Washington Gardener Enews ~ April 2012

ENEWSLETTER

APRIL 2012

Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter!

This enewsletter is the sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine. Both the print magazine and online enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, a monthly list of what you can be doing now in your garden. We encourage you to subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine as well for indepth articles, inspirational photos, and great garden resources for the Washington DC area gardener.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This enewsletter is only sent out as a PDF via email to current subscribers. Without your support, we cannot continue publishing this enewsletter nor Washington Gardener Magazine! Our magazine subscription information is on page 9 of this enewsletter. If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please forward this issue to them so that they can subscribe to our print magazine using the form on page 9 of this enewsletter. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/wdcgardener/ • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

For our April 2012 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a copy of Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival to one lucky winner chosen at random. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo to our nation’s capital, the National Geographic Society has published this definitive guide, Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Discover the storied history of how this gift of friendship between nations has blossomed into a National Festival attended by millions. Enjoy the sumptuous photography — as a memory of a cherished experience or as an appreciation of something fine and beautiful that is a rite of spring in Washington, DC. Hardcover; 224 pages. To enter to win a copy of the official National Cherry Blossoms Festival book (valued at $30), send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on April 30 with “Cherry Blossoms” in the subject line and tell us: What planted have you killed more than once in your garden? In the body of the email, please also include your full name and mailing address. The winner will be announced and notified by May 2.

Spring 2012 Issue

Our Spring 2012 magazine issue is now in final layout and proof. All current subscribers should have received it in early May. To subscribe today and make sure you start with this issue, see page 9 of the enewsletter. The cover story is on Pollinator Gardens from butterflies to bats. You’ll also find in this issue: • A DayTrip to the Brent and Becky’s Bulb in Gloucester, VA • Perennial Plant of the Year: Brunnera • Carrot Rust Fly • Garden Photo Contest Winners • An English Garden Story • How to Make a Seed Tape • Profile of a Tulip Farmer • Dealing with Mulberry Weed • A Wrap-Up of Local Gardening Events • Before-After of a Balcony Garden • And much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 9 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_ files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day - April 2012 • Paint a Perfect Spring Picture • You Can Grow That! - Lily of the Valley • Sh*t Gardeners Say Video • Odes to Our Favorite Native Plants See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

Spotlight Special New Berry Shrubs

At MANTS 2012 this past January, Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc. unveiled their new BrazelBerries™ Collection of small ornamental fruit shrubs that will change the way gardeners and retailers think about berry bushes. “BrazelBerries is an exciting new venture for us — bringing a collection of new varieties targeted specifically to the home garden market,” says Amelie Brazelton Aust, New Products Manager and a second-generation owner of Fall Creek. “With the soaring consumer demand for blueberries and the trend towards edible landscapes and sustainability, we decided the time was right to introduce a collection of berry bushes for the home gardener.” Through their private breeding program and breeding partnerships, the Brazeltons and their team have spent the past 20 years working to develop blueberries and other small fruits specifically for the home gardener. “Our family’s goal was to develop new varieties that met our three key breeding criteria: simple, beautiful and delicious,” say Aust. “First and foremost these new berry plants must be beautiful, ornamental shrubs. Then they must be simple to grow, and produce delicious, abundant fruit.” Historically, home garden berry bushes lacked ornamental appeal. “They were bred for commercial production so they were bushy, not very pretty and most often relegated to the garden,” she explains. “BrazelBerries are gorgeous plants that bring beauty and healthful, delicious fruit to the patio or ornamental landscape.” Initial quantities will be available in 2013 to independent garden centers exclusively through an established network of wholesale growers. For details, visit www.brazelberries.com. 2

April Garden To-Do List

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for April 16-May 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome: If you started seeds last month, thin them and start the hardening off process. • Start some more seeds -- especially try flowering annuals like impatiens, marigolds, nasturtium, and petunias. •Do not set out seedlings or tender annuals until after Mother’s Day (traditional last frost-free date for our entire area). • Water shrubs and trees deeply during any dry spells. • Prune winter damage on evergreens. • Make compost tea and use on seedlings. • Turn your compost pile • Sharpen tools. • Prune flowering shrubs, such as forsythia, lilacs, and azaleas, when they finish blooming. • Repot and fertilize houseplants. • Set aside a few hours each weekend for attending garden shows and tours. • Weed by hand to avoid disturbing newly forming roots. • Soil preparation -- add lime, compost, etc. as needed. • Walk your garden -- look for early signs of fungal disease. • Divide perennials and herbs. Pot up extras to give away at plant swaps. • Fertilize new growth. • Plant and prune roses. • Transplants small trees and shrubs. • Buy or check on your stored summer bulbs (such as dahlias and caladiums). Pot them and start to water, if you want to give them an early start on the season. • Build a raised bed for vegetables. Add lots of manure and compost. • Buy an indoor plant to liven up your office space. Try an orchid or African violet. • Start/keep fertilizing your indoor plants. • Cut back and clear out the last of your perennial beds and ornamental grasses. • Mulch beds with a light hand. • Feed birds and provide nesting materials (try dryer lint) as well as houses for the start of their family season. • Sow beans and corn directly outdoors. • Start carrots, turnips, and parsnips in well-draining beds or in deep containers. • Keep cutworms off newly planted edible seedlings by surrounding them with a collar cut from a plastic bottle or cardboard tube. • Pick peas often to encourage the plants to produce more. • Ensure new seedlings do not dry out by installing a drip-irrigation system. • Start herbs from seed or cuttings. • Edge garden beds. • Remove Ivy, Pachysandra, and other vine-like groundcover from under shrubs. • Work in dry, not wet soil to avoid compacting the earth. • Hand pick cabbage worms from broccoli and other cabbage family plants. • Put row covers over vulnerable crops — remove cover to allow for pollinating once they set flowers. • Thin lettuce seedlings and plant more seeds in new rows. (You can eat the seedling greens you pull.) • Plant a tree for Arbor Day or Earth Day.

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Propagate Plants from Softwood Cuttings By Kathy Jentz, Editor of Washington Gardener Magazine How does the concept of FREE PLANTS sound to you in these economically troubled times? You probably know about plant multiplication by dividing overgrown old ones or starting new ones from seed, but have you ever attempted propagation by softwood cuttings? It is one of the easiest garden tasks you’ll undertake as well as the most rewarding. In a short time, you’ll have plants to fill out your beds and more to pass on to your gardening friends. The best window in time for taking softwood cutting to create new shrubs and trees is mid-May to early June. You can try some earlier though and start now in planning which ones you’d like to propagate from your own garden as well as “shopping” in your friend’s gardens. (With their permission, of course!) Recommended shrubs and trees for softwood cutting propagation are boxwood, azalea, lilac, euonymus, forsythia, weigela, barberry, viburnum, fig, roses, crabapple, quince, gardenia, camellia, flowering cherry, and hydrangea. You can also do this on “woody” perennials including geraniums, fuschias, dianthus, and chrysanthemums. This azalea, pictured here from my garden, was created from a small softwood cutting four years ago and is about two feet high and wide this spring. You will be selecting this season’s growth from your woody plants. The new, green wood is best for this purpose. The plant material should be flexible though mature enough to snap when sharply bent.. Use a sharp, and sterilized pair of pruners or knife to take your cuttings. Consider what you are doing as “plant surgery” and use good hygiene standards. Before you start cutting, prepare the growing medium (sterile moist sand, vermiculite, or perlite) and your pots. You do not want the cuttings to dry out at all and you’ll want to work quickly. Be sure your container has a cover to reduce moisture loss. You can use a store-bought large seed-starting tray and dome. Alternatively, you can make your own out of recycled salad bar trays, just be sure to provide good drainage holes. Cut a three-to-four inch length from the growing tips of the plant. The cut should be made at a slight angle, just below a node. (A node is the point on a stem where a leaf emerges.) Next, keep the top few leaves, but prune away any flower buds and the lower leaves from the cutting. Dip the cut end into a rooting hormone such as Rootone® and bury it in the growing medium until at least one node is covered. (The nodes are where the new roots will emerge.) Water the rooting medium well. Then cover them. Place the potted and covered cuttings in a bright, warm spot -- though out of direct sun. Within a few weeks the cutting will start to form roots.. Give it a tug periodically to check. When it has formed a well developed root system, remove the cover and transplant the cutting into a container by itself. Newly rooted cuttings should not be transplanted directly into the landscape. Grow the plant to a larger size before you transplant it to a permanent location and that will increase its chances for survival. 

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ April 16-May 15, 2012 • Monday, April 16, 8:00pm Speaking the Language of Flowers The Silver Spring Garden Club invites you to our April meeting. Come celebrate spring with author Amy Brecount White as she demonstrates how to improve — and enliven — your communication skills using the Victorian language of flowers. She’ll discuss the literary origins of the language, read excerpts from her novel, and assemble tussie-mussie messages. White’s first novel, Forget-Her-Nots (HarperCollins, 2010) brings the language of flowers magically to life in the hands of a fourteen-year-old girl. Doors open at 7:30pm. Brookside Gardens, Visitors Center/Education Building, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, Maryland. This event is free and open to the public. Bring a store-bought snack to share. • Wednesday, April 18, 10.00 am THE GLORY OF SPRING WILDFLOWERS. Leader: Deanne Eversmeyer, Cathedral Horticulture Manager. This tour will feature native spring ephemerals and wildflowers in the Olmsted Woods and the All Hallows Amphitheater. All Hallows Guild, Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016, 202.537.2937 Ahguild@cathedral.org. • Wednesday, April 18th, 7:30-9pm Carnivorous Plants presented by Michael Szesze Hosted by the Takoma Horticultural Club Takoma Park Community Center in the Azalea Room, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland 20912, (corner of Maple and Rt 410), Parking is tight, please carpool, walk/bike, or take public transit. Free and Open to the Public. Please bring a snack to share. See http://takomahort. org/ for further details on the club an its upcoming events. • Friday, April 20 - Sunday, April 22 2012 American Daffodil Society National Convention and Show Sheraton Baltimore North Towson, MD Details at: http://marylanddaffodil. org/2012_ads_convention.html • Saturday, April 21 - Sunday, April 22 Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival Historic Downtown Leesburg will once again be in full bloom as lush landscapes and gorgeous gardens fill the streets. Over 150 vendors will be on display, featuring landscape designs, gardening supplies, outdoor living items, plants, flowers, herbs and so 6

much more! Stroll through the streets and take in the sights and sounds of springtime. Whether gathering ideas for your new outdoor patio, stocking up on gardening supplies, or searching for a perfect gift for the avid gardener in your life, this event has something for everyone! The event runs from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday. For more information, call Ida Lee Park Recreation Center at 703.777.1368 or visit www.idalee.org. • Saturday, April 21, 8am-4pm Annual Garden Day Herb & Craft Sale An exciting mix of herbs and vegetable plants from Mount Vernon and Layng & Company will be available for purchase. Bring your family and participate in child friendly activities, listen to performances by area musicians and meet living history interpreters from McLean High throughout the day. Participants can shop for items made by local artisans and crafters. Admission is free! Proceeds from the sale benefit the museum and garden. To tour the museum admission is $5 for adults; $3 for children 5-12 years old; FREE for children 4 & under or free with your Alexandria Garden Day ticket. This event will take place rain or shine. Location: 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314. 703-549-2997. Email: carlyle@nvrpa.org • April 22, 1:00pm Wabi-Sabi: Embracing Imperfection Location: Green Spring Gardens Park Discover your sense of wabi-sabi, the Japanese art of finding beauty in the naturally imperfect world. Explore this philosophy of “making do” that resonates in austere times, and its origins in the tea garden. Then enjoy a Japanese tea-tasting in the garden and contemplate the perfect imperfection all the around us! Teas served with traditional sweets. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22312, 703.642.5173, http://www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/greenspring/events.htm. • April 22, 12:00-4:00pm Earth Day Festival Celebrate Earth Day by helping with a volunteer planting project from 9am-12pm, join in on walks and tours, shop at the green craft and vendor fair, and let the kids enjoy activities and crafts throughout the afternoon. Kids will grow their own salad bowl by planting lettuce, or take part in a tree adventure scavenger hunt, work on a community art

project made from recycled material, or listen to University of Maryland Entomologist and Author, Mike Raupp as he reads from his children’s book, 26 Things That Bug Me. Anyone who wants to volunteer to help for the day must pre-register by calling 301962-1429. To become an exhibitor at the green craft fair, please call 301-962-1421 for an application. www.brooksidegardens. org. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902. • Tuesday April 24, 10am-4pm Arlington Garden Tour Sponsored by The Garden Club of Fairfax Featuring four private homes and gardens built in the early to mid 20th Century, this intimate tour takes visitors through the neighborhoods built as early suburbs of Washington D.C. Ticket price includes admission to the following 5 locations. Tickets also sold tour day at Memorial Baptist Church: 3455 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA. For more information about the tour, contact Johanna Rucker at johannarucker@verizon.net or see www. vagardenweek.org. Admission fee: $25 • Friday, April 27- Saturday, April 28 FONA 2012 Garden Fair and Plant Sale You’ll find many plants that can not be found at area nurseries and garden centers. Several of the best wholesale growers around the country are providing us with rare and hard to find selections, some of which they are donating in order to support the Arboretum. As the Arboretum grounds bloom, so we transform the brick yard parking lot into a festival of sights, sounds and smells! The Fair coincides with the Arboretum’s spectacular display of more than 10,000 azaleas making it a wonderful full-day event for families, plant lovers, and visitors! Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002, 202.544-8733, www.FONA.org. • Saturday, April 28, 8am to 12noon Historic London Town and Gardens Spring Plant Sale Historic London Town and Gardens, 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater, MD, 410.222.1919, www.historiclondontown.org • April 28 - May 20 Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage Anne Arundel, Howard, St Marys’ and Talbot Counties; Baltimore City Each year, the staff and volunteers of the MHGP coordinate a multi-county spring tour that gives visitors an inside look at extraor-

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ April 16-May 15, 2012 dinary historic and contemporary sites and, at the same time, a fun way to support a worthy cause. The annual spring tours are a central component of the organization’s efforts to cultivate awareness of Maryland’s rich architectural and cultural heritage, from historic to contemporary settings. The Pilgrimage has enjoyed a large and dedicated following, having raised well over a million dollars for the preservation and restoration of properties throughout the State while entertaining and informing many thousands of tour-goers. Info: www.mhgp.org. $30 per tour pre-purchased; $35 day of • Sunday, April 29, 10am-4pm Annual Wildflower Celebration Mt. Cuba Center’s yearly celebration of spring and this year should be really interesting. We’re finding plant combinations never seen before due to the unusual weather patterns. The first 500 families will receive a free potted wildflower. Parking and admission are free. Mt. Cuba Center, 3120 Barley Mill Rd., Hockessin, DE 19707. Details online at: www.mtcubacenter.org. • Thursday, May 3, 6:30-9:00pm LECTURE, RECEPTION & PLANT SALE: On The High Line: The New Nature of Urban Parks and Community Places with Rick Darke Join us for a thought-provoking and visually enticing lecture by Rick Darke on New York City’s new and innovative park, the High Line. Re-purposed from an abandoned elevated rail line, the High Line is a semi-wild experience featuring a bit of open space removed from the landscape of modern urban life. Rick will chronicle the High Line’s beginnings, its stunning success attracting millions of visitors annually, and look at related projects. Rick Darke is a widely published author, photographer, lecturer and consultant focusing on landscape design, planning and conservation. On The High Line, a new book by Annik La Farge, features Rick’s remarkable photographs and insightful writing. Join Rick for a book signing and reception immediately following his lecture. The evening will also include a plant sale of edible & native plants sponsored by Brookside Gardens and Montgomery Parks Community Gardens. Course number 189199; Fee: $40, FOBG: $30; Registration required at www.ParkPASS.org; for more information, call 301-962-1400 or visit us online at www.brooksidegardens.org. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902.

• Saturday, May 5, 9:00am-3:00pm Edible & Native Plant Sale Brookside Gardens and the Montgomery Parks Community Gardens will offer a tantalizing selection of edible and native plants for sale, including unusual and hard-to-find vegetables, herbs, perennials, shrubs, trees, vines and pollinator host plants. For more information, call 301.962.1400 or visit us online at www.brooksidegardens.org. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902. • Saturday May 5, 9-11am 2nd Annual DC State Fair Seedling Swap Whether you have seedlings to share or not, come on out and meet your gardening neighbors, exchange tips about growing in DC, and walk home with some seedlings for your veggie garden! The swap will be at 14 and U Farmers Market. The event is free and requires no registration--and come on by even if you don’t have seedlings to share, we’ll make sure you get to go home with one! http://dcstatefair.wordpress. com/2012/04/01/seedling- swap-6/ • Saturday,May 12, 9am-1pm Silver Spring Garden Club GARDEN MART At Brookside Gardens Visitor’s Center Grounds, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. Featuring Perennials, Herbs, Native Plants, Shrubs, Colorful Annuals, Heirloom Tomatoes and Peppers, House Plants, Vegetables. Hanging Baskets, Mother’s Day Gifts and a popular Garden Raffle. This event is Rain or Shine. • Saturday May 12, 8:00am-12noon Beltsville Garden Club Spring Plant Sale RAIN OR SHINE. Held in the parking lot of High Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, Maryland. Annuals, vegetables, and herbs in addition to perennials, shrubs and trees. Plants grown in the Beltsville Garden Club’s greenhouse will also be available. For more information contact Geoff White at 301 937 1539. For directions visit: www.beltsvillegardenclub.org. • Tuesday, May 15 Profitable Greenhouse Production of Local Produce At this training, VCE Specialists will cover: High Tunnel Production of Local Produce Greenhouse Selection and Construction Crop Production Details Integrated Pest Management for Greenhouse Edibles Marketing Your Local Produce Is Your Operation Profitable? Held at the Old Courthouse, 9248 Lee Ave-

nue, Manassas, 20110. Fee: $15 per person (lunch and materials included.) Please register using form: www.pwcgov.org/grow.

SAVE THE DATE: • Saturday, June 16 10am Washington Gardener Magazine’s DC PLANT SWAP Come with plants to swap or a snack to share if you are plant-less. Free and open to anyone to attend. At the H Street FreshFarm, Farmers Market in NE Washington, DC. • Sunday, June 10, 4-6pm Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Photo Exhibit Opening Reception Winning photographs from this year’s Washington Gardener Magazine photo contest will be on display at Meadowlark through August 10. Light refreshments offered at reception. Free and open to the public. Reservations not required. Address: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court Vienna, Virginia 22182

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/. Event Listing Submissions To submit an event for this listing, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol. com and put “Event” in the email subject head. Our next deadline is May 12 for the May 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place from May 16-June 15.

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MARCH/APRIL 2005 • Landscape DIY vs. Pro • Prevent Gardener’s Back • Ladew Topiary Gardens • Cherry Trees MAY/JUNE 2005 • Stunning Plant Combinations • Turning Clay into Rich Soil • Wild Garlic • Strawberries JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Water Gardens • Poison Ivy • Disguising a Sloping Yard • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Container Gardens • Clematis Vines • Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens • 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 • Backyard Bird Habitats • Hellebores • Building a Coldframe • Bulb Planting Basics 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 • Oatlands Plantation NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Weed-free Beds with Layer/Lasagna Gardening JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 • Indoor Gardening • Daphne Care Guide • Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes • Houseplant Propagation MARCH/APRIL 2007 • Stormwater Management • Dogwood Selection & Care Guide • Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips • Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens MAY/JUNE 2007 • Roses: Easy Care Tips • Native Roses & Heirloom Roses • Edible Flowers • How to Plant a Bare-root Rose JULY/AUGUST 2007 • Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass • How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head • A Trip to the William Paca House & Gardens • Hardy Geraniums SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 • Succulents: Hardy to our Region • Drought-tolerant Natives • Southern Vegetables • Seed Saving Savvy Tips NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 • Gardening with Children • Kid-Friendly Vegetables • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • National Museum of the American Indian • Versatile Viburnums JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • Dealing with Deer • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • Delightful Daffodils

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MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, and Rooftop Container Gardens • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Coral Bells (Heucheras) • Brookside’s Phil Normandy 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) • The 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, and 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 Gorgeous Winter Color MARCH/APRIL 2009 • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips • Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic • Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start • Redbud Tree Selection and Care • Best Local Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells MAY/JUNE 2009 • Top 12+ Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat • Salad Table Project • Grow and Enjoy Eggplant • How to Chuck a Woodchuck from Your Garden SUMMER 2009 • Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic • Passionflowers • Mulching Basics • What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes • Growing Hops FALL 2009 • Apples • How To Save Tomato Seeds • Persimmons WINTER 2009 • Battling Garden Thugs • How to Start Seeds Indoors • Red Twig Dogwoods • Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region SPRING 2010 • Community Gardens • Building a Raised Bed • Dwarf Iris • Broccoli SUMMER 2010 • Fragrance Gardens • Watering Without Waste • Lavender • Potatoes FALL 2010 • Vines and Climbers • Battling Stink Bugs • Russian Sage • Garlic WINTER 2010 • Paths and Walkways • Baltimore’s Cylburn Arboretum • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi SPRING 2011 • Cutting-Edge Gardens • Final Frost Dates and When to Plant • Bleeding Hearts • Onions SUMMER 2011 • Ornamental Edibles • Urban Foraging • Amsonia/Arkansas Blue Star • Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic FALL 2011 • Herb Gardens • Toad Lilies • Sweet Potatoes • Cool Weather Cover Crops

Coming Soon!

Washington Gardener Magazine’s DayTrip columns compiled into one handy publication — available soon in both paper and e-book versions. Great gift idea!

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We are looking for a few additional volunteers who live in the greater Washington, DC, region to serve on our Reader Panel. This will consist of about two email exchanges per month. Reader Panelists may also be asked to review new gardening books and test out new garden plants, tools, and seeds. To join the Washington Gardener Volunteer Reader Panel, please send an email with your name and address to: wgardenermag@aol.com. We look forward to having you be a vital part of our local publication and its gardening mission.

In Our Next Issue... SPRING 2012 Pollinator Gardens

A DayTrip to Brent & Becky Heath

How to Make a Seed Tape Dealing with Mulberry Weed Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’

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Magazine Excerpt: Green Roofs and Walls by Kathy Jentz

Green roofs have many benefits, including holding in stormwater run-off and filtering out pollutants. Green roofs cool and humidify the surrounding air, creating a microclimate in an urban heat island. They also keep building temperatures regulated, especially in the summer. A common concern about green roofs is that they may cause leaking problems. In actuality, green roofs have proven to be much stronger and more efficient than regular roofing materials at keeping water out. But, just in case, United Therapeutics has a back-up plan. “We have lots of leak detection systems – moisture sensors built into the ceilings,” explained Halpert. The building and green roof were completed just under two years ago. The green roof plantings were designed by renowned local landscape design firm Oehme, van Sweden and Associates and are maintained by Ruppert Nurseries. “We wanted to show that green roofs can support a lot more than just sedums, “ said Sheila A. Brady, Principal, VP, FASLA at Oehme, van Sweden and Associates in Washington, DC. Brady designed the green roof gardens to include many native perennials that are low-maintenance and offer multiple seasons of interest. There are two main types of green roofs — extensive and intensive. Extensive green roofs use a very shallow growing medium with plants that have shallow root systems. These roofs are the most popular for retrofits since they generally weigh less than 50 pounds per square foot, including all live (snow, plants, water) and dead (structural components) loads. Green walls date back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. There are a number of green wall systems you can buy commercially, from Woolly Pockets to grid vine supports.... Want to learn more about Green Roofs and Walls including a local source listing? Read the rest of this Feature Story in the Winter 2011 - Early Spring 2012 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See the subscription information below.

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WashingtonGardener is the gardening magazine published speciﬁcally for Washington DC and its MD and VA suburbs — zones 6-7. Come grow with us! The cover price is $4.99. Our regular annual subscription rate (for 4 issues) is $20 for home-delivery of a year of great garden articles! Name _____________________________________ Email address_______________________________ Address____________________________________ City _______________________________________ State____________________ Zip_______________ Send a check for $20.00 payable to Washington Gardener magazine along with this form today to: Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910

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