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by October 10 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication!

Be sure you are subscribed to:

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Click on the “subscribe” link at http://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/ SEPTEMBER 2015

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EDITORletter

Credits Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher & Advertising Sales Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301.588.6894 wgardenermag@aol.com www.washingtongardener.com Call today to place your ad with us!

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter Proofreader Daven Desai Gaby Galvin Marissa Paiano Interns

Your editor and author Andrea Wulf at the recent National Book Festival 2015 in Washington, DC.

Our Little Garden Book Club For several years, I thought of gathering a bunch of local gardeners to discuss garden-related books. I confess that this was more for myself than as a community service. I knew that, without a deadline or a set club meeting date, the stack of books on my night stand would just continue to grow and sit there unread, since other things always seemed to take priority over reading time.

In the summer of 2012, I finally got a minute to put together some garden book club details and posted an event invitation to the magazine’s blog page. The first book that we discussed was Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf. I had met the author on a few occasions and knew that this well-researched book would be perfect for sparking discussion about the history of gardening in our region. At our first gathering, there were about eight of us and the conversation was indeed lively as everyone brought their own backgrounds, thoughts, and theories to the table.

Since that first gathering, we have met quarterly and discussed many books — from garden-based fiction such as The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert to biographies of great gardeners like Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes by Judith Tankard to nonfiction horticultural tell-alls, including Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart. If it weren’t for this club, I know that I would not have made the time to delve into these wonderful books. Even the books that I did not personally love, I felt were worth reading, and I always learned something new — both from the book’s contents and from our discussion group. I urge you to join us at our next book club meeting on November 5, where we will discuss Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest by Joan Maloof. (See details on page 13.)

Happy gardening (and reading)!

Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener wgardenermag@aol.com 4

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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 is a womanowned business. We are proud to be members of: · Garden Writers Association · Think Local First DC · 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 10, Number 7 ISSN 1555-8959 © 2015 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.

SEPTEMBER 2015

READERcontt

Reader Contest

For our September 2015 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away the three packs of 50-capsule of Summit® Deer Ban™ (each of the 50-capsule packs has a retail value of $21).

To keep deer from eating your precious yard and garden plants, try a natural wildlife control repellent. Summit® Deer Ban™ repellent capsules keep deer from eating flowers and other landscape plants. Deer Ban™ uses a unique gel-tablet application to provide 100% effective, year-round protection from wildlife damage.

Each Deer Ban™ capsule contains predator urine that triggers a deer’s animal flight response. Just set out the capsules on the ground every five to 10 feet around the plants you want to protect. Then water the capsules to release the active ingredient for up to 90 days of protection. When activated by water, the polymer gel releases the scent of predator urine, which keeps deer away. Deer Ban™ is odorless to humans, and your hands never touch the active ingredient. There’s no messy spraying, and no mixing or measuring. Unlike most deer repellents that wash away and become ineffective after rain, water actually enhances the effectiveness of Deer Ban™. That’s because the polymer gel has to absorb water to activate the odor of the active ingredient. The biodegradable Deer Ban™ will continue to be reactivated by rain or watering for up to three months.

To enter to win one of the 50-capsule packs of Deer Ban™, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5pm on Wednesday, September 30, with “Deer Ban” in the subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us which was your favorite article in this September 2015 issue of the magazine and why. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on October 1.

Caption Contest

We asked our Facebook page followers: How would you caption these succulents in baby shoes on sale at a local supermarket?

Look for more monthly caption contests at the Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine page.

Winning Captions: “Start gardening in baby steps.” ~ Carol Heitmuller Carrier “Sneaker-ulents” ~ Marge McGugan “Shoes and sock-ulents.” ~ Julie Blackwell “Are your shoes too comfortable? Our ‘Caltropsin-a-shoe’ will fix that for only $29.99.” ~ Eddie Chang “Anything goes when you run out of plant pots!” ~ Esther James Sedum shoes photo by Kathy Jentz.

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DAYtrip

Not Just a Pretty Space: The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

Text and Photos by Cheval Force Opp

The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum flirts with all who enter through its ornamental iron gates. A jewel-blue pond set in a lush-green hollow beckons you down the wide, cement walkway. The walk, the Plecker Pond Accessible Loop Trail, spans the landscape and a pictureperfect bridge arches over the duck-littered pond. A cluster of flowering trees —‘Forest Pansy’ Redbud, Chinese Dogwood, ‘Cherokee Sunset’ Dogwood, and Carolina Silverbell — skirts the pond’s edge. Named the “Druery Planting,” the collection reflects a kaleidoscope of seasonal colors onto the pond.

The walk is bordered by several gardens packed with plants supporting migratory butterflies. One of my favorites was a pocket-sized, man-made wetlands garden adorned with dragonflies flitting through Horsetail and rushes with Iris and Cardinal Flower dotting the soggy edges among Bald Cypress’s woody knobs.

Joining me on the walk was a family with a young boy in an electric wheelchair. I paused on the bridge near the weeping willow to laugh at the ducks, turtles, and fish vying for the treats the family threw into the rippling water. The Willow is named “Poet-Tree” and has a basket attached where visitors of all 6

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ages are encouraged to leave a work of poetry. The poems are posted on the arboretum’s web site and I thought this poem by Rohan (4) and Zaida (2) summed up a great visit: The sky is blue, The creek is little, And the ducks are sleeping.

impressive with an ambitious range of activities: conservation; pleasure; interpretation of plants and ecosystems of the Shenandoah Valley; outdoor biology laboratory; and environmental educational center supporting tours, lectures, seminars, workshops, and creative public programs.

The arboretum hosts the National Poetry Month program with the Furious Flower Poetry Center, where attendees bring their poems to read. This is just one of numerous ways the staff, via their web presence, drawn in a diverse range of visitors.

Pleasure for All

Arboretum at James Madison University

The arboretum, the only one located on a public university campus in Virginia, is named for Edith J. Carrier, the talented wife of James Madison University (JMU) President Emeritus, Ronald E. Carrier.

From 1971 to 1998, Mrs. Carrier served the university as a social doyenne for visiting academic, political, and corporate dignitaries.

Since the arboretum’s founding in 1985, design decisions have been guided with the mission of maintaining a natural environment. The intensive use of the 125-acre botanical preserve is

The centerpiece of arboretum accessibility is a striking trio: the Ann O’Connor Jurney Stage Garden and the Ernst Tree Terrace connected with the Plecker Pond Loop Trail, The Ann O’Connor Jurney Stage Garden accommodates live performances, but is also a favorite gathering area to meditate while enjoying a view of the pond and the surrounding 33 acres of naturalized botanical gardens.

The new Ernst Tree Terrace is a hilltop patio and pergola adjacent to the education center. From the terrace, visitors easily access a generous, paved area next to the education center. A pergola for shade has a water feature bounding the far side. Visitors of any mobility can appreciate the sweeping view of pond and woods. Fronted by a handsome, hardscaped access ramp, the stone education center is home base for a wide range of programs. Artwork

DAYtrip displays are sponsored throughout the year and the numerous workshops and classes offered are listed on the web site. Closely planted Daylilies were blooming their hearts out on the education center’s slope when I visited. In the morning sun, the colors were stainedglass glorious.

Child-friendly walks are an integral focus along the forest trails. The “At Home in the Woods” program allows kids to use their energy and senses at learning stations along the trail. My favorite was the gigantic oak tree overturned to expose the root ball, giving a dramatic demonstration of the “holding” power of trees.

Conservation and Interpretation

My corgi, Marzipan, and I enjoyed perusing the arboretum plants offered for sale. In fact, since dogs on leashes are allowed, we met several other dogs with owners using the more than three miles of mulched trails for an early morning run.

One of the first structures to greet us on the trail was a pavilion. This simple, three-sided open building is a favorite for picnics and outdoor classes.

I was surprised to still find Plum-leaf Azalea blooms in the dappled shade of

the Sandra and Kenneth McDonald Azalea and Rhododendron Garden. Planted here are more than 500 individual azaleas and rhododendrons, some 15 to 20 years old and up to 15 feet tall.

Crowding both sides of the John Clayton Trail, the garden must be dazzling in azalea high season starting in March.

Walking just a bit further, I found Trillium that had just finished blooming in the William Andrew Wood Memorial Garden. In May, the Yellow Lady Slippers, Turk’s Cap Lily, and Dutchman’s Breeches take center stage with 92 other species planted in this extensive native shrub and wildflower garden.

Continuing up the forest slope, we discovered Fern Valley in the deepest ravine in the arboretum. The lush planting is a kaleidoscope of greens and textures, including familiar ferns such as Hay-scented, Christmas, Marginal Shield, New York, and Ostrich.

The far end of the trail takes visitors among mixed species of Oaks and Hickories representative of the Eastern deciduous forest biome and the foundation for the Mid-Appalachian species in the arboretum. The Norlyn L. Bodkin Oak Hickory Forest is named for the founding arboretum director.

The trail curves and takes us downhill where the tree canopy over us transi-

tions to Sycamore, Black Haw, Box Elder, and Elderberry. Named Sycamore Flat, the uncultivated swale serves as a protective barrier for the rest of the arboretum, slowing sudden flooding, which protects the pond. The arboretum has 92 acres of forest and the shade makes walking pleasant all year.

If you visit in spring, do not miss the arboretum’s Daffodil display of more than 50 varieties of naturalized Nacissus. The parking areas also have gardens to be enjoyed. The terraced Caroline Sinclair Memorial Garden displays perennials and shrubs, including colorful Butterfly Bushes, Mountain Fetterbush, Kousa Dogwood, and Southern Wax Myrtle. At the entrance gates, visitors find Heath plantings, including Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Mountain Laurel, and more Fetterbush, the perfect plants for slopes of heavy shade. For cooks, the Herb Garden is constructed with four theme terraces; culinary, medicinal, Shenandoah Colonial, and fragrance.

My favorite garden was the Larkin Smith Rock Garden, tucked away next to an entry walk. This man-made shale barren is the only arboretum garden of its kind in the country to feature seven of the 15-plus strictly endemic species that make their home only in the shale barren’s extreme conditions: harsh,

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DAYtrip trees found within the woodland of the arboretum. Using this data, they study the timing of leaf and flower flush in the spring, and track bird migration and arboreal diseases. The data entered into to the USA National Phenology Network (http://www.usanpn.org/) help document the phenological response to climate change and is available to the research community and the general public.

Birds of the Arboretum

direct, prolonged sunlight and temperatures that climb above 100 degrees.

A true pocket garden, no larger than a good-sized living room, for me it was a treat to see up-close and personal Yellow Buckwheat, White-haired Leather Flower, Shale Ragwort, Sword-leaf Phlox, Shale Bindweed, Shale Pussytoes, and Hairy-lipped Ferns are among the unusual plants; all heat-loving, hardy endemics of our region.

Scientific Research

James Madison University faculty and staff’s research at the arboretum has helped to protect flora and fauna. For instance, JMU professor Dr. Reid Norman Harris and his research students have isolated a bacterial strain from the skin of resident salamanders; their studies may protect amphibian species from a fungus pathogen that has decimated many amphibian populations globally and resulted in species extinctions.

The arboretum is also a critical living laboratory where scientists identify and work to understand environmental trends resulting from climate change.

JMU professor Dr. Heather Peckham Griscom and her students have collected statistical data from a one-hectare test plot of 300 native species 8

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The arboretum staff promote many programs using their web site. One is the Herbarium on the JMU campus.

Another is the monthly photo contest, which hosts striking pictures taken by visitors. My favorite is the Birds of the Arboretum, an online catalog of the avian species found in the arboretum, a collaborative effort with James Madison University, Eastern Mennonite University, and the Rockingham County Bird Club. When completed, it will encompass the 116 identified species of transient, seasonal, and permanent avian residents within the green space and Oak-Hickory forest.

A Pretty Space with a Vital Mission

If you have time to visit this arboretum, do not miss the chance. Just five minutes off the interstate, it makes the perfect break as well as an easy day outing. The staff are proud that the arboretum was voted Best in the Valley by the Daily News-Record readers for Best Place to Take Guests, Best Place to Propose Marriage, and Best Place for Rest and Relaxation. I know I vote it the best to take my best canine friend, Marzipan.

Plan Your Visit

The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at James Madison University are at 780 University Blvd., MSC 3705, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.

Grounds are open and free to the public from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. It is easy to access off I-80.

The arboretum offices in the Frances Plecker Education Center are open weekdays. Calls to 540-568-3194 are answered from 8:00AM to 5:00PM, except holidays. Check the web site cal-

endar for holiday closings. http://www. jmu.edu/arboretum/index.html.

Upcoming Events

• Through October 15, 2015 Private Greenhouse Shopping by Appointment Shop from the entire greenhouse inventory of natives, exotics and cultivars perennials, shrubs, and trees, by advance appointment only, with $50 minimum purchase required. Call 540568-3194, or visit the arboretum web site to schedule the appointment.

• October 2 & 3, 2015, Fall Bulb Sale • October 17, 2015, Children’s Harvest Festival • October 17, 2015, Remarkable Trees Field Trip • October 18, 2015, Fall Color Carriage Rides. o Special thanks to Jan Sievers Mahon, arboretum director, and Gail Turnbull, arboretum assistant director, who answered my numerous questions about the arboretum and its plants and reviewed the article.

Cheval Force Opp lives in Dunn Loring, VA, with her husband and her corgi, Marzipan.

Her favorite adventure is visiting and photographing gardens. She is currently working to make her home gardens smaller and easier to maintain, giving her more time to travel. Contact her at gardentours@gmail. com.

HORThaenings

Tomato Taste 2015

We had almost 300 people come to the Washington Gardener Magazine 8th Annual Tomato Taste on August 22 at the FreshFarm Silver Spring Market.

Here are the results of the more than 200 ballots submitted:

1. ‘Black Cherry’ from The Farm at Our House 2. ‘Sun Gold’ from Chicano Sol 3, Sun Sugar from Spiral Path Farm tied with ‘Red Currant’ from our own Washington Gardener Magazine garden plot 4. ‘Pineapple’ from Three Springs Fruit Farm 5. ‘Garden Peach’ from The Farm at Our House 6. ‘Juan Flamme’ from Three Springs Fruit Farm 7. ‘Valencia’ from Country Pleasures 8. ‘Orange Banana Paste’ from The Farm at Our House 9. ‘Sunny Boy’ from Three Springs Fruit Farm 10. ‘Green Zebra’ from The Farm at Our House

It is amazing that ‘Black Cherry’ upset both perennial favorites ‘Sun Gold’ and ‘Sun Sugar.’ This may indicate a new trend in tomato taste towards more flavorful, less sweet kinds, or it just may be that the youths at The Farm at Our House have a special grower touch that lent their ‘Black Cherry’ an extra winning zing. If we had excluded the cherry varieties from our contest, then the ‘Pineapple’ would have won as it was the top vote-getter of the slicing tomatoes.

Most of the taste attendees were local, although we also had many who came quite a distance. About half live in Silver Spring. Another third live close by in Washington, DC, or the towns of Takoma Park, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Hyattsville, Rockville, Gaithersburg, in MD. From across the river in Virginia, attendees came from Crystal City. From out of the area, we had attendees from West Bath, ME; Stamford, CT; and Haddon Heights, NJ. And we even had one taster this year from Durham. England!

Thank you to all who came and participated. Thanks to the farmers for growing great tomatoes and to FreshFarm Markets staff for hosting us. Special thanks also to Doree and Martha for helping with all the tomato sample cutting and helping greet all the tasters in the two-hour event. See you next August! o

Local Field to Vase Dinner

The local Field to Vase Dinner took place on September 3 at LynnVale Farm & Studio in Gainesville, VA. The Field to Vase Dinner Tour continues through 2015, taking place across the country at unique destinations -- American flower farms in both urban and rural settings.

Each event introduces guests to the age-old art and science of flower farming. The series treats locavores and flower fans alike to a truly exceptional dining experience with seasonal, local, and sustainable American Grown flowers at the center of the table and conversation. You can read more details about these events at SlowFlowers.com or http://www.americangrownflowers. org/fieldtovase/.

More than 150 guests enjoyed the beautiful setting and delicious dinner. Pictured above are garden writers Charlotte Germane, Debra Prinzing, and Susan Harris.

DC State Fair 2015

by Daven Desai On Saturday, September 12, the 6th annual DC State Fair took place at Old City Farm & Guild at 925 Rhode Island Ave NW, WDC. It was a soggy day, but the crowds still came out to participate in contests from Funkiest-Looking Vegetable to Best Compost. The day was filled with music, activities, education, and entertainment. o

Garden Book Donations to Brookside Garden’s Library

by Gaby Galvin On July 29, 2015, the Washington Gardener team took a trip to Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, to donate 25 gardening and landscaping books to the Horticultural Reference Library in the Visitor’s Center. This donation marked 197 total books donated by us with a total value of $5,506.66 since 2013.

Jared Ashling, volunteer coordinator at Brookside, said Washington Gardener Magazine’s donations have been helpful in keeping their library collection up-to-date and relevant. They have more than 7,000 books for horticulturists to conduct research. They rely mostly on donations.

Kathy Jentz, editor and publisher of Washington Gardener, received many of the books as review copies from the books’ publishers and authors. She expects to have another large crop of reviewed books to donate this fall.

Ashling said the Brookside Gardens’ library has many generous donors who support them and that, over the years, they have received more than 5,400 books through donations. They accept gardening and horticultural books in good condition as donations. They inspect each book before adding it to their library. Books that don’t meet the criteria are either sold to earn money to buy more books or put in one of the three free little libraries on the grounds, where anyone can come and take them. o SEPTEMBER 2015

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TIPStricks

The Why, What, and When of Fall Planting

If you ask 10 people when the best time to plant is, at least eight will probably say “spring.” Sure, a lot of annuals and veggies should be planted in the spring, but for most perennials, trees, shrubs, and bulbs, fall is actually the ideal planting time, according to a leading hybridizer of garden roses, Jackson & Perkins.

Here’s Why:

• Great soil temperatures. In spring, the soil holds onto winter’s chill while the air warms up; in fall, the soil holds onto summer’s warmth while the air cools down. The warm, fluffier soil in fall is also easier to work and easier for roots to grow in.

• Better weather. Summer’s heat stops stressing and dehydrating plants.

Increased rainfall also helps the roots stay moist. The cool, crisp weather is also more comfortable to work in!

• Less environmental pressure. Pests, diseases, and weeds all become less active in fall, so there are fewer risks facing your newly transplanted plants.

• Timing. The roots have more time to get established before next summer (they can actively grow as long as the soil is above 40 degrees F). A lot of plants require chill hours before they can bloom, so planting in fall is the only way to ensure great blooms next spring!

What to Plant this Fall:

• Spring-Blooming bulbs like Crocus, Tulip, or Daffodil.

• Shrubs like Roses or Hydrangea.

• Perennials like Sage, Hardy Geranium, or Echinacea.

When to Plant:

• Plant too early and your bulbs might start trying to grow this season instead of waiting or, worse, a heat wave might kill your plants before they can establish. Wait until the first light frost has happened, and then plant your bulbs.

Plant too late, and your plants can be killed by chilling frosts and snow. New plants can be more susceptible to frost damage, so it is wise to offer winter protection the first year.

• A thick layer of mulch can be used to insulate the soil. Roses especially appreciate extra insulation. o 10

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Sniffing Out Overwintering Stink Bugs

By Sharon Durham In 2013, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists surveyed forests in Maryland and West Virginia and found that stink bugs prefer to overwinter in large, dry, dead trees having a circumference of more than 23 inches.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist Tracy Leskey and her team at the Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, surveyed the forests and found that oak and locust trees seem to be the favorite stink bug overwintering sites. According to Leskey, the porous dead tissue and peeling bark make a great place for the bugs to crawl into and hide. She found stink bugs in 33 percent of the trees fitting those parameters.

The 2013 survey team included two detector dogs. The dogs were first trained to recognize the odor of adult stink bugs. Then, in indoor trials, they were guided by their handlers to find bugs hidden in cardboard boxes. Next, the dogs were trained in the field, where bugs were hidden beneath pieces of bark attached to living trees.

In both indoor and outdoor trials, the dogs accurately detected target insects with greater than 84 percent accuracy.

Finally, the dogs were taken to woodland areas along the Appalachian Trail in Maryland. In these real-world conditions, the detector dogs were able to find wild overwintering stink bugs.

As part of a project known as the “Great Stink Bug Count,” citizen volunteers from the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States recorded daily counts of stink bugs, along with their locations on residences and the time of each tally.

Landscape type seemed to have the greatest influence on overall stink bug numbers arriving at specific homes, according to Leskey. Homes located in mixed agriculture and woodland sites had the greatest number of stink bugs. On average, these homeowners counted more than 3,000 stink bugs.

Suburban and urban dwellers counted fewer stink bugs. o

The Map Has Been App’ed

by Kim Kaplan The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map has been turned into an app for your iPhone. The app, called ClimateWise Plant Hardiness, lets you type in a ZIP code or city on your iPhone or iPad and get the hardiness zone for that location, as well as the dates of the first fall freeze, last spring freeze, and growing season length, information not available on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map web site. See www.planthardiness.ars. usda.gov.

The ZIP code finder has proven to be the most popular method for users to find a hardiness zone on the USDA PHZM web site.

Available at Apple’s iPhone/iPad app store, ClimateWise Plant Hardiness was developed by Climate Source, Inc., which was a partner with the Agricultural Research Service in the development of the most recent USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Climate Source is associated with Oregon State University’s PRISM Climate Group, which developed the algorithm that helps make the data on which the map is based so specific and detailed.

With this app, you can quickly and conveniently find the hardiness zone for a location while out in your garden or at your local nursery, an essential piece of information when investing in perennials and shrubs. If you are buying annual plants, ClimateWise Plant Hardiness can provide the typical dates of the first freezing temperature in fall and the last freezing temperature in spring — critical knowledge to avoid wasting your plant dollars.

For example, if the date of last freeze in spring is May 2, there is a greater than 50-50 chance that a freeze will occur before that date, and less than 50-50 chance that a freeze will occur after that date.

You can get more information about the ClimateWise Plant Hardiness app from the iPad/iPhone app store or http://www.climatesource.com/. o

GARDENnews

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts

• Native Spotlight: Pink Turtlehead • How to Collect a Soil Sample Video • You Slug Me • DIY: Compost Bin See more Washington Gardener blog posts at: WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com o

September-October Garden To-Do List New Plant Spotlight

Black Diamond® Crape Myrtle Collection: Shell Pink™, Purely Purple™, and Mystic Magenta™

Shell Pink™ sports bright coral blooms, Mystic Magenta™ shines with masses of magenta flowers, and the vibrant violet flowers of Purely Purple™ (pictured above) join the rainbow of choices currently available in the Black Diamond® Collection: Best Red™, Blush™, Crimson Red™, Pure White™, and Red Hot™.

Each selection in the series introduced

by J.Berry Nursery boasts deep, purpleblack foliage appearing in early spring that contrasts beautifully with the longlasting blooms, beginning in early summer and lasting until first frost. Black Diamond® Crape Myrtles are hardy in zones 7-10, behave as perennials in zone 6, and can be used as annuals in zone 2-5.

The newest introductions perform perfectly in many applications. With maximum growth of 10 to 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide, Black Diamond® Crape Myrtles serve as excellent borders along driveways and fences or colorful flowering hedges when pruned.

Additionally, Black Diamond® Crape Myrtles can add color and drama to patios and porches as focal points in containers. Along with stunning foliage, beautiful blooms, and compact growth, Black Diamond® Crape Myrtles tolerate drought, perform well in small gardens, resist mildew, and cercospora leaf spot, and maintain their leaf color throughout the seasons without fading.

For more information about the newest offerings in the Black Diamond®Crape Myrtle Collection or to request a sample, contact Tamara Felux, Marketing and Brand Manager, at tamara@jberrynursery.com. o

• Keep an eye out for the first frost date. In Zone 6, it is expected between September 30 and October 30. In Zone 7, it is predicted for between October 15 and November 15.

• Divide and transplant perennials — in particular, peony and iris.

• Pick apples at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market.

• Pot up rosemary and chives for over-wintering indoors.

• Take cuttings from coleus and begonias to propagate and over-winter indoors.

• Look out for any Poison Ivy vines, which will turn crimson in the fall and be easy to distinguish from other vines.

• Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains.

• Put netting over your pond to prevent the accumulation of leaves and debris.

• Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for this winter.

• Attend a local garden club meeting or plant exchange.

• Pick mature tomatoes and peppers to ripen on your window sills.

• Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds.

• Remove rotting fruits from fruit trees and compost them.

• Plant evergreens for winter interest.

• Plant garlic bulbs.

• Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and for trading at the annual Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchanges.

• Plant hardy mums and fall season annuals.

• Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed.

• Dig up bulbs from your Gladiolus, Canna, Caladiums, and other tender bulbs; cut off foliage; let dry for a week; and store for the winter.

• Transplant trees and shrubs.

• Harvest your herbs often and keep them trimmed back to encourage leafy growth.

• Bring in houseplants if you took them out for the summer.

• If your conifers start shedding their needles or your spring bulb foliage starts peeking out of the ground, don’t worry. This is normal for our autumn cycle.

• Leave hummingbird feeders out until October 15.

• Start bulb plantings of early spring bloomers at the end of the month.

• Watch your pumpkins/squash. Harvest them when their rinds are dull and hard.

• Divide ornamental grasses.

• Cut herbs and flowers for drying indoors.

• Plant strawberries in a site with good drainage for harvest next spring.

• Look out for slug eggs grouped under sticks and stones – they are the size of BBs and pale in color.

• Plant cover crops in vegetable gardens and annual beds (for example, rye, clover, hairy vetch, and winter peas).

• Begin conditioning the Christmas Poinsettias and Christmas cactus to get them ready for the upcoming holiday season • Bring Amaryllis indoors before a hard freeze. Repot every other year at this time.

Store in a cool, dark place and do not water until flower buds or leaves emerge.

• Your summer annuals will be reviving, now with cooler temps and some rain. Cut back any ragged growth and give them some fertilizer. They should put on a good show until the first hard frost.

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16–October 15, 2015 • Saturday, September 19, 9am–3pm Fall Garden Day Fall is a great time to plant, and Green Spring Gardens is hosting numerous local plant vendors to satisfy your gardening needs. A silent auction, bake sale, live music, and food add to the festivities. Come and support one of Virginia’s most innovative public gardens.

Free admission. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. For more information, call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173.

• Saturday, September 19, 6–10pm American Horticultural Society’s Annual Gala & Silent Auction at River Farm The American Horticultural Society (AHS) Gala is a black-tie event on an early fall evening, at River Farm gardens overlooking the Potomac. The theme this year is “Reflections of River Farm: A Step Back in Time.” Sumptuous food and wine, accompanied by a silent auction for vacation trips, dazzling jewelry, distinctive garden decor and tools, oneof-a-kind garden events, and so much more combine for a memorable night that supports the society’s outreach programs and stewardship of River Farm. For ticket and table information: http://www.ahs.org/about-river-farm/ events-programs/fall-gala-2015.

•Monday, September 21, 8–10pm Talk on Modern Lilies hosted by the Silver Spring Garden Club An introduction to the history of garden lilies with an emphasis on the background and development of the modern super-lilies. Virtually all of the images used will be of lilies grown locally — lilies you, too, can grow. The speaker, James A. McKenney, is a past president (multiple times) of the Potomac Lily Society. Held at the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Health Sciences Center Building in room 122. The event is free an open to the public.

• Saturday, September 26, 10am–12n Great-Looking Lawns Using BayFriendly Practices For a beautiful lawn next spring, start this fall by learning and implementing the five best practices for a healthy, 12

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environmentally friendly lawn. Join Arboretum turf specialist Geoff Rinehart for a presentation of these easy-toimplement principles to start now for a great lawn next spring. This pro-active approach, bay-friendly approach emphasizes preventive techniques to reduce weeds, pests, and diseases before they become a nuisance. Take home lawn care information to guide you through the process. A guided tour of the “Grass Roots” exhibit will follow the classroom will follow the classroom part of the workshop. Refreshments and door prizes will be provided! Please call 202245-5965 to pre-register and reserve your space. Held at the United States National Arboretum, 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC. • Saturday, September 26, 1–4pm 8th Annual Azalea Sale and Auction The Northern Virginia Chapter, Azalea Society of America (ASA), will hold this event at the Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 8336 Carrleigh Parkway, in Springfield, VA. The plant sale will be conducted from 1-4pm. For those interested in participating in the auctions, the silent auction will commence at 1pm and the live auction will commence at 2:30pm. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire azaleas not normally found in commercial outlets, including many hybridized by ASA members. A list of the available plants will be posted at www.nv-asa.org/azaleas/0/ sales in mid-September. More information may be obtained by contacting Lars Larson at 703-505-5733 or Carolyn Beck at 703-860-5676.

• Saturday, September 26, 9am–1pm National Public Lands Day Join Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and the National Park Service as they partner with the National Environmental Education Foundation to celebrate National Public Lands Day, a day dedicated to giving back to our public lands. They need volunteers to help remove or cut Lotus from the park’s ponds, as well as a variety of other park improvement projects, including transplanting perennials, removing invasive species, and picking up litter. They’ll work until noon, followed by lunch and

music in the picnic grove. Sign-up online at www.friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

• Saturday, September 26, 3–4pm Basic Flower Arranging Workshop Join instructor Kathy Jentz as she teaches cut-flower basics and how to simply and easily arrange your flowers.

Join us and take home a hand-tied bouquet. Hosted by On the Purple Couch in Kensington, MD. Fee $35. Details at http://www.onthepurplecouch.com.

• Friday, October 2, 7–10pm Cylburn Fall Gala Cylburn Arboretum shines in the moonlight when autumn brings its special beauty to the gardens for “Dance by the Light of the Moon” at the Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Ave. Baltimore, MD. Enjoy dining al fresco among friends of Cylburn while supporting the work of the Cylburn Arboretum Association. Kick up your heels to the Texas swing sounds of Beats Walkin’.

Be tempted by intriguing must-haves at silent and live auctions. Tickets are only $125 per person. See details at http:// cylburn.org/.

• Saturday, October 3, 9am–2pm 2015 VCE Urban Agriculture Symposium Kick off Urban Agriculture Month in Arlington, VA. Keynote: Dr. Marcus Comer, VSU director of Small Farm Outreach Program “Lessons from the Harding St. Urban Agriculture Center” (Petersburg, VA). Panel discussions on “Putting Community in Community Gardening,” “Local Government Support for Urban Agriculture,” “Faith Community Gardens.” Small group sessions on microgreens and mushrooms, small space gardening, and business support for home gardening. Participation/ Sponsors: George Mason University, the Plant Whisperers, AFAC Plot Against Hunger, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, Arlington County Parks and Recreation, and Love and Carrots. Held at Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington VA, For more information, contact the VCE Horticulture Help Desk at 703-228-6414 or by email at mgarlalex@vt.edu. Visit http:// bit.ly/urbanagsymposium.

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16–October 15, 2015 • Saturday, October 3 The Continuous Garden Symposium As homeowners, we ask our gardens to do a lot in a very little space: year-round beauty with little maintenance. During this half-day symposium, we introduce you to low-maintenance shrubs, lovely perennials, and container gardens that inject beauty and carry your garden through the year.

Learn how to use color and focal points to draw your eye through the garden and how to use containers to manage problem areas. Get our recipe for winning plant combinations. Discover how basic design principles can help you achieve your beautiful, four-season garden.

Presenters: David Culp, Nancy Moitrier, and Karen Rexrode. Fee: $56/ person. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/greenspring using code 290 484 7201 or call 703-642-5173.

• Saturday, October 3, 10am–12noon Georgetown Treasures: Joint Tour of Tudor Place and Oak Hill Cemetery History lives “around the block” in Georgetown, and behind closed doors at Tudor Place. Take a look behind the scenes at Tudor Place and learn all about the storied Oak Hill Cemetery nearby on this joint guided tour. Oak Hill, the resting place of capital luminaries and heroes of the Revolutionary and Civil wars, is also the site of the famed chapel by James Renwick, architect of the Smithsonian Castle and New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After leaving the cemetery, join docents at Tudor Place to see places normally closed to the public, including a 1960s bomb shelter.

Fees: members: $15 or nonmembers: $20. See TudorPlace.org.

• October 8–11, 2015 Association of Professional Landscape Designers® Intl. Design Conference APLD’s annual meeting takes place this year on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Tour gardens in DC, Maryland, and Virginia; take advantage of great workshops and network with landscape designers. Details at www.apld.org.

• Saturday, October 10 Planting for Diversity Are you interested in history, agriculture, gardening, cooking, or eating? If so, you will enjoy taking part in this event, which demonstrates how the pleasures of seed-saving and gardening with heirloom plants directly benefit the important cause of plant diversity. Details to be posted on August 21 at http://www. usna.usda.gov.

• October 10-12, 2015 (Columbus Day Weekend) National Capital Orchid Society’s 68th Annual Show, Sale, and Free Workshops This is one of the largest juried shows on the East Coast. It will enthrall orchid enthusiasts and admirers with an opportunity to view unusual species and well-established hybrids grown to professional perfection. Admission to the show and the many workshops held during these three days is free. Held at Behnke’s Nursery, 11300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD. The sales area, offering thousands of orchids, supplies, and accessories from a variety of vendors. Details at www.ncos.us.

Save These Future Dates: • Thursday, November 5, 6:30–8pm.

Washington Gardener Magazine Garden Book Club Fall Meeting We will be discussing Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest by Joan Maloof. The book club meeting will be held at the Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, Washington, DC, in the TPK Meeting Room. The library room allows food and drink and you may bring your dinner and/or snacks to share. The book club meetings are FREE and open to anyone who would like to attend.

Please RSVP to “WG Book Club” at WashingtonGardener@rcn.com. We will be limiting attendance to 20.

At this meeting, we will also decide on our 2016 garden club selection. (We meet roughly once each quarter/season.) Please bring your garden-related book suggestions.

• Saturday, November 14, 9am–1pm Celebrating Veterans Through Service Join Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and the National Park Service as they partner with the Student Conservation Association to celebrate Veterans through a day of volunteer service at the park. They need volunteers to help prepare the gardens for the winter season by transplanting perennials, clearing invasives, raking leaves, and preparing the greenhouses. They will provide lunch in the picnic grove. Sign up online at www.friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

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, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol. com — put “Event” in the subject line.

Our next deadline is October 10 for the October 15 issue, featuring events taking place from October 16–November 15, 2015. o

Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course January 4-7, 2016 For registration information, contact: Avis Koeiman Department of Entomology 4291 Fieldhouse Dr. University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-405-3913 Email: akoeiman@umd.edu  SEPTEMBER 2015

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BOOKreviews salvaging, remove the affected portion in order to save it?”

Personally, I found it thought-provoking, yet relaxing, to ponder a devotion or two as I sat in my garden arbor after a long day at work or of working in the garden, but even indoors or in the dark of winter, this book would live up to its subtitle: “Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life.” It is sure to be appreciated by the women on your gift list, and perhaps some men, too.

Devotions from the Garden: Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life

By Miriam Drennan Publisher: Thomas Nelson List Price: $16.99 Reviewer: Martha N. Sykora Many gardeners and non-gardeners, too, feel gardens are spiritual places.

Devotions from the Garden, complete with place-marking ribbon, is a beautiful gift book for a garden fan who would appreciate simple devotions based on short passages from the Old or New Testament, each accompanied by lush garden photographs and brief concluding prayers.

Any of the 90 undated devotions can be chosen at random. Titles range from the not-unexpected “God’s Transforming Grace,” “The Spark of Life,” and “Thanks for the Harvest,” to the perhaps more surprising “Soil Testing,” “Root Rot,” and “Permaculture,” among others. A passage from the “Tomato Disorders” devotion includes these words: “Why do we not handle our precious relationships the same way gardeners handle their homegrown tomatoes? When someone has wronged us, we tend to be like that commercial grower: we throw out the entire relationship. Or we may let the wrong remain on the vine too long and find ourselves building up so much bitterness and resentment that the relationship seems beyond salvaging. Instead of any of these options, why don’t we — like the tomato gardener — assess the relationship’s value and, if we consider it worth 14

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Martha Sykora has been lucky to try gardening in climates as diverse as Maryland, Colorado, and England. She currently lives in a LEED-certified homestead-wannabe in Annapolis. The bees haven’t survived a full year yet, but the vermiculture composting operation is doing well. Next addition: insectary gardens!

Rooted In Design

By Tara Heibel and Tassy de Give Publisher: Ten Speed Press List Price: $25.00 Reviewer: Teri Speight As we begin to think about the season ahead, gardening outdoors will not be an option. Indoor gardening and the fascination that it provides can be more than an “over the winter months” kind of activity. The authors of this book sure made me create a project list for a little indoor gardening of my own.

Eight chapters on everything from “Indoor Plants On the Wall,” “On the Floor,” “On the Table,” and “The Roots.”

Each of these chapters has subtitles that truly break down how exciting indoor gardening can be. This is not

your grandmother’s version of growing indoor plants! The photos in this book provide visible displays of how to achieve certain looks — as well as how easy it is to do so!

The authors also went to great lengths to share the cultivars of the plants used in their suggested combinations. I never considered using dried plant material like Amaranth in arrangements with other dried material. I am also inclined to re-think closed terrariums, one of the easiest arrangements one can have as it is self-sustaining for the most part. My favorite part of the book was the description and recipe on how to use air plants as suspended art in the home. This chapter could prove useful for the busy person who wants something living, low-maintenance, and unique to enhance their surroundings.

The authors also included a plant directory that not only lists some suggested plants, but their care requirements as well.

I recommend this book for those who have an interest of indoor gardening and those who can anticipate the excitement it can bring to your home or office.

Teresa Speight is a native Washingtonian, who resides in District Heights, MD. She owns Cottage In The Court Landscape Consulting. She owes her interest in gardening to her father and the Central Rappahannock Master Gardeners, who taught her how to be a true “steward of the land.” She can be reached at cottageinthecourt@gmail.com.

Herbs: The Complete Gardener’s Guide

By Patrick Lima Publisher: Firefly Books List Price: $24.95.

Reviewer: Andrea F. Siegel This is a big compendium of herb information that is valuable for everyone from the knowledgeable gardener to the person picking up a first trowel. Easyto-use and entertaining, the volume is readable and attractive.

Author Patrick Lima blends wit with storytelling, personal experiences, growing tips, and herb uses as he describes cultivars (the hardcover edition of this book dates to 2001; this is not where to find the newest cultivars) without smothering them in Latin names.

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The same holds for the artwork. The photos by Turid Forsyth show plants, mostly in their garden homes, from a stand of Dill to colorful landscapes of blooms. The illustrations are every bit as lovely and helpful. The artwork draws the eye to the beauty of many herbs, an enormous plus for people who think of herbs only for use as home-grown remedies and flavorings.

The text and art encourage readers to consider herbs in many ways; for example, readers unfamiliar with Mullein might consider planting a variety only for its pretty yellow spires and grayish foliage, or Chives not only for flavor, but for their bobbing pink or mauve flowers.

Not enthralled initially by the look of “Golden” Oregano, Lima reports that he took a friend’s advice to let it meander through his kitchen garden, where its bright foliage forms “a fine contrast to the dark green Winter Savory and silvery Sage.”

If you don’t already have an interest in growing herbs, consider this book an invitation. It shows the many ways to incorporate herbs into the landscape, create specialty gardens, and more, with words and photos to let you know which herbs are better grown scampering over rocks, which attain heights perfect for the back of the garden plot, and which form arresting and edible drifts.

Particularly useful is that chapters group herbs in a practical way. Seeking silvery foliage? Turn to “Garden

Silverware,” the chapter on gray-tinted herbs. Want to focus on perennial kitchen herbs? Open to “The Garden Pantry” chapter. Considering growing for fragrance? The “Uncommon Scents” chapter will guide you. The book is full of details to help plan mixed gardens so each herb’s growing needs are met.

Still, gardeners should check elsewhere for such information as whether selections can withstand the blistering summers (and in the case of perennials, the sometimes-icy winters) of the Washington, DC, area; the author gardens in Ontario.

The wide range of subjects includes how to propagate, preserve, and grow herbs indoors; how to gather wild herbs; and how to cook with herbs, recipes included. Insect information pops up in some herb descriptions. Resource lists are provided.

This big book is best devoured with a large cup of tea — herb tea, what else?

— and a dreamy imagination.

Andrea F. Siegel, a master gardener in Maryland, is a freelance writer and editor.

Lawn People: How Grasses, Weeds, and Chemicals Make us Who We Are

By Paul Robbins Publisher: Temple University Press List Price: $27.95.

Reviewer: Kathy Parrent My husband and I recently moved from a condo to a single-family home in a suburban section of Silver Spring. On our third day, a neighbor ambled over and began to lecture us on the importance of mowing the lawn and getting rid of weeds. A week later, an elderly woman stopped to chat, mentioning that she hoped we’d be more vigilant about mowing the grass than the previous residents had been. As a patio gardener, I was excited to grow plants in our new yard, but I had not realized I would experience pressure from the neighbors to maintain an acceptable lawn!

And “lawn people” can exert intense pressure on their neighbors, as the author describes. He tells of a woman who decided to stop mowing and spraying her backyard and let it go to meadow. After the grass and weeds and saplings had begun to grow, somebody snuck into her yard during the night and

mowed her whole backyard!

One man told how he mowed his lawn on the same day as his neighbor so that the height of their grasses would be uniform.

Lawn People author Paul Robbins, now the director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, examines the pressures to use chemicals to achieve a cookie-cutter, emerald-green, monocultural lawn. His family also experienced the tyranny of turf culture when moving to the suburbs, which in part led him to explore this topic. He says at the outset that he is not a gardener and had no interest in maintaining a lawn, but he is an environmentalist.

The book blends social theory, natural resource policy, environmental studies, and economic analysis. Written in 2007, it is not a breezy read and has, in fact, been used as a text book. Yet, it clearly lays out all of the controversies about pesticides and homeowners’ battles to grow food gardens (or otherwise use their lawns creatively) that have since become big issues. It tells the story of the growth of the agrochemical and lawn care industries; the known hazards of chemical lawn products; and the reasons why so many people know about the possible harm to themselves, their children, pets, and the environment, yet feel locked into a regimen of Book Reviews continued on next page

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BOOKreviews Book Reviews continued

mowing and spraying.

Surprisingly, Robbins found that many of the very people who were most aware of the hazards associated with chemical lawn care were the ones who were spraying. Using chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on lawns has become the norm and a symbol of one’s dedication to family and community.

In interviews with “lawn people,” Robbins learned that these homeowners’ wish to fit in and achieve the “perfect” close-cropped, weed-free, emerald-green, monocultural lawn outweighed their anxieties about the means they were using to achieve these effects. Robbins describes a woman who said her dog’s paws were getting burned from the chemicals applied to her lawn.

Rather than stopping the application of the chemicals, she bought booties for the dog to wear. Many people actually disliked lawn care, but felt it was their moral responsibility to achieve a flawless lawn. Some said they were too busy to educate themselves about the accuracy of the chemical companies’ claims of safety. Others, upper middleclass professionals themselves, trusted that experts would know what they were saying so chemical spraying must be safe.

Robbins observes how the major chemical lawn care corporations have capitalized on homeowners’ anxieties with direct-to-consumer advertising (much like the ads run by pharmaceutical companies) showing wholesome families frolicking on green lawns sprayed with chemicals. During the early 20th century, Robbins says, a home owner would notice a problem — say, a dead spot in the grass — and head over to the local hardware store to ask about the problem. Today, many consumers see products advertised on television and head to the big box store to purchase the item. They may not even have a problem; in some cases, they just believe everybody needs the product.

A major section of the book details the long, sorry history of hazardous chemicals used to achieve the suburban lawn.

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Lead arsenate (a combination of lead and arsenic), introduced in 1892 for control of the Gypsy Moth, was widely used in agriculture and private use.

Lead and arsenic are poisons. Lead is carcinogenic, causes reproductive and developmental harm, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity. Under the right circumstances, arsenic can cause rapid poisoning and death. While the dangers were known as early as 1919, lead arsenate continued to be used for over four more decades.

The dangers of DDT, a suspected carcinogen found in mother’s milk that has since been shown to be an endocrine disrupter, were brought to light

by Rachel Carson’s pioneering work, Silent Spring, published in 1962. In it, she zeroed in on lawn usage, saying: “Suburbanites — advised by nurserymen, who, in turn, have been advised by the chemical manufacturers — continue to apply truly astonishing amounts of crabgrass killers to their lawns each year. Marketed under trade names, which give no hint to their nature, many of these preparations contain such poisons as mercury, arsenic, and chlordane. Application at recommended rates leaves tremendous amounts of these chemicals on the lawn.”

Despite the widespread ecological consciousness brought about by Carson’s book and the dramatic shift in environmental awareness since the 1960s, dangerous new chemicals continue to be introduced and used on lawns. Because the patents expire after 10 years and research and development may take equally long, American agrochemical corporations are constantly seeking to bring new products to the market. Then they must walk a fine line — convincing consumers that these products are more potent and effective, but that exposure is safe for humans and pets.

Robbins describes 2,4-D, a widely used chemical that must sit until it evaporates and therefore may shift due to rainfall and foot traffic.

Glyphosate, introduced by Monsanto in the early 1970s as “Roundup,” is a systemic herbicide that kills plants down to the roots, inhibiting regrowth and reproduction. (In March of this

year, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer announced findings that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”) Robbins believes the greater concern is “Roundup Ready” plants, which are genetically engineered to withstand the use of Roundup (because it kills indiscriminately), requiring the use of more Roundup.

Then there are the herbicidal cocktails using combinations of Dicamba, MCPA, and DCPA and Organophosphates (“Dursban”) that caused bird die-offs at golf courses and which the EPA sought to remove in 1998 because of the risk to children.

(The EPA reached a settlement with the company, which agreed to remove the product from the market).

The toxicity of Carbaryl (“Sevin”), introduced in 1957, varies depending on the formulation. There is evidence that certain preparations of it can cause birth defects, are a possible cause of neurotoxicity, affect brain function, and cause aggressive behavior.

Since the book was written, communities and individuals have fought against municipal laws, HOA rules, and covenants that require turf. Advocacy groups now demand the right to grow native plants, gardens, and trees rather than grass. And a movement has grown up opposing pesticides and GMOs. (Robbins says the industry dubs such people “chemophobes.”) As this issue of Washington Gardener Magazine goes to press, Montgomery County is considering Safe Lawn Bill 52-14, which would limit the use of nonessential pesticides on county lawns, certain athletic playing fields, and county-owned public grass areas.

So what are the alternatives to monocultural lawns achieved by the use of toxic chemicals? Robbins lists substitutes to chemically achieved turf, many of which have gained popularity since he wrote: • Native plants • Groundcovers like clover • Rain gardens in wet areas • Xeriscaping (gardening that reduces the need for supplemental water) • Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which emphasizes lawn management rather than chemical inputs

BOOKreviews • Activism and legal action against municipal codes, HOA rules, and covenants that ban vegetable gardens, alternative yards or require particular lawn styles.

Robbins lays out some general rules for alternatives to a “sterile, monocultural lawn, soaked in poison”: • You do not have to have a turf grass lawn.

• If you have a turf lawn, it does not have to be the grasses you inherited.

• Encourage diversity.

• Tolerate dynamism.

• Consult land grant university extension services before industry.

• Non-turf landscapes are (mostly) legal.

• Beware of deed restrictions.

• Beware of “organic” alternatives (that might not be so green!)

“Unthinking the lawn is only the beginning,” writes Robbins, “… we really should start now.”

Kathy Parrent is a writer and gardener in Silver Spring, Maryland. She runs the Facebook page, “Green Thumb to the Rescue,” with gardening info, environmental news, nature photos and more.

Visit DCGardens.com for: Photos of 16 Major Public Gardens by Month and

Where to Buy Plants Where to Connect Local Garden Media Where to Volunteer Youth Gardens

Where to Find Designers

Tours and Events

Where to Learn to Garden

Safe Lawn Care Resources and Allies:

• National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program http://www.nwf.org/ • The Long Island Neighborhood Network http://www.neighborhood-network.org/ • The Rachel Carson Council, Bethesda, MD http://www.rachelcarsoncouncil.org/ • The Wild Ones http://www.wildones.org/learn/nativeplants-natural-landscaping/ • Xeriscape Colorado http://coloradowaterwise.org/ • Toxic Action Center, New England http://www.toxicsaction.org/ • Beyond Pesticides, Washington, DC http://www.beyondpesticides.org/ • Lawn Reform Coalition http://lawnreform.org/ • Safe Grow Montgomery, Montgomery County, MD http://safegrowmontgomery.org/ o

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.

SEPTEMBER 2015

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EDIBLEharvt

Apple-Picking Time

by Kathy Jentz

• Be careful not to bruise your apples.

Place them gently in the basket. When transporting and storing them, you should be equally careful in their handling. Treat them as you would a basket of eggs.

• Don’t wash your apples until you are about to use them.

• Store them in a cool, dry place such as a cellar.

• Some varieties keep better than others — ask at the orchard for their recommendation if your goal is long-term storage.

Local Orchard Listings

My favorite local orchards to go picking at are Larriland in Woodbine, MD, and Homestead Farms in Poolesville, MD. Here are a links to comprehensive lists of where in the greater DC area to go apple picking, as well as tips on apple growing and descriptions of specific apple varieties: • All About Apples http://www.allaboutapples.com/ • Apple Journal http://www.applejournal.com/trail.htm • Apple Promotion Board http://www.marylandapples.org/ • PickYourOwn.org http://www.pickyourown.org/ • U.S. Apple Association http://www.usapple.org/ • Virginia State Apple Board http://www.virginiaapples.org/

It is apple-picking season and most folks go out to a local orchard more for the experience of a crisp autumn day in the country than for the actual apples themselves. At local orchards, you can buy apples already picked, along with apple cider, apple sauce, and my favorite — apple butter.

You can also sample apples of different varieties and gather recipes from the apple growers. Keep in mind that certain apples are better for baking and others are better for snacking.

For every day eating, I’m a traditional ‘Gala’ girl myself, but recently tasted ‘Jonaclicious’ at a local farmer’s market and I think I’ll make the switch.

My paternal grandfather owned an 18

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apple orchard and I confess I was not the gentlest or most artful apple picker, but over the years, I have gleaned a few basic tips to share: • Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes.

• Select apples that are firm and free of bruises.

• Color is relative to the apple variety and is not necessarily an indicator of ripeness.

• Employ the “rolling method.” It is the same action as turning a door knob.

Gently turn the apple upside-down. If an apple is ready to pick, it will usually separate easily from the branch. This method avoids ripping off part of the branch with the apple.

Finally, there are several area apple festivals you can attend. One coming up is at the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum on September 26-27. You can see historic orchard tools at work, learn how to make cider, taste heirloom variety apples, and browse locally made apple products. Then explore the permanent exhibit focusing on Hill High Orchards in Round Hill, VA. Find out more at the www.heritagefarmmuseum. org. o Kathy Jentz is editor of Washington Gardener Magazine (www.washingtongardener.com) and a long-time DC-area gardening enthusiast. Washington Gardener is all about gardening where you live. She can be reached at @WDCgardener on Twitter and welcomes your local DMV gardening questions.

GARDENbasics

Edging Garden Beds

by Sally Ferguson

Professional landscapers know that digging sharply defined edges around garden beds adds more than visual appeal to a property, edging also makes maintenance easier. Those crisp, clean borders are trenches designed to stop grass and weed encroachment.

There are fancy ways to edge gardens by laying in borders of brick, field stones, metal strips, and more. But, for many gardeners, the simplest way to edge starts and stops with sturdy shoes, a simple step-in edging tool with a half-moon steel base, a shovel, wheelbarrow, and mulch. Power edging tools are also available.

Here’s how to do it: Use the edging tool to cut a line six inches out from and conforming to the shape of the bed.

Position the tool upright, then press on the foot plate to dig a vertical cut deep into the grass. Keep digging the line all around the bed, maintaining a consistent width to create a ribbon effect.

Once the line is in place, shovel out and remove the grass and dirt within the ribbon to create a trench four to five inches deep. Then lay mulch into the trench. A nice and very effective result can be achieved by sloping the mulch, starting deep on the bed side and ending shallow at the base of the vertical drop on the grass side.

Adding mulch provides a finished look and also helps stop weeds from growing. Applying Preen pre-emergent granules atop the mulch provides even stronger weed prevention. Preen stops weed seeds in the top layer of garden soil and in the mulch itself from growing for up to three to four months per application. o

“Crisp, clean edging adds polish to any garden or landscape.”

Photos courtesy of Preen.

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PLANTprofile

A Colorful American Native Shrub

by Judith Mensh It has been here all along. Known to Native Americans on both coasts and in between, and used medicinally.

Considered a poisonous plant if ingested unprocessed or in high doses, but used in controlled doses as an emetic, laxative, and antidote. Roots are said to be edible when steamed. Introduced and named in 1687, it appears on colonial plant explorer John Bartram’s 1783 Plant List. The Europeans were early adopters, often appreciating our native plants generations before we did.

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) has many attributes: arching stems; peeling bark; spring flowers similar to spirea; branches that add a thriller to flower arrangements; good replacement for overused invasive exotic shrubs; food and shelter for the birds. For the 21st-century garden, Ninebark has the right stuff. It’s native, adaptable, suitable for the xerotic garden, yet can tolerate periodic wet soil, with a reputation for accepting a wide variety of condi20

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tions. To identify it when out in the field, look for its simple, lobed, and alternate leaves that resemble the European Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus).

The common name, Ninebark, refers to another identifying characteristic — multiple layers of peeling and shredding bark (count the layers to verify).

On the west coast, the Pacific, or Tall, Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) is commonly seen in garden centers. On the east coast, it’s Physocarpus opulifolius, also called Atlantic, Eastern, or Common Ninebark. Other native species in this genus are not seen commercially in our area. Ninebark also has an Asian counterpart, Physocarpus amurensis; this can be seen at the Quarryville Arboretum, Glen Ellen, CA, known for its extensive collection of cultivated Asian trees and shrubs.

The last 15 years have brought a dramatic shift to the use and perception of the Ninebark shrub in the landscape.

Witness the comment by Michael Dirr

‘Summer Wine’ Ninebark, photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Ninebark:

in the newest edition of his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, that 30 years ago he was not impressed with Physocarpus sp., but today admits to a change of heart, a respect borne out of observation over time: its adaptability, multi-season interest, and new generation of colorful cultivars. These new versions are often sports of the species, but are also the result of interbreeding for best characteristics.

This native shrub began to reveal its diverse genetic potential for new cultivars in 1968, with the discovery of a purple-leafed seedling among thousands of green seedlings in a German nursery. With successful vegetative propagation came the introduction in 1999 of ‘Diabolo,’ the original groundbreaking purple-leaf cultivar, still available, which has spawned a number of unexpected variations. Monrovia, based in Azusa, CA, owns the original patent.

‘Summer Wine,’ ‘Lady in Red’ (also known as ‘Ruby Spice’), and ‘Amber Jubilee’ are all great additions to the collection. In terms of steadfast color, survival over time, and mildew resistance, the purple Ninebarks generally get high marks.

Native garden specialists might want to stick with the straight species, with all of its untamed characteristics, the good and the bad. It needs space to grow, can be cut to the ground annually during winter dormancy, or can be allowed to form a thicket of its own (fully accessible to local wildlife). Note that Ninebark is considered deer-resistant, but not deer-proof.

The cultivars are more easily found than the species. There are a number of native plant sales locally throughout the year and they are the best place to find the species Ninebark. Also try Nature by Design, located in Alexandria, VA, which is a good local source of native plants.

Deciduous, multi-stemmed, and dense-forming, consider Physocarpus as a replacement for Nandina, Japanese Spirea, and Berberis sp., all of which are over-used, provide few benefits for native fauna, and have invaded local forests.

Once established and thriving, Ninebark may begin to spread and move beyond its assigned space. The species can become 10'x10' over time.

PLANTprofile Surface roots will send out suckers and, if not kept in check, can claim an everincreasing section of your garden and of the world. In some circumstances, this can be excellent; in others, not so much. Dig out unwanted suckers and pass along to others, Ninebark roots easily and sends up shoots readily.

Ninebark blooms on old wood, so prune immediately after blooming, or, alternatively, cut to the ground during winter dormancy and enjoy the beauty of new growth yearly.

The straight species, Physocarpus opulifolius, is used in restoration projects, providing soil stabilization with its fibrous root system. What we may see as a messy internal structure when left on its own, is a magnet for birds and small mammals. It is much loved by native bees, butterflies, and other nectar-seeking insects. Birds use the shredding bark for nest creation, and eat the fruit.

Best Growth Conditions

Place it in a sunny, but not crowded, spot — allowing for plenty of air circulation around it. Powdery mildew resistance is being studied, but still remains an issue with some Ninebark.

In truth, these shrubs are happy in the colder zones, Our brutal summers can result in washed-out colors and struggling shrubs. Consistent, conscientious watering the first year is absolutely essential for establishment and survival, and will reward you in later years with long-term drought tolerance.

Proven Cultivars

In our area, periods of high heat and no rain are the most challenging conditions facing Physocarpus, particularly newly planted specimens. Colors glow most intensely in full sun, but around here, some afternoon shade is always appreciated. Here’s a list to look for, but new ones may appear and known ones not be available.

• ‘Lady in Red’ has coral-red foliage and pink blooms. It is a sport of ‘Diabolo,’ but with compact habit that is good for a small garden.

• ‘Center Glow’ has good resistance to powdery mildew. It is a product of ‘Diabolo’ and ‘Dart’s Gold.’

• ‘Little Devil’ has burgundy leaves, pink flowers, and is compact.

• ‘Coppertina’ has copper-colored new growth, turning toward red in late summer.

• ‘Summer Wine’ and ‘Tiny Wine’ are both burgundy-leaved and part of the trend to create small and smaller compact shrubs.

This year, ask your local garden center for the Gumdrop series of Ninebarks — ‘Caramel Candy,’ ‘Burgundy Candy,’ and ‘Lemon Candy’ — developed to be compact and colorful, from Ball Ornamentals.

You will occasionally seen a ‘Diabolo’ trained as a standard for use in a container or as a specimen piece, but be warned as this is close to taking on a demanding pet and requires lots of TLC.

it seems we want dark colors, purples, and burgundy reds. With the added copper, yellow, and chartreuse offerings, one could make a habit of depending on them for colorful foliage returning yearly in the sunny garden. Heuchera shaded by the Ninebark offers its own multitude of shades of green and wine.

It’s native, it’s resilient, wildlife-friendly, and now comes in sizes from largest to smallest to tiny.

Sources

There is no Physocarpus collecting community so far, although it could happen.

This historically nondescript native shrub continues to morph into unique eye-catching colors and sizes, providing us with new waves of choices with color, Companion Plants wildlife, and provenance all covered Site the Ninebark in the sunny garden, — available now in the miniature form of the native garden, the woodland, and ‘Tiny Wine,’ on up to the large straight the wild garden, paired with sun-loving species, as well as a variety of sizes. and drought-tolerant perennials and Take a look at the new native garden shrubs. Fleabane (Erigeron), Baptisia, under the Wilson Bridge in Alexandria, Helianthus, Sedums, VA, to see Ninebark and Solidago (Echinacea growing in its element. and Rudbeckia are too Similar to Abelia and obvious to mention) all Weigelia, whose palwork well. For neighborettes have also become ing shrubs, consider enlarged due to their Staghorn Sumac (Rhus innate genetic diversity, aromatica), Golden they can now be mined Elderberry (Sambucus and exploited to create canadensis ‘Aurea’), new and better plants and Witch Alder with a unique design (Fothergilla gardenii), quality. If you are looking with Barren Strawberry for deep color, while still (Waldsteinia fragarioides) fulfilling your responsifor groundcover, and bilities to be a steward of add some Muhly Grass the Earth, focus on this (Muhlenbergia capillaris) gem. to create a colorful and ‘Dart’s Gold’ (Physocarpus opulifolius) photo is We are still in the age courtesy of Bailey Nurseries. unique garden space. of development for this Design with a variety of Physocarpus once-shy-now-shining plant. Planting species, creating color combinations natives with a wide-ranging size and and making use of the species, various color palette is in our future, as work ultimate heights. continues on breeding in mildew resisIf you use the species (Physocarpus tance, smaller stature, and colors that opulifolius), you will need space for it to hold our attention, as well as show off form its natural thicket. This habit, plus other plants with striking contrasts. The its widely spread fibrous roots, makes it birds love it; the bees love it. As time a useful plant for stabilizing slopes. goes by, we note their point. o Dark-leaved Ninebark, Weigelia, Judith Mensh is a local horticultural consulAbelias, and Crape Myrtle all provide tant. She is available to walk your yard with the complementary color red to the you and identify plants and possibilities. prevalent green of the garden. At one She can be reached via email at time, it was chasing after variegated JudithMenshNurtureNature@gmail.com. leaves that motivated plantsters; now SEPTEMBER 2015

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JOIN US FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL

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FEATURED SPEAKERS & TOPICS:

“Trees and the Built Environment” Wednesday, November 4, 7:30am-4pm Silver Spring Civic Center, Great Hall 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910 The fourth annual Trees Matter Symposium focuses on the health and welfare of trees in our increasingly developed landscapes. Learn from some of the country’s leading experts about innovative efforts to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and suburban settings.

Trees provide many benefits: they cleanse and cool our air, stabilize our soils, provide wildlife habitat and beautify our urban and suburban areas. We encourage all arborists, landscape industry and environmental/green industry professionals, engineers, designers, housing developers and interested citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to learn new techniques and concepts on what can be done to ensure the survival of trees in our built environment.

Approved for continuing education credits for members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH), International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and Society of American Foresters (SAF).

Early bird pricing ($55) available until October 7th.

Regular price for admission is $70.

Support provided by:

1. DR. MICHAEL DIRR Horticulturist, professor of horticulture at the Univeristy of Georgia, and author of many accliamed books including the Manual of Woody Landscape Plants.

Part 1: “In Praise of Noble Trees” Part 2: “The Origin/Development of Tree Cultivars: Reflections on the Best of the Old and A View to the New”

2. DR. KELBY FITE Arboriculture researcher with Bartlett Research Laboratories

“The Landscape Below Ground” Dr. Fite will discuss what is known about root and soil interactions, engineered soil effects on tree performance, and new treatments such as biochar.

3. DR. CHRIS LULEY Pathologist, vice president of Urban Forestry LLC., and author of many acclaimed books including Wood Decay Fungi.

“Ecology of Decay Fungi and Implications in Decay Assessment” Dr. Luley will discuss the interaction between fungi and trees, and its implications in risk and decay assessment.

4. HOLLY SHIMIZU Horticulturist, former executive director of the U.S. Botanic Garden and correspondent for PBS’ The Victory Garden.

“King of the Forest” Shimizu will discuss the profound role of trees in our lives - what they accomplish as food factories, as cleaners of the air and water, as shade makers, and as stabilizers.

For more information, visit MontgomeryParks.org/Trees Register at ActiveMontgomery.org for course #8955, or call the registrar at 301-962-1451.

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

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MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Coral Bells (Heucheras) MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed-Starting Basics • Flavorful Fruiting Natives JULY/AUGUST 2008 • Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses • Edible Grasses to Graze On • Slug and Snail Control • Sage Advice: Sun-Loving Salvias SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 • Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now • Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums) • Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs • 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • Outdoor Lighting Essentials • How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, Vines • 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs • Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer • Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden • Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum • Grow Winter Hazel for Winter Color

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Jentz Prints

Antique Botanical Prints for the decorator, collector, connoisseur, and art lover.

Jentz Prints can be purchased on most Saturdays at the Eastern Market, and most Sundays at the Georgetown Flea Market.

Antique prints are affordable — most in the $10-$30 range — and they are the perfect gift idea for that plant lover in your life. And don’t forget to buy a few for yourself!

For more information, to make a private appointment, or to get a detailed show schedule, please contact Jentz Prints by email at UllrichJ@aol.com. You can also find Jentz Prints on eBay.com under the seller ID: printyman.

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