Washington Gardener Enews ~ January 2013

ENEWSLETTER

JANUARY 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 11 of this enewsletter.

You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/wdcgardener/ • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

In Our Next Issue...

FALL-WINTER 2012 Great Garden Soil Smithsonian Gardens Garden Tour Season Wrap-Up Dealing with Weeds Lawn Renewal If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by January 28 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication!

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.

For our January 2013 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away two passes to the Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges (prize value $30).

8th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges, hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine, takes place on January 26, 2013 at the Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD AND on February 2, 2013 at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA. You have a choice on which side of the DC beltway you want to attend! 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. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds and gardening inspiration!

National Seed Swap Day is the last Saturday of January each year and we want to spread the word about this holiday and get more communities involved in swapping. For this month’s contest, we are asking entrants to design logo art for National Seed Swap Day and/or to come up with a catchy slogan for the event that we can print on T-Shirts, buttons, and other promotional materials to celebrate seeds.

To enter to win a Seed Exchange passes, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on January 24 with “Seed Swap” in the subject line and include your National Seed Swap Day slogan and/or logo art. In the body of the email, please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on January 25.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Community Garden Plot Season • Seed Starting Indoors Video • Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: Viola Verve • Create a New Garden Bed Without Digging • Winter Jasmine: You Can Grow That!

• Victory Gardens in Maryland 1941 • Most Dreaded Garden Chores See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

January Garden To-Do List

Spotlight Special Lifeberry® Goji berries (Lycium barbarum)

Two varieties of tasty, beautiful goji berries: Sweet Lifeberry® and Big Lifeberry® have been added to the line of Proven Winners® ColorChoice flowering shrubs.

Grow superfruit in your own backyard!

These extra-sweet fruit are perfect for snacking. Goji berries are easy to grow in full sun, although some staking may be necessary for maximum access to the nutrientrich fruit. A pollinator is not needed.

These plants are hardy to USDA zone 5; heat tolerant to AHS zone 9. The plants tolerate some drought once established, but for best fruit set and quality, water regularly.

Any well-drained soil will do.

Goji berry plants will not be bothered by insects or diseases, but birds, deer, and raccoons may all find the fruit as appealing as you do. If you notice damage to the fruit or plant, or have a problem with these visitors damaging other plants in your garden, use a netting or repellent, particularly once the plant begins flowering and fruiting.

Goji does not require pruning to grow well and produce fruit. However, you may find the plant is more manageable and easier to harvest when its lateral (horizontal) branches are lightly pruned to encourage branching and the production of vigorous new growth.

Goji berries begin to ripen in early summer. They should be plucked off by hand when they are brilliant red and taste sweet.

They come off the plant easily, without the need for pruners or a knife.

For an abundant crop, apply a fertilizer formulated for flowering woody plants in early spring, just as new growth begins. Rose fertilizer is an excellent, readily available choice.

The plants will be available at local nurseries and through mail order this year.

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• 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. (A cloche is a clear, bellshaped cover used to protect tender plants from frost.)

• 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 non-clumping 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.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

7th Annual Washington Gardener Philadelphia Flower Show Tour Organized by Washington Gardener Magazine Wednesday, March 6, 2013, 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 2013 is “Great Britain: Brilliant.” Join us for a visit to magnificent floral and garden exhibits, special programming, and new attractions will pay tribute to centuries of influential British culture, culminating in the urbane style of 21st-century London. 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. Foodies of all tastes will love the Garden to Table Kitchen. Participate in the Lectures and Demonstrations series, Gardener’s Studio, and new “Make & Take” workshops. Especially for guys will be “The Backyard,” a room devoted to outdoor living. Firsttime 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.



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, 2013

Full refund if canceled by February 6. $40 refunded until February 28.

No refunds after March 4.

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 arrayMagazine. of goodies.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener All rights reserved.

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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 26, 2013 National Seed Swap Day! from 12:30 – 4:00PM

at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD AND

on Saturday, February 2, 2013 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!

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

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 26, 2013 in MD and on Saturday, February 2, 2013 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 8th 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 24.

8th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange Advance Registration Form

Please fill out this form and mail with your check/money order by January 24, 2013 to: Washington Gardener Magazine, 826 Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20910

Name:____________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address:____________________________________________________________________________ Email:____________________________________________________________________________________ Seed Exchange Date and Location:  Jan 26 at Brookside Gardens  Feb 2 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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Pruning Shrubs and Trees

by Jim DeRamus

Step-By-Step Protocol 1. Look at the plant. Is it single trunk or multi-trunk. Are the branches spaced evenly or clustered? Examine it for structural defects and rot.

Should it be low branched or limbed up? Is the bark damaged? Are limbs growing toward a structure? Keep these factors in mind as you prune!

2. Always remove dead and dying branches and twigs first.

3. Remove suckers and water sprouts, girdling roots and check for codominant leaders.

4. Remove one of the two crossing branches that are rubbing, or almost rubbing, throughout the tree or shrub canopy.

5. Remove branches growing inward toward the center of the tree or shrub toward other branches because they will become rubbing branches.

6. Check the branch spacing and if one is right above another, remove one.

7. Thin out dense areas along trunk and throughout the length of the limbs where branches are competing for space.

8. Tip prune for overall shape if necessary. If tip pruning cuts are even necessary, prune the offending branches of the shrub or tree to a bud growing in the right direction.

Bonus Tips for Plant Health While pruning your woody plant, continuously look for insects such as scale, sunken or discolored bark (cankers), and other abnormalities. Early detection and treatment will save you time and money.

Never “top” a tree unless you are willing to pollard it, which means revisiting it every year to cut back the dense mass of whips (epicormic shoots) produced in the previous year. These whips are poorly anchored in the trunk, will often grow 10 feet a year and will tear out in high winds.

Always plant a tree at the correct height, with the widened base (flare) of the trunk above grade, so you can see if girdling roots develop.

Jim DeRamus is a horticulturist at M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks Brookside Gardens. He attended Montgomery College for an Associate Arts degree in Landscape Technology and the University of Maryland for a BS degree in Horticulture with the various awards that come with a 4.0 average. He has been employed locally in the field for the past 23 years and has been at Brookside Gardens since March 2005 where he manages the Formal Gardens.

He will be giving a talk on “Pruning Deciduous Woody Plants” hosted by the Silver Spring Garden Club on Monday, January 21 at 8:00PM at Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD. The talk is free and open to the public. You do not need to register or RSVP to attend.

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WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

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

7TH 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 22, 2013.

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 2012 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 22, 2013.

QUESTIONS?

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

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, 2013 • Sunday, January 20, 1:30-3pm Don’t be a Drip: Using Water Wisely Using water adds immensely to a garden but managing it wisely can be a challenge. Joe Henderson, pond and creek gardener at Chanticleer discusses the use of water from ponds to tiny water features, including how to handle excess water with rain gardens and thoughtful storm water management.

Code: 290 182 1901, $10 Register at www.greenspring.org or call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173.

• Monday, January 21, 9:30am-12:30n MLK Day of Service at Urban Farm Common Good City Farm is hosting its annual MLK Day of Service on the farm to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy.

Come out to the farm to help with winter farm activities that include restructuring our compost pods so that we can start building new beds in that highly fertile soil. If you’re interested in participating in the work day, we ask that you RSVP beforehand, as we have limited spots. http://commongoodcityfarm. org/civicrm/event/info?id=204 Common Good City Farm, V Street between 2nd & 4th Streets, NW Washington, DC. • Wednesday, January 23, 7:30pm How to Conquer Bamboo, How to Control Small Animals, How to Grow a Great Garden, Bonus: Chrysanthemums Robert Howell, Ph.D., who will share the evolution of his nearly 20 year-old vegetable and fruit garden. He was employed at USDA from 1967 to 1993, where he investigated plant stress problems, air pollution, drought, and plant pathogens. The Beltsville Garden

Your Ad Here

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

The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: wgardenermag@aol.com.

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Club will meet on in the cafeteria of the James E. Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville, MD. Refreshments will be served after the meeting.

Bring a plant, or plant related material for the club’s door prize table. The public is welcome and admission is free.

Visit: www.beltsvillegardenclub.org.

• Saturday, January 26, 12:30-4pm 8th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges Hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine, at the Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. See pages 4-5 of this enewsletter for full event details.

• Thursday, January 31, 8:00am-12:00 Pruning Trees to Reduce Risk and Prevent Breakage Learn structural pruning techniques from renowned pruning expert, Dr. Edward Gilman who will provide classroom instruction followed by demonstrations in an outdoor field session. Meet at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park - Visitors Center, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC. A free Casey Trees event. Register and find out more at: caseytrees.org.

• Saturday, February 2, 12:30-4pm 8th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges Hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine, at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, VA. See pages 4-5 of this enewsletter for full event details.

• Saturday, February 2, 12:00-5:00pm Landscape Design Career Fair Co-sponsored by the Landscape Design Program and the CPS Career Services Office. Learn more about the thriving design community in the Washington metro area. Meet and network with area landscape design businesses and professional organizations. Attend panel presentation on landscape design careers. GW Arlington Graduate Education Center, 950 N. Glebe Road, 6th Floor, Arlington, VA 22203. Metro: Orange line to Ballston. Visit: www. nearyou.gwu.edu/landscape or www. gwu.edu/career.html.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

• February 9, 10:00am-12:00n Winter Tree ID Sharpen your botanical skills by learning to identify deciduous trees in winter. Start in the classroom by learning botanical terminology and tree anatomy, then tour the Fern Valley Native Plant Collection at the US National Arboretum for hands-on practice. Focus will be on native trees of the Mid-Atlantic area.

Fee: $12. Registration required. To register, visit www.usna.usda.gov or call 202-245-4521.

• Thursday, February 14, 1-2pm The Language of Flowers: Victorian Bouquet Making Come celebrate Valentine’s Day with author Amy Brecount White as she demonstrates how to improve – and enliven – your communication skills using the Victorian language of flowers.

She’ll discuss the literary origins of the language and assemble tussie-mussie messages, which some lucky visitors can take home. In the USBG Conservatory Garden Court. FREE: No pre-registration required. United States Botanic Garden, WDC. See: www.usbg.gov.

• February 14 - March 31, 9am-5pm Orchids Galore! : A Love of Living Color Chase away the winter blues. Outside it’s cold and gray, but at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, we have a sure cure to beat the winter blues. Orchids Galore features orchids in colors across the spectrum to dazzle the senses. Step inside the warm and cozy Conservatory for an intimate look at these exotic beauties. Learn more about the role of color in plants and how it supports all life on • Friday, February 15, 10am-2pm DC CWMA Partner Invasive Removal The DC CWMA, Rock Creek Park, Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (KAG), and a few other partners will lead invasive removal events at various sites including Rock Creek Park, KAG, Kingman Island, and C & O Canal. If you would like to participate at one of these sites, contact Laura.Washington@dc.gov.

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ January 16 - February 15, 2013 SAVE THE DATE: • Friday, February 22, 8:30am-4:00pm 2013 Green Matters Symposium - The New American Landscape Join us to examine the next chapter of American horticulture and the emphasis on sustainability that will drive landscape design in the coming decades.

Sustainability has entered the mainstream. We see it associated with our food, building materials, and even the Olympics, but what does it really mean and how does it apply to landscape design? Course # 212968; Fee: $89; registration required at www.ParkPASS. org. For more information, call 301-9621451 or visit us online at www.BrooksideGreen.org. M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks’ Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. • Saturday, February 23 RootingDC A FREE Urban Gardening Forum held annually in February. Details to be posted soon at http://fieldtoforknetwork. org/rootingdc/ for the event at Wilson High School in WDC. • Saturday, February 23, 8:30am-4pm 9th Annual EcoSavvy Gardening Symposium Green Spring Master Gardeners are committed to showing homeowners and gardening professionals how everyone can make a difference in the health of our environment. Guest speakers in the fields of science and ecology speak on relevant homeowner topics. Sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension.

For more information call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173.

• Saturday, February 23 Montgomery County Master Gardeners 13th Annual Mini-Conference The theme of the conference held in Derwood, MD., is Our Common Ground – Building better landscapes, one yard at a time. Registration information is available on the web site: mcmg.umd. edu. The registration deadline is February 15, 2013. Space is limited and workshops will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Saturday, March 9 USBG Open House Free US Botanic Gardens’ production greenhouses open house. Reservations required. See details at http://www. usbg.gov/events/2012/12/18/production-facility-open-house.

• Saturday, March 23, 9:00am-3:00pm 27th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium and Plant Sale The symposium returns to the National Arboretum after two years in Beltsville.

Complete details and registration information will be available February 1, 2013 at www.usna.usda.gov.

United States National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue, NE Washington, DC. • Wednesday, March 27, 8am-4pm Shenandoah Valley Plant Symposium Be inspired by nationally renowned plant experts Dan Heims, Peter Hatch, Pam Baggett, and Bryce Lane. They will be presenting their favorite ideas and solutions for all your planting problems.

It will be just what the doctor (or horticulturist in this case) ordered as winter ends and the spring planting season begins. This event offers something for everyone from the novice home gardener to experienced horticulturist. The proceeds will supplement the horticulture program’s budget to provide more for the community. Presented by Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department at Best Western Inn & Suites Conference Center, Waynesboro, VA. Find out more at http://www.waynesboro.va.us.

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

Washington Gardener Book Club 2013 Dates

With the success of our first Washington Gardener Magazine Book Club meeting last fall, where we discussed Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf, I have set a schedule of four book club selections/meetings for 2013 using the suggestions from our first meeting attendees.

For our first 2013 selection, we will be reading The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean. (Bonus points for also watching the film, “Adaptation.”)

I have reserved a meeting room at the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library Room in the CPK Second Floor Large Meeting Room on Tuesday, February 12, 2013, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. (We will move the location around to various DC library locations near public transit for each meeting pending library staff approvals, the location will be confirmed to you when you RSVP.) The room allows food and drink and you may bring your dinner and/or snacks to share.

I have made sure that the DC library and other local library systems currently have several copies available for borrowing of The Orchid Thief.

The book club meetings are FREE and open to anyone who would like to attend.

Please RSVP to “WG Book Club” at WashingtonGardener@rcn.com. I will be limiting attendance to 20. If you need to cancel, let me know ASAP so we can give your spot to someone else, should we have a wait-list.

In case you like to read ahead, the other book club selections for 2013 are: • Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education by Michael Pollan • Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter • Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes by Judith Tankard I will announce the date for the next book club meetings after each previous meeting. We will meet roughly once each quarter.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

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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 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

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

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

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)

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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MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed Starting Basics • Flavorful Fruiting Natives JULY/AUGUST 2008 • Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses • Edible Grasses to Graze On • Slug and Snail Control • Sage Advice: Sun-loving Salvias SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 • Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now • Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums) • The Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs • 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • Outdoor Lighting Essentials • How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, and Vines • 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs • Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer • Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden • Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum • Grow Winter Hazel for Gorgeous Winter Color MARCH/APRIL 2009 • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips • Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic • Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start • Redbud Tree Selection and Care • Best Local Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

MAY/JUNE 2009 • Top 12+ Easy Summer Annuals for DC Heat • Salad Table Project • Grow and Enjoy Eggplant • How to Chuck a Woodchuck from Your Garden SUMMER 2009 • Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic • Passionflowers • Mulching Basics • What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes • Growing Hops FALL 2009 • Apples • How To Save Tomato Seeds • Persimmons WINTER 2009 • Battling Garden Thugs • How to Start Seeds Indoors • Red Twig Dogwoods • Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region SPRING 2010 • Community Gardens • Building a Raised Bed • Dwarf Iris • Broccoli SUMMER 2010 • Fragrance Gardens • Watering Without Waste • Lavender • Potatoes

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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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The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: wgardenermag@aol.com.

In Our Next Issue...

FALL-Winter 2012 Great Garden Soil Smithsonian Gardens

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

Garden Tour Season Wrap-Up Dealing with Weeds Lawn Renewal

WINTER 2010 • Paths and Walkways • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by January 28 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication!

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

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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

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

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

Magazine Excerpt: Icebox Watermelons by Elizabeth Olson

One of the joys of the kitchen garden in summer is watermelon. It is often overlooked in discussions of what is growing, but it is arguably the crop that supplies the highest reward on hot days.

Medium and large-size watermelons are what usually come to mind. They have long been the standard in markets and are regularly featured in whimsical seasonal decorations. They have also been elegantly depicted in paintings, including two by American artists William Merritt Chase and Margaretta Angelica Peale. A pink-fleshed watermelon is the subject of “Still Life with Watermelon” by Chase, dated 1869. A yellow-fleshed watermelon is the subject of “Still Life with Watermelon and Peaches” by Peale, dated 1828.

Many cultivars of watermelons produce fruits that weigh 15 to 20 pounds or more and have thick rinds that make them safe to ship. Their major drawbacks for gardeners are that they can be somewhat difficult to manage in a vegetable patch, hard to slice, and awkward to store on a shelf in a refrigerator. Icebox watermelons solve these problems.

The term “icebox” comes from these watermelons having a size small enough to easily fit in an icebox or refrigerator. Their rinds are moderately thin to very thin and are easy to slice. The plants are vigorous and productive, but the leaves are smaller and the vines are shorter than those of standard cultivars. The weight range for icebox watermelons is approximately three to 12 pounds. Fruits that weigh seven pounds or less are sometimes called mini-melons or personal-size watermelons.

Icebox watermelons are pleasing to the eye in their own right, and they are as juicy and delicious as their larger counterparts.

Different icebox cultivars produce fruit in an amazing array of flesh colors, including white, lemon yellow, orange, pale pink, and cherry red. Melon ball salads made from different colors of watermelon flesh are beautiful. Most rind colors and patterns vary from light green with dark green stripes to solid dark green. A few cultivars have rinds that turn yellow when the fruits are ripe...

Want to learn more about this fascinating, growing icebox watermelons? Read the rest of this EdibleHarvest column in the Summer 2012 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See how to subscribe below and how to order back issues at left.

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WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS Š 2012 Washington Gardener Magazine. All rights reserved.

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