Wgenews july13

ENEWSLETTER

JULY 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 9 of this enewsletter. If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please forward this issue to them so that they can subscribe to our print magazine using the form on page 9 of this enewsletter. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/wdcgardener/ • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

Spring 2013 Issue

Our Spring 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine issue is now out. The cover story is on creating Great Garden Soil in seven easy steps. You’ll also find in this issue: • Squash Growing Tips • Plant Profile of Asters • 2013 Photo Contest Winners • Eastern Hemlocks Threatened • Never Let Weeds Go to Seed • A DayTrip to 11 Smithsonian Gardens • Avoiding Crape Murder • Duo of Native Azaleas • Lovely Native Carolina Spiderlily • And much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 9 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_ files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link. Summer 2013 issue is in the works with a cover story on Faerie Gardens!

For our July 2013 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away 4 bags of Mr. Natural® ORGANIC Soil Products. They include Mr. Natural® Hen Manure Compost ($19.99), Mr. Natural® Woodland Soil Mix ($19.99), Mr. Natural® Worm Castings ($24.99), and Mr. Natural® Complete Landscape Mix ($19.99). We will select four winners at random from among the entrants received to get one of these soil mixes. Mr. Natural® ORGANIC Soil Products are the first choice of world class botanical gardens and institutions, respected museums and universities, renowned golf courses, landmark buildings and parks, public and private venues of all kinds, over 1500 top landscape companies and legions of happy, ardent gardeners. Mr. Natural soils teem with the microbiological and other life forms that restore damaged soil structure and bring nearly perfect nutrition to plants. Find out more at http://greenstripe-products.com/. To enter to win one of the four bags of Mr. Natural® products, send an email with “Mr. Natural” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Thursday, July 25. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, address, and tell us: What is Your Favorite Story in the Spring 2013 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine and why. The winners will be announced and notified by July 26 and will need to arrange to pick up their prize by July 28. Note that each bag of soil is one cubic foot and weighs about 30 pounds. Some of the entry responses may be used in future online or print articles.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • DC School Gardens Tour Video • How to CHECK YOUR MAIL LABEL for Subscription Status • Flowers Galore! in Our Community Garden Plot • Support Your Local, Independent Garden Centers • Our Readers’ Favorite Public Gardens See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

Spotlight Special Bean ‘Mascotte’ A Compact, Mid-Season Crop

This 2014 AAS* Winner is the ideal bean to offer in containers or window boxes. Dwarf, upright plants grow 16-18" tall and offer a continuous yield of medium, green-colored beans. Mascotte’s stringless pods are slim and measure 6" in length. The flowers and plant itself is attractive so that it can easily be part of any ornamental planting beds. The beans are ready in 50 days, which means they are also an ideal mid-season crop for Mid-Atlantic gardeners to get a second batch of beans in before frost. The middle of July is the ideal planting time to have them ready to harvest at the beginning of September. You can sow the seeds every two weeks from May to August for a full season of harvests. We are trialing this bean in the Washington Gardener community garden plot now and will report back on our blog our results. You can purchase the bean through Harris Seeds at http://harrisseeds.com/storefront/ p-14617-bean-mascotte.aspx. *AAS or All-America Selections is a nonprofit organization founded in 1932 to test new flowers and vegetables for home gardening. We utilize a network of over 40 trials grounds across North America

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July Garden To-Do List

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for July 16-August 15. Your suggestions and additions to this list are most welcome: • The heat of summer is here. Time to start doing chores during early morning or evening. Take a break during the hottest parts of the day. • Prune Wisteria. • If your pond water gets low from prolonged drought, top it off with tap water and add a dechlorinator according to package instructions. • Cut back spent stalks on common daylily. • Pinch back any annuals that may be growing leggy. • Divide and cut back bearded iris. • Check your pond pump of any debris and continue to clean it out every few weeks. • Weed. • Cut off bottom, yellowed foliage on tomato plants. • Stake and tie-up any tall-growing perennials such as phlox or delphiniums. • Wash out birdbaths weekly with diluted bleach solution. • Water thoroughly especially if you receive no rain for more than 5-7 days. • Take cuttings from azaleas, boxwoods, and camellias to start new plants to share. • Check your local garden center for mid-summer bargains. • Hand-pick Japanese Beetles or shake a branch over a bucket of dishwater. Early morning is a good time to catch them while they are still drowsy. • Re-pot the houseplants you’ve moved outdoors for the summer. • Pick blueberries at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market. • Pinch back any straying strawberry runners. • Deadhead perennials for a second flush of blooms later this summer. • Thin out small trees and cut off any suckering branches growing from the bottom root ball. • Inspect your garden for powdery mildew. If seen, prune back perennials to create needed circulation. • Annuals are now hitting their peak. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through September. • Check your plants at night with a flashlight for any night-feeding insects like slugs. • If you find slug damage, set out beer traps or Sluggo pellets. • Pinch back mums so they grow bushier and won’t flower until autumn. • Holding off on planting new trees and shrubs until the summer heat has passed. • Caulk and seal your outside walls to prevent insect entry into your home. • Harvest regularly from your vegetable garden to prevent rot and waste. • Put up a hammock or a garden bench to enjoy your views. • Turn compost pile. • Check out gardening books from your local library to read on vacation. • Check for any stagnant water mosquito breeding grounds, especially your gutters. Dump out any water that sits stagnant for more than three days. • Add Mosquito Dunks to any standing water in your yard such as birdbath, downspouts, plant saucers, and gutters. • Gather roses to enjoy indoors and make sure to make the cut just above a fiveleaf unit. • Harvest onions and garlic when the tops die back. • Sow seeds of fall crops such as broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, etc. in late July.

Parade of Ponds

July 27-28, 2013

Spend the weekend, a day, or a few hours touring water gardens in Montgomery, Frederick, and Howard Counties in Maryland, as well as Washington, DC. Please join Premier Ponds as we celebrate our 6th annual Parade of Ponds. Pond owners and enthusiasts are invited to tour the beautiful ponds and water features designed and constructed by Premier Ponds, with all proceeds benefitting the nonprofit Shepherd’s Table (shepherdstable.org). Donations to this worthy organization that provides food and other necessities for those less fortunate in our community will be accepted at designated tour stops. Over 30 unique and awe inspiring ponds, streams, waterfalls, fountains and water gardens will be available for a self-guided tour at your leisure. The majority of these stops include gardens at private residences with a few commercial properties also offering their fountains for viewing. The tour includes properties in wooded settings, large scale properties, and even small water garden features for a more intimate setting.

For further details, visit Premier Ponds’ web site www.premierpond.com and click on “Parade of Ponds” page or call 434-981-0259.

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Is Your Garden Bounty Fair-Worthy? By Kathy Jentz

I started entering my local county fair agricultural divisions as a lark a few years ago. A friend, who was a judge in another fair, told me they were all really hurting for entries and I should put some cut flowers in, so I did. It was easy and free. I printed out the list of categories and took it to my garden to match up what I had. Black-eyed Susans? Check. Miniature roses? Hydrangea? Check and check. So I snipped a few blossoms of each that look “decent” and brought them to the entry morning. There were lots of volunteers there to help a newbie entrant out filling out the registration form and the tags for each entry. The best thing I did was bring a page of address labels with me. That made filling out each entry tag much easier and quicker. I checked back several days later at the fair and saw I had won several ribbons – surprise! And not only that, this fair gave a few dollars per ribbon awarded so I could splurge on some funnel cake with my earnings check. In the following years, I have expanded my entries into herbs (both fresh and dried) as well as edibles such as tomatoes, okra, and potatoes. I’m very late reluctant to part with my edibles though as they usually want 5 of each item and when you go back to pick up your ribbons and entries 10 days later they are usually inedible. My small community garden plot just doesn’t produce enough to waste on too many contest entries, but you may have a bumper crop that you are more willing to share. There are many local county fairs in Maryland and Virginia along with the state fairs. You may be surprised to learn that many are open to nonresidents in order to get as many entries in as possible, so definitely check out the rules of fairs in nearby jurisdictions as well as your own. DC also has a state fair. You read that right. This started a few years ago as part-protest for Home Rule and partly to promote urban gardening interest among city residents. Unlike surrounding jurisdictions, you must be a DC resident to enter. So if you are one or know any, please consider entering. It is still a small event in comparison, but it is growing. The next DC State Fair is on Barracks Row Day, September 28, 2013. Find out more at http://dcstatefair.wordpress.com/. Think you have a chance at winning? There are few “tricks” to make your entry a cut above. Here is the skinny from the view of an experienced fair judge. Miriam Mahowald, a Master Gardener and veteran Fair judge, recently spoke to the Silver Spring Garden Club. She outlined several vegetables that 4

are accepted for most area fair competitions and gave basic growing tips. In her talk, she shared some behind-the-scenes advice for making your edible garden entries stand out from the crowd. “First, they should be of the quality that you would buy yourself at a store,” said Mahowald. “That means free of blemishes, symmetrical, and of a decent size for preparing in a dish.” You should also look for disease and insect damage and avoid any obvious holes or bites. One trick she shared for getting beets or other root vegetables to have nice, uniform coloration all the way to their tops is to mound soil around them as they grow. This blocks the sunlight from bleaching out their tops. She showed photos of examples and said the main key in judging across all categories is uniformity. For instance, if a category calls for five carrots, all five should be of the same length and approximate girth. If you are entering peas, they should all have the same number inside the pod and for sweet peppers they should all be either three-lobed or four-lobed. “Big is not necessarily better,” continued Mahowald. “Many entrants make that mistake. Unless the category calls for a largest-size, then smaller and perfect is better than larger, but misshapen.” One way to guarantee uniform size that is surprisingly allowed by judges, but is little-known among novice entrants, is that you can trim the stem ends of veggies such as beans. In some categories, the judges want to see the entire vegetable. This is true of carrots and beets. Leave the green tops on and do not trim off the tapering ends (aka whiskers). In other categories, they want the green stems off. This is particularly true of tomatoes where the stems could poke a neighboring entry and damage it. (At some area fairs, there is a category called “on the vine” where, of course, you would leave the tomatoes attached.) When to clean entries and when not is another issue. It is encouraged to wash off the dirt from root vegetables, squash, and greens. For potatoes, you should gently brush it off. For cabbages, leave the outer, guard leaves on. Mahowald says many entrants pull those off as they are not as pristine as the rest of the head, but judges will deduct points for that and they want to see the full heads. Corn is challenge as it must be fully ripe, but with the leaves intact so you cannot really see your entry. The judges will select one ear, pull back the leafy covering, and pierce it with a fingernail to see if the juice is that perfect milky consistency. The silks should be left on and it is alright to put a couple drops of mineral oil on them as they turn brown to prevent insect damage. For eggplants, judges want to see a “good eating size” and they can tell if they have been refrigerated as they will be wrinkled and lose their sheen, so try to keep them on the vine until entry time. Finally, Mahowald urges entrants to put the variety names on their entry tags. She says this helps the judges a great deal and also allows fair-goers to be better educated in what edibles do best in our region. Consider entering your garden’s bounty in this year’s fairs and let us know how you do! About the Author Kathy Jentz is Editor/Publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. She plans on entering her green beans and garlic into the Montgomery County Fair as well as cut flowers.

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ July 16 - August 15, 2013 • Thursdays, July 18-August 15, 6-8pm Food in the Garden Join us this summer for tastes, tours, and talks outside in the new Victory Garden on the east side of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History! The Museum’s American Food History Project and Smithsonian Gardens are bringing together local growers, practitioners, educators, and researchers to explore and experience where our food comes from and how we grow it. Enjoy evenings of locally produced food, drinks, and dynamic conversation in a relaxed garden atmosphere on Thursday evenings starting on July 18 and ending on Julia Child’s 101st birthday, August 15. Tickets: $20 each, $80 for the series. (Note that at press-time, the July 18 event has sold out. You can still purchase tickets for the rest of the series.) Each ticket includes two cocktails featuring Green Hat Gin and WildCraft Soda, with food from local farms. Details at http://amhistory.si.edu/ donate/food-in-the-garden/. • Saturday, July 20, 10am-12noon Herb Garden Clean-up You help us trim back the riotous beast that is threatening a take-over of the Washington Youth Garden; we’ll send you home with some cuttings for cooking. Harvest List includes: orange mint, peppermint, spearmint, fennel, thyme, nigela, yarrow, horse radish, oregano, bay, rosemary, elderberry, lavender, walking onions, lovage, and a few surprises... Washington Youth Garden, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Further details at: washingtonyouthgarden.org. • Saturday, July 20, 10am-12noon Underdogs or Champions? Pawpaws, Shooting Stars & Prickly Pears Listen to Don Leopold, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, as he highlights under appreciated native plants. Find out their wildlife value and other fun facts. Then take one of these under utilized native plants home. Mt. Cuba Center, 3120 Barley Mill Rd., Hockessin, DE 19707. Details at: mtcubacenter.org.

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• Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21 Daylily Festival The Daylily Festival is one of the Shenandoah Valley’s largest and most loved summer events. Surrounded by the beautiful Viette gardens, the Daylily Festival provides a wonderful weekend of entertainment that is sure to tantalize all your senses. From fresh produce right off the farm, to sipping, sampling, and savoring some of Virginia’s most loved wines, beers and locally produced foods, this festival is no ordinary summer event. For further details, visit http://daylilyfestival.com/tickets/. • Friday, July 26th 5-8pm Edible Urban Garden Tour Grow Your Own is the theme for this year’s third annual Edible Urban Garden Tour, which will stretch through the historic neighborhood of Bloomingdale with features to include: backyard, balcony and rooftop oases, urban farming and community gardening. It is a chance to learn and to be inspired by those who have created amazing and unique urban, edible spaces. We will begin the self-guided tour at Bacio Pizzeria (81 Seaton Place, NW) and we will end at Big Bear Café (1700 First Street, NW) where a seasonal, garden cocktail will be available for a discounted price. Explore city spaces and residential gardens that will open their doors and gates for the public to see what growing good food in our own backyards, front yards, rooftops, and empty lots is all about. It’s a chance to ask questions, learn from and hear what inspires some of DC’s best gardeners. A map of tour locations will be distributed on the day of the event and biking or walking is recommended. Tickets are $15 each, with a portion of the proceeds to support Eat Local First DC. To purchase tickets for this event, visit http://eatlocalfirstdc2013. eventbrite.com/# •Saturday, July 27, 10am-12noon Talk and Tour: All About Crapemyrtles Learn all about this brilliant summerblooming landscape gem, from the science of breeding new varieties to choosing and growing them at home. Start in the US National Arboretum

classroom with a presentation, then board the open-air tram for a scenic and informative tour highlighting the most remarkable specimens and the results of the Arboretum’s research program. Stops include short walks for exploration, identification, and questions. Fee: $22. Registration required, see www.usna.usda.gov or call 202.245.4521 for registration information. • Saturday, July 27, 3-5pm Washington Gardener Open Garden Our Washington Gardener Magazine Open Garden is back by popular demand! You are Invited to our Open Garden, which is also a stop on this year’s Parade of Ponds benefit water garden tour! See the full Open Garden details at http://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/2013/07/open-gardenparade-of-ponds-tour.html. Washington Gardener Magazine is proud to be a sponsor of the annual Parade of Ponds weekend in the DCMD on July 27-28, 2013. Participants can tour private gardens in the area that include ponds, water features, and water gardens for inspiration and enjoyment. They can visit all the gardens over the weekend in any order they desire or just visit a few. Donations are requested from tour-goers and all proceeds go to support Shepherd’s Table in Silver Spring, MD, which provides food and services to the needy. For more information, visit: http://www.premierpond.com/parade-of-ponds.html. • Tuesday, July 30, 7:30pm Let’s Do Lunch-The Uneasy Relationship Between Ungulates and the Landscapes They Inhabit Hosted by Maryland Native Plant Society. Hoofed animals have helped create some of the great and beloved landscapes of our planet, habitats that may be viewed as substrates where the co-evolution of plants and animals takes place. The Serengeti of Africa, the Downs of Scotland, and the central prairie of the USA would look very different without the ungulates.Together with man and fire they have shaped their anatomies and their mutual landscapes. Our ungulate, the white tailed

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ July 16 - August 15, 2013 deer, survived the Pleistocene extinctions and hunting by early humans, and now does very well as a native in South America, Mexico, Canada, and suburban DC. Speaker Steve Parks’ day job is physics, but he is also a lifelong naturalist. Doors open by 7pm. Free. Open to the public. Registration not required. Those who do register will receive updates on any changes to the program. Silver Spring Civic Building, Spring Room. Details: www.mdflora.org. •Wednesday, July 31, 7am-4pm Build Southwest Community GardenHelp break ground and build the Southwest Community Garden in a single day! Come early for breakfast at 7:00 AM. We will work from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM with a break for lunch. A ribbon cutting ceremony featuring guest speaker Council member Tommy Wells of Ward 6 will begin at 4:00 PM. The garden is located in Lansburgh Park at 1098 Delaware Avenue SW, Washington DC, 20024. Please register by contacting swgardensdc@gmail.com or 202.417.8577. Read more about the garden here or visit their web site: http://swgardens.org/ for details.

Director. Arcadia Farm, 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309, 571.384.8845, info@arcadiafood.org. • Wednesday, August 7 and Saturday, August 10 Non-Native Invasive Plant Removal Casey Trees HQ / Rock Creek Park In this two-part event (classroom session and field session), learn about nonnative, invasive plants and how they are threatening our native landscapes. Participants will learn how to identify and control species of non-native, invasive plants found in the Washington, DC area including Japanese stiltgrass and beefsteak plant. Native alternatives to common non-native, invasive plants will also be discussed. Our guest instructors are Ana Chuquin of Rock Creek National Park and Mary Farrah of the UDC Cooperative Extension Service. For details, contact Casey Trees at 202.833.4010 or caseytrees.org.

• Saturday, August 3, 10am-12noon 10 Steps to a Greener Lawn Master Gardener Volunteer, John Miller will share 10 ways you can keep your grass green and our local waterways clean. This lawn care seminar will answer your lawn care questions. Chinn Library, 13065 Chinn Park Drive; Prince William, VA 22192. Free, but registration requested Call 703.792.7747 or master_gardener@pwcgov.org.

• Saturday, August 10, 10am-12noon Garden Terrarium Workshop Enjoy the outdoors, inside; create a beautiful, tabletop terrarium. Begonia enthusiast Johanna Zinn provides information on this versatile species and teaches you techniques for creating the perfect terrarium. Container, plants, soil and care instructions provided. Please register for program and supply. Code: 290 384 7001. Fee: $45/person. Register on-line at www. fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call Green Spring Gardens at 703.642.5173. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22312.

• Saturday, August 3, 10am-2pm Canning At the end of this workshop, you’ll be thinking: “Yes, I can!” We’ll cover pressure canners and boiling water canners, as well as important safety concerns, then demonstrate proper techniques and use of tools. Take home a kit of canning tools and a boost in your canning confidence. Separate child-friendly activities are available for an additional fee. Fee: $50. Instructor: Maureen Moodie, Vegetable Manager at Moutoux Orchards and former Arcadia Farm

• Running now through August 25 Washington Gardener Magazine’s Garden Photo Contest Winners Show Winning photographs from this year’s Washington Gardener Magazine photo contest will be on display at Meadowlark through August 25. Viewing the display at the Visitor Center is free and open to the public. Address: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, Virginia 22182. Go online to : http://www.nvrpa. org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/events.

SAVE THE DATE: • Saturday, August 24, 6th Annual Washington Gardener Magazine Tomato Tasting, 10:00am-12:00noon, FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD. Sample the multitude of tomatoes at market and vote on your favorites. Stop by for tomato recipes, growing tips, and much more... The event is FREE and open to the public. Wear a bib! Details at http://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/. • Fall Landscaping Classes at Montgomery College starting August 26. Montgomery College offers a variety of horticulture courses that will benefit just about anyone — the professional landscaper, turf manager, horticulturist, Master Gardener, or amateur plant lover! Courses are offered at the Germantown and Takoma Park Campus and at Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, MD. For further information about the program/courses see the attached or contact: 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 August 12 for the July 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place August 16-September 15.

Your Ad Here

Are you trying to reach thousands of gardeners in the greater DC region/MidAtlantic 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 301.5886894 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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MARCH/APRIL 2005 • Landscape DIY vs. Pro • Prevent Gardener’s Back • Ladew Topiary Gardens • Cherry Trees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WINTER 2010 • Paths and Walkways • Edgeworthia • Kohlrabi

MARCH/APRIL 2006 • Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs • Azaleas • Figs, Berries, & Persimmons • Basic Pruning Principles MAY/JUNE 2006 • Using Native Plants in Your Landscape • Crabgrass • Peppers • Secret Sources for Free Plants JULY/AUGUST 2006 • Hydrangeas • Theme Gardens • Agave • Find Garden Space by Growing Up SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 • Shade Gardening • Hosta Care Guide • Fig-growing Tips and Recipes NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Layer/Lasagna Gardening JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 • Indoor Gardening • Daphne Care Guide • Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes • Houseplant Propagation MARCH/APRIL 2007 • Stormwater Management • Dogwood Selection & Care Guide • Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips • Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 • Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now • Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums) • The Best Time to Plant Spring-blooming Bulbs • 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • Outdoor Lighting Essentials • How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, and Vines • 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs • Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer • Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden • Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum • Grow Winter Hazel for Gorgeous Winter Color MARCH/APRIL 2009 • 40+ Free and Low-cost Local Garden Tips • Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic • Testing Your Soil for a Fresh Start • Redbud Tree Selection and Care • Best Viewing Spots for Virginia Bluebells

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

SPRING 2011 • Cutting-Edge Gardens • Final Frost Dates and When to Plant • Bleeding Hearts • Onions SUMMER 2011 • Ornamental Edibles • Urban Foraging • Amsonia/Arkansas Blue Star • Growing Corn in the Mid-Atlantic FALL 2011 • Herb Gardens • Toad Lilies • Sweet Potatoes • Cool Weather Cover Crops WINTER 2011 - EARLY SPRING 2012 • Green Roofs and Walls • Heaths and Heathers • Radishes SPRING 2012 • Pollinator Gardens • Brunnera: Perennial of the Year • Growing Yacon SUMMER 2012 • Tropical Gardens • Captivating Canna • Icebox Watermelons

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Coming Soon!

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

Your Ad Here

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

In Our Next Issue... Miniature/Faerie Gardens

Annmarie Garden in Solomons, MD

Garden Tour Season Wrap-Up Growing Great Carrots!

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Magazine Excerpt: Carolina Spiderlily

BY BARRY GLICK You’d think that a plant bearing flowers with such an exotic appearance would be temperamental, short-lived, and tricky to grow, but the truth is quite the contrary. Although everything about this delicate, fragile-looking lady screams tropical, hot-house beauty, the opposite couldn’t be more true. In fact, I’ve shared space in my brutal zone 5 garden with her for more than 30 years. I so look forward to the late summer when the thick, medium-green, almost succulent foliage of the “Spider Lily,” seemingly overnight, sends up its 12" - 24" stems of pure, icy-white blooms. They’re a real show-stopper in full sun, full shade, and everything in between. Average soil moisture is just fine, but they’re even happier in moister soils, and the more content they are, the more flower stems they’ll produce. I ask you, could they be any easier to grow? And... they even hold up very well as cut flowers. As a native member of the Amaryllis family, the genus Hymenocallis is home to over 20 species across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the U.S. The species I’m growing, Hymenocallis caroliniana, was formerly known as Hymenocallis occidentalis. Some taxonomists group them in the Lily family, but I’m sticking with Amaryllidaceae and, if you’re familiar with other Amaryllidaceae, you’ll agree. Planted in full sun, they sometimes behave somewhat similar to Lycoris species, a.k.a. “Resurrection Lilies,” by losing their foliage during the hot, dry summer and then sending up their flower stems from bare ground in the late summer to early autumn. The name Hymenocallis is Greek and means beautiful membrane, referring to the thin membrane between the petals. Hymenocallis caroliniana has a light, vanilla-like fragrance, most likely to attract pollinators, not humans... Want to learn more about growing Squash and fighting the vine borer? Read the rest of this GoingNative column in the Spring 2013 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See how to subscribe below to start with this issue.

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Wgenews july13

Published on Jul 18, 2013

Kathy J

The Washington Gardener Enews ~ July 2013 issue is now sent to all current Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers. It is also posted and archived online at: http://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/wgenews-july13 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ~ Is Your Garden Bounty Fair-Worthy? Inside Tips for Winning Entries ~ Top Local Garden Events Calendar for July-August ~ Magazine Excerpt: Lovely Native Carolina Spiderlily ~ Mid-Atlantic Garden To-Do List for June-July ~ Reader Contest: Win a bag of Mr. Natural Soil Products ~ Washington Gardener's Recent Blog Post Highlights ~ Spotlights Special: Mascotte Bean, a Compact and Quick Crop ~ Washington Gardener Magazine Back Issue Sale! and much more... You can access it as well as all of the other Washington Gardener Enews back issues online now and anytime in the future at http://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/.