The Washington Gardener Enews ~ September 2013 issue

ENEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 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 Instagram Feed: http://instagram.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

Summer-Fall 2013 Issue

Our Summer-Fall 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine issue is now at the printer. The cover story is on creating Magical Miniature Gardens also known as Faerie Gardens. You’ll also find in this issue: • Carrot Growing Tips • Plant Profile of Abelias • Kudzu Bugs Threaten Beans • Rose Rosette Disease Spreads • Annmarie Sculpture Gardens • Easy-to-Make Stepping Stones • Native Nashville Breadroot • Preventing Powdery Mildew • 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. Fall-Winter 2013 issue is in the works with a cover story on Fabulous Ferns!

Reader Contest

For our September 2013 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away several passes to the upcoming DC Green Festival. See ad on page 5 of this issue. On Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22, join Washington Gardener and hundreds of others at the 2013 DC Green Festival. Held at the Washington Convention Center, the Green Festival is the nation’s largest and most diverse sustainability event. The 2013 DC Green Festival features: Passionate speakers. Hands-on DIY workshops, Cooking demonstrations, Organic beer and wine garden, and the Green Marketplace featuring products and services from local, regional, and national green and sustainable businesses and organizations To enter to win a set of two passes, send an email with “Green” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Wednesday, September 18. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, mailing address, and tell us: “What would be your dream garden splurge if money were no object?” The winners will be announced and notified by September 19. Some of the entry responses may be used in future Washington Gardener online or print articles.

Spotlight Special Hardy Lavender Developed in Pennsylvania Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ (Lavendula x intermedia) is a hardy lavender developed and introduced by Peace Tree Farm in 2012. It was named a “Must-Grow Perennial” for 2013 by Better Homes & Gardens. With over 30 years of herb and vegetable growing experience, Peace Tree Farm has never seen a lavender as excellent a performer as ‘Phenomenal.’ One of the hardiest lavenders seen throughout Europe and the United States, ‘Phenomenal’ has exceptional winter survival, as it does not have the winter die-back that other varieties like ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ commonly demonstrate. Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ has also shown tolerance to extreme heat and humidity, and is resistant to common root and foliar diseases. Most commonly popular for its silvery foliage and consistent growth with uniform, mounding habit, ‘Phenomenal’ has an elegant flower presentation and fragrance, perfect for fresh and dried arrangements and oil uses. Both ornamental and edible, Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ is a deer-proof variety that can be enjoyed in the garden and in the home year-round. Peace Tree Farm is headquartered in Kintnersville, in the countryside of Bucks County, PA. More details at http://www. peacetreefarm.com.

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Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Late Summer Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day • Local Gardening Talk Series • Spotted Jewelweed • Crape Myrtles: You Can Grow That! • Top 15 Biggest Garden Pests of 2013 See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

September Garden To-Do List

Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for September 15-October 16. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Keep an eye out for the first frost date. In Zone 6, it is expected between Sept 30 and Oct 30 and in Zone 7 it is predicted between Oct 15 and Nov 15. • Divide and transplant perennials — in particular, peonies, and iris. • Pick apples at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market. • Pot up rosemary and chives for over-wintering indoors. • Take cuttings from your coleus and begonia to propagate and over-winter indoors. • Look out for any Poison Ivy vines which will turn crimson in the fall and be easy to distinguish from other vines. • Check your local garden center for end-of-summer bargains. • Put netting over your pond to prevent the accumulation of leaves and debris. • Start feeding birds to get them in the habit for this winter. • Attend a local garden club meeting or plant exchange. • Pick mature tomatoes and peppers to ripen on your window sills. • Turn your compost pile weekly and don’t let it dry out. Work compost into your planting beds. • Remove rotting fruits from fruit trees and compost them. • Plant evergreens for winter interest. • Weed. • Plant garlic bulbs. • Collect plant seeds for next year’s planting and for trading at the 6th Annual Washington Seed Exchange on January 28, 2011. • Plant hardy mums and fall season annuals. • Fertilize your lawn and re-seed if needed. • Dig up bulbs from your Gladiolus, Canna, Caladiums, and other tender bulbs, cut off foliage, dry for a week, and then store for the winter. • Transplant trees and shrubs. • Harvest your herbs often and keep them trimmed back to encourage leafy growth. • Bring in house plants if you took them out for the summer. • If your conifers start shedding their needles or your spring bulb foliage starts peaking out of the ground, don’t worry. This is normal for our Autumn cycle. • Leave hummingbird feeders out until October 15. • Start bulb plantings of early spring bloomers at the end of the month. • Watch your pumpkins and squash for harvest when their rinds fully • Divide ornamental grasses. • Cut herbs and flowers for drying indoors. • Plant strawberries in a site with good drainage for harvest next spring. • Look out for slug eggs grouped under sticks and stones – they are the size of BBs and pale in color. • Plant cover crops in vegetable gardens and annual beds (for example, rye, clover, hairy vetch, and winter peas). • Begin conditioning the Christmas Poinsettias and Christmas cactus to get them ready for the upcoming holiday season • Bring Amaryllis indoors before a hard freeze. Repot every other year at this time. Store in a cool, dark place and do not water until the flower buds or leaves emerge. • Your summer annuals will be reviving now with cooler temps and some rain. Cut back any ragged growth and give them some fertilizer. They should put on a good show until the first hard frost.

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Bamboo Anew: Take a Closer Look at this Versatile Grass By Kathy Jentz The favorite treat of those cute National Zoo pandas is also one of the most versatile and useful plants in the garden. Bamboo is underused in the Washington metropolitan area and is saddled with a bad reputation. It deserves a second look and a more accurate understanding of its better qualities. Nancy Moore Bess, author of Bamboo in Japan, remarked, “It is the ugly word invasive that gives bamboo a bad rap. I have given lectures during which people have interrupted and announced that all bamboo is invasive and bad. Some people will not let go of misinformation. Some authors perpetuate that misinformation.” “Site placement is a key element when thinking about bamboo (or any potentially invasive plant),” cautioned Bess. “On our property, I have planted an aggressive running bamboo, Phyllostachys aureosulcata, in several places — by the road and along my Goshen stone path. I have placed no barriers. When this variety shoots in the spring, I take out my coffee and shovel and edge the bamboo beds. That is it for the year! Another bamboo bed borders my neighbor’s property. For that site, I had a backhoe dig a pit which I lined with professional root barrier, backfilled the hole and planted my bamboo.” Susanne Lucas of Bamboo Select (www. bambooselect.us) recommends the bamboos Fargesia rufa ‘Green Panda’ and Fargesia robusta ‘Green Screen’ to the Mid-Atlantic home gardener. “If you don’t want to deal with the responsibility of planting running bamboos, consider clumping bamboos – they are just like Miscanthus grass, but are evergreen,” said Lucas. Some who condemn bamboo are surprised to learn there are native species of the grass that are highly coveted by collectors. The Giant Cane bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea) is hard to establish and propagate and generally are found along stream beds and other damp swampy areas.

Bamboo Control

For those truly worried about root spread or who have a limited planting space, bamboos are perfectly adaptable to containers. They will need to be divided every few years when they outgrow their pots, but otherwise are extremely low maintenance. In the Fall 2009 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine, our AskTheExpert columnist, Debra Ricigliano, advised, “If the bamboo is coming from a neighbor’s yard, an underground barrier using concrete, metal, or other impenetrable material such as butyl rubber can be effective if buried 36-inches deep. In addition to the barrier, cut back any new shoots, should they emerge from March through May, as this prevents new shoots from growing. “Complete eradication requires the use of a non-selective herbicide that contains Glyphosate. To achieve this, cut all the stalks to the ground during the summer, allowing the new growth to emerge and 4

mature. Then, in October, spray the foliage with a non-selective herbicide according to the label directions. Look for a concentrated formulation and not a ready-to-use product. Some of the concentrates are labeled for bamboo control. Be careful to protect non-target plants. Also look on the HGIC web site for more information on bamboo: www.hgic.umd.edu/content/documents/hg28_000.pdf.”

Bamboo Benefits

Bamboo comes in colors ranging from pale yellow to jet black and in sizes from just a few inches tall to several yards high. There is a bamboo for each need and situation. Bamboo is also easily combined and contrasted with various other plants. Lucas recommends planting it with, “hosta, ligularia, hydrangea, rhododendron, almost anything!” While Bess recommends combinations with Carex (sedges) and tall ornamental grasses. Wolfgang Oehme, the late legendary local landscape architect, has used bamboo in his installations and his own home gardens since the 1960s. “It is useful for both screening and as a specimen focal point planting in the landscape,” said Oehme. “Bamboo has a lot of other great features too,” Oehme explained. “It is evergreen and absorbs carbon dioxide even in the wintertime – while evergreens and other plants do not, so it is a great help in fighting global warming.” Bamboo is a wonderful raw materials resource and is being used in making clothing, flooring, paper, and much more. Dave Flanagan of Bamboo Fencer, Inc. (www.bamboofencer.com) said, “I make things of bamboo, many of which are of considerable interest to the gardener -plant stakes, limb props, path definers, fences, gates, gateways, baskets, sculpture, firewood, charcoal, walking sticks, flower containers, water fountains, screens for air conditioner condensers, and pool equipment are just a few uses.” Flanagan continues, “Some good species grow well in the Virginia and Maryland area with diameters that are large enough to do sizable projects. These include Phyllostachys aurea, flexuosa, nigra ‘Henon’, nuda, and congesta to mention a few. The key to success is not the species, it is the age of the culm when cut. Never ever cut one for structural use that is less than three years old. I am interested in taking the pressure off of hardwoods that are being logged to extinction in many cases. Bamboo is totally renewable, very attractive in its own way, very strong, and with some skill and techniques can be made into very long-lasting useful and beautiful products.” If you find yourself falling in love with bamboo and its many possibilities in your garden, you may want to join like-minded folks at the American Bamboo Society (www.americanbamboo.org). Their mission is to share information on the use, care, propagation, and beauty of bamboo. For further information, the following sources are highly regarded by bamboo enthusiasts: Bamboo for Gardens by Ted Meredith (Timber Press), The Journal of Japanese Gardening (www.rothteien. com), and the aforementioned Bamboo in Japan by Nancy Moore Bess.

About the Author

Kathy Jentz is Editor/Publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. She has internally debated about adding a clumping bamboo to her garden for the past several years.

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TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16 - October 15, 2013 • Wednesday, September 18, 7:30-9:00pm “Bulbs for All Seasons” hosted by the Takoma Hort Club Join the Takoma Horticultural Club at Historic Takoma, Inc., 7328 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park, MD, for a presentation by Merikay Smith, head of the Montgomery County Master Gardeners Speaker’s Group. Her talk will include the tremendous variety of bulbs available to plant for year-round blooms with an emphasis on native and deer-resistant plants. She will be happy to answer all your bulb-related questions. This event is free and open to the public. No reservations required. You are encouraged to bring a snack to share and to wear a recycled nametag. Find out more about the Takoma Horticultural Club on our web site: www.TakomaHort.org. • Thursday, September 19, 4:00-7:00pm University of Delaware Botanic Gardens’ Clear the Decks Plant Sale Fall is a fantastic time to add color to your garden and you can enjoy one last chance to pick up great plants at great prices at the University of Delaware Botanic Gardens’ Clear the Decks Plant Sale in the production area across from Fischer Greenhouses, behind Townsend Hall on UD’s South Campus. Discounts range from 20-75% on select stock. Admission is free. To learn about upcoming UDBG events, call (302) 8312531, email botanicgardens@udel.edu or visit the web site, http://ag.udel.edu/udbg. • Saturday, September 21, 5:00-8:00pm Garden Party at Tulip Hill Just imagine yourself strolling through the magnificent 18th century Tulip Hill mansion and then walking out on the water side door and taking in that marvelous view of the terraces leading down to the West River below. Only after stepping out do you see the fantastic party tent and smell the wonderful cocktail buffet and hear the fabulous Bellini string ensemble. Then following your nose and ears you stroll down to the tent, get a drink and some delicious food, and then peruse the fantastic silent auction with your friends. Also be the first of all your friends to pick up the 50th edition of Maryland’s Way cookbook at this, its introductory event. It’s not available yet anywhere else. Remember it’s at historic Tulip Hill at 4621 Muddy Creek Road in Harwood, MD. To get your tickets please go to the Hammond-Harwood House web site at http:// www.hammondharwoodhouse.org or call 410-263-4683, extension 10. 6

• Saturday-Sunday, September 21-22 D.C. Green Festival Green Festival, the nation’s largest and most trusted environmental consumer event, returns to Washington DC. The weekend-long show will host leaders in the social justice and environmental community, an organic beer and wine pavilion, live cooking demos featuring delicious vegetarian cuisine, a yoga pavilion and a dedicated kids’ area for learning about easy and fun ways to incorporate green at a young age. Visit http://www.greenfestivals.org for more information and contact us with your questions at http://greenfestivals.org/green-festival/ contact. •Wednesday, September 25, 7:30 pm Stinkbug Talk hosted by the Beltsville Garden Club Dr. Dawn Gundersen-Rindal from USDA will speak on monitoring and controlling the brown marmorated stinkbug, an agricultural/residential pest. Dr. Gundersen-Rindal is a Lead Researcher in the Invasive Insect Bio control and Behavior Laboratory at USDA in Beltsville. The Beltsville Garden Club will meet on in the cafeteria of the James E. Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville, MD. Refreshments will be served after the meeting. Bring a plant, or plant related material for the club’s door prize table. The public is welcome and admission is free. • Thursday, September 26, 2:00-3:30pm Local Gardening Resources and Sources For people who are new to gardening and gardeners who are new to the DC metropolitan area, learn about our local gardening world and resources. What annual garden festivals are worth attending? Which public gardens fit my needs? What are the best places to shop? Where do I find out more information? You will receive a special reference handout listing local gardening classes, shows, public gardens, web sites, garden books, and much more. Taught by Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. Course # 248802 Fee: $18; FOBG: $15; registration required Visitors Center Auditorium Walk-ins welcome. Details at: http://www.montgomeryparks. org/brookside/xperience.shtm. • Saturday, September 28, 10am-12noon Georgetown Treasures Joint Tour: Green and Serene: Oak Hill Cemetery and Tudor Place Join expert guides to explore two of Georgetown’s greenest sites, Tudor Place and Oak

Hill Cemetery. Soak in the atmosphere and stories. At historic Oak Hill, view the final resting places of Revolutionary and Civil War heroes among other noted graves, and see Renwick Chapel, by the architect of the Smithsonian Castle and New York’s famed St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At nearby Tudor Place, your visit extends to areas normally closed to the public, including a 1960s bomb shelter. Register and see details at http://tudorplace.org/. • Saturday, September 28, 9:30am 4:30pm, and Sunday, September 29, 11:30am - 4:30pm, 9th Annual Autumn Apple Festival Bring your family and enjoy hands-on children’s activities, apple tasting, cider pressing, and demonstrations of historic orchard tools. Celebrate the “American Fruit” by making cider in a historic barn, tasting heirloom apples, and viewing varieties of rare fruit provided by the Virginia Tech Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Heirloom apple trees will be available for sale and pre-order during the event. Families are invited to enjoy carnival games and prizes, face painting, crafts, and participate in a good old-fashioned cake walk! Visit our gift shop and browse our selection of Virginia’s Finest products including locally made apple butter and apple candy. Pick up information on how to buy fresh and shop local for your family with the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Department of Economic Development. Event is free with paid Museum admission. The Heritage Farm Museum is located off Route 28 and Route 7 in Claude Moore Park, Sterling, VA. Call 571.258.3800 or visit www.heritagefarmmuseum.org. • Saturday, September 28 Chesapeake Herb Gathering Annual gathering of the Centro Ashe herbal community. Enjoy a day of workshops, local vendors, and networking with local medicine makers, teachers, clinicial herbalists, healers, botanists, birthkeepers, plant geeks, artists, homesteaders, and more! Details at www.centroashe.org. • Thursday, October 3, 2:00pm – 3:30pm Regionally Adapted Plants Plants that have proven themselves in the Mid-Atlantic climate. Low-maintenance gardening is the goal of many of us in our busy lives and the key is planting the right plants for our local climate. We’ll talk about some native plants, of course, but mostly

TOP AREA GARDENING EVENTS DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events ~ September 16 - October 15, 2013 we’ll explore the tried and true plants that can take clay soil, deer, and/or periods of drought. Season-by-season, we’ll share our favorite plants that excel in our local gardens. Taught by Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. Course # 248803 Fee: $18; FOBG: $15; registration required Visitors Center Auditorium Walk-ins welcome. Details at: http:// www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/xperience.shtm. •Saturday, October 5, 9am-3pm Fall Garden Day at Green Spring Green Spring Gardens is in its glory in the late summer and early fall. Come see for yourself and support one of Virginia’s most innovative and exciting public gardens. The Fall Garden Day is a FROGS (Friends of Green Spring) sponsored fundraiser filled with an expanded plant and craft sale, gardening information, children’s activities and music. Proceeds help acquire plants for the garden and add to Green Spring’s educational efforts. Free admission. For more information call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173. • Saturday, October 5, 10am-12noon Winterization and Season Extension How do I put my garden to bed for the winter? Should I use straw mulch, cover crops or both? How do I keep my gardening growing until Christmas and beyond? Get answers to these questions and more at this fall workshop. Farm Director Stephen Corrigan will discuss simple ways to winterize your garden as well as practical season extension techniques for the backyard gardener. Separate child-friendly activities are available for an additional fee. Arcadia Farm, 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309. Instructor: Stephen Corrigan, Arcadia’s Farm Director. Fee: $30. To register now, please email info@arcadiafood.org. • Wednesday, October 9, 6:00-7:30pm Washington Gardener Book Club For our next selection Washington Gardener Magazine Book Club, we are reading Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes by Judith Tankard. We have reserved a meeting room at the Tenleytown DC Library. The room allows food and drink and you may bring your dinner and/or snacks to share. The book club meetings are FREE and open to anyone who would like to attend. Please RSVP to “WG Book Club” at WashingtonGardener@rcn. com. We limit attendance to 20. If you need to cancel, please let us know ASAP so we

can give your spot to someone else, should we have a wait-list. At this autumn meeting we will also decide the slate of books for our 2014 club selections. So please come with your suggestions for garden-related books that will make for good reads and discussions. • Saturday, October 12, 1-5pm Azalea Auction-Rare and Unusual Varieties The Northern Virginia Chapter of the Azalea Society of America (ASA) will be holding an azalea auction at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 8336 Carrleigh Pkwy, Springfield, VA. The chapter will have a wide variety of evergreen and deciduous azaleas, including native azaleas, not commonly found in commercial nurseries. Most of the evergreen varieties are beautiful hybrids developed by chapter members or other members of the ASA. The event will consist of a fixed price plant sale from 1-5pm, silent auction from 1-2 pm and a live auction from 2-5 pm. For more information, contact Carolyn Beck at 703-860-5676 or carolyn.f.beck@gmail. com or Rick Bauer at 757-833-7737 or rickbauer@cox.net.

SAVE THE DATE: •An Evening with Amy Stewart The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens presents an evening with the award winning AMY STEWART, author of THE DRUNKEN BOTANIST: THE PLANTS THAT CREATE THE WORLD’S GREAT DRINKS. October 16, 2013 6 – 8:30p.m. $40 per person at the Vollmer Center, Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD Author of such popular books as Wicked Plants and Flower Confidential, Amy Stewart will give a talk on her newest title The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Greatest Drinks, followed by a book-signing and a cocktail reception featuring several drinks from her book. Rye of Fell’s Point will provide their bartending skills and liquor. A food reception, catered by Sascha’s Catering will follow the lecture. This event is in celebration of the Conservatory’s 125th year. Tickets on sale at www.rawlingsconservatory.org. • Local Gardening 102 Thursday, October 17, 2:00pm – 3:30pm Description: With Kathy Jentz, Editor/Publisher of the Washington Gardener For

people who are new to gardening and gardeners who are new to the DC metropolitan area, learn about our local gardening world and resources. So you’ve been gardening for a few years, but still feel like there are some holes in your gardening knowledge that you’d like answers to? This class is for you. We’ll take it to the next level and talk about local gardening challenges like poor landscape drainage, gardening on a slope, dealing with deer, planting in clay soil, and more. We’ll examine case studies of local gardeners who have conquered these common garden challenges Course # 248804 Fee: $18; FOBG: $15; registration required Visitors Center Auditorium Walk-ins welcome Details at: http://www.montgomeryparks. org/brookside/xperience.shtm

• Saturday, October 26, 9am-3pm

Garden Design Symposium: Revamping the Tired Landscape

Does your property need an update? Gain knowledge and wisdom from experienced landscape designers on forward-thinking design directions. Take home ideas that are eco-smart, current and imaginative for your own garden. For more information call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173.

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 October 12 for the October 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events taking place October 16-November 15.

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

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In Our Next Issue... Fabulous Ferns

Daytrip to Chanticleer Gardens

Garden Event Season Wrap-Up Growing and Cooking BEETS

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Magazine Excerpt: Beguiling Abelia by Judith Mensh

This demure shrub is often overlooked at local nurseries by area gardeners, but deserves special attention for its many worthwhile qualities. Consider Abelia as a well-behaved substitute for Winged Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus), Red Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), and Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) — all of which were planted relentlessly in our local landscapes for the past many decades and have proven to be pests, due to their fertile seeds, over-bearing abilities to travel and put down roots, and their ability to increase in place by developing suckers. They have all spread way beyond their intended boundaries. In Fairfax County, VA, for example, Barberry is established in many parks situated near 20thcentury housing developments, along with invasive groundcovers like English Ivy, Pachysandra, and Vinca. From introduced plant to invasive bully, it is a process of unintended consequences; a tale too often repeated. Yet, a few plants do not demonstrate this obnoxious trait. Abelia, for example. It may naturalize over time but is not aggressive. It is deer-resistant and attracts pollinators (bees, butterflies, hummingbirds). It is a member of the honeysuckle family. Its tubular shaped flowers are a clear signal to those looking for nectar. It blooms on new wood and is drought-resistant once established. My favorite attribute of abelia is as a provider of unexpected garden color. Its flowers can be white, pink, lilac, even lavender, and often fragrant. The flowers are fragrant and the foliage provides fall color. Abelia acts as a delightful accent to the landscape, softens hard edges, and is long-blooming. It directs the eye and offers many design possibilities, from hedges to ground cover and several possibilities in between. Besides the occasional aphid attack, Abelia is considered to be dependably disease- and pest-free. ... Want to learn more Abelias? Read the rest of this PlantProfile column in the Summer-Fall 2013 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. See how to subscribe below to start with this issue.

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The Washington Gardener Enews ~ September 2013 issue

Published on Sep 16, 2013

Kathy J

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 in-depth articles, inspirational photos, and great garden resources for the Washington DC area gardener. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ~ Bamboo Anew: Take a Closer Look at this Versatile Grass ~ Top Local Garden Events Calendar for September-October ~ Magazine Excerpt: Beguiling Abelia ~ Mid-Atlantic Garden To-Do List for September-October ~ Reader Contest: Win Passes to the DC Green Festival ~ Washington Gardener's Recent Blog Post Highlights ~ Spotlights Special: Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ ~ Washington Gardener Back Issue Sale...