Washington Gardener Enews Nov 2010 by Kathy J

NOVEMBER 2010 Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter! This enewsletter is the free 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. Without your support, we cannot continue publishing this enewsletter. Our magazine subscription information is on page 6 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 this free enewsletter as well using the form on page 6 of this enewsletter to subscribe to our print magazine. You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington Gardener Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/washingtongardenermagazine • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

For our November 2010 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away passes to the Brookside Gardens’ Garden of Lights Show. Brookside Gardens’ Garden of Lights is a half-mile walk through a landscape of 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. The show runs Friday, November 26, 2010 through Sunday, January 9, 2011 (with the exception of December 24-25 and January 3-6). The hours are 5:30 to 9:00pm, with the last car admitted at 8:30pm. Entry is by car/van and is $20 on Mon-Thurs and $25 on Fri-Sun. To enter to win a vehicle pass to Brookside’s Garden of Lights Show, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on November 30 with “Lights” in the subject line and tell us your favorite holiday season plant and why. In the body of the email, please also include your full name and mailing address. The pass winners will be announced and notified on December 1.

Fall 2010 Issue

Our Fall magazine issue is now published and on sale. If you are a current subscriber, look for it in your mailbox. The cover story is on Vines and Climbers. There is a listing of over 20 vining plants that do well in our Mid-Atlantic gardens. Also in this issue is the Edibles column, “Easy-to-Grow Garlic” by Cindy Brown. She shares her tips on how to grow garlic here in the Mid-Atlantic and the best varieties for our area. Our Daytrip is to the Monticello, Jefferson’s famous residence outside of Charlottesville, VA. I visited there myself this past summer and have to say his vegetable garden is impressive. You’ll also find in this issue: • Russian Sage: A Perennial Pleasure • Best Bulbs for Soggy Spots • Confessions of a Plant Hoarder • Native Woodland Aster • Seed Bombs for Guerilla Gardening • Poisonous Weeds • Battling Stink Bugs • Nick Weber’s Heritage Rosarium & Dahlia Patch •New Tree Benefit Calculator • coverage of several local events including our own Tomato Taste • answers to readers’ questions such why their Cucumbers are Bitter and much, much more... To subscribe, see the page 6 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to www.washingtongardener.com/index_ files/subscribe.htm and use our PayPal credit card link.

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts

• No Room to Garden? Use Your Truck or Barge or Bathtub • Video Wednesday: Sow a Cover Crop & Mulch Before Winter • Garden Communicators Lunch Connections • People, Plots, and Plants of DC: Temple Gardens & Kalorama Community Gardens • Dangerous Plants of DC See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

November Garden To-Do List

Spotlight Special

All-America Selections (AAS) is pleased to announce the first seven of the 2011 AAS Winners. Following a trial period where these new, never-before-sold varieties are “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally” the AAS judges have submitted their evaluations and selected only the best performers as AAS Winners. With this announcement, these varieties are available for immediate sale and distribution so home gardeners will find seeds and plants available in time for their 2011 seed ordering and gardening season. The 2011 AAS cool season winner is: Ornamental Kale ‘Glamour Red’ F1 This is All-America Selections’ first winning kale (edible or ornamental) in 78 years of trialing! ‘Glamour Red’ is an excellent achievement in breeding for its unique shiny leaves. The waxless quality of the leaves makes them shiny with a more intense, vivid color as compared to existing ornamental brassicas. Judges noted that the shiny foliage is striking in the landscape and it out-performed comparisons with outstanding success. It is a fringed leaf type Brassica oleracea with flower head size of 10 to 12 inches. This full sun annual will bloom 90 days from sowing seed to first color. Leaf coloring begins when night temperatures fall below 55◦F for approximately two weeks. Expect good disease tolerance in all regions and frost tolerant blooms from November to March in warmer climates. Bred by Takii & Co., Ltd. 2

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. Re-apply after heavy rains. • 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.

Plants for the Holiday Season by Kathy Jentz

As we get wrapped up in hectic holiday preparations over the next month, thoughts of gardening go out the window. Here is a tip to indulge your neglected plant-lust and get a bunch of items on your holiday “to do” list addressed in fell swoop -- plants are the perfect gift! With one trip to your favorite garden center or nursery, you can give everyone on your gift list a beautiful, easy-to-care-for holiday plant that they will treasure. Package your plant gifts in a pretty pot or tie on a fancy bow. Be sure to attach care instructions and an offer to help those with a self-described “black thumb.” Plant gifts should not be a burden, but instead a long-lasting gift that reminds the recipient of the giver for years to come. Here are some traditional and not-so-traditional holiday season plants to consider buying for gifts or your own holiday décor: • Amaryllis (Amaryllis hippeastrum) • Bleeding Heart Plant (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) • Bromeliad (Bromeliad guzmania ‘Claret’) • Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii). • Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) • Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) • Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) • Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum) • Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) • Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) • Orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) • Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum annuum) • Paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta) • Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) • Stromanthe (Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’ or ‘Tricolor’) Don’t forget that ANY bulb can be forced now in time for the holidays or gift giving. You could create a red/white/green themed pot of tulips or go for trendy holiday decor color combos such as pink and deep purple tones. See the “Indoor Bulb Forcing” article on pages 6-7 of the November/December 2007 issues of Washington Gardener Magazine for full instructions. You may be seeing those painted or glittered poinsettias in stores around town. Why not DIY (do it yourself) and apply spray glue and glitter to inexpensive ornamental cabbage, kale, gourds, squash, pansies, or amaryllis? This could be a fun family activity especially for young children as there is no “wrong” way to throw on the glitz. In the greater DC metro area, Mother Nature is winding down her more flamboyant outdoor activities and taking a much needed break for the winter. While she heads south, we gardeners head inside to our catalogs and online searches to dream about expanding our planting beds in the next growing year. We console ourselves with a bit of indoor gardening. Don’t forget in all the holiday rush to buy a new indoor plant or two for yourself as well as many of the loved ones on your gift list. Pictured at top: Holiday season blooms at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s annual holiday exhibit, Seasons Greenings, include red poinsettia and white cyclamen. This popular exhibit includes Washington landmark buildings all created with plant materials. Pictured at middle, right: Amaryllis in bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s greenhouses.

DC-Area Gardening Calendar~Upcoming Events~November 16-December 15, 2010 Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 301.962.1400 www.brooksidegardens.org

• Wednesday, November 17, 1:30-3:30pm MUDCRETE WORKSHOP Betty Mackey, B.B. Mackey Books Betty Mackey is back at Brookside Gardens again this fall to teach you to create a one-of-a-kind succulent planter out of ‘Mudcrete,’ a concrete material made with garden soil. Combining Betty’s expertise in creating lightweight garden troughs with a little gardening ingenuity, you’ll create a living sculpture planted with succulents for a beautifully intriguing conversation piece in your garden. Course number 120451; Fee: $49, FOBG: $44; registration required at www.parkpass.org. • Tuesday, November 23, 5:30-7:30pm THANKSGIVING CENTERPIECE Join Karen Nelson Kent of Floral Diversity to create a beautiful Thanksgiving centerpiece combining colorful fruits and vegetables with flowers and seasonal materials. Adorn your holiday table this year with a striking accent. Course number 118852 Tuesday, November 23, 2:30-4:30pm; OR Course number 118853; Fee: $49, FOBG: $44; registration required at www.parkpass.org. • Through Sunday, November 28 CHRYSANTHEMUM DISPLAY The conservatories will be filled with colorful chrysanthemums in all shapes and sizes, from large and gaudy to small and refined. The variety of plant and flower forms in this one plant is astounding. Japanese chrysanthemums are trained into geometric shapes and huge cascading hanging baskets, while other plants are trained as single stem, single flowered disbuds with flowers larger than softballs. Ferns, sedges, papyrus, and sages provide textural and colorful contrast to the scene, which is autumn concentrated and intensified. The display runs through Sunday, November 28 (note: South house closes November 15 for the installation of the train exhibit) 10:00am-5:00pm daily; Blooms are expected to reach peak in early November. FREE. NO Pre-registration required.

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

• Saturday, November 20, 1:00-3:30pm THANKSGIVING FLORAL DESIGN Create a beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table after Northern Virginia Community College instructor, Bruce 4

Nash, demonstrates the dazzling possibilities. Floral material, greens and containers provided. Register by November 12. $50. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/parktakes; program code: 290 487 5101 or call 703-642-5173 for more information.

Maryland Native Plant Society

• Saturday, December 4, 1:00-3:30pm WINTER WREATHS Create a beautiful wreath of greens to decorate your door after Northern Virginia Community College instructor, Bruce Nash, demonstrates the dazzling possibilities. Floral material, greens and containers provided. Register by November 26. $50. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes; program code: 290 487 5102 or call 703-642-5173 for more information.

• Tuesday, November 30, 7:30pm WILD USES OF PLANTS Speaker: Karyn Molines. Throughout human history plants have provided us with food, shelter, fiber for clothing and vessels, medicines, cosmetics, dyes and colors, decorations and furniture. Comparisons of different cultures will be highlighted by examples of native American uses of wild plants. Myth and fact in symbolism, folklore and medicine bring the plantpeople relationship out of the domain of ecology and into cultural history and art. Handouts will be provided that supplement the lecture. FREE. NO Pre-registration required. Doors open by 7 pm. Presentations begins around 7:30 pm. Come early to socialize, bring plants to identify, swap native plants from your garden. Please note that the library closes at 6 pm. Enter the meeting room from the lower level entrances. Please bring refreshments to share and a mug. Coffee will be provided.

• Saturday, December 4, 2:00-3:00pm FAMILY FUN: LIGHT UP THE SOLSTICE Light up the coming winter with two candles that you make with beeswax. We’ll show you how. Celebrate the solstice with old-fashioned fun. $8. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes; program code: 290 487 3901 or call 703642-5173 for more information. • Sunday, December 5, 12:00-4:00pm GARDENERS’ HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: CELEBRATING THE WINTER GARDEN Enjoy a day of holiday fun in the garden: shop for holiday gifts, make crafty, holiday-inspired-creations, listen to seasonal music, enjoy refreshments and view the beautiful decorations. This festive day is for gardeners of all ages, individuals and families. Free. NO Pre-registration required. • Friday, December 10, 7:30am-9:30pm GREEN SPRING GETAWAY: COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FOR THE HOLIDAYS Celebrate the season in historic fashion as we focus in on the Williamsburg style of natural holiday decorations made so famous by its colonial inhabitants. A guide will lead us through Historic Williamsburg highlighting the holiday decorations and inpiration behind them. Learn ways to decorate your own home in the Williamsburg fashion in the afternoon program “Williamsburg Decorating Ideas for Your Home.” There will be plenty of time for lunch at the historic Kings Arms Tavern and for touring and shopping on your own. Fee: $138. Please register by November 29. Included in this getaway: entrance fee, holiday decoration walking tour, lunch at Kings Arms Tavern, “Williamsburg Decorating Ideas for Your Home” program, the Fife and Drum Corp parade, bus fare, and bus driver tip. Call Green Spring Gardens to register: 703-642-5173

White Oak Library New Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD www.mdflora.org

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court Vienna, VA 22182 703.255.3631 http://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_ botanical_gardens •Saturday, December 4, 10:00am-12:00n Repeated: Saturday, December 4, 1:00-3:00pm Monday, December 6, 10:00am-12:00n Monday, December 6, 1:00-3:00pm MAKE A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY WREATH Cost of $40 includes instruction and everything you need to make a stunning holiday wreath. Reservations at 703.255.3631 ext. 0.

Mt. Cuba Center 3120 Barley Mill Rd. Hockessin, DE 19707 302.239.4244 www.mtcubacenter.org

• Wednesday, December 15, 10:00am12:00noon TABLEAU VIVANT WORKSHOP Create a living picture indoors for the holidays. Elegant, whimsical, or serene…create the mood you wish with a living table top scene. This workshop will enable you to combine seasonally available native materials with a beloved personal treasure. Your tableau vivant will beautifully enhance a holiday buffet. Bring a favorite

DC-Area Gardening Calendar~Upcoming Events~November 16-December 15, 2010

Takoma Horticultural Club

Takoma Park Community Center 7500 Maple Ave, next to the Library, Takoma Park, MD ww.takomahort.org • November 17, 7:30pm LANDSCAPING FOR POLLINATORS Presented by Paula Hallberg, Montgomery County Master Gardener, will focus on the importance of pollinators (bees, butterflies, moths, etc.) and how to attract them to our gardens. Who cares about pollinators? We all should! Today’s pollinators face many threats, including habitat loss, and degradation and fragmentation of the landscape. As native vegetation is replaced by roadways, lawns, crops, and non-native gardens, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites necessary for their survival. The good news is that we, the gardeners, can help. Learn how to bring bees, butterflies, and moths back into your landscape by choosing pollinator-friendly plants and using techniques that will provide the food and shelter they need. FREE.

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden 1644 31st Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 202.965.0400 www.tudorplace.org

• Saturday, December 4, 4:00-8:00pm CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON: TWO CENTURIES OF YULETIDE TRADITIONS Anderson House, Dumbarton House, and Tudor Place open their doors for festive and historic Christmas displays! Traditions of different time periods are described and period decorations, live music, children’s crafts, and refreshments are offered at all locations. Members to any of the three museums are FREE. Nonmember tickets to all three of the museums: $15, Children: $10. Nonmember tickets to Tudor Place only: $10, Children: $5.

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 202.225.8333 www.usbg.gov

• Monday, November 22, 12:00-1:00pm LUNCHTIME TOUR OF THE CONSERVATORY What do manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla, and fossil fuels have in common?

The answer is that they all come from plants on permanent display in the USBG Conservatory. Take a tour with a knowledgeable guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. You might see bananas, cacao, and coffee ripening on the tree or learn about the next big breakthrough in medicinal plant research. arden Court Meet at Conservatory G led by USBG Volunteers. FREE: NO Pre-registration required. • Opening November 25, 2010 through January 2, 2011, 10:00am-5:00pm SEASON’S GREENINGS HOLIDAY EXHIBIT This year, the U.S. Botanic Garden’s annual holiday exhibit, Seasons Greenings, celebrates the plant world and how humans use plants in holiday traditions. Join us as we brighten the long dark nights of winter by commemorating the season. FREE. NO Pre-registration required. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings in December, the U. S. Botanic Garden will have extended hours featuring live musical performances from 6-8pm. On Tuesday, December 7th, the U. S. Botanic Garden will close at 2:00 p.m. for an official government function. There will be no musical performance that evening.

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

• Through 2010, 8:00am-5:00pm POWER PLANTS EXHIBIT Adjacent to the National Herb Garden. Walk through Power Plants to discover the wide variety of plants that offer alternative energy possibilities. This garden exhibit showcases living plants and provides educational signage about how they can serve as sustainable agriculture-based energy sources (note that during the winter, most of the crops are dormant or, if annuals, gone for the season). A scavenger hunt activity available at the information desk in the administration building will help school-aged children explore the exhibit. Free. No registration required.

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. Our next deadline is December 12 for the December 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from Dec 16-Jan 15.

Advanced Landscape Plant IPM PHC Short Course

January 18-21, 2011

For registration information contact: Avis Koeiman Department of Entomology 4112 Plant Sciences Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-405-3913 email: akoeiman@umd.edu

Washington Gardener Magazine Urban Garden Talk Series Continues We are skipping July and August and then continuing our DC Urban Garden talk series with the Historical Society of Washington, DC (HSW) in the fall. Here are the dates and topics, please add them to your calendars and plan on joining us: • Sunday, September 26, Kathy Jentz on “Getting the Most out of Small-Space Urban Gardens” • Sunday, October 31, Cheval Force Opp on “Vermicomposting and Composting Basics” • Sunday, November 28, Michael Twitty on “In Search of African-American Heritage Seed” All three talks are from 2:00-3:30PM at the Historical Society of Washington, DC, 801 K Street, NW, at Mount Vernon Square. Washington, DC 20001; next to the Washington Convention Center and just a couple blocks from Gallery Place. Directions at www.HistoryDC.org or by calling 202.383.1800. These programs are FREE and open to the public.

T Fu AL tu K S re E s RI Da ES te C s AN TB C D EL ED

figurine (no more than 4” high), a nonbreakable platter or tray with lipped sides (no larger than 14’’x 18”), and pruners. A list of additional supplies will be sent to all students. Cost: $30 Instructor: Trish Peterson, Mt. Cuba Center

Your Ad Here

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 (5) issues within one calendar year. The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: washingtongardener@rcn.com.

Magazine Excerpt: Easy-to-Grow Garlic by Cindy Brown

When temperatures drop, tomato plants shiver, and bags of candy corn appear on grocery shelves, gardeners’ attention should shift from the blooming rose to the stinking rose. The appearance of gliding bats and cackling witches should remind gardeners to plant the bulb reputed to deter bloodsuckers, both twolegged and six-legged. Few people worry about caped bloodsuckers (except on dark winter nights when cats hiss at glooming shadows), but most would love to find an herbal force-field offering protection from summer’s buzzing, bloodthirsty females. Many believe Allium sativum — garlic — is a bulb possessing many magical qualities, including the ability to thwart attacks of vampires and mosquitoes. Perhaps the legends are true, but gardeners and cooks are more appreciative of its cultural and culinary qualities. Why take the time and effort to plant garlic when it is an inexpensive and readily available product in the grocery store? Just like tomatoes, what is available in the produce section is paltry compared to the hundreds of varieties, with a myriad of piquant flavors, obtainable in catalogs. Don’t settle for a nondescript generic bulb when the tongue can be tantalized with ‘Music,’ ‘Georgian Fire,’ ‘Chesnok Red,’ or ‘Spanish Roja.’ A simple roasted chicken is elevated to star status when name-dropping occurs: “Roasted Chicken suffused with pungent ‘Oregon Blue’ garlic.” Good enough to write on a chalkboard! Unlike tomatoes, garlic demands almost nothing from the gardener. How can an hour or two spent outside — grubbing in warm soil; rejoicing in crisp, cool temperatures — be considered working? Like daffodils and tulips, garlic is a bulb that should be planted in the fall. Gently squeeze the bulb to separate the cloves, discarding any showing signs of decay. The papery skin doesn’t have to be removed, but cloves that have shrugged off their covering will still grow if planted. Hold the clove between your forefinger and thumb to determine the clove’s tip and its base. The pointy side is the tip, the flat is the base; plant pointy-side up... Want to learn more about growing garlic in our area? Read the rest of this EdibleHarvest column in the Fall 2010 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

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Walk-Through Holiday Light Display 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902 Show Info Line: 301.962.1453 www.brooksidegardens.org Please support our toy and food drives.

Garden of Lights Nov. 26, 2010 – Jan. 9, 2011

(open every night except Dec. 24 & 25, and Jan. 3-6)

(Mon.–Thur.) 5:30pm – 9:00pm • $20 car/van (Fri.–Sun.) 5:30pm – 10:00pm • $25 car/van Last car admitted 30 min. before closing time. Cash only Advance sale tickets: $20 (good any night) on sale Nov. 1

Wreath & Centerpiece Sale December 4th 9am – 4pm

Conservatory Train Exhibit Open every night

New Year’s Eve Celebration Crafts and give-a-ways for the kids • Open until 10pm

Visit our Gift Shop and receive

10% OFF on merchandise only. Expires Jan. 9, 2011 Not valid with any other discounts.

SAVE THE DATES! BACK ISSUE SALE!

YOU CAN REQUEST A SINGLE COPY OF BACK ISSUES FOR $6 EACH OR, ANY 6 BACK ISSUES, FOR $24 OR ALL 29 BACK ISSUES FOR JUST $100. PRICE INCLUDES POSTAGE AND HANDLING. PLEASE SPECIFY THE ISSUE DATE(S). ORDER MUST BE PREPAID BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER. SEND YOUR ORDER TO: WASHINGTON GARDENER, 826 PHILADELPHIA AVE., SILVER SPRING, MD 20910

MARCH/APRIL 2005 • Landscape DIY vs. Pro • Design an Herb Garden • Prevent Gardener’s Back • Ladew Topiary Gardens • Dandelions • Cherry Trees MAY/JUNE 2005 • Stunning Plant Combinations • Turning Clay into Rich Soil • Wild Garlic • Wisteria • Strawberries JULY/AUGUST 2005 • Water Gardens • Poison Ivy • Disguising a Sloping Yard • Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens • Edible Water Plants • Water Lilies SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 • Container Gardens • Clematis Vines • Make Herbs & Vinegars • Sponge Gardening/Rain Gardens • 5 Insect Enemies of Gardeners NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 • Backyard Bird Habitats • Hellebores • Building a Coldframe • Gardening as Exercise • Bulb Planting Basics JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2006 • Garden Decor Principles • Primroses • Tasty Heirloom Veggies • U.S. Botanic Garden • Start Annuals from Seed MARCH/APRIL 2006 • Top 10 Small Trees and Large Shrubs • Azaleas • Figs, Berries, & Persimmons • Oak Diseases • Basic Pruning Principles MAY/JUNE 2006 • Using Native Plants in Your Landscape • Crabgrass • Peppers • Secret Sources for Free Plants • Alternatives to Invasives JULY/AUGUST 2006 • Hydrangeas • Theme Gardens • Agave • Find Garden Space by Growing Up SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 • Shade Gardening • Hosta Care Guide • Fig-growing Tips and Recipes • Oatlands Plantation • Native Woodland Plants NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006 • Horticultural Careers • Juniper Care Guide • Winter Squash Growing Tips and Recipes • Weed-free Beds with Layer/Lasagna Gardening JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 • Indoor Gardening • Daphne Care Guide • Asparagus Growing Tips and Recipes • Houseplant Propagation MARCH/APRIL 2007 • Stormwater Management • Dogwood Selection & Care Guide • Early Spring Vegetable Growing Tips • Franciscan Monastery Bulb Gardens MAY/JUNE 2007 • Roses: Easy Care Tips • Native Roses & Heirloom Roses • Edible Flowers • How to Plant a Bare-Root Rose JULY/AUGUST 2007 • Groundcovers: Alternatives to Turfgrass • How to Pinch, Prune, & Dead-head • A Trip to the William Paca House & Gardens • Hardy Geraniums SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 • Succulents: Hardy to our Region • Drought-Tolerant Natives • Southern Vegetables • Seed Saving Savvy Tips

• The National Garden on its First Anniversary • Building a Bay-Friendly Garden NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 • Gardening with Children • Holiday Crafts with Native Plants • Kid-Friendly Vegetables • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • National Museum of the American Indian • Versatile Viburnums JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • Dealing with Deer • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Indoor Bulb Forcing Basics • Delightful Daffodils MARCH/APRIL 2008 • Patio, Balcony, and Rooftop Container Gardens • Our Favorite Garden Tools • Coral Bells (Heucheras) • Brookside’s Phil Normandy • Japanese-style Garden MAY/JUNE 2008 — ALMOST SOLD OUT! • Growing Great Tomatoes • Glamorous Gladiolus • Seed Starting Basics • Flavorful Fruiting Natives • Build a Better Tomato Cage • Restored Gardener’s House at Mount Vernon JULY/AUGUST 2008 • Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses • Edible Grasses to Graze On • Slug and Snail Control • Sage Advice: Sun-Loving Salvias • How to Weed • Richmond’s Treasure — Maymont’s Gardens SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 • Autumn Edibles — What to Plant Now • Ladybug Lore • Beguiling Barrenworts (Epimediums) • The Best Time to Plant Spring-Blooming Bulbs • A Daytrip to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens • 14 Dry Shade Plants Too Good to Overlook NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • Outdoor Lighting Essentials • How to Prune Fruiting Trees, Shrubs, and Vines • 5 Top Tips for Overwintering Tender Bulbs • Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick • A Daytrip to Tudor Place JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • Compost Happens: Nature’s Free Fertilizer • Managing Stormwater with a Rain Garden • Visiting Virginia’s State Arboretum • Grow Winter Hazel for Gorgeous Winter Color MARCH/APRIL 2009 • 40+ Free and Low-Cost Local Garden Tips • Spring Edibles Planting Guide for the Mid-Atlantic • Cutworm Control • 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 • Aphid Alert SUMMER 2009 • Grow Grapes in the Mid-Atlantic • Passionflowers • Mulching Basics • What’s Bugging Your Tomatoes • Growing Hops FALL 2009 • Apples • How To Save Tomato Seeds • Persimmons WINTER 2009 • Battling Garden Thugs • How To Start Seeds Indoors • Red Twig Dogwoods • Unusual Edibles to Grow in Our Region • Visit to Riversdale House SPRING 2010 • Community Gardens • Building a Raised Bed • Dwarf Iris • Broccoli SUMMER 2010 • Fragrance Gardens • Watering Without Waste • Lavender • Potatoes

Washington Gardener Magazine’s 6th Annual Seed Exchanges are: January 29, 2011 at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD and February 5, 2011 at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

SAVE THOSE SEEDS!

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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!

Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the greater DC region. Call 301.588.6894 or email wgardenermag@aol.com for available dates, rates, and topics.