Washington Gardener Enews January 2012

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ENEWSLETTER

JANUARY 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 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 11 of this enewsletter. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • 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 January 2012 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away passes to the upcoming Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges (a $15 value per pass). These seed swaps are in-person 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. The Seed Exchanges are held On Saturday, January 28, 2012 in Maryland at Brookside Gardens and on Saturday, February 4, 2012 in Virginia at Green Spring Gardens from 12:30 – 4:00PM. For full event details, see pages 4-5 of this

enewsletter issue. To enter to win a pass to the Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on January 25 with “Seed Exchanges” in the subject line and tell us what plants you are planning to start from seed this year. In the body of the email, please also include your full name, email. and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on January 26.

Green Roofs and Walls Winter 2011-12 Issue

Our Winter magazine issue is now printing and mailing. All subscribers should receive it in the next few weeks. To subscribe today and start with this issue, see page 11 of the enewsletter. The cover story is on Green Roofs. The Washington, DC region is a leader in the green building movement and examples of green walls and roofs are all over the city and surrounding suburbs. We’ll explore a few of them. You’ll also find in this issue: • A DayTrip to the Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore, MD • Heavenly Heathers (Erica) • Growing and Cooking Winter Radish • Native Hepaticas • Fighting a New Invasive Insect • 10 Top Plant Picks for 2012 • A Wrap-Up of Local Gardening Events • 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.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Update on Recent Damage to the Bishop’s Garden • Video: Dreaming of a Hort Career? • Some Light Winter Reading... • How to Make a Moss Container Garden • Primrose Path See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

January Garden To-Do List Spotlight Special Bloom-A-Thon Azaleas

(Rhododendron ‘RLH1-2P8’)

Why settle for just a week or two of flowers when you can enjoy up to five months of blooms? Large flowers appear in April, then rebloom in early July, continuing through fall until hard frost. Even high summer temperatures don’t stop this beauty from producing loads of late summer and fall flowers. The evergreen foliage is disease-resistant, and maintains excellent color yearround. Flowering lasts for 4-6 weeks in spring, and then another 12-16 weeks in summer and fall. The bloom colors now available are: Pink Double (shown above), Red, Lavender, and White (shown below). Bloom-A-Thon is hardier than other reblooming azaleas -- down to -5. It prefers a part-sun location and grows to a tight 5-foot shape. It does not need pruning, but should shaping me desired, you can do so around the summer solstice timing. Use grouped or in mass plantings, mixed borders, containers, and as a specimen plant. Good for foundation plantings or woodland gardens. Available in the southeastern US from Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. and Greenleaf Nursery in Spring 2012.

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for January 16-February 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Prune any dead or diseased wood off your small trees and shrubs. • Plant frost-tolerant trees. • Cut off the flower stalk on your amaryllis once flowers fade. Leave foliage to grow. • Keep poinsettias in a well-lit area — but out of direct sun and away from drafts. • Buy a few new house plants. • Fertilize only your winter-blooming house plants – such as Violets. • Give your house plants a quarter turn every few weeks. • Build a compost bin. • Repair your shed and repair/paint your fences. • Clean out your cold frame or build a new one. • Collect large plastic soda bottles to use as cloches*. • Clean and refill bird feeders. • Wash and refill the birdbath or set out a shallow bowl of water in icy weather. • Check on stored summer bulbs and seeds. Discard any that have rotted. • Buy seeds and order plants from the new garden catalogs. • Prune summer bloomers such as hydrangeas, rose-of-sharon, crepe myrtles, and butterfly bushes. • Till and add organic matter to annual/vegetable beds. • Weed – especially look for fast-growing vines such as honeysuckle, autumn clematis, bittersweet, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy. • Place a floating ball or a small plastic soda bottle filled two-thirds full with water and a tablespoon of salt in your pond to stop it entirely icing over especially if you have fish. When ice has formed, remove the ball/bottle by pouring hot water on it. • Insulate outdoor containers by wrapping with bubble wrap or landscape fabric. • Check that newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials have not been heaved out of the ground due to freezing and thawing cycles. • Take hardwood cuttings from willow and dogwood to propagate them. • Look for evidence of pest or fungal damage throughout your garden. • Clean out your greenhouse and wash those windows. • Set out your live potted evergreens from holiday decorating in a protected outdoor space to harden them off in advance of their planting. • If we do get more snow in the DC area, gently dislodge snow from trees and shrubs with a broom to prevent damage to branches. • Start hardy herbs, onions, cabbage, pansies, and perennials. • Clean and tidy up pots and seed trays to a get good start in February. • Use leftover holiday greens and cut up tree branches to mulch beds and create wind-breaks. • Do not step on frozen soil in flower beds or lawns. • Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents. • Use de-icer sparingly or use a nonchemical substitute such as sand, grit, fireplace ashes, or kitty litter. • Volunteer at a local public or historic garden. • Paint a few terra cotta pots in spring-like colors. • Pot-up any leftover bulbs that did not make it into the ground by now and force them for indoor blooms. • Have a wonderful 2012 growing season! *A cloche is a clear, bell-shaped cover used to protect tender plants from frost.

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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

6TH 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 20, 2012. 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 2011 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 20, 2012.

QUESTIONS?

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

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

7th Annual Washington Gardener

Seed Exchange on Saturday, January 28, 2012 National Seed Swap Day! from 12:30 – 4:00PM

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD AND

on Saturday, February 4, 2012 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 28, 2012 in MD and on Saturday, February 4, 2012 in VA from 12:30 – 4:00PM (Foul weather that day? Call 240.603.1461, for updates about possible snow/ice delay.)

Where

This year, we are holding dual Seed Exchanges one week apart on opposite sides of the 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.

Washington Gardener Magazine’s 7th 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 cleome, 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 20.

7th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange Advance Registration Form

Please ﬁll out this form and mail with your check/money order by January 20, 2012 to: Washington Gardener Magazine, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20910

Name:____________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address:____________________________________________________________________________ Email:____________________________________________________________________________________ Seed Exchange Location ~ MUST CHOOSE ONE:  Jan 28 at Brookside Gardens  Feb 4 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 © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

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Caring for Cut Flowers By Kathy Jentz, Editor of Washington Gardener Magazine

Treat yourself in these gloomy days of gray winter to a bright bouquet of cut flowers. Many people hesitate to do so because they think the flowers will only last a few days. Actually, if treated right, most commercially grown flowers will last at least a week and many for much longer than that. Here are a few tips to help you get longer enjoyment from your purchased cut flowers and from those you cut from your own garden: • If purchasing flowers, keep flowers in a cool spot until you get home from the store or market and condition them as soon as possible. • When cutting from your own garden, do so early in the morning and bring a jar of water with you to put them in. • Once home, re-cut the stems under water and immediately immerse the stems in your vase or in a holding jar. Do not expose the fresh-cut stem ends to the air. • Cut the stems, using a sharp knife or pruners, at a diagonal to allow for greater water uptake. • Remove all foliage from the flower stems or at least remove any that will be below the water line in your vase. • Be scrupulous in cleaning your vases. Make sure they are bacteria free. • A few drops of bleach added to the flower water will help keep it clear and clean between water changes. • Change the water regularly. Ideally, every day. Every 3-5 days at minimum. • Use lukewarm water, except for tulips and daffodils for which you should use cold water for to hold back the blooms from opening fully. • Add a flower food pack to the water. If you run out of flower food packs, use flat lemon-lime soda or a teaspoon of sugar along with a few drops of lemon. • Keep daffodils and paperwhites out of mixed bouquets with other flowers. Narcissi cut stems emit a slime that’s toxic to other flowers • Place your cut flower arrangements away from cold drafts, heat vents, and direct sunlight. • Avoid placing them near ripening fruit or anything that gives off heat such as a computer or television. • For a more modern look, try grouping your flowers in an arrangement by color or type. For example, stick with all roses or all shades of pink. • Place your flowers where you spend the most the time and will see them often. • Split up a large bouquet into small vases an place them in your bathrooms, at your desk, on your night stand, and by the kitchen sink. • Get inspiration for floral designers. The Philadelphia Flower Show is one great place to see the latest in floral designs and to speak directly to award-winning designers.

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6th Annual Washington Gardener Philadelphia Flower Show Tour Organized by Washington Gardener Magazine Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 10:00AM-10:00PM Leaving and returning from downtown Silver Spring, MD

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world. The theme for 2012 is “Hawaii: Islands of Aloha.” Join us for a visit to the beautiful, tropical experience that blends cutting-edge digital technology with the natural beauty and rich culture of the islands, and so much more. This is not your grandmother’s Flower Show … but she’s going to love it! The Flower Show attracts non-gardeners as well as die-hard green-thumbed people of all ages. Every day, the Show will come to life with hula, music, and fire dancing performances, free wine and spirits tastings, and a Man Cave filled with all the trappings of a happy hideaway. Participate in the Lectures and Demonstrations series, Gardener’s Studio, and All-Star Culinary Presentations. First-time and returning riders will enjoy the personalized and welcoming details of our coach service. Schedule for the day: • 10:00AM coach leaves downtown Silver Spring with lunch, games, and DVD viewing en route • 12:45-7:15PM Explore Philadelphia Flower Show ~ dinner on your own • 7:30PM Coach departs Philadelphia Convention Center with snacks, games, and DVD showing onboard • 10:00PM Coach arrives at downtown Silver Spring This tour package includes: 1. Charter Passenger Coach - reserved seating and storage under the bus 2. Choice of Gourmet Box Lunch on the way up to the show 3. Snacks for the return trip 4. Listing of nearby restaurants for dinner on your own at the show 5. Information package on the show which will assist in prioritizing your day 6. Two Garden DVD showings 7. Admission to the show & Driver Tip 8. Convenient drop-off and pick-up at downtown Silver Spring, MD 9. Lively show and garden discussions led by Washington Gardener’s Kathy Jentz 10. Surprises and prizes.

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To register, please use the form below. (One form per person.) Name _______________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________ Phone number________________________________________________________ Email________________________________________________________________ Name of seatmate_____________________________________________________ We will try to seat groups together, but cannot guarantee group seating. Name of group _______________________________________________________

Registration deadline: March 1, 2012

Full refund if canceled by February 6. $40 refunded until February 28. No refunds after March 5.

Questions? Kathy Jentz Wgardenermag@aol.com www.WashingtonGardener.com

Brought to you by:

Fee: $95.00 each $90.00 each for Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers

Check/money order #_______ ~ Please make payable to “Washington Gardener” Send this registration form along with your payment to: Washington Gardener, 826 Philadelphia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910

If you’ve never been to the Philadelphia Flower Show, this is your opportunity to escape from the last of winter’s cold winds and experience a garden paradise. Walk through floral wonderlands, take notes at one of the many workshops, enjoy new plants on display, and shop the vendors’ tempting array of goodies. WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ January 16 - February 15, 2012 • Monday, January 16, 8:00pm The Silver Spring Garden Club January 2012 meeting: Forest Gardens – Productive Ecosystems. Learn about an exciting way of producing what people need in healthy ecosystems. Modeled on a young natural woodland, a forest garden can produce all kinds of food ranging from perennial herbs, vegetables and salads, to flour for bread foods from chestnuts or acorns, to fruits and nuts. Besides food, forest gardens also produce wood and other fiber for building, crafts and fuel. And they produce this while doing all the other great things ecosystems do, like cooling air, building soil, cleaning water, and supporting wildlife. Forest gardening provides a critical combination of human and ecosystem benefits in an era when people have strained the planet’s ecosystems to meet their needs, and are one of the best things people can do with land. Held at Brookside Gardens Visitors Center/Education Building, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. This event is FREE and Open to the Public. The talk is followed by light refreshments. • Wednesday, January 18-February 22, 10-11am For Children and Parents: Growing Up at Cylburn-Winter Series, Held at the Cylburn Mansion in Baltimore, MD. “Growing up at Cylburn” is a nature-themed series for preschool children ages 3-5. The program will run from 10-11:00am on Wednesdays. The Growing Up program introduces preschool children to the natural world and the principles of ecology and conservation. Classes are offered as a session of six sessions led by Lili Donnelly Levy. An activity and snack will accompany each session. Ms. Levy served as the Director of the Cylburn Nature Science Camp this past summer. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art and has had a lifelong interest in nature. Enrollment is limited to 15 children, so early registration is recommended. The fee for a session of six classes is $60 for members and $70 for the general public. (individual sessions $15) January 18 Ice and Snow; January 25 Hibernate!; February 1 Birds Fly South; February 8 Animal Tracks; February 15 Cylburn Through All Four Seasons; February 22 Trees in Winter. Register NOW by calling 410-367-2217. Fee due at time of registration • Wednesday, January 18, 7:00-9:00pm Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council’s Eight Elements of a Conservation Landscape. From site design to plant 8

choices, you can create a landscape that uses less energy, provides wildlife habitat and surrounds you with beauty year-round. Ecologist Dr. Sylvan Kaufman will guide you through the Eight Elements and answer your questions about how to achieve a great conservation landscape. At the AWS Office, 4302 Baltimore Avenue, Bladensburg, MD. Website: www.anacostiaws.org. • Wednesday, January 18, 7:00pm Soldiers Delight Restoration For the past 20 years, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources has coordinated the restoration of indigenous grassland and oak savanna communities in Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, including pine removal, prescribed burning, managed deer hunts, and invasive species management. DNR Restoration Ecologist, Wayne Tyndall, will give an overview of what has been learned about the indigenous serpentine ecosystem, including geology, origin, and landscape history, plus a summary of past, present, and future restoration and management efforts. Location: Irvine Nature Center, 11201 Garrison Forest Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117. http://www.explorenature.org/ • Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 The first ever Home & Remodeling Show will take place at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA. It will feature the industry’s hottest new products for 2012, from cutting edge green technologies to trendy solutions in home décor and the best local resources for DIY projects. Exhibitors and stage demonstrations will focus largely on home remodeling, offering simple solutions to big problems, making the show a veritable one stop shop for solutions to New Year’s resolutions. Celebrity guest will be Jason Cameron of DIY’s Man Caves and Desperate Landscapes. Fee: Adults: $7 (online); $10 (at the door), Children 6-12 years: $3, 5 and under: FREE. www.homeandremodelingshow.com • Saturday, January 21, 1-4pm Landscape Design Career Fair Held at the new GW Arlington Graduate Education Center (950 N. Glebe Road, 6th Floor, Arlington, VA). Meet representatives from design firms and industry organizations who are eager to network with you and discuss possible employment. Then stay for our popular Career Panel from 4-5pm. Refreshments provided. Contact Melissa Feuer, Career Services Director at 202-994-8310 with questions or to RSVP (preferred, but not required). FREE.

• Sunday, January 22, 1:30-3pm Discover the Secret of Trees Have you really seen a tree? Do you know the secrets of that old familiar oak? In this lecture author Nancy Hugo teaches us a whole new way of observing a tree and invites us to deepen our relationships with these earthly treasures. Book signing. Held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22312. Register on-line at www.greenspring.org under educational programs or call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173. Code: 290 182 1901. Fee: $10. • Wednesday, January 25, 7:30pm Dumbarton Oaks Historic Garden Talk at the Beltsville Garden Club meeting held in the Cafeteria of the James E. Duckworth School, 11201 Evan Trail, Beltsville, Maryland. The speakers will be David Keil and Christine Blazina, docents for the Dumbarton Oaks Historic Garden in Washington, DC. This interactive lecture will focus on the development of Dumbarton Oaks as a study center, museum and planned garden. Please join us for this informative speaker. Refreshments will be served after the meeting. Bring a plant or plant related material for the club’s door prize table. The public is welcomed and admission is free. For more information, contact Louise DeJames at 301.890.4733 or visit: www. beltsvillegardenclub.org • Wednesday, January 25, 6:30-8:30pm Right Tree in the Right Place: Free Workshop on Selecting, Planting and Maintaining Trees and Shrubs for Your Yard. Late winter is a good time to plant trees and shrubs, and now is the time to think about which trees and shrubs will best meet your needs. This workshop explains how to plant, water, feed, prune and protect your trees and shrubs. Held at the Fairlington Community Center 3308 S. Stafford Street, Arlington, VA. Sponsored by the Arlington Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension with support from Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia and Tree Stewards of Arlington/Alexandria. Registrations at 703-228-6414 or mgarlalex@gmail.com. For more information, visit http:mgnv.org • Friday, January 27, 1:30-2:30pm Basic Gardening: Less Lawn is More Tired of spending money on fertilizer, pesticides and water to maintain that lush expanse of turf grass? Want to spice up

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ January 16 - February 15, 2012 your landscape while decreasing maintenance? Master Gardeners present basic principles of decreasing turf area and discuss plant selection for interest, location and season. Held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22312. Code: 290 182 2401. Fee: $10. Register on-line at www.greenspring.org under educational programs or call Green Spring Gardens at 703.642.5173. • Friday, January 27, 8:30am-4:00pm Wildlife in Your Backyard Woods Conference. Penn State Extension along with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and DCNR Bureau of Forestry are sponsoring the Wildlife in Your Backyard Woods workshop to be held in southeast Pennsylvania this winter. Participants will learn essential information about the region´s wildlife and how to implement simple stewardship practices to create or improve habitat. Topics will include: tree & shrub selection, assessing your lands potential, beneficial insects, deer management, converting lawn to natural areas, attracting birds, and more. Held at the Morgantown Holiday Inn, 6170 Morgantown Road, Morgantown, PA 19543. Cost: $40.00 per person/ $50.00 per couple (fee to cover lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments and workshop materials) For more information contact: Julianne Schieffer, Penn State Extension, 610.489.4315; jxs51@psu.edu; Craig Highfield, Alliance for the Chesapeake, 410-267-5723; chighfield@chesapeakebay. net; or visit: http://www.forestryforthebay. org/files/WildlifeBackyard3.pdf. • Saturday, January 28, 10:00am The Evolution of My Gardens with NARGS President Peter George Hosted by the Potomac Valley Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society at the US National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20002 (in the temporary trailer across the street from the administration building, which is still under renovation). Directions: http://www.usna. usda.gov/Information/directions.html Further details at www.pvcnargs.org. • Saturday, January 28, 12:30-4pm 7th Annual Seed Exchange - MD Washington Gardener, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is co-hosting the seventh annual Washington Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens. This event includes lectures, face-to-face seed swap, and more. You bring your extra seeds to

swap with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends and expert planting advice. Fee includes lectures, goody bag and seed swap. Held at Brookside Gardens Visitors Center/Education Building, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. Register by filling out the form on page 5 and mailing it in. Fee: $15/person $10 for Washington Gardener subscribers and Friends of Brookside Gardens. • Wednesday, February 1, 7:00pm Seed Propagation Workshop - VA Workshop leaders: Ann Lundy & Glenda Weber Have you ever had some seeds and wondered how to germinate them? Winter is the perfect time to start many plants from seed. This workshop will help demystify native plant propagation. Landscape architect, Ann Lundy, and naturalist, Glenda Weber, will lead this workshop. This workshop is limited to 10 participants. Registration is required at www. mdflora.org. Location: Irvine Nature Center, 11201 Garrison Forest Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117. • Saturday, February 4, 12:30-4pm 7th Annual Seed Exchange Washington Gardener, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is co-hosting the seventh annual Washington Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens. This event includes lectures, face-to-face seed swap, and more. You bring your extra seeds to swap with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends and expert planting advice. Fee includes lectures, goody bag and seed swap. Held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22312. Register by filling out the form on page 5 and mailing it in OR by calling 703-6425173. Fee: $15/person $10 for Washington Gardener subscribers and Friends of Green Spring. • Saturday, February 11, 10 am to 4 pm (Preview: 10 to 11 am Lively Auction: 11 to 4 pm) National Capital Orchid Society 34th Annual Orchid Auction FREE attendance; New location; Hundreds of blooming orchids. Held at Behnke Nursery, 11300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD, 20705 Contact Nancy Burns at 703-329-1899 or n.burns@cox.net; or visit www.ncos.us.

• Wednesday, February 15, 7:00pm Wavy-leaved Basketgrass Ecology Speaker: Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp Maryland is “ground zero” for the invasive plant, wavy-leaved basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius). Towson University plant ecologist, Vanessa Beauchamp will discuss the ecology of this insidious non-native grass. Hosted by the Maryland Native Plant Society, Greater Baltimore Chapter. The lectures are open to non-members. Registration is not required. Location: Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Frederick Road, Woodstock, MD 21163. Details: http://www.hcconservancy.org/. • Wednesday, February 15, 6:30-8:30pm Seed Starting: How to Start Your Vegetable Garden from Seeds Indoors Held at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria, VA. Open to the public and are free. For the most current information about an event, visit the MGNV website at www.mgnv.org or the VCE website at http:// offices.ext.vt.edu/arlington, send an e-mail to mgarlalex@gmail.com, or call the VCE Horticulture Help Desk at 703-228-6414. To register for an event, call the Help Desk.

Still More Event Listings See even more event listings pn 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 February 12 for the February 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place from February 16-March 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 • Japanese-style Garden MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed Starting Basics • Flavorful Fruiting Natives • Build a Better Tomato Cage 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 • Ladybug Lore • 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 • A Daytrip to Tudor Place 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 • Visit to Riversdale House 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

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!

Love Reading?

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.

A Special Visit to the National Ag Library

Washington Gardener Magazine is hosting a tour day of the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, MD, for local garden clubs and select guests on Sunday, February 26 from 1:00-4:00PM. The National Agricultural Library is normally open to the public only during regular business hours, so this is a special opportunity for those who work full-time or those who are not in the DC area to travel to town for it. The tour will include a behind-thescenes look at the library’s special collections. From actual specimens brought back by USDA explorers to vintage seed catalogs, this library is a treasure-trove of garden history. If any local gardeners would like to attend this event, they should contact Kathy Jentz at WGardenermag@aol.com by Friday, February 24.

Magazine Excerpt: A Daytrip to Biltmore Estate by Cheval Force Opp

In 1888, George Washington Vanderbilt II, age 25, $13-million rich, wrote Frederick Law Olmsted. He asked the 66-year-old to design a park for his new, 2,000-acre North Carolina summer estate. Olmsted thought it was a bad idea: “unsuitable for anything that can properly be called park scenery.” Thus began Frederick Law Olmsted’s last great project, Biltmore Estate and Gardens. Olmsted (1822–1903), considered the father of landscape architecture, was also writer, engineer, and visionary. He spent a professional lifetime inventing the now-classic naturalistic landscape views for our urban parks, schools, public sites, and private estates. No doubt, Olmsted’s eventual attraction to the project included not just Vanderbilt’s unlimited resources but the opportunity to fully implement a vision based on his lifetime of experience. Locally, we enjoy remnants of the picturesque-style of his firm’s work on the US Capitol Grounds, the Jefferson Memorial, the White House, and the National Mall. He drew up the plan for the Washington, DC, park system and designed Rock Creek Park. Directors of the Patterson Park in Baltimore, MD, enlisted the Olmsted firm to create a recreational design for the eastern section of the park. The entry to the Biltmore Estate is orchestrated with theatrical flair. Winding up the three-mile approach to the house is a dramatic visual interplay of densely planted ravines, with pools, springs and streams. Olmsted wrote to Vanderbilt, “the most striking a pleasing impression of the Estate will be obtained if an approach can be made that shall have throughout a natural and comparatively wild and secluded character; its border rich with varied forms of vegetation, with incidents growing of the vicinity of springs and streams and pools, steep bank, and rocks, as consistent with the sensation of passing through the remote depths of a natural forest.”... Want to learn more about visiting the Biltmore Estate? Read the rest of this DayTrip column in the Fall 2011 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See the subscription information below.

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