Wgenews dec13

ENEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2013

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 11 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 Instagram Feed: http://instagram.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

Inside This Enews Issue

• Back Issue Sale • Mail-Order Gardening • Garden To-Do List • Latest Blog Links • Local Garden Events Listings • Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans • New Holly ‘Berry Heavy Gold’ • Photo Contest Details • Reader Contest to Win Passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens • Seed Exchange 2014 Details and Registration

Summer-Fall 2013 Issue

Our Summer-Fall 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine issue has mailed to all current and new subscribers. The cover story is on creating Magical Miniature Gardens also known as Faerie Gardens. You’ll also find in this issue: • Carrot Growing Tips • Plant Profile of Abelias • Kudzu Bugs Threaten Beans • Rose Rosette Disease Spreads • Annmarie Sculpture Gardens • Easy-to-Make Stepping Stones • Native Nashville Breadroot • Preventing Powdery Mildew • And much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 11 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. Fall-Winter 2013 issue is in the works with a cover story on Fabulous Ferns!

Reader Contest

For our December 2013 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens. Enjoy illuminated giant flowers, snowflakes, a rainbow and showers, and more. Walk along the easily accessible paths and you’ll see what sets this light show apart from others. This festive, secular light show, now in its 16th season, is a popular family tradition in the Washington, DC area drawing close to 40,000 visitors each winter. To enter to win a pass to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on December 23 with “Garden of Lights” in the subject line and tell us: What flower colors do you like best and least for planting in your garden? In the body of the email, please also include your full name and mailing address. The calendar winner will be announced and notified by December 25.

Quick Links to Washington Gardener Blog Posts

New Plant Spotlight Gold Winterberry Ilex verticillata Strike it rich with Berry Heavy® Gold, the winterberry with the biggest, brightest gold fruit yet. You will treasure this plant for gardens, mass plantings or as a cut branch. This holly is best in medium to wet acidic soils. Prune to shape in early spring before the plant pushes new growth. Selected by the late, great plantsman and conservationist Fred Case of Saginaw Michigan. Ten cents from each plant sold is donated to support the Nature Conservancy. Use Mr. Poppins as pollinator. Available at better garden centers Spring 2015. Full name: Berry Heavy® Gold Ilex verticillata ‘Roberta Case’ PPAF. From Proven Winners (www.provenwinners.com).

Plant Facts

Shrub Type: Deciduous Height: 72 - 96 Inches Spread: 72 - 96 Inches Flower Colors: White Foliage Colors: Green Habit: Upright Light Requirement: Part Sun to Sun Blooms On: Old Wood Bloom Time: Fall Hardiness Zones: 3a-9b Uses: border plant, landscape, mass plantings, hedges, and cutting gardens.

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• Assembling Longwood’s Poinsettia Baskets • Indoor Bulb Forcing: You Can Do That! • William, the Mighty Arcadia Barn Cat • Profiles in Urban Farming • Farming Our Schools See more Washington Gardener blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

December Garden To-Do List

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for December 16-January 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Keep watering your poinsettias and give them plenty of light. Ensure they are away from drafts and that the pots drain freely. • Last chance to plant bulbs or if you have waited until the ground is frozen, pot them up for forcing indoors. • Gather holiday greens. Some, like holly and boxwood, benefit from being pruned by growing thicker. • Feed birds and provide them with a fresh water source. • Check houseplants and any plants you brought indoors for the winter, for insects. • Provide some special protection to tender or early flowering plants like Camellias. • Stake newly planted large trees or shrubs to protect them from winter winds. • Check any summer/tropical bulbs, corms, tubers and bare-root plants in storage for rot or desiccation. • Apply scale and dormant oil treatment to evergreens. • Spread ashes from wood fires on your vegetable beds. • Keep succulents and cacti on the dry side. • Water your cut Christmas tree daily. • Gently remove layers of snow from evergreens with a broom. • Start organizing your pile of incoming garden catalogs. • Keep an eye out for bark damage from rabbits and deer. • Spray broadleaf evergreens with anti-desiccant to prevent dehydration. • Use the branches from your Christmas tree as bedding mulch or as a wind-break. • Keep watering newly planted trees and shrubs as needed. • Cover strawberry beds with straw or pine needles. • Prune stone fruit trees like cherries, plums, and peaches. • Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools. • Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except Cyclamen). • Set up a humidifier for indoor plants or at least place them in pebble trays. • Continue to rotate houseplants to promote even growth. • Attend a local garden club meeting. • Start new indoor plants from cuttings -- try an easy one such as violets. • Check the plants under tall evergreens and under the eaves of the house to see that they have sufficient moisture. • Weed. Weed. Weed. • Pick a budding gardener on your gift list to give some inspirational garden books and magazines then watch them blossom. • Store your fertilizer and seeds in rodent-proof containers. • Do any filling and grading around your yard. The soil will settle during the winter months. • Vent cold frames on sunny days. • Avoid walking in frozen planting beds. • Remove and destroy gypsy moth egg masses. • Clean your gutters. • Prune maples, dogwoods, birch, elm, and walnut -- if needed. • Bonus Tip: Some alternatives to de-icing salts include sand, beet juice sugars, light gravel (grit), or non-clumping kitty litter. Using de-icing salts around driveways and sidewalks can harm your garden plants and turf. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Garden of Lights

WALK-THROUGH HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAY

November 29, 2013 – January 5, 2014

Conservatory Train Exhibit

Visit our Gift Shop and receive 15% OFF on merchandise only. Expires Jan. 6, 2014 Not valid with any other discounts. WG2013

Open Sunday – Thursday 5:30-9:00 pm Friday – Saturday 5:30 -10:00 pm (Closed December 24 & 25, and January 1 & 2)

Open New Year’s Eve until 9:00 pm

$20 per car/van (M-Th) • $25 per car/van (F-Su) ADVANCE SALE TICKETS: $20 (available November 1) CASH ONLY AT ENTRANCE Last car admitted 30 min. before closing time

Join Us For: Seed Swapping Door Prizes Planting Tips Expert Speakers Goody Bags Washington Gardener Magazine presents the

8th Annual Washington Gardener

Seed Exchange on Saturday, January 25, 2014 National Seed Swap Day! from 12:30 – 4:00PM

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD AND

on Saturday, February 1, 2014 from 12:30 – 4:00PM

at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

Registration is now open at www.washingtongardener.com.

Space is limited, so act today!

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Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers get $5 off the $15 attendee fee!

Overview

Washington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the seventh annual Washington Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are inperson and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.

When

On Saturday, January 25, 2014 in MD and on Saturday, February 1, 2014 in VA from 12:30 – 4:00PM (Foul weather that day? Call 240.603.1461, for updates about possible snow/ice delay.)

Where

We are holding dual Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the Washington Beltway. We urge you to attend the one closest to you. One exchange will be held in the Visitor’s Center Auditorium of the Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. The other will be at Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Road Alexandria, VA.

How To Register

Fill out the form on the opposite page. Send the form in along with payment to Washington Gardener, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, Attn: SE Registration. Please make checks out to “Washington Gardener.” Registration fee is $15 per person in advance. Friends Of Brookside (FOB) members, Friends of Green Springs. and current Washington Gardener subscribers receive a discount rate of $10 per person. We strongly urge you to register in advance. There is a limited enrollment of 100 participants at each location and we expect both to sell-out, so be sure to register early!

We are GREEN!!! Garden Book and Seed Catalog Exchange

Seed Exchange attendees are encouraged to bring their used or new garden books and seed catalogs to swap and share at this year’s event. We also ask you to bring your own water bottle or reusable mug and a home-made nametag.

Washington Gardener Magazine’s 9th Annual

Seed Exchange Details

If You Have Seeds to Bring and Swap

Please package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like lettuce, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Then label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the information you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and watering needs; and, its origins — where and when you collected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that's okay, just try to provide as much as you can. Yes, you can bring unused or opened commercial seed packs also.

What If I Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?

Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend! We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.

Education Program

from each of the category tables (if desired). After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies with labels will be on hand for that purpose.

Schedule

What Types of Seeds?

Expert speakers from the local gardening community will give short talks on seed collection and propagation tips. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the featured speakers, and invited experts as well. (Note: This schedule is subject to change.) 12:00-12:30 Registration check-in 12:30-12:40 Introductions 12:40-1:20 Gardening talk 1:20-1:40 Gardening talk 1:40-2:00 Gardening talk 2:00-2:15 Snack break and room reset 2:15-2:30 Seed swap preview time 2:30-3:00 Seed swap 3:00-3:30 Photo Contest winners 3:30-4:00 Door prizes and closing talk

How Do We Swap?

As you check-in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed category tables. You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. Then, you will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack

Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials, and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can presort your seeds in advance into whichever of these seven major categories fits best, that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.

Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!

All attendees will receive a goodie bag at the seed swap. The bags include seeds, publications, and garden items donated by our sponsors. In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners. If your organization would like to contribute seeds or garden-related products for the goodie bags and door prizes, please contact Kathy Jentz at 301.588.6894 by January 21.

9th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange Advance Registration Form

Please ﬁll out this form and mail with your check/money order by January 23, 2014 to: Washington Gardener Magazine, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20910

Name:____________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address:____________________________________________________________________________ Email:____________________________________________________________________________________ Seed Exchange Date and Location:  Jan 25 at Brookside Gardens  Feb 1 at Green Spring Gardens (We will only use your email address for Seed Exchange notices and will never share them with anyone else.) Seed Exchange Attendee Fee: $15.00 __________ Discount (if eligible*): -$5.00 __________ Optional: Washington Gardener Magazine Annual Subscription: $20.00 __________ TOTAL_____________ *The following group members are eligible to pay the discount attendee rate of $10.00, please CIRCLE if one applies to you: • Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers • Friends of Brookside Gardens • Friends of Green Spring Gardens WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

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You’ve seen those gorgeous garden photos published in magazines and newspapers. Enter this year’s competition and have a chance of getting your winning images published, too! Whether you take the photos in your own backyard, a nearby public garden, or while visiting friends and family in their local gardens, there are so many photographic opportunities to be found. Let’s show off the best in DC-area gardening! This contest offers an opportunity for all photographers to present their best shots of gardens in the greater Washington, DC area. Contest entries will be judged on technical quality, composition, originality, and artistic merit. More than $500 in prizes will be awarded! Winning images will be published in Washington Gardener magazine, will be displayed during the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange, and will appear in a local photo exhibit. By popular demand a NEW category has been added for this years contest! “Garden Vignettes” is for those garden scenes that are in-between tight closeups and sweeping landscape vistas.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Each entrant is limited to a total of 10 images. Each electronic file must be identified with your name and phone number. All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared in the viewfinder. Nothing should be added to an image and, aside from dust spots, nothing should be removed. Cropping and minor adjustments to electronic images to convert RAW files are acceptable. If an image is selected as a finalist, a high-resolution digital file might be required prior to finalizing our contest results. Digitally captured images should be taken at the camera’s highest resolution (3 megapixels or larger). For preliminary judging, digital files must be submitted in JPEG format sized to 1000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi. If photos are taken with a film camera, they must be scanned in and submitted in JPEG format sized to 1000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi. Before sending us your CD-ROMs, verify their integrity by making sure they 6

8TH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST are readable and not damaged. We reserve the right to disqualify any disk that is unreadable or defective. Please check your CDs with the latest virus detection software. We will disqualify any disk that may contain a virus or a suspicious file. Label each CD and case with your full name. We strongly suggest mailing CDs in a protective case. We are not responsible for disks damaged during shipping. No CDs will be returned but they can be picked up after judging. Send your entries and entry fee to: Washington Gardener Photo Contest, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mailed entries must be received by January 21, 2014. Contest entries can also be submitted via email to DCGardenPhotos@aol. com. Use the subject line “WG Photo Contest” and include an entry form for each image in your email’s text field. You can print out blank entry forms from www.WashingtonGardener.com. We will verify all entry receipts so please ensure your email address is included on all items. Entrants must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer, landowner, or other person. Photos involving willful harassment of wildlife or destruction of any property are unacceptable. The entrant must have personally taken the photo. By entering, you state this is your work and is free of copyright elsewhere. Failure to comply with any contest guidelines will lead to disqualification.

COPYRIGHT NOTE

Your entry to this contest constitutes your agreement to allow your photographs and your name, city, state, and photo description texts to be published in upcoming issues of Washington Gardener and used for other related purposes including, but not limited to, Washington Gardener Photo Contest promotions, online, live presentations, and gallery exhibits. Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of their photographs.

CATEGORIES

Each entrant is limited to a total of 10

images. You may submit a few in each category or submit all 10 in one category. Photo must have been taken during the 2013 calendar year in a garden located within a 150-mile radius of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. • Garden Views: Beautiful, dramatic, or unusual perspectives of a garden landscape, including wide shots showing the setting. Subject can be a private or public garden. • Garden Vignettes: Groupings of plants in beds or containers, unusual color or texture combinations, garden focal points, and still scenes. Subject can be photographed in a private or public garden. • Small Wonders: Tight close-up images or macro shots of single flowers, plant parts, fruits, vegetables, etc. Subject can be photographed in a private or public garden. • Garden Creatures: Images of insects, birds, frogs, domestic pets, etc. in a private or public garden setting.

PRIZES

Prizes include gift certificates to area camera stores, gardening tools, new plant introductions, and much more! If you would like to be a prize donor or sponsor, please contact us today.

WINNERS’ OBLIGATION

Photo contest winners will need to provide a high-resolution version of their image for publication and an 11x14 print suitable for framing. Winners may be asked to provide additional information for press and media coverage.

CONTEST ENTRY FEE

The entry fee is $15.00 or $10.00 for current Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. The fee includes up to 10 total image submissions per entrant. Please send a check or money order made out to “Washington Gardener” or send a payment via www.PayPal.com to DCGardenPhotos@aol.com.

DEADLINE

Entries due by January 21, 2014.

QUESTIONS?

Please call 301.588.6894 or email DCGardenPhotos@aol.com. o

Mail-Order Gardening By Kathy Jentz We are about to start a new gardening year according to your mailbox. If you’re like most gardeners you can tell it’s the deep winter dormant season not by the chilly weather, but by the number of the mail-order garden catalogs flooding in right now. I personally have received two or three catalogs per week since November 15. If you didn’t get a wide selection of gardening catalogs this year, you can go online to request some be sent to you. A good jumping off point is the Direct Gardening Association (http://www.mailordergardening.com/) which has several hundred mail-order garden companies listed with their full contact information and broken down by plant categories. What are the advantages of mail-order or online ordering? According to the Mailorder Gardening Association, they are: • Greater selection of products • The convenience of armchair shopping • Best guarantees in the business • Plants and products directly to your door I especially like that last bullet point. Getting that box of new plants or seeds delivered to your door is like opening a gift to yourself. What a great present to come home to after a long day at the office! And no need to haul heavy plants home on the metro. One of the best things about getting mail-order garden catalogs or surfing their web sites is that you can do it from the warm comfort of your own home at any time. You are able to sit down and plot out your garden plan on paper before buying. You can dream big at this point and transport yourself to springtime with these luscious photos and detailed plant descriptions. “Garden catalogs let you take a mental vacation from the frigid days of winter, and they serve as helpful planning tools because they show you the newest plants and products for your garden,” said Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare, former president of the Direct Gardening Association (DGA). “Gardening catalogs and web sites are a great way to get a jump-start on the gardening season. Many of them also provide helpful information for both new and long-time gardeners.” Just how popular are mail-order garden products? The DGA estimates that Americans spend $3.1 billion on mail-order plants, bulbs, seeds, garden tools and garden supplies. If you’re planning to order from a mail-order gardening catalog or gardening web site, you’re in good company. More than 24.2 million American households are expected to place orders with mail-order garden catalogs and web sites this year, spending an average of $128 per household. When I settle in to peruse this year’s catalog offerings, I

like to have a large scratch pad, Post-its, and pens nearby to sketch out garden bed ideas and keep track of what I want from each catalog. Here are some additional mail-order gardening suggestions: • Choose plants appropriate to the DC area. That means Zones 6-7. Luckily for us, that is still a very broad range of plants. Most of what we cannot have in this area or tropicals — which if you must have a specimen you can attempt as a summer annual or try to keep in a heated greenhouse. • Check out the helpful glossary of terms often included and read the descriptions carefully. If you don’t know what an “indeterminate” tomato vine is, pick up the phone or go online and ask. Most garden catalogs have a very helpful, knowledgeable staff in their customer service departments. • Order early to avoid “sold out” notices. I’m still depressed over that corkscrew vine I wanted so badly last year. This time, I’ve learned my lesson! Although procrastination does have a few benefits. If you buy online and sign-up for a company’s mail list, in late Spring you’ll often be sent sale and clearance price offers on overstocked items. These are great for filling in where a perennial has not come back or a new plant has just not flourished as you’d hoped. • Keep careful records of what you’ve ordered and where you intend to place them in your garden. This will help you immensely in unpacking your plants several months from now. This also avoids the “now where do I put this?” syndrome, as you stand mid-garden with new plant in hand. When I do my actual ordering, it is online. That way I get a receipt in my email box, print it out, and can make notes on that as well. Two extremely helpful online sites to visit before you place your orders are: • Dave’s Garden: The Garden Watchdog (http://davesgarden. com/gwd/) This site has contact information for hundreds of mail-order gardening companies and reviews from fellow gardeners who have used these companies. • Garden Web: Sources Forum (http://forums.gardenweb. com/forums/sources/) This site allows you to search on posts from other gardeners or to post your own query. Many use it to look for a specific plant source or to ask about a catalog they’ve never ordered from before for other’s opinions and experiences. About the Author Kathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. Kathy’s stack of garden catalog is awaiting the next snow day to sit down with a cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace to peruse them all.

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ Dec 16, 2013 - Jan 15, 2014 • Thursday, December 19, 5-7pm

Candlelight Mansion Tours A festive carriage ride, Victorian ladies and gentlemen and the spectacularly decorated Maymont Mansion in Richmond, VA, reveal the gracious traditions of Christmas 1893. Fee: $18 per person/$14 for Maymont members. Register online at www.maymont.org or call 804-358-7166, ext. 310. • Thursday, December 19, 10am Wreath Making Workshop Learn how to make a wreath with live greens with Oatlands’ Head Gardener, Mark Schroeter. Greens furnished. Take home a finished wreath! At the Oatlands’ Greenhouse. Fee: $20. Details at http://www.oatlands.org. Call for reservations: 703-777-3174. •Thursday, December 19 and Friday, December 20, from 10:30-11:30am or 1-2pm Gingerbread House Workshops Tudor Place is made of brick and wood and stucco, but memories are made of gingerbread! Children become history detectives as they tour the mansion for clues to how holidays were celebrated in the past. Next, they use graham crackers and other sweet building materials to design and build their own “gingerbread” houses. For ages 5+. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC. Register at http://tudorplace.org/. • Saturday, January 4*, and Sunday,

January 5, 10am-12:30pm Christmas Bird Count at Black Hill Regional Park* and Ten Mile Creek What types and how many birds are there in Black Hill Regional Park and Ten Mile Creek? Find out at the 114th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running Citizen Science survey in the world. The Montgomery County Bird Club will help with identification, and the results will be entered into the Audubon database to provide critical data on bird population trends. Participants should dress for hiking in cold, winter conditions. Younger children must be able to hike 1-2 miles or can be carried. Meet at the Black Hill 8

Visitor Center, Black Hill Regional Park 20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds, MD. Details at: www.montgomeryparks.org. FREE. • Wednesday, January 8, 12noon-1pm Lunchtime Tour of the Conservatory What do manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common? They all come from plants on permanent display in the USBG Conservatory. Take a tour with a knowledgeable guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. You might see bananas, cacao and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medicinal plant research. Tour meets in the Conservatory Garden Court. FREE: No pre-registration required. See more at: http://www. usbg.gov/events/. • January 8 - 10 MANTS 2014 MANTS is one of the largest private Green Industry Trade Shows on the east coast with over 300,000 square feet of exhibit space. Registration required. Held at the Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD. 21201; www.bccenter.org. • Friday, January 10, 6:30-9pm Nature Movie Night: Planet Earth: Temperate Forests and Jungles Enjoy a documentary comparing the unique tree-based ecosystems found in our backyards with those across the equator. Popcorn provided. Held at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. Admission: $6. Register at www.ParkPASS.org (Course #248599). • Saturday, January 11, 9:00am2:30pm School Gardens Symposium Educators, volunteers, and teachers: Let’s talk school gardens. Learn activities to meet SOL standards, and gain school garden management ideas, resources and networks. Lunch included. Being held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA. Fee: $65/person. Register

online at : http://www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/greenspring/events.htm. • Saturday, January 11 Pruning Workshop This workshop session will provide instruction on the fundamentals of tree pruning and the methods that encourage healthy structural development. After the classroom session, participants will head to the field, putting these principles into action by pruning American elms at different stages of development. Barry Stahl of the National Park Service will instruct. See full details at caseytrees.org/events. • Sunday, January 12, 1:30-3pm Plants of the Bible and the Quran Celebrate the plants of the Bible and Quran. Old Dominion University Professor Lytton John Musselman shares fascinating stories of the fruits, grains, grasses, trees, flowers, and fragrances referred to in these texts, their uses, and literary context. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ greenspring or call Green Spring Gardens 703-642-5173. Code: 290 182 1801. Fee $10/person. • Tuesday, January 14, 8-10pm (and again on February 13) Full Moon Hike for Private Group Gather friends and family to enjoy the Full Moon Hike, considered one of DC’s best outings. Hike for two hours over four miles of hilly and uneven terrain, through moonlit gardens, meadows, and woods. Your guide will share seasonal highlights that are notable at night. This is a brisk hike, not a tour. Maximum 25 per group. Fee $550. Registration required. Held at U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave., NE, Washington, DC. To register, visit www. usna.usda.gov or call 202-245-4521. • Thursday, January 16 – Friday, January 17 The 25th Annual Winter Landscape Design Symposium In this two-day program, influential practitioners, both established and emerging, will examine some of the dead ends and fruitful paths traveled by

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ Dec 16, 2013 - Jan 15, 2014 ecological design over the last 25 years, and the changes that these experiences suggest going forward. Being held at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, 100 E. Northwestern Ave. Philadelphia, PA. Details at: www. morrisarboretum.org.

SAVE THE DATE: • The 9th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange, hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine, takes place on January 25, 2014 at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, AND on February 1, 2014 at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA. Seed Exchange attendees trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear expert speakers, and collect goody bags full of gardening treats. The event also includes such “green” features as the garden book and catalog swap. Participants are also encouraged to bring their gently used garden books and mailorder garden catalogs to trade with each other. . Subscribers to Washington Gardener Magazine receive a $5 discount off the admission to the Washington Gardener Seed Exchange. • The Basics of Gardening Through instruction by Master Gardeners and Extension Staff, students will learn some of the science behind gardening, plant culture and pest and disease solutions. The series will focus on research-based knowledge of plant resistance, problem avoidance and the most effective control strategies. Classes are Saturday January 25, February 22, March 15 with a snow date of March 29. From 9am-1pm each date. Class location is REALTOR® Association of Prince William, 4545 Daisy Reid Avenue, Suite 150, Woodbridge, VA. Fee of $45 for the series includes all materials and light refreshments. Couples may register for$75 for one set of materials. Youth over the age of 16 may register. Questions may be addressed to the Extension Horticulture Help Desk at 703-792-7747 or by email at master_gardener@pwcgov.org.

• PPA MidAtlantic Regional Symposium on Saturday, February 22 at the Conference Center at Sheppard Pratt, 6501 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD. Join The Perennial Plant Association & The Horticultural Society of Maryland, Inc. to be “Perennially Inspired” Details at www.perennialplant.org. • Green Matters Symposium: “Gardening in a Shifting Climate” Friday, February 28, 8:30am-4pm. Our weather is changing. This becomes especially apparent when gardening: plants that have flourished for years are failing; planting dates are no longer as reliable. What is a gardener to do? Join us for Green Matters: Gardening in a Shifting Climate. Hear from a variety of professionals on how we can adapt and learn how to successfully garden with such changeable weather. Visit BrooksideGreen.org for more information. Register early. Held at NEW location: Manor Country Club, 14901 Carrolton Road Rockville, MD. Admission: $89. www.ParkPASS.org (Course #248349)

Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course January 21-24, 2014 For registration information contact: Avis Koeiman Department of Entomology 4112 Plant Sciences Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-405-3913 Email: akoeiman@umd.edu 

• RootingDC is a FREE Urban Gardening Forum held annually in late winter. Details to be posted soon at http:// fieldtoforknetwork.org/rootingdc/ for the event on Saturday, March 1, 2014.

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 January 12 for the January 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place from January 16 - February 15.

Local Gardening Calendar

Each month includes a list of what to do in the garden for local DC-MD-VA and Mid-Atlantic gardeners, along with a gorgeous photo of a flower from a local public garden collection. On November 25, go to http:// www.cafepress.com/washgardener to order this new calendar. A great gift idea and treat yourself!

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

MAY/JUNE 2007 • Roses: Easy Care Tips • Native Roses & Heirloom Roses • Edible Flowers • How to Plant a Bare-root Rose

MAY/JUNE 2009 • Top Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat • Salad Table Project • Grow and Enjoy Eggplant • How to Chuck a Woodchuck

MAY/JUNE 2005 • Stunning Plant Combinations • Turning Clay into Rich Soil • Wild Garlic • Strawberries

JULY/AUGUST 2007 • Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass • How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head •William Paca House & Gardens • Hardy Geraniums

SUMMER 2009 • Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic • Passionflowers • Mulching Basics • What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes • Growing Hops

JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Water Gardens • Poison Ivy • Disguising a Sloping Yard • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 • Succulents: Hardy to our Region • Drought-tolerant Natives • Southern Vegetables • Seed Saving Savvy Tips

FALL 2009 • Apples • How To Save Tomato Seeds • Persimmons

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Container Gardens • Clematis Vines • Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens • 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 • Gardening with Children • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • National Museum of the American Indian • Versatile Viburnums

WINTER 2009 • Battling Garden Thugs • How to Start Seeds Indoors • Red Twig Dogwoods • Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 • Backyard Bird Habitats • Hellebores • Building a Coldframe • Bulb Planting Basics

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • Dealing with Deer • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • Delightful Daffodils

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006 • Garden Decor Principles • Primroses • Tasty Heirloom Veggies • U.S. Botanic Garden

MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, Rooftop Container Gardens • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Coral Bells (Heucheras)

SUMMER 2010 • Fragrance Gardens • Watering Without Waste • Lavender • Potatoes

MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed Starting Basics • Flavorful Fruiting Natives

FALL 2010 • Vines and Climbers • Battling Stink Bugs • Russian Sage • Garlic

JULY/AUGUST 2008 • Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses • Edible Grasses to Graze On • Slug and Snail Control • Sage Advice: Sun-loving Salvias

WINTER 2010 • Paths and Walkways • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi

MARCH/APRIL 2006 • Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs • Azaleas • Figs, Berries, & Persimmons • Basic Pruning Principles MAY/JUNE 2006 • Using Native Plants in Your Landscape • Crabgrass • Peppers • Secret Sources for Free Plants JULY/AUGUST 2006 • Hydrangeas • Theme Gardens • Agave • Find Garden Space by Growing Up SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 • Shade Gardening • Hosta Care Guide • Fig-growing Tips and Recipes NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Layer/Lasagna Gardening 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

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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 Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

SPRING 2010 • Community Gardens • Building a Raised Bed • Dwarf Iris • Broccoli

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 SPRING 2012 • Pollinator Gardens • Brunnera: Perennial of the Year • Growing Yacon SUMMER 2012 • Tropical Gardens • Captivating Canna • Icebox Watermelons

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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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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... Fabulous Ferns

Daytrip to Chanticleer Gardens

Garden Event Season Wrap-Up Growing and Cooking BEETS

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Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans by Carol Allen

“Grandma! Grandma! Look, we found a weird bug in the beans!” My grandsons came careening through the kitchen door, soapy water sloshing out of their bug-catching bowls. I pay a nickel a piece for cucumber and bean beetles and that is high finances for them! This keeps the garden clean and the kids out of my hair while I make breakfast. “It’s prob’ly an ALIEN! Look! Look!” Sure enough, there was an alien floating in amongst the beetles. This was a moment I had trained for as a National Plant Diagnostic Network, First Detector (http://www.npdn.org/)! I had reason to believe I was looking at a Kudzu bug (Megacopta cribraria), also known as the Bean Plataspid. The pea-sized, dome-shaped bug before me probably drifted over from the abandoned lot across the street. That patch of woods was rapidly being overgrown by Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata), another alien invader. Like their distant stinkbug relatives, Kudzu bugs feed by sucking the juices out of their host plants. Scientists report that Kudzu bugs can reduce Kudzu plant mass up to 33% in one season, but they are attacking the soybean fields and are having a serious impact on local farmers. Kudzu bugs were first found in Georgia in the fall of 2009. They are native to Asia and Australia, and their mode of entry into North America is unknown. Researchers speculate that they might have come in on contaminated baggage or in an international commodity shipment. Kudzu bugs are strong fliers and can be moved by storm systems as well as hitching a ride on a vehicle. Since that first sighting in 2009, they have exhibited an amazingly rapid spread. They are found in Louisiana to the west, up into Tennessee, as far north as Maryland, and most recently in Delaware. Scientists estimate that the range of the Kudzu plant will define the limits of the bug’s spread... Want to learn more growing carrots? Read the rest of this InsectIndex column in the Summer-Fall 2013 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See how to subscribe below to start with this issue.

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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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Wgenews dec13

Published on Dec 18, 2013

Kathy J

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. Inside This Enews Issue • Back Issue Sale • Mail-Order Gardening • Garden To-Do List • Latest Blog Links • Local Garden Events Listings • Magazine Excerpt: Kudzu Bugs Attack Soybeans • New Holly ‘Berry Heavy Gold’ • Photo Contest Details • Reader Contest to Win Passes to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens • Seed Exchange 2014 Details and Registration