Nov 09 issue of Washington Gardener ENEWS by Kathy J

NOVEMBER 2009 Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter! This enewsletter is the free sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine. Both the magazine and enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we will: address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, include a monthly reminder 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. Without your support, we cannot continue publishing this enewsletter. Our magazine subscription information is on the last page of this enewsletter. If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please forward this email to them so that they can subscribe to this free enewsletter as well using the form on the back page the enewsletter to subscribe to our print magazine. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington GardenerDiscussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest For our November 2009 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away passes to the Brookside Gardens’ Garden of Lights Show. Brookside Gardens’ year-long 40th Anniversary Party continues with the Garden of Lights. It wouldn’t be a party without candles, or in this case 940,000 twinkling colorful lights shaped in imaginative displays throughout the gardens. Enjoy the four seasons illuminated as giant summer sunflowers, autumn leaves, winter snowflakes, spring flowers, rain showers, and more. Walk along the easily accessible paths and you’ll see what sets this light show apart from others. The show runs Friday, November 27, 2009 through Sunday, January 3, 2010 (with the exception of December 24 & 25th). The hours are 5:30 to 9:00pm, with the last car admitted at 8:30pm. Entry is by car/van and is $15 on Mon-Thurs and $20 on Fri-Sun. To enter to win a vehicle pass to Brookside’s Garden of Lights Show, send an email with “Lights” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on November 30. In the body of the email please include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified by December 1.

New Issue Out The Fall 2009 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is now out. This issue’s theme includes apple-growing tips for the Mid-Atlantic, a trip to Green Spring Gardens, and dealing with invasive bamboo. In this issue is our PlantProfile on Japanese Anemone, a fall favorite. Several of the bloom photos are from your editor’s own garden. We also cover Saving Tomato Seeds (yes, you can do-it-yourself), visit the USDA People’s Garden, spotlight the Eastland Gardens Flower Club, and focus on the Native Meehan’s Mint. We share tips on battling Apple Tree Pests, stopping Squash Vine Borer, and propagating Sweet Potato Vine. Do your tastes run to the more exotic? You’ll love our EdibleHarvest column on growing Persimmons, which includes a guide to the best Persimmon varieties. Our Before-After piece is all about a “Sexy and Sustainable” front yard in northwest Washington, DC. In the “Did You Know” category, we share the latest research on a link between visiting public gardens and senior health. We also share a study on the rapid spread of invasive weeds in western Maryland that points the finger at roadside maintenance crews. Finally, we interview Michael Twitty, an heirloom gardener and expert in local Afro-American foodways. He helps dispell the myths and misconceptions many people have about traditional African-American gardens. To subscribe, see the last page of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to our web page and use our PayPal order form.

November Garden To-Do List

Spotlight Special

Earlybird Cardinal™, is a rich red color daylily with heavily ruffled petals and a lovely green throat. It will be available at fine independent garden centers throughout the United States beginning in spring 2010. After dozens of generations of breeding, Dr. Darrel Apps (the hybridizer of popular reblooming cultivars such as ‘Happy Returns’ and ‘Pardon Me’) has pushed the limits of daylily bloom-time back more than a month! Jersey Earlybird™ Daylilies are selected from a breeding program the focuses are daylilies that begin blooming a full month before the average daylily. First and foremost, Jersey Earlybird™ must bloom with the earliest of daylily selections. Beyond that, all Jersey Earlybird™ selections must show the ability to give multiple rebloom scapes. If it was only early-blooming and not long blooming, after all, it would not be an overly exciting plant. At the test gardens in Southern New Jersey, daylily experts have seen more than 100 days of color on one plant of Earlybird Cardinal™. If planted in full sun and not stressed by underwatering, they have seen four sets of rebloom scapes in one season. Earlybird Cardinal™ at a glance: • 4” rich red flowers on 21” scapes • Full Sun • Can Handle Wet Spots • Can Handle Salty Spots • Attracts Butterflies • Blooms from May through August

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for November 16-December 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Switch your deer deterrent spray, if you’ve been using the same one for several months. • Have your soil tested at least once every three years. • Cover carrots and other root crops with straw to extend the harvest season. • Deadhead spent mums and plant them (if still in pots). • Leaf drop on established evergreen shrubs and rhododendrons is normal this time of year. • Bulb foliage already starting to surface? Don’t fret. It is also normal and will not impact next year’s blooms. • Check for vole problems and set out traps. • Caulk and seal your home to prevent wildlife coming indoors. • Protect fig trees from freezing by piling up leaves around them. • Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up. • Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and for trading. • Turn off outdoor water valve and store hoses. • Store terra cotta pots in a shed or protected areas. • Prune and mulch hybrid tea roses. • Harvest last of your vegetables and till compost into the beds. • Plant garlic for harvest next spring. • Force spring bulbs for indoor blooms this January by potting them up, watering thoroughly, and placing them in your vegetable crisper for about 10 weeks. • Remove this year’s fruiting raspberry canes down to the ground from raspberries. • Clean out your ponds and compost annual plants. Move hardy plants to deeper water. Cover with netting to block falling leaves. • Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools. • Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except cyclamen). • Set up a humidifier for indoor plants or at least place in pebble trays. • Vacuum up any ladybugs that come in the house. • Rotate houseplants to promote even growth. • Pot up Paper Whites and Amaryllis for holiday blooming. • Water evergreens and new plantings to keep them hydrated this winter. • Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed. • Transplant trees and shrubs. • Continue to divide and transplant perennials. • Rake leaves, shred, and gather in compost piles. • Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for this winter. • Attend a local garden club meeting. • Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds. • Plant evergreens for winter interest. • Weed. • Take a break from holiday stress to enjoy your garden. • Do not place live wreaths or greenery in between your door and a glass storm door, especially if the doorway is facing south. This placement will “cook” the arrangement on a sunny day. • Sign up all your friends and family for garden magazine subscriptions as holiday gifts.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Things I’ve Dug Up, What is the Oddest Thing You Have Found in Your Garden? • Five Reasons to Buy Locally Grown Plants • Fall Fireworks at Brookside Gardens, the Chrysanthemum Show • Pretty Poison, How to ID Poison Ivy in the Fall • The Future of Community Gardens in DC and Beyond See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

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Are you trying to reach 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. The ad rate is $250 per issue or $1,000 for five issues. The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: washingtongardener@rcn.com.

IPM Short Course Registration Opens

Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course January 4-8, 2010 For registration information contact: Avis Koeiman, Department of Entomology 4112 Plant Sciences Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-405-3913 or email: akoeiman@umd.edu

Finding Yourself in the Garden: Feng Shui Gardening Principles by Kathy Jentz Do you know what your outdoor living space is telling the world about you? And what is it saying to you about you? Your garden can be your sanctuary and escape from the world. It can be a relaxing, calming spot or a place you go to stimulate your senses and get revived. It can nurture your soul. However, many gardens do none of these things, because they have not been thought out or planned well. They are a hodgepodge of different ideas, styles, and elements all clamoring for your attention. One way to reign in these competing garden features is to employ feng shui. Feng shui is the ancient art of placement to bring balance and harmony to your life. Feng shui is a way of analyzing our environments to ensure that we are creating space for all that is important to us: love and intimacy, family and heritage, our work, prosperity, creativity and joy, wisdom, community and generosity, and a happy sense of self. When applying feng shui principles to a garden, the first thing to look at is how you want to live in your outdoor sanctuary. Robin Buck of Robin Buck Design & Feng Shui in Washington, DC (www.robinbuckdesign.com) advises that you ask yourself, “What is the very first thing you notice when entering your garden? How does it make you feel? Does it coax you into a quiet and nurturing world? If not, what would?” As your gaze travels around your garden, ask yourself: What do you want to do here? Who do you want to include? What are you happy to invest -- in development, maintenance, money? Robin notes that. “A great garden will take care of YOU more than you must take care of IT.” One of feng shui’s central tools is the bagua which is used like a life-space map. “In assessing one client’s garden, we discovered a very thorny, downright alienating shrub in the region associated with extended family relationships,” shared Robin. “Coincidentally, this client had been raised by a prickly and cruel step-mother. Our first task was to replace that painful planting with one that provided beauty and healing influences. Another adjustment was to remove some rows of large potted plants that formed a barrier in the area of friendship and community, opening that into a gathering space for relationships to blossom.” Think of your garden as an extension of your home. Robin points out that some of the same feng shui principles apply that you’d consider in your living room: ~ Create a focal point. Whether it be some stand-out plantings, a water feature, a lovely outdoor fireplace or a whimsical sculpture, provide a welcoming and delightful invitation to enter. ~ Do you seek solitude or companionship? Make sure to have comfortable seating available and include tables to place your luncheon plates, cup of tea or glass of wine. ~ What relaxes you? Use that as your primary guide. If daily weeding and watering relaxes you, fine. If not, make sure to plan a lower-maintenance garden. ~ Be mindful in selecting colors. A wild riot of brilliant hues will infuse your garden with energy. A palette of whites and soft greens will be peaceful and restorative. Blues and lavenders support contemplation. Yellows and oranges are energetic and foster communication. Fuchsias and pinks offer romance and softness. In larger gardens, consider oases of color that correspond to the mood you want create in a particular location. A little advance planning and care when setting up your garden, whether just the few pots around the entrance to your home or a full working farm, can make your outdoor space work for you in a more balanced, harmonious way.

10 Basics of Feng Shui Design for Your Garden 1. 2. 3. 4.

Minimize clutter. Eliminate any dead or dying plant materials. Use plants with soft, rounded foliage. Represent all five elements -- wood, metal, earth, fire, and water – in the garden. For example, earth could be a clay pot and fire could be twinkling accent lights. 5. Choose simple furniture and garden décor items over ornate or busy designs. 6. Create pathways that gently meander. Straight lines encourage rushing. 7. Plant in drifts of harmonious colors rather than in onesie-twosie fashion. 8. Use open structures like an arbor rather than a closed gate. 9. Install a focal point, like an interesting stone or sculpture, near your seating area that can meditate on. 10. Add a sound element like gentle wind chimes or flowing water. WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2009 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events November 16-December 15, 2009 These make great gifts or keepThe Accokeek Foundation desired. Maryland Native Plant sakes. Limit 10 registrants. 3400 Bryan Point Road Society Course number 86750; Ages: 10-12 Accokeek, MD 20607 301.283.2113 www.accokeek.org

• Saturday, December 5, 5:00 -8:00pm Winter’s Eve Kick off the winter season with our annual Winter’s Eve celebration. Tour the seasonally decorated National Colonial Farm as 18th century lanterns light the way. Join us for cider, cookies, popcorn and singing carols by the fire. The Museum Gift Shop will be open and stocked with unique gifts for all your holiday shopping. At National Colonial Farm, Rain or Light Snow Showers. Fee: $2 or a Canned Food Donation to Support a Maryland Food Bank.

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 301.962.1400 www.brooksidegardens.org

• Tuesday, November 24, 10:00am12:00noon Thanksgiving Centerpiece: New Cornucopia Karen Nelson Kent, AIFD, owner of Floral Diversity Revisit a Thanksgiving classic: the Cornucopia or Horn of Plenty. Master the techniques of a flowing horn of flowers and foliage with seasonal touches of wheat and cattails. Fee includes all materials. Course number 85799; ; Fee: $45; registration required at www.parkpass.org. • Saturday, December 5, 10:00am12:00noon OR 1:30-3:30pm Mixed Greens Wreath Nicky Beadle, Brookside Gardens Staff Greet your guests and neighbors with a unique holiday wreath using a variety of freshly cut and fragrant greens to decorate your door. We’ll use a straw base and florist’s pins to make a lush wreath that will be a festive addition to your home through the holidays. Decorate your wreath with an assortment of pods, cones, and berries provided by us, or bring your own holiday embellishments. Fee includes all materials. Course number 84551; Fee: $45; registration required at www.parkpass.org. • Sundays, December 6 & 13, 10:0011:00am Winter Photo Books for Snap Shooters Phyllis Katz, Science Educator In this two-part class bring your digital camera and consider different ways of capturing the beauty in the gardens and personalizing the experience. In the second session, learn to create a digital photo book which can be shared online for free and/or printed, bound and purchased, if 4

Fee: $30; registration required at www. parkpass.org.

Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council http://www.chesapeakelandscape.org/

• Friday, December 4, 8am-6pm 2009 “Turning a New Leaf” Conference Presented by the and George Washington University’s Landscape Design Program at George Washington University in Washington, DC. This conference brings together landscaping professionals, policy makers and educators to learn and share information about sustainable landscaping practices in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Honorable Anthony Williams will open the conference talking about DC’s green initiatives. Concurrent sessions will cover sustainable design, selling green, getting it done with local governments, and urban ecology and new technologies. Eric Eckl, founder of Water Words that Work will close the conference with a talk on “The World Outside: What They Say About Why Your Work Matters.” Registration after November 1 is $105.

Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Road Alexandria, Virginia 22312 703.642.5173 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/

• Saturday, December 4, 1:30-3:30pm Winter Wreaths Northern Virginia Community College horticulture instructor, Bruce Nash, dazzles you with his holiday wreath design. After receiving his expert instructions, compose your own wreath to take home. Frames, floral material, bows and greens provided. $48. Call 703-642-5173 to register. • Sunday, December 5, 12noon-4pm Green Spring’s Gardeners’ Holiday Open House Enjoy a day of holiday fun in the garden: make crafty holiday-inspired-creations, listen to seasonal music, enjoy free refreshments and view the beautiful exhibit from George Mason Printmaking Guild and decorations fashioned by our talented volunteers and staff. This festive day is for gardeners of all ages, individuals and families. FREE

http://www.mdflora.org/

•Tuesday, November 24, 7:30pm Last Survivors of Magnolia Bog Flora in Maryland, DC, and Virginia Join Greg Zell, Arlington County Natural Resource Specialist, and Rod Simmons, plant ecologist, for a presentation on globally-rare Fall Line Terrace Gravel Magnolia Bogs of the greater Washington-Baltimore region, with most of the finest remaining examples occurring in Maryland. Their characteristic flora, including numerous rare species such as Red Milkweed, Bog Fern, Long’s Rush, and others; geohydrology; and distribution and global range will be discussed. Management guidelines and future implications for conservation will also be discussed. FREE. Meet at the White Oak Library’s Large Meeting Room. 11701 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD.

Takoma Horticutural Club www.takomahort.org

• Wednesday, November 18, 7:30-9:00pm Garden Roundtable This meeting will have two parts. First, a Master Garden panel will answer your gardening questions, so come prepared. You are welcome to bring pictures and/or specimens for identification. If we can’t answer your questions, we’ll do some research and get back to you. The panel will include Fran McClure, a Master Gardener and Landscape Designer, who spoke to our club earlier this year about planting in dry shade areas. After the panel there will be an Open Forum. During this time participants will be invited to share gardening tips and local garden-related resources that have been helpful. FREE.

TudorPlace Historic House and Garden 1644 31stStreet, NW Washington, DC 20007 202.965.0400 www.tudorplace.org

• Sunday, December 13, 1:00pm Chocolate and Tea Tasting for Adults! Sample 18th century period teas and chocolates at a festive holiday tea! Costumed interpreters lead participants in an informative and engaging presentation on the history of tea and chocolate. A variety of 18th and 19th century teas and chocolates will be highlighted. After the tea, take a tour of the historic mansion festively decorated for the holidays. Members: $20; Nonmembers: $25 Advanced reservations and payment required.

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events November 16-December 15, 2009 in the Chinese Pavilion and the Tropical United States Botanic Greenhouse. National Bonsai & Penjing Washington Garden Conservatory Museum. FREE. Gardener Magazine’s (USBG) 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 202.225.8333 www.usbg.gov

• November 26, 2009 through January 10, 2010, 10:00am–5:00pm Holiday Magic The U.S. Botanic Garden’s National Mall and fanciful garden-train exhibits have become a beloved Washington tradition, and this year we’re serving up even more magic with larger and more amazing displays made of plant-based natural materials. You’ll find an enchanted storybook garden with trains popping in and out of a landscape that now includes Snow White’s cottage and the Owl and the Pussycat’s beautiful pea green boat. Our exhibit of the National Mall landmarks is up to date this season with the Obama children’s swing set and another new addition: the National Museum of the American Indian. Again this year, one of Washington’s largest indoor holiday trees will tower over pools of colorful poinsettias and other holiday plants. The whole family will enjoy the children’s plant hunt, which will take visitors through our collections in search of particularly “magical” plants. FREE.

US National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue, NE Washington, D. C. 20002-1958 202.245.2726 www.usna.usda.gov

• December 1–31, 8:00am–4:30pm Evergreens 101 Which type of evergreen tree is best for your holiday needs? This complete display of all of the area’s popular cut trees gives you an opportunity to compare which ones last the longest, smell the best, and make decorating easiest. See, touch, smell, and learn about nine different species of evergreen trees, including varieties of spruce, fir, and pine. Each tree will be decorated simply with white lights and accompanied by text explaining the characteristics of that type of tree. FREE. • December 5–20, 10:00am–4:00pm Exhibit: Winter Silhouettes Winter is the best time to enjoy the true mastery of the art of bonsai by observing the “bare bones” of the trees. With no leaves, the structure of a deciduous bonsai reveals how well the artist has created his miniaturized version of nature. The bonsai curator has selected trees from the museum’s permanent collection for a formal display of these living artworks. Other trees from the permanent collection will be on view throughout the winter

5th Annual

Event Listing Notes

For even more area garden event notices than we can’t possibly squeeze in here, become a member of our free online discussion group. To join the email list serv, just send an email to: WashingtonGardener-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. To submit an event for this listing, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol.com and put “Event” in the email subject head. PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS! Our next deadline is December 12 for the December 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from December 16-January 15

Seed Exchange Join us on National Seed Swap Day January 30, 2010 Save the Date & Save Your Seeds!

Outdoor Walk-Through Display

Nov. 27, 2009 – Jan. 3, 2010 (open every night except December 24 & 25)

Hours: 5:30pm – 9:00pm Last car admitted at 8:30pm

Admission: cash only $15 car/van (Mon.– Thurs.) $20 car/van (Fri.– Sun.)

Conservatory Train Exhibit Open every night

New Year’s Eve Celebration

Crafts and give-a-ways for the kids Open until 9pm Visit our Gift Shop and receive

10% OFF

on merchandise only. Expires Jan. 3, 2010 Not valid with any other discounts. WG09

1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902 Show Info Line: 301.962.1453 • www.brooksidegardens.org

Magazine Excerpt: Persimmons by Cindy Brown

Deciding what to include in my home garden requires deep consideration. I make lists to help make appropriate choices, assessing each plant’s weaknesses and strengths. These evaluations are critical. Like most of us, I have limited space, time, and funds. My decision principles include three components: Can it be grown organically? Is it a design asset to the site? And is it edible? For me to consider adding a plant to my already overcrowded garden, it must fulfill at least two out of the three criteria. Adding a tree takes even more deliberation because of the size of its footprint and its longevity. On top of my “must plant” list are persimmons. Diospyros, “fruit of the gods,” literally translates to “Jove’s grain.” If Rome’s head deity considers persimmons as important as the main ingredient in bread, it definitely deserves a spot in my garden. Gardeners call it simply the pumpkin tree. Persimmon’s globular orange fruit has a jelly-like texture and a honey-like sweetness. Its flavor is comparable to almonds, brandy, cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla, and mango or, more accurately, a combination of all of the above. Like many plants, there is a Native American species and an Asian counterpoint. The Native American species, Diospyros virginiana, was once considered a valuable fruit in the eastern United States, but has fallen out of favor. Among the reasons for disfavor, the soft, easily bruised fruits are hard to market and a pair — one male, one female — of 40-foot trees is required to produce fruit. Fruit of the native persimmon is astringent — the ultimate in pucker power — until ripe. Dead-ripe persimmons are akin to the stage in a bananas’ fruit cycle when its only culinary value is the main ingredient in banana bread. When asked when it is appropriate to harvest an American persimmon, I reply, “Wait until you think it is too late. When the fruit has dropped off the tree and you pick it up to throw it into the compost pile — that’s when it is ready to eat.” I don’t mean to imply a ripe persimmon is only fit for a compost pile. Quite the opposite, American persimmons are extremely sweet, walk in the Gobi desert. The first time I ate one, it sucked all the moisture out of the tissue inside of my mouth and... Want to learn more about Persimmons, the best varieties for our area, and their growing needs? Read the rest of this EdibleHarvest article in the Fall 2009 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

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