Washington Gardener Enewsletter August 2012

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ENEWSLETTER

AUGUST 2012

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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 Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

For our August 2012 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is asking for nominations for the “Hottest Gardener in the DMV (District, Maryland, and Virginia).” “Hotness” will be left open to a wide interpretation. Depending on the number of entries, we may split the categories by gender and age group and declare multiple winners. There will be fun prizes for each “hottest” gardener. And yes, you can self-nominate! To nominate a hot DMV gardener, send an email with “Hottest Gardener” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Friday, August 31. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, mailing address, and attach the Nominee’s Photo plus a few details about them: name, age, and city, state where they garden. The winners will be announced and notified by September 2. Some of the entry responses may be used in future Washington Gardener online or print articles.

�� Summer 2012 Issue

Our Summer 2012 magazine issue is now in production. To subscribe today and make sure you start with this issue, see page 9 of the enewsletter. The cover story is on Tropical Gardens — from hardy exotic plants to native look-a-likes. You can create a cool paradise in your own yard. You’ll also find in this issue: • Watermelon Growing Tips • A DayTrip to an Historic Treasure: Gunston Hall in Virginia • How to Simplify in the Garden • Columbine Leaf Miner • Spring Garden Tour Wrap-Up • Local Gardening Events Round-Up • Before-After of a Plant Collector’s Garden Sale • 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 • Hummingbird Moth at Kenilworth • Great Blue Lobelia: You Can Grow That! • A TRUE Purple Tomato • Read Any Good Gardening Books Lately? • The Garden Song Video See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

August Garden To-Do List Spotlight Special Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’

PlantHaven introduces ‘Totally Tangerine,’ a Geum that is sterile and blooms from early summer into the fall. With a flower production up to five times that of the normal genus, it produces hundreds of warm, tangerine-orange single flowers over the course of the growing season. The deep green, fuzzy foliage forms a compact mound which gets up to 30 inches in full bloom. ‘Totally Tangerine’ can be used for perennial borders, commercial landscape plantings, or as a cut flower and is attractive to butterflies and is resistant to deer and rabbit feeding. The bright apricot to tangerine orange flowers make an outstanding color statement in the garden. Geum is a fast grower that is rarely bothered by pests or diseases. Drought tolerant once established. Leonard Perry from the University of Vermont says: “One of the top performers of all my new perennials, very robust habit. I’m very impressed!”

‘Totally Tangerine’ Facts:

• Origin: United Kingdom • Hardy to USDA Zone 4. (-30°F or -34°C). • Sprays of large unique warm apricot single blooms. • Robust habit. • Bloom Time: Early summer with repeat flowering in early fall. • Foliage: Deep green cut foliage. • Culture: Best in full sun in well-drained soil. To learn more, visit www.planthaven.com.

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Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for August 16-September 15. Your suggestions and additions to this list are most welcome: • It is harvest time and also a good time to start taking stock if what worked well for you this season and what didn’t. • Buy raspberries and peaches at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market. • Let the lawn go dormant for now, it will green back up in the coming rains. • Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains. • If your pond water gets low from prolonged drought, top it off with tap water and add a dechlorinator according to package instructions. • Wash out birdbaths weekly with diluted bleach solution. • Water thoroughly especially if you receive no rain for more than 5-7 days. • Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. • Start shopping for spring bulbs. • Divide and cut back bearded iris and peonies. • Check your pond pump for debris and clean it out every few weeks. • Watch for slug damage and set out traps or Sluggo bait. • Check for mosquito breeding grounds. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days. • Weed. • Cut back any leggy Asters or Mums. • Take garden photos and make notes in your garden journal. • Start collecting plant seeds for next year and for trading. • As the days get cooler, plant hardy mums. • Prune evergreens to get in shape for fall/winter. • Hand pick or cut out any bagworm cocoons. • Harvest your herbs often and keep them trimmed back to encourage leafy growth. Dry them indoors, if you can’t use them right away. • Bring Christmas cactus and Poinsettias indoors if you took them out for the summer in preparation for holiday blooming. Fertilize them and put them in a place where they’ll get just 10 hours bright light per day. • Inspect for powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation. Discard properly (i.e. not in your compost bin). • Clean your hummingbird feeders and add new sugar-water every three days. • Renew your container plantings which may be looking a bit ragged at this point. Pinch back overgrown plants. Pull out any spent ones and pop in some substitute annuals or mums. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through early autumn. • Switch your deer deterrent spray. • Start seeds for fall annuals such as pansy, calendula, and kale. • Plant fall crops such as Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radish, mustard, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, turnips, and beets. • Order garlic, onions, and shallots for fall planting. • Attend a county fair and enter some of your garden bounty. • Preserve gourds and dry flowers for display in the fall. • Apply grub control to your lawn. • Divide hostas and daylilies. • Have a wonderful 2012 growing season!

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Local Farmers’ Markets By Kathy Jentz I spent many childhood summers helping to sell fruits and vegetables at my grandparent’s farm at the end of a lonely road in northern Indiana. In a small town, everyone seemed to magically know where to find you and when each produce item was at its peak season. I can still taste the fresh corn on the cob we had with every lunch and dinner as well as the apples we picked right off the trees to snack on at whim. Well, city-gardening does not allow me my own corn field or apple orchard, but it is an easy stroll to the nearby farmers’ markets to purchase some fresh-from-thefarm produce every week. Farmers’ markets are at the top of my must-do list each week. Many sellers have tomato and herb starts in the spring that are the backbone of my edible beds. And the growers themselves are a wealth of gardening advice! Free taste samples of ripe in-season fruits and veggies are a bonus to my visits as are the cooking demonstrations, shared recipes, and related sellers who stock breads, cheeses, eggs, and meats. Here are links to find out about the farmers’ markets close to where you live and work: • FRESHFARM Markets is a nonprofit organization that runs farmers’ markets in the DC including popular ones at Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, H Street, the Penn Quarter, and one in downtown Silver Spring, MD as well as St. Michaels, MD. For more details visit: www.freshfarmmarkets.org. • Local Harvest lets you search by zip code to find a market near you. Go to: www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets. There are listings of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) grower programs you can subscribe to as well. You can also locate nearby farmers with excess harvest or post your own for sale. • The USDA headquarters in Washington, DC, holds its own farmers’ market every Friday in season at 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. Next door is a It is open to the public and the Kettle Corn seller there always has a long line and for good reason. That stuff is deliciusly addictive! On the USDA web site you can search for other local markets by several criteria such as location, produce sold, and payment accepted: ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets. Stop by your local farmers’ market this season and indulge your taste buds!.

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ August 16 - September 15, 2012 • Wednesday, August 22 - 6:30-8PM Introduction to the Prince William County Master Gardener Program Find out about becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer with Virginia Cooperative Extension. Development Services Building Room 202 A & B - 5 County Complex Court, Prince William, 22192. Free, but registration is necessary, please call 703.792.7747. Details at www.pwcgov.org/Grow.

Magazine’s 5th Annual

Tomato Tasting

at the Silver Spring FreshFarm Market It’s ‘Big Boy’ vs. ‘Mortgage Lifter,’ hybrid vs. heirloom, the tomato wars have just begun. Everyone is sure that their tomato pick is the tastiest. Join Washington Gardener Magazine at the FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD, on Saturday, August 25 from 10AM-12NOON for a Tomato Tasting. Best of all, this event is FREE! Farmers at the market will contribute their locally grown selections — from super-sweet ‘Sungold’ to notso-pretty ‘Cherokee Purple’ — and we’ll explore which tomatoes make the short list of favorites. We’ll have tomato growing tips, tomato recipes, tomato activities for kids, and much more — all to celebrate one of summer’s greatest indulgences — the juicy fresh tomato. 6

• Thursday, August 23, 1-1:30PM Meet Our Carnivorous Plants! Demonstration Join USBG staff members as they show off the USBG’s amazing carnivorous plants! See the wonderful diversity of these unique plants while learning how they’ve adapted to their environments. See sundews snacking or flytraps trapping - anything is possible when you come to meet our carnivorous crew!. Location: Conservatory Garden Court, United States Botanic Garden Conservatory 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20001, www.usbg.gov. 202.225.8333, FREE: No pre-registration required • Friday, August 24, 6-8:30PM Basil Bonanza in Columbia Heights City Blossoms 3rd Annual Basil Bonanza — Part party, part potluck, this event is open to the community. We encourage people to pick basil in our garden the week before, and then bring a basil potluck dish to share. In addition to food, there will be several kids activities, including face painting, hula-hooping, an art project, dancing, and more. There is no cost to attend. Girard Garden is located at 1480 Girard Street NW, near the corner of Girard Street and 15th Street. Information at www.cityblossoms.org or 443.854.1669. • Saturday, August 25, 10AM-12NOON Tomato Taste Washington Gardener Magazine FreshFarm Market Downtown Silver Spring Silver Spring, MD. Please see details in ad at far left. • Saturday, August 25, 9-4:40PM and Sunday, August 26, 12-3:30PM 29th Annual Begonia Show and Sale Feast your eyes at this show sponsored by the Potomac Branch of the American Begonia Society. Expand your plant palette! Be tempted with splashes of color and shape for homes and greenhouses that last long after frosts have put our outdoor gardens to bed! The sale offers a wide variety of begonias, including subtropical species. Free. For more information, please call Green

Spring Gardens at 703.642.5173. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/greenspring. • Saturday, August 25, 11AM in English 2PM in Korean Introduction to Bonsai Hear Bonsai Master Ducky Hong explain the fundamentals of bonsai growing and upkeep. At Behnke Nurseries Beltsville, MD store location. Cost: FREE. Please use the online form at http:// behnkes.com/website/events-calendar/freetalks-signup-form.html to sign up for the FREE Talks. Please sign up separately for each Free Talk you wish to attend. Seating is limited so please, only sign up for Talks you are sure you will be able to attend. • August 25, 9-11AM Summer Plants of Clark’s Crossing with Marty Nielsen and Diana Carter The old railroad right-of-way and powerlines at Clark’s Crossing Park have provided conditions favorable to late summer meadow wildflowers. Both wet and dry meadow species should be in show for this walk. Space is limited. Hosted by the Potowmack Chapter of VNPS. RSVP required to Diana Carter at dcarter1776@yahoo.com. Clark’s Crossing Park, 9850 Clarks Crossing Road, Vienna, VA 22182. FREE. • Saturday, August 25, 1-4PM Backyard Wildlife Habitat Workshop DDOE and DCPL with Audubon MD/DC are hosting a backyard wildlife habitat workshop at Takoma Library (416 Cedar Street NW, Washington, DC 20012). Karen Mullin from Audubon MD/DC will be there to give a presentation on conservation gardening and creating space for wildlife and to give gardening advice. After the presentation, we will be planting a native plant garden behind the library. We will have freebies available to those who attend: birdhouse kits, books, native and invasive plant guides and plants. If you are interested in attending this event please send an email to backyardhabitat@dc.gov. • Saturday, September 1, 10AM-3PM Say Olé to Annual Monarch Fiesta Day The Monarchs are migrating! The Black Hill Visitor Center located in Boyds, MD, will celebrate and say adios to these beautiful butterflies as they start their amazing journey back to Mexico. Monarchs are the only butterfly in the world that travel such great distances, some up to three thousand miles. At 1:30, 2pm and 2:30pm visitors can

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ August 16 - September 15, 2012 watch butterfly experts tag and release Monarchs in an effort to track the butterflies’ southward trip to their overwintering sites. The event also offers tours from 11am to 12 Noon of the Black Hill Monarch Garden Waystation. Children of all ages can take part in migration games and an insect hunt, pose for a Monarch photo, listen to Monarch stories, and create enchanting butterfly crafts. Butterfly experts and vendors will be on hand to discuss how best to promote the conservation of the Monarch, as well as other butterflies. The FREE event will be held rain or shine and takes place at Montgomery Parks’ Black Hill Regional Park Visitor Center, 20926 Lake Ridge Dr., Boyds, MD 20841. For more information, call 301-528-3492. • Saturday, September 8, 10:00AM-3:00PM Friends of Brookside Gardens Plant Sale Sponsored by Friends of Brookside Gardens Outside the Visitors Center, Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902. Details: www.montgomeryparks. org/brookside. • Saturday, September 8, 10AM-12:30PM Backyard Birds Birds can bring feathered fun — and free insect control — to a backyard garden. Join Accokeek Foundation for an introduction to the backyard birds of Maryland. From redbreasted robins to cheerful bluebirds, we will identify several common birds of Maryland and discuss how to attract them with shelter, water, and food—from seed and suet cakes to bird-friendly native plants. We will also discuss basic birding skills. Weather permitting, participants will take a guided trail walk. Participants will receive a copy of Bill Fenimore’s Backyard Birds of Maryland and other take-home materials. Pre-registration is required by Thursday, August 30, 2012. Register Here: http://accokeekfoundation.org/backyard-birds/. The Accokeek Foundation, 3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, MD. • Saturday, September 8 Master Gardener Plant Sale Go Native! Beauty & Benefits of Native Plants & Pocket Meadow: A Lawn Alternative. Children’s Program: Plant Your Pockets! Native flower gardening for kids. Taught by VCE - Prince William Master Gardener Volunteers. Teaching Garden at St. Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136. All programs are free and run from 9:00am-Noon. Registration is requested. A children’s program is offered concur-

rently with each Saturday in the Garden program. Space is limited. A registration form is required to complete registration for children’s programs • Friday, September 14, 1:30-2:30pm Basic Gardening: Grow Great Grub Planting a fall vegetable garden will extend the gardening season so you can continue to harvest fresh produce. Many cool-season vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, produce their best flavor and quality when they mature during cool weather. Master Gardeners show you how. Register on-line at www.greenspring.org or call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173. Code: 290 486 0001. Fee: $10. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ greenspring.

SAVE THE DATE: • Thursday, September 20, 2-3PM Gardening 101-Session 1: Local Resources New Lecture Series: Gardening 101- Local Edition Whether you are new to the area, new to gardening or just looking to increase your local gardening knowledge, this lecture series is for you. Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher, Washington Gardener Magazine, will lead you through the basics and share the success secrets of veteran local gardeners. You’ll learn from the experiences of others what to do and not to do to avoid costly mistakes in your own garden. Session 1: Local Resources Course number 213114 Thursday, September 20, 2:00-3:00pm Fee: $18, FOBG: $15; registration required Visitors Center Adult Classroom, Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902. Visit www.BrooksideLearning.org. •The Heritage Harvest Festival on Monticello’s West Lawn Saturday, September 15 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.heritageharvestfestival.com • Gardener Book Club MLK Library (near Metro Center and Gallery Place) on Tuesday, September 25, from 6:00-7:30 PM. Our first book will be: Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf. So mark your calendars, grab a copy of the book, start reading, and RSVP today to “WG Book Club” at WashingtonGardener@rcn.com. • GreenFest DC September 29-30

D.C. Convention Center www.greenfestivals.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/. 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 September 12 for the September 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place from September 16-October 15.

Green Thumb to the Rescue

– offering inspiration and a lot of sweat to help with your garden! Located in Silver Spring and trained as a Master Gardener, I’ve got some savvy design ideas and I’ll do the tough work – planting, watering, weeding, pruning, general yard work. Reasonable rates. No job too small or bothersome! Choose a regular schedule, one-time gig or vacation back-up. Contact Kathy Parrent, kparrent@comcast. net or 301-244-5489. Also, follow and “like” Green Thumb to Rescue’s Facebook page, a source for gardening advice and green news. www.facebook.com/ GreenThumbToTheRescue. Display your garden or nature photos there!

Gardener’s Paradise: Beautifully restored 1837 manor house and separate guest house inhabit a worldclass horticultural site of 27+ acres in Northeastern Montgomery County. Includes stunning vistas, stone-walled English garden, majestic native trees, spectacular specimen plantings, historic spring house with modern garden water system. Horse field and trails. www.springdaleacres.com.

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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 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 • 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 MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, and Rooftop Container Gardens

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• 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) • 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 • 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 WINTER 2011 - EARLY SPRING 2012 • Green Roofs and Walls • Heaths and Heathers • Radishes

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!

Your Ad Here

Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Enews goes out on the 15th of every month and is a free sister publication to Washington Gardener magazine. Contact wgardenermag@aol.com or call 301.588-6894 for ad rates. The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: wgardenermag@aol.com.

In Our Next Issue... SUMMER 2012 Tropical Gardens

A DayTrip to an Historic Treasure

How to Simplify in the Garden Columbine Leaf Miner

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by June 15 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication! oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Be sure you are subscribed!

Send a check or money order for $20.00 payable to Washington Gardener magazine to: Washington Gardener 826 Philadelphia Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910

Magazine Excerpt: Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, Four Generations Bloom by Cheval Force Opp

Spring in our region means bulb blooms waken from their winter sleep to adorn our windowsills, yards, parks, and byways. There is no better place to be in spring than Daffodil Lane, home and gardens of Brent and Becky Heath in Gloucester, VA. On this tidy 10-acre farm, bordered on three sides by water, spring erupts with rioting blooms stretching out in every direction. On land originally owned by George Washington in the Tidewater region of Virginia, Brent, a third-generation bulb grower, grew up cultivating new bulb varieties. Brent courted Becky and the couple shared their married life together, evolving with the bulb farm. Today, their son, Jay Hutchins, and his wife, Denise, continue the legacy as fourth-generation bulb farmers. The dynasty began with Charles Heath, son of a wealthy New England family. He became interested in this tucked-away region after eating a delicious, fragrant cantaloupe from a Gloucester County estate. After correspondence, seed exchanges, and finally visits, he fell in love with the area and bought a 300-acre plantation in the early 1900s. Wild daffodils, descendents of hand-me-downs from Colonial times, inspired his daffodil fascination. The Tidewater’s sandy loam soil and growing conditions supported his love for experimenting with daffodil varieties. As his passion grew, he began shipping samples and receiving new bulbs via steamboats.... Want to learn more about visiting Brent and Becky’s Bulbs in Gloucester, VA? Read the rest of this DayTrip column in the Spring 2012 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See the subscription information below.

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