Jump Start the Spring Growing Season

If you invest a bit of time now, you can ensure a bountiful harvest and a beautiful landscape to make this your best gardening season yet. Preparing a strong spring foundation means new plantings are better able to survive the heat, drought and pest attacks of summer.

"Start your garden off right by adding several inches of organic matter to the top 6- to 12- inches of soil," recommends horticulture expert and author Melinda Myers. "Peat moss, compost, aged manure and other organic materials improve drainage in heavy clay soil and increase the water holding capacity of sandy soils."

Incorporate a slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite before planting flowers and vegetables. "I like Milorganite's low nitrogen formulation" says Myers. "This makes it goof proof so you will not harm young tender plants no matter what your gardening skill. Its slow-release nitrogen encourages overall growth without preventing flowering and fruit production that can occur when too much nitrogen is applied."

Reduce weed problems and increase the health and vigor of your lawn by properly mowing, watering and fertilizing. "Mow high to encourage deep roots that are more pest- and drought-resistant," Myers suggests. "Taller grass is better able to fend off weeds." Mow often and leave the short clippings on the lawn to add nutrients, organic matter and moisture to the soil. Use a sharp blade for quicker recovery and a better-looking lawn.
Water thoroughly but less frequently to encourage deep roots. Water your lawn early in the morning to minimize water loss. If you allow your lawn to go dormant during drought, leave it dormant until temperatures cool, rains return and nature brings it back to life.

Use a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer for your spring feeding. An organic nitrogen type fertilizer will not promote lush growth that is more susceptible to disease and requires more mowing. Plus if you stop watering or your community institutes a watering ban, it won't damage the lawn. In fact, the fertilizer will stay in the soil until the weather improves and your lawn starts to grow.

Improve the health of trees and shrubs with proper watering and mulch. Water new plantings whenever the top few inches of soil are dry. Don't forget about established plants. These need a helping hand during extended periods of drought. Always water thoroughly to encourage deep drought-resistant roots.

Maintain a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around trees and shrubs. Woodchips, shredded bark and other organic materials help conserve moisture, suppress weeds and improve the soil as they decompose. Keep mulch away from the trunk of trees and crowns of other plants to reduce the risk of disease.

Use an all-purpose fertilizer to give existing trees, shrubs and perennials a nutrient boost.  A low-nitrogen, slow-release formula encourages moderate growth that needs less pruning and is less susceptible to certain pests.

And don't forget to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of spring while preparing your landscape for the season ahead.  If you need help with any of these items, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to prepare an estimate for all of your spring maintenance needs!

Call of the Wild (Flowers)

At a time when "green" is the color of thoughtful lifestyles, gardening practices are going greener, too. Some gardens awash in the biggest, brightest, newest flowers are sadly lifeless, lacking the buzz of the bees, the fluttering of butterflies and the zip of hummingbirds. To make these creatures welcome, gardeners need to go a little wild themselves, setting aside their visions of gardens groomed and sprayed into submission.

Gardeners need to re-imagine their gardens as an outdoor cafe; and build safe havens for birds, bees and butterflies. How? By setting the table with nectar and seeds that are on the menus of local wildlife. This spring, plant a patch of wildflowers and watch the garden come alive.

Wildflowers and their dependents -- insects and birds -- work together in harmony with local climates. Naturally adapted to soil, sun and moisture conditions, wildflowers offer more than simple grace and unaffected charm.

They represent an earth-friendly, attractive alternative, thriving without fertilizers, pesticides and constant irrigation.

In nature, wildflowers mark the seasons with glorious bursts of color. Spring bluebells and columbines might give way to yarrows and rues, which in turn leave the season's last word to coneflowers and asters.

The wildflower patch is typically an exuberant and ever-changing continuous carpet of carefree blossoms. Since the look is more relaxed than that of formal garden beds, wildflowers can beautify areas that are very difficult to maintain -- hillsides, woodland edges, lake borders or that awkward strip between the driveway and the property line.
While the aim is a casual, unstudied appearance, wildflower gardens do require some planning. One key is choosing a seed mix created for your region, taking into account the hardiness zone, elevation and typical soil, sun and moisture conditions.

Wild-flower-seed.com offers a wide variety of blends for nine areas of the country, from the rainy northeast to the dry southwest. The company also has specialty mixes specifically designed to attract beneficial insects and butterflies -- as well as a blend deer find unappealing. Each mix includes 10 to 20 plant species, providing flowers season-long and a mix of annuals and perennials for both quick color and staying power. Site preparation is important and a little up-front effort can pay big dividends. Follow these steps:

* Choose a sunny, well-drained location. Most wildflowers want six to eight hours of direct sunlight and few will tolerate "wet feet."
* Remove any sod and till to a depth of just 1 or 2 inches. More will only bring additional weed seeds to the surface.
* Weed control is crucial to get wildflowers off to a good start. Instead of using a strong, chemical pesticide to kill weeds, manage weeds naturally. Encourage weeds to grow with regular watering and then pull the weeds before sowing wildflowers, or use a low-toxicity herbicide.
* Sow seeds according to directions -- the maximum amount recommended will produce a dense patch, the minimum a more scattered look.
* For easier sowing, mix seed with dry sand, which is more visible against the soil. Blend well, using a ratio of one part seed to one or two parts sand.
* Good seed-to-soil contact encourages germination. A lawn roller is ideal, but stepping across the bed, compressing soil underfoot, will do the job.
* No fertilizer is necessary, but the seedbed should be kept moist for about four weeks until seeds sprout. Then watering can taper off unless conditions are unusually dry.

Once established, a wildflower garden requires little routine maintenance. A once-a-year mowing to 4 to 6 inches in late fall will keep tree seedlings from intruding and spread the season's crop of seeds.

To see wildflower mixes offered for your region and view details on individual species, visit www.wild-flower-seed.com. 

www.wcmlandscape.com

By Fred Peratt, Environmental Enhancements, Inc.

Ever go to a neighbor’s home for a pool party or summer cookout and are blown away by the use of summer color in their free standing pots, hanging baskets, and seasonal color beds. Questions fill your head about how they came up with the color combinations, how they selected the proper plants and how cold I ever take care of these plants when I have a “Black Thumb”.

No need to worry as Albert E. Tuttle stated, “A green thumb is nothing more than hard work and the desire to make things grow.” If you approach your seasonal color design and installation with this type of commitment there will not be a single excuse for failure.

A great starting point for achieving success is to begin with a well thought out plan. Look at your landscape to see if the planting locations are full sun or shade, irrigated or non-irrigated, and what is the existing color palette of the home and the surrounding plants. The largest mistake that most individuals will make is to visit the local garden center on a beautiful weekend and purchase plants that you like but no thought has gone into the planning process of whether it fits with your current landscape. Trust me we can all state the obvious by saying “been there and done that”.

If you want great ideas for color combinations take an opportunity to visit the National Arboretum, Brookside Gardens, Longwood Gardens and numerous other venues to get new and exciting ideas. Most of the locations have trial gardens where they test new varieties of summer annuals for national seed companies. It is a great way to see what performs well and what new varieties will be coming out in the future.

Just remember that your vision is always a work in progress and step by step gardens are the easy way to create beauty in your yard.

The hot humid weather of August is not ideal planting weather as most of you know. This time of year many people are on vacation or in the air conditioned house to escape the MD/DC/VA humidity. Point being, that not a lot of you are thinking about your yards. Well start thinking about that hardscape project. This is ideal weather for us to construct that stone, brick or paver patio, steps, retaining wall, or outdoor fireplace.

During the dog days of summer most landscape firms are winding down current work and preparing for the fall planting season. Not here at EE, Inc as we continue to showcase our masonry work in the Virginia, Maryland and DC area. The interest in hardscaping has really taken off in the last few years as people realize the satisfaction they receive in having tasteful outdoor living and entertaining areas. More and more we find people investing in their homes and acknowledging the desire for a relaxing ‘staycation’ without the hassles of traveling.

Our team enjoys working with natural materials such as stone, flagstone, and boulders. Our in-house masons are superior craftsmen. They maintain current certification, yet they have an intuitive sense of design, form, and proportion. Whether you prefer rustic or elegant settings, we can help you get away from the world without ever leaving home. This is a perfect time to have those projects constructed and be ready for outdoor entertaining in the upcoming cooler weather.

By Environmental Enhancements, Inc., Pat Falvey

Alexandria, VA (August 25, 2009) –Fifteen area artists will be displaying their work at the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm beginning August 31, 2009. The show, titled “Eyes on Nature: Botanical Artists Bring their Views to River Farm,” features artwork gleaned from the natural world. Orchids, peonies, arrays of spring bulbs, and other exquisitely rendered flowers will be on display, along with trees, herbs, fruits, vegetables and the occasional butterfly or moth. These will be portrayed in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, or gouache (an opaque watercolor medium).

All of the artists in this juried show are members of the Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region. BASNCR is an incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public interest in botanical art and serves over 70 members, the majority of whom live in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Many of its members also belong to the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), the premier botanical art association in the United States. Thirteen of the 15 artists exhibiting in the “Eyes on Nature” show are also members of the ASBA.

“Eyes on Nature” will be on display at River Farm’s main house from August 31, 2009 through January 4, 2010. The house is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Until September 25, the house will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The press and public are invited to attend the Opening Reception with the artists on Thursday, September 10, from 6 - 8 p.m. For more information, please contact Dan Scott at (703) 768-5700 ext. 114 or dscott@ahs.org.

The American Horticultural Society (AHS), founded in 1922, is an educational, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that recognizes and promotes excellence in American horticulture. One of the oldest and most prestigious gardening organizations, AHS is dedicated to making America a nation of gardeners, a land of gardens. Its mission is to open the eyes of all Americans to the vital connection between people and plants, to inspire all Americans to become responsible caretakers of the Earth, to celebrate America’s diversity through the art and science of horticulture; and to lead this effort by sharing the Society’s unique national resources with all Americans.

I made a fatal mistake last week when I told my wife that I had been researching dining sets for my BBQ website. First of all she wanted to know exactly what I meant my a dining set and once I’d explained that I was referring to tables and chairs it was at that point that the tirade of questions such as “why don’t we get some new furniture” started.

For those of you men that have read “When Mars And Venus Collide” by Dr John Gray you will know how to interpret this inquisition in a manner that does not describe it as nagging, but at the end of the day we all know that it’s going to end in a new set of dining furniture and a dent in the credit card!



So if you end up in the position that I find myself in then you are going to have to start the research to ensure that you buy the right set for you and to that end I thought that I would share some of my findings and save you some bother.



What Do I Need To Think About When Buying New Furniture?



If you are anything like me then the last thing you want to be doing is spending time looking after the furniture once it is outside or bringing it inside every time it rains. To be honest I could not do the latter anyway because I would not have the space so when it comes down to it, the single most important factor to consider is the construction material and relate that to the climate in which you live.



1. Construction Materials

: This area can be broken down into three main materials, metal, wood and wicker. In the metal category there is Aluminum - Lightweight, doesn’t rust and is pretty much indestructible, an all year round choice provided you don’t live in an area susceptible to wind! Aluminum can also be cleaned by most household cleaning materials.

The other metal option is Wrought Iron – Again an all year round choice. It’s heavier in weight and also rust proof provided that the powder coating isn’t chipped. Very robust and easily cleaned with soapy water, but do not use abrasives as this will scratch the powder coating.

When it comes to wood then it’s really a choice of the type of wood. The best regarded are Pine, Cedar or Teak with teak coming out tops. This is the wood used for decks on yachts so you know it’s going to be pretty hard wearing.

The reason that you are looking at these particular woods is to ensure that your furniture does not warp as a result of being exposed to the sun and the rain. Wood is weather proof if treated properly so it does need regular treatment but maybe only once a year.

Wicker is the final option and this is supremely comfy but it’s not as weather resistant as metal and todays wicker is really a plastic coated onto an aluminum frame. If it is comfort that you are after then go this route but you may have to accept renewing your patio dining set a little more often.



2. Size: 

You want the size to be in keeping with the amount of space you have available. If you’re blessed with lots of space then maybe this is not such a big deal but if you are space constricted then you might want to consider a bistro style patio set.

Consider how you are going to use your furniture. Do you entertain regularly or is this patio dining set just for the family barbecue?

Most sets come as five pieces (table plus four chairs) which is OK for the family but if you want the option to spread out then consider conversion sets because these will give you greater flexibility.

3. Mosaic

Mosaic table tops really do look great but these surfaces do need special care and attention. The grout around the tiles can crack in extremes of temperature so this type of furniture really does need to be housed indoors if you are expecting freezing temperatures.



Anyway, I have now take everything into consideration and if you’ll excuse me I will now get on line and keep my wife happy with a new set of patio furniture and then I will light the BBQ!

In the summer, you'll be more likely to be in your water garden in the evenings, enjoying your pond, watching the fish swimming lazily through the water. The heat of summer, however provides some challenges in maintaining your pond, and keeping the fish healthy.

These tips will help you to keep the fish and the pond healthy.

Oxygen

Oxygen levels in your pond are essential if you have gold fish. When the water temperatures reach 90 degrees F., level of oxygen should be at least 7.0 ppm. You will start noticing signs of stress in the fish when the oxygen level drops to 4.0 ppm, and they will start dying at 3.0 ppm. The oxygen levels in the water will drop as the temperatures rise, so during the hottest part of the day, you should provide shade for the pond and the fish to keep the water temperatures down.

Fountains, air stones, or other aerators will help to add oxygen to the water to keep the fish healthy.

Parasites

Parasites such as anchor worms, fish lice, flukes, and other parasites will increase in warm weather. Some of the symptoms will include thick mucous on the fish, rubbing against objects in the pond, jumping, and flashing. Visible parasites, like anchor worms, fish lice, and others can be treated with Dylox, Dipterex, and Masoten. For other parasite infections, you should consult a pond specialist for treatment. Be sure to tell them how the fish are behaving, and what the symptoms are. Follow the instructions on the label carefully to avoid killing off the fish as well as the parasites.



Feeding

 as the weather, and the water temperature warms up, so will the metabolism of your fish, so you will need to feed them at different intervals than in cooler weather. Estimate the total body weight of the fish in the pond, then feed them 1%-1.5% of the total body weight in food, 5-8 times a day. Koi will digest their food faster in warmer weather than in cooler weather. When the weather gets warm, you should feed them about 5-8 times a day as opposed to 1-3 times a day in cooler weather.



Shade i
If your pond gets direct sunlight during the day, especially during the hottest part of the day, you should provide shady areas for the fish to keep out of the sunlight, especially in shallow ponds. Water lilies, rocks, and other plants will provide shade for the fish. If you have to, you can also shade the pond with a beach umbrella. Just make sure that the fish have shelter from the direct sunlight to prevent them from getting sunburn. Shade will also help to prevent algae.

Evaporation

In warm weather, more water evaporates from the pond, especially with a large surface area.

Monitor the level of the water daily, and add water to your pond as needed. Remember not to use water with chlorine if you have fish. You can buy water treatments that will remove chlorine from the water, or fill a few buckets, and let them sit overnight before adding it to your pond.

A pond does require quite a bit of attention in the summer. But by following these simple tips, you can keep the pond and its inhabitants healthy. And you'll get more enjoyment out of a healthy pond.

One of the most rewarding parts of gardening is the frequent visitors combined with compliments. Visitors can be people like ourselves. The most appreciative visitors, however, are the "winged" kind.....Birds.

These feathered creatures add dimension to every part of your garden.

There songs create a lovely atmosphere, and showy colors rival even your most elaborate blooms in beauty. Birds do not flock to just any garden, however, so you'll need to know what kinds of factors birds look for in a habitat.

The relationship between the birds and your garden is a a symbiotic one.The birds give your garden a beautiful atmosphere, while the garden provides food, water, and shelter for the birds.

Your garden may very well become a regular resting spot for many different species of birds if you take their needs into consideration in the creation of your garden.

There are 3 major elements which need to be achieved in order to draw in different species of birds. Food, shelter, and water are the three life giving elements which your garden needs to provide. The first of these necessities is food.

Food is one of the most obvious factors to include in your garden, and is the most important attraction for birds.

First determine what food sources your garden does have, and what kinds you are lacking. Sources of food such as fruits, berries, shrubs, and vines are good basics to include. Plants within these categories include Dogwoods, Virginia creeper, Crabapples, Viburnums or any other fruit and berry bearing plants.

Even the flower heads of perennial and annual flowers will attract numerous bird species to your garden. Don't forget seeds from purple coneflowers and sunflowers.

Now that you have an attractive food source, you can begin to determine what you'll do for a suitable shelter for your birds.

Trees and shrubs with dense green foliage or thickets of shrubs will provide excellent sheltering and a protective place for the birds to avoid extreme weather conditions. These areas also give birds a hiding place from predators and a safe nesting space. Be creative and use your imagination to design a beautiful safe haven for your bird friends.

Even the most secluded and remote places of your garden can be used for growing tress, shrubs, and vines to create an excellent living environment for the birds. Fences are a great structure on which to grow vines for your birds. Keep moderation in your ideas, as well, however.

Overgrowing your garden's greenery can lead to an unattractive forest that birds might love, but you won't enjoy it.

Water is a crucial element in any bird garden, and is easy to provide. A small fountain, waterfall, or simple birdbath can give an attractive answer for your birds' hydration requirements. Birds will use this water supply to drink from and bathe in, so make sure to keep the supply fresh and clean.



A bird friendly garden is easy to achieve if you use these steps and keep in mind what a bird would enjoy in your garden. You can attract many species of birds, and eventually gather an entire community around your popular garden.

Want to have a great looking, low maintenance yard, while simultaneously supporting the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

Bayscaping is a method to landscape a commercial or residential property that provides habitat for local and migratory animals, improves water quality, and reduces the need for chemical herbicides and pesticides.

Bayscaping is valuable to the homeowner because it offers greater visual interest than lawn, reduces time and expense of maintaining a lawn, and addresses problem areas.

The principles of bayscaping includes the reduction of watering, chemical use, water runoff, and maintenance. It emphasizes the use of plants that are native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Native plants are adapted to our soil, temperature, and rainfall conditions.

After initial installation, native plants are virtually maintenance free. When a bayscape is designed properly, it can be aesthetically pleasing, drought resistant, and low maintenance.

If you are interested in a drought resistant and low maintenance landscape, please contact one of Johnson's Landscaping Service, Inc.'s professionally trained landscape designers to guide you through the design process.

Nobody likes spending hours and hours weeding in the garden. While weeding can initially be interesting and satisfying, it can be frustrating when it takes an hour to clear the weeds from a small section of your yard. Worse than the frustration, however, is the inevitable pain from bending over too long, when back muscles become sore, and knees ache from bending for too long. I can't give you any tips on how to pull weeds out of your garden more efficiently, but I can offer some garden maintenance and layout tips that could save you a whole lot of weeding time.

The Fine Gardening article “Six Tips for Effective Weed Control” provides information about weeds and how to stop them from spreading and multiplying in your garden. These tips include spreading a layer of mulch to stop weed seeds from germinating, minimizing digging to avoid exposing weed seeds to sunlight and air, and applying compost to discourage weeds from growing in your garden. That last tip might seem like one that would encourage weeds to grow in the rich soil, but according to the article, scientists have determined that weeds are less likely to germinate in soil with fresh organic matter or compost. Check out the full article for more tips and ideas!

-Fiona McNabb

There may be a good way to simultaneously save water and help your plants grow. By collecting rainwater or dew you can collect water that is often better for your plants than tap water, because of the chemicals used to treat tap water to make it safe for human consumption. You can read about the benefits of collecting rain water in this article about rain barrels. A barrel can catch runoff from your roof, or just sit outside to catch some water when it rains, although these will not collect nearly as much as a container catching the water from your roof. You don't have to use a rain barrel, either. If you don't want to pay the price of a new barrel, any water-tight container can work.

You could easily use a bucket or a plastic storage tub to collect rain water. It is slightly more complicated to build a dew collector. This article describes the process of harvesting dew. In order to build a dew collector, you can suspend a tarp over a container, either with a hole in the center of the tarp for the dew to fall through into the container, or suspended on an angle such that any water that collects on the upper side of the tarp will run down to the lowest corner and fall into the container, similar to the design of these commercially available dew collectors. Dew will also condense on certain types of roof, in which case you could collect the dew using the same method as with a rain barrel.

-Fiona McNabb

Container gardens are a lot of fun, and can be a low-maintenance alternative to garden landscaping. This succulent planter is an example of a very low-maintenance planted container. Container gardens are especially useful to anyone who wants to preserve their lawn or fit a beautiful garden into a small space, or on a patio or porch. If you hope to start a new container garden sometime soon, you might want to check out this article, which lists some great plants for Fall containers, and gives some tips on preserving plants in containers during the cold season. For a more extensive exploration of the measures you can take to protect your plants from cold, take a look at this article, which is all about keeping your plants alive and well through the winter.

1. Select a container that has drainage holes or drill holes in the bottom so water can freely drain out. Spread a 2-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of your container to speed drainage.

2. Fill the remaining space in the container with a quick-draining potting soil.

3. Plant succulents tightly in the container. They’re slow-growing plants so pack them close together from the start. To maintain, make sure the top inch of soil dries out before watering. Don’t fertilize. Succulents thrive on neglect and nutrient-poor soil. If desired, add a top layer of gravel as mulch.

-Fiona McNabb

By Kate Sigety

Photo by Drew Kleibrink/for WHG
With the acres of butterfly gardens in Flevoland, Drew Kleibrink had the chance to witness the creature’s
beauty up close and personal.


Do you ever wonder where those beautiful flowers come from that your loved one sent you? And no, we’re not talking about from the local florist.

The majority of flowers and plants pass through the Flower Capital of the World, also known as Aalsmeer, Holland.

On Mondays through Fridays, Aalsmeer hosts the largest flower auction in the world where more than seven billion cut flowers and over 150 million plants are sold annually.

Photo by Drew Kleibrink/for WHG The majority of flowers and plants pass through the Flower Capital of the World, also known as Aalsmeer, Holland.

The Aalsmeer auctions along with other Dutch flower auctions determine the international price levels of flowers and plants since 60 percent of all exports come from the Netherlands.

The plants and flowers are sold in a classic “Dutch auction.”

A clock is started, and as the time declines from 100 the price also declines. The first buyer to bid gets the plants or flowers at that price.

Washington Home & Garden reader and photographer Drew Kleibrink of Falls Church experienced some of Holland’s stunning plants and flowers first-hand along with his daughter and parents earlier this month as they joined a group of Dutch veterans from the Indonesian War on a bus trip to visit an orchid and tropical plant garden in the province of Flevoland.

Photo by Drew Kleibrink/for WHG “The gardens were very lovely and very real,” Kleibrink said of his day journey through Flevoland.

“The gardens were very lovely and very real,” Kleibrink said of his day journey through Flevoland.

With Kleibrink’s passion for photography and his daughter’s interest in nature and plants, the trip to Flevoland became a spectacular viewing of flowers as well as a memorable day of bonding.

For travelers visiting Amsterdam, Kleibrink recommends taking an excursion to Flevoland because the drive is only about 90 minutes long with some of the "magnificent scenery" he says he's ever seen.

I’ve returned from two weeks on the road for

business. The garden seems to have survived, though barely a drop of rain has fallen in the three weeks of July.

While other parts of the country swelter in extreme heat, thus far my northern Virginia garden has experienced moderate temperatures and low humidity (at least for this area). Following abundant rainfall in May and June, less than one-tenth of an inch in July threatens to dry this once lush oasis to a crisp. Good fortune might bring some storms at the start of the week.

Few plants seem bothered by the dry conditions. Hydrangeas in sun wilt a bit through the heat of the day, but revive by nightfall. The remontant types, Endless Summer, Blushing Bride, Penny Mac, and Mini Penny are nearly in full bloom, though my wife occasionally cuts flowers to bring indoors or to give to friends. The past Winter killed several to the ground, but they have grown to more than three feet height and width, and bloom on new wood.

Two varieties of variegated leaf hydrangea rarely bloom (flowering buds don’t survive the Winter), but the foliage adds color to the Summer garden. This differs from the remontant hydrangeas that will bloom on new growth, and wood from the prior year.

Oakleaf hydrangea is a dependable bloomer and delightful shrub for the forest edge, with large, long lasting panicles. Today, Oakleaf has been showing color for more than a month, and the flowers remain attractive long after they’ve dried, followed by crimson foliage in the Fall. A wonderful plant.

Nearly in bloom is Tardiva hydrangea, soon to be a ten foot tall mass of white pannicles. I prefer the upright blooms of Tardiva rather than the old favorite PeeGee which flops about, dragging blooms through the mud. Limelight and others are similarly delightful, with color for well over a month.

The colorful leaves of Silver Cloud redbud light up the mixed evergreen and tree border, appearing from a distance to be in flower throughout the Summer. The colors fade somewhat as the season progresses, but still a highlight of the garden today.

Spraying a repellent has kept deer away from the hostas, but hasn’t deterred slugs. Most hostas have holes in their leaves, but the old time Great Expectations has escaped damage, and looks fresher in July than the newcomers. It profits from a location with good light but never any direct sun.

A large Koeheanna holly threatens to overtake it permanently, so I must make a note to move it in the Fall. As you can figure, we’ve probably seen the last of Great Expectations.

On my recent travels through the southeast I’m certain that I saw thousands of mimosas, which seeds itself about with abandon. Mine is a young tree, planted earlier this year, but the flower (seed, whatever), a delight to children as it floats by, is a gem for all to appreciate.

While traveling I was expecting fewer blooms to report on in today’s journal, so I was pleasantly surprised to find more than the time allotted for today will allow. Before we close I must show the otherworldly seed head of the white clematis Henryi (though it could be Jackmanni since both climb through the same nandina). A similar photo several weeks prior did not properly show the beauty of this strange but beautiful seed head.

Posted by: Dave of Meadows Farms
Meadows Farms Landscape

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. announced Wednesday that it has sponsored the planting of 1,614 trees nationwide.

This honors its commitment and special partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one tree for every customer who converted from paper statements to electronic statement delivery over the past year, said bank spokesperson Toni Andrews. 

The partnership started in April 2007 when Burke & Herbert initiated a new “Go 'e' and We’ll Plant A Tree!” program encouraging customers to convert from wasteful and costly paper statements to environmentally friendly e-statements.

From April 16, 2007 through June 30, 2009, 1,614 Burke & Herbert customers went paperless and opted for safe, secure and earth-friendly electronic statement delivery.

The bank is continuing the successful program on an on-going basis with the Arbor Foundation.

“Electronic statement delivery reduces clutter and helps customers be more organized,” said Charlie Collum, the bank's chairman. “The e-Statements are fast, safe and secure. They are printable and customers can save and retrieve whenever they need to. Going paperless is an environmentally positive decision as well.”

“This is a win-win for everyone,” said E. Hunt Burke, Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia-based bank. “Electronic statement delivery will alleviate the headache of too much paper for our customers. Further, it will help reduce our operational costs in terms of postage and paper. We are proud to do something environmentally beneficial by planting trees in honor of our customers who elect to go paperless.”

John Rosenow, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation said, “We are extremely pleased to be working with Burke & Herbert Bank to plant trees. These trees will provide many benefits which will be enjoyed by this and future generations.”

Kevin Sander, the director of Corporate Partnerships at the Arbor Day Foundation said, “Thanks to Burke & Herbert’s participation in a special ‘paperless’ program like this, we are able to further our mission and encourage the advancement of global stewardship. Burke & Herbert’s generosity will add beauty to the landscape, clean the air we breathe, purify rivers and streams, and provide vitally important habitat for wildlife.”

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Company, established in 1852, is the oldest bank in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the oldest continuously operating bank in the D.C. area. 

This Saturday, July 18, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Energy Secretary Steven Chu are holding a rural community forum at Buddy Mayhew's Farm in Blairs, Va., a White House spokesperson said Thursday.

At the forum, the two officials will share information with local residents about the work the Obama Administration is doing to revitalize and rebuild rural America and ask local residents how the departments can be helpful in supporting and initiating other programs and projects to help the community participate fully and successfully in the new, 21st century economy.

They will also highlight American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects improving communities in Virginia and benefiting people throughout rural America.

In June, President Obama announced that Secretary Vilsack will lead the Administration's Rural Tour, during which Vilsack and other top officials will visit rural communities in states throughout the country.

Rural Tour events are currently scheduled in Alaska, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

These upcoming events follow the rural listening sessions that Secretary Vilsack held earlier this year in Charlotte, Mich., Concord, N.H., Wattsburg, Pa., Danville, Ind., Geneseo, Ill., Harrodsburg, Ky., Ludowici, Ga., Portageville, Mo., and Brush, Colo.

Follow the Rural Tour's progress online at www.RuralTour.gov or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RuralTour
 

Organic gardening is a chemical-free and earth-friendly method of gardening. Organic gardening and conventional gardening differ on how they control pests and nourish the soil. Conventional gardening uses chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers while organic gardens use organic means of enriching the soil and organic weed killers and fertilizers.

As a dog owner myself, I can attest to the frustration many homeowners feel when the primordial needs of a dog (scratching, digging, peeing, and pooping) can conflict with the desires of an outdoor landscape pleasing to behold and easy to maintain. At times, it’s easy to raise the flag of defeat and give reign over the landscape to the dog.

Don’t underestimate a little garden center located on Route 17 in Suffolk, Virginia.

Gardening helps us to cut back on costs, reduce our carbon footprint, and add to the beauty of our own backyards but for others it’s simply a way of life.

A recent New York Times interview with Wendy Johnson, who helped to start a movement of “conscious eating and conscious growing, linked with the ethic of taking care of the land,” helps to illuminate the lifestyle and attitude of some of today's most dedicated gardeners.

Her new book “Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World" not only captures her past, but also tackles some of the issues facing Buddhist gardeners today, like how to do with those pesky snails.

Although Ms. Johnson grows conventional produce like apples she possesses a unique insight and has one of the kind solutions, for example "compost and manure teas to boost the immune systems of plants (add 2-3 cups well decomposed compost or live manure per gallon of water; steep for 3 days)."

Even if Buddhism isn't a philosophy you embrace her approach to gardening may help you form a deeper connection to your garden and a better understanding of how to have a healthy garden.

Visit Amazon or a local bookstore to pick up Wendy's Johnson's book, a critic favorite. “Wendy Johnson shows how the garden and the shared table reconnect us in a profound and visceral way to the earth. A beautiful book and an invaluable resource," according to one critic.

- Misi Cooney
Photo: WikiCommons

Research shows investing in a professionally designed landscape can add 10 percent or more to a home’s market value. But in these tough times, many people don’t have the means to pay a professional landscape designer, and many do not have the creative talent to develop a design on their own.

But an innovative and cost-effective strategy could soon be creating more green thumbs than ever.

Virginia-based Elegance Outback offers a library of landscape designs and garden bed designs which can be purchased online. There are currently more than 45 designs to choose from, with more on the way, providing a great way to create an outdoor space.

With so many homeowners on a tight budget, the plans are designed to be constructed either at once, or in stages, making it easy to complete the project as budgets allow.

Photo courtesy of Elegance Outback

Gardening with Confidence™
This Month in the Garden: Zone 7
June Maintenance Guide

June is a good month in the South; the humidity has not likely arrived, the days are long and school is out putting us on “summertime.” A change in the daily routine is a welcomed change indeed!

ANNUALS

* Tender annuals can still be planted: begonias, basil, coleus, impatiens.

BULBS

* If your daffodil foliage is lying on the ground, it is now OK to cut back.
* How well did your daffodils perform this year? Great? then leave them be; poorly?, then dig up the bulbs and divide once they finish maturing (as indicated by the died back leaves.) They are probably overcrowded. Daffodil bulbs can be planted immediately or stored in a shade, well-ventilated location.
* Remove the Amaryllis bloom stalk.
* Remove German bearded iris bloom stalk to tidy up the plant. During the 6 weeks or so after bloom time, next years’ flowers are forming. Best to wait until the fall to transplant or otherwise disturb these plants or risk next years show.
* The soil has warmed enough to plant caladiums and elephant ears.
* Late spring is the time to plant autumn crocuses.
* Dahlia tubers can still be planted.

HERBS

* Rosemary can take a hard pruning. Now is a good time to shape, shear it, prune to manage its size.
* Its easy to plant more herbs than you can use – plan to share with friends and neighbors.

PERENNIALS

* Up until about the 4th of July, many plants can be pinched back to maintain shape, delay bloom time, and keep from getting leggy. Give your garden Nip and Tuck; Plants that benefit from a nip include: Asters, Basil, Joe-Pye weed, heliopsis, Mint, Mums, Salvias, Sedums.
* Keep flower heads deadheaded.

ROSES

* Remember to cut your faded rose blooms to encourage more growth. Cut the stem just above the first 5-leaflet leaf below the bloom.
* Remember, roses are a thirsty and hungry bunch. The watering rule of thumb is to water each plant 5 gallons per week. Fertilize every six weeks with a complete rose fertilizer.

PESTS

* This is also the time for the Japanese Beetles to fest on your Roses. At Helen’s Haven, we practice mechanical pest control of Japanese Beetles – we hand pick them when you are out cutting or pruning the Roses. This is my practice. Wearing gloves, I just put the bug between my thumb and forefinger and squeeeeze. Too squeamish for that, prepare a bucket of soap[y water. Tip the flower head with the Beetle over a bucket or soapy water and shake into a bucket.
* Another technique is what is referred to as keeping the roses ‘in the green.’ What this means is to cut your Roses and bring inside. Or at the very least, keep the roses pruned, reducing the amount of color in the rose garden. The Japanese Beetles are attracted to the bright and happy colors. Actually, so am I. While I do occasionally bring in cut flowers, I have a Rose garden to enjoy them in the garden; thus, I had to overcome any questions of how to dispose of these nasty little critters. So I just squeeeeze and voila, they are gone.

MULCH

* Often I am asked how to get rid of that yucky yellow blob in the mulch. It may look distasteful, but it’s not harmful. None-the-less, I get it up as soon as I see it. I have tried to ignore it, but can’t. One mulch supplier is no more prone to it than another, as I am often asked. I like using a hoe to get it up. It also works well to scrape up the mold with some attached mulch removing any trailing bits. I first learned the name of this slime mold as dog puke! When you tell people that, they actually think it is dog puke. Then if you tell them it is slime mold, they want a name of a new mulch supplier. There’s just no good name for it.

WEEDS

* Hopefully you mulched nicely and do no have a huge problem with weeds, but weeding is a reality of gardening: they know a good thing with the see it. My approach is to use a good hoe and just come along and chop their heads off down to their feet. I don’t even have to bend over. But from time to time, when looking at my garden beds, I’ll see this big green thing. Yep, it’s a large crab grass. I use to wonder how it got there, but now I don’t even wonder, I just reach in and pull it out. My least favorite weed is nutsedge Are-you-ready-to-weed

WATER

As summer begins, so do summer vacations. This also arises the need to have your garden looked after while you are gone! There is no need not to have container gardens just because you are going on vacation and don’t want to be bothered. Why let a week or two away keep you from coming home to some nice plantings? Here are some tips to caring for your container gardens and houseplants while you are on vacation. These tips are for those with and without automatic irrigation systems.

* Bring houseplants outside under the cool of the porch or eves of the house.
* Get a neighbor kid to come over everyday to check on things and to water. Most pots will need watering everyday.
* Pool you pots together near a water source and out of the afternoon sun.
* Add extra mulch to the base of the plant.
* Add water lines to your containers from your irrigation system.
* Don’t have an irrigation system? The big box stores sell automatic systems that hook up to your spigot such as Mister Mister.

WILDLIFE

* Cow birds, bunnies, fox, grackles, copperheads, voles, moles, squirrels, deer. They too, are part of our “wildlife.” Let’s learn to all get along.
* Continue to fill feeders, provide clean water daily, and refresh humming bird feeders with fresh sugar water.

FOR YOUR CONTINUING EDUCATION

* Around the 2nd weekend in June, plan to attend the Larkspur Party. This is a great gardening event organized by artist and gardener Frances Alvarino Larkspur Party.

* Plan to visit public gardens for ideas and inspiration. A camera, journal and even lunch will complete your visit.

Guide and photo by Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

It’s easy to fall in love with butterfly gardens when you see the Butterfly Pavilion in DC or the butterflies at the National Zoo.

Anyone who wishes they could take some butterflies home to their own garden should consider planting a butterfly garden that will attract butterflies and provide them with everything they need to live.

The most important part of a butterfly garden in the choice of plants. If you don’t have any plants that butterflies love, you won’t see many of the insects passing through your yard. Another important feature of a butterfly garden is a place where the insects can warm up in the sun. It is best to plan on placing an exposed rock or other solid surface in your garden where the butterflies can rest.

Although the butterflies can feed on nectar from many flowers, they also need water. Because they can’t drink from an open water source, it is best to include an area of wet sand or dirt where they can suck up some moisture. If you want to try planting a butterfly garden you should check out this guide, “The Basics of Butterfly Gardening” from the North American Butterfly Association.

Some great resources about what kinds of plants will attract butterflies can be found in the Maryland Native Plant Society’s “Gardener’s Guidelines” downloads on this page, or in the brochure on this page of the Virginia Native Plant Society’s website.

- Fiona McNabb
Photo: Louise Docker, WikiCommons

While many are pinching pennies amid the economic downturn, there are a number of
thrifty ways to manage a garden and landscape to ensure it looks good and flourishes
while also costing less to maintain. (Photo courtesy of Nature Designs Landscaping)

By Steve Jacobs
Nature Designs Landscaping

1) Plant perennials instead of annuals. Annuals are short lived, use excessive water and must be replaced, while there is a large selection of drought tolerant perennials that can live for many years and offer plenty of beautiful color.

2) Eliminate lawn where you are not using it. Lawns are one of the most intensive maintenance and water consuming plantings in a landscape, requiring weekly mowing, edging and recurrent irrigation.

3) Leave lawn clippings-don’t bag. Many lawn mowers have a recycling feature which allows you to mow without a bagging the clippings. Lawn clippings contain water and nutrients that can benefit your lawn. The result is a need for less water; fertilizer and you don’t need to pay for landscape debris removal or dumping.

4) Prune naturally instead of formally. When you prune for the natural growth habit of the plant you will reduce the amount of pruning needed per year, resulting in decreased costs. Hedging and balling your plants will create a need for frequent pruning, and the tools and/or professional landscape maintenance services that goes with it.

5) Cut back on water. Reduce your watering schedule to the bare minimum required to keep the yard and garden healthy. Over watering can cause excessive growth, requiring even more maintenance, a higher water bill and a greater instance of disease that will require further intervention.

6) Identify and rectify irrigation problems. By keeping an eye on the condition of your irrigation system, including leaks, overspray, broken heads, incorrect water pressure and trajectory problems, you can reduce your water costs while also avoiding water damage to your home and hardscape.

7) Apply a ground cover mulch to cut down on weeds – and the need to purchase weed killers and the time to apply – and also water usage. Ground cover mulch creates a barrier so weed seed has a hard time germinating. It also adds organic matter to your soil and insulates the ground, which reduces the soil temperature and evaporation of soil moisture.

8) Select drought tolerant plants. These plants, like the Mediterranean and native variety, will use less water and can require very little maintenance.

9) Put the right plant in the right spot. Install plants that can grow to maturity where they are planted with minimal care or pruning. Such “zone appropriate” planting will ensure the plant or tree won’t outgrow its space and need to be frequently pruned or, worse, relocated at risk of losing the plant all-together.

10) Apply fertilizer modestly. Fertilize only as needed based on the requirements of your individual plants. If you have good soil, some of your plants may need little or no fertilizer. Not only is over-fertilizing expensive and time consuming, it can also require more water and cause excessive growth resulting in increased maintenance needs. An over-abundance of nitrogen and other fertilizer ingredients can also readily kill the plant material on which it was applied.

Steve Jacobs is a lawn and garden, irrigation and horticulture expert and president of Nature Designs Landscaping.

Grow Your Plants One Foot² at a Time

Have you been trying unsuccessfully to grow a vegetable garden, or lamenting the lack of space for growing plants in your home? One alternative to both container and regular gardening is square foot gardening, a concept created by Mel Bartholomew, founder of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation.

Frustrated with the single-row method of vegetable gardening, he began to ask horticulturists and others why they recommended the single-row method. As he writes in the article "What's Wrong with Single Row Gardening," everyone seemed to use single-row gardening because that was the way they had "always done it." Mr. Bartholomew then devised the concept for square foot gardening, which is essentially gardening in a box divided into square feet.

Square foot gardening is supposed to be easier because it can be done in a yard, on a roof or balcony, with rich soil chosen by the gardener, and with a lower chance of growing weeds, since the box is separated from the other earth and plants around it. To see one Arlington woman's square foot gardening success story, check out this video from NBCWashington.com.

-Fiona McNabb

Photo: Showcase of Gardens

How to Design and Build Your Own Patio

Many homeowners enjoy having outdoor entertaining spaces, which can provide more space and a wider variety of activities than most indoor entertaining spaces. As you may be surprised to discover, it is possible to install your own patio. Building your own patio is much less expensive than having one installed by professionals, and is not as difficult as many people would expect.

The process of putting in a new patio is explained in the article “From Plain Dirt to Easy Patio.”

Once you’ve looked over that one, you may want to check out these step-by-step descriptions of how to “Build a Brick Patio” and lay pavers to create a patio. If you think you would like to install a patio in your own yard, you should take a look at these tips on “Planning the Perfect Patio” and “Choosing the Right Patio Materials.”

You may find that a new outdoor entertaining space is just what you need to add some exciting variety to your landscape as well as your next social event.

- Fiona McNabb
Photo: Thomas & Amelia Takacs/Shutterstock

If you are looking for low maintenance perennial you may want to try the Yarrow. This perennial
is known for its resistance to heat, drought, deer, and rabbits.

Summer is a great time to spruce up your garden and add some new flowers. Better Homes and Garden provides a great slideshow of perennials which are a great summer addition because they manage to balance color, smell, and beauty which creates a fabulous garden atmosphere.

If you are looking for low maintenance perennial you may want to try the Yarrow. This perennial is known for its resistance to heat, drought, deer, and rabbits. It also blooms in clusters and in a variety of colors. The blazing stare is a unique perennial and a North American prairie native that is known for attracting butterflies. It’s also a great addition for a bouquet for the home because its blooms work well with cutting and drying.

Coral Bells work great in between bigger blooms and can be vibrant shades of bright red, pink, or white. Lastly the Crocosmia, is perfect if your looking to make your garden look more exotic addition. The Crocosmia is known for drawing attention and blooms in various bright shades of red, orange, or yellow.

-Misi Cooney
Photo: WikiCommons

Keep deer clear of your garden without harming the animals or
the environment.

Many gardeners in our area have had trouble with local deer populations. The gardener in this story was devastated when deer ate the impatiens she had spent her vacation planting. Her article, and the resources below all give tips and guidance on how to keep deer from eating your garden.

Although there are numerous repellants and other products that you can purchase to keep deer out of your garden, not all of them are effective, especially if you live in an area with a particularly large or bold population of deer. One home remedy is to make your own deer repellant using soap with a high content of tallow, such as Ivory Springs soap.

You can also make repellant by placing balls of human or pet hair in your garden to scare the deer, or by putting hot sauce, which deer prefer not to eat, on your plants. One of the most effective ways to keep deer out of your garden is to build a high fence that they cannot jump over.

Unfortunately, fencing high enough to keep out deer can be extremely expensive, so many gardeners prefer to plant flowers and other plants that deer do not like to eat, such as daffodils.

A lot more information about deer and how to keep them out of your garden can be found on the web page “Control and Management of Deer” from the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, and in the document Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer Damage from the Maryland Cooperative Extension.

- Fiona McNabb
Photo: Flickr

Add charm to your outdoor space by adding a fountain.

As some dedicated gardeners may know June is the National Rose Month, and a perfect time to plant some roses of your own! For exotic roses, visit the Better Homes & Gardens website for inspiration.

This website has a great slideshow of roses which include brief descriptions and photographs of the various kinds of roses you may want to plant in your own garden or see around the neighborhood in the upcoming months. Among the best roses featured is the America, it is a gorgeous coral color, blooms all summer and is disease resistant!

The Autumn Damask is also a great choice. First grown in the 1500s, it is commonly used in the perfume industry, so it’s guaranteed to have a beautiful scent. The Fragrant Plum is known for its distinct color which is a darker purple at the edges and slowly fades to lavender at the center. The Heritage is a great rose for all the beginner gardeners because it features fewer thorns and is noted for its disease resistance. In addition, the Heritage smells of sweet lemons which make it perfect for the summer season.

A beautiful option if you are looking to plant white roses is the Madame Plantier which was bred in 1835 and still remains a popular and elegant choice today. The Louise Odier, a fragrant pink rose, was first bred in 1851 and is a perfect summer rose. Also the Louise Odier has been noted for its constant blooms and its strength as a cut flower.

After planting these gorgeous roses you may want to designate a space to admire them and escape the summer heat by creating the perfect outdoor space.

Some of the design ideas suggested in this slideshow include investing in a swinging bed piled with decorative pillows which provides the perfect place to relax from a full day of gardening.

Another great idea suggested was to paint the patio ceiling yourself with a festive design or color; it’s the perfect summer activity and a nice way to add charm to an outdoor space.

You can add charm to your outdoor space by adding a fountain; the trickling peaceful sound creates ambiance and character to your back yard. If you want your back yard to be a beautiful sanctuary to escape from all your stresses try adding mats and floor pillows to create a more spiritual and meditative atmosphere.

- Misi Cooney
Photo: Flickr

"My first season, there were more bugs than I care to admit; there were holes in
my leaves and half eaten flowers," writes Yoest, who is an environmental engineer
and life-long gardener. (Photo: Helen Yoest)

By Helen Yoest, guest blogger and garden coach
Gardening with Confidence

With my background and interests, one would think my garden became sustainable via a well thought-out, altruistic route. Heck, I spent years at university studying the environment obtaining 2 degrees in environmental engineer followed by two decades as a practicing environmental engineer. More importantly, I am a life long gardener, learner and admirer of nature. In reality, I became sustainable out of need and laziness. As such, I just kind of backed into it.

It all started one day about 20 years ago when I got tired of chasing the next pest. This is important and worth repeating – I got tired of chasing the next pest. I went after one, then another, then another, and then the first one came back and it all started again. It was a viscous cycle. I no longer had the time or energy to spray or dust. I thought, what if I just stopped all this nonsense and see what happens naturally?

There was some written about organic garden and maybe even sustainable gardening, although I don’t recall that being the term used at the time. More was written about organic gardening, which for me, today, is just part of my sustainable whole. But 20 years ago, I didn’t know I would go in this “sustainable” direction. I didn’t even know what it was and I certainly didn’t have time to research it. So, I just applied logic. Logic told me if there were good bugs and bad bugs, then there were also checks and balances. As such, I just stopped interfering. I was confident nature would take care of herself, or at least that was my hope.

And she did. My first season, there were more bugs than I care to admit; there were holes in my leaves and half eaten flowers. Gaining courage, to rid them, I started to hand pick some of those bugs off the plant and into a jar of soapy water. This was not the easiest thing I did that year, and I still get squeamish doing so today, even after all these years. But I managed to rise to the occasion when the need arises.

By the next year, there were less holes and more flowers, PLUS more birds, bees and butterflies. It was noticeably different. This was all the encouragement I needed. When I look back on this early pest control decision, I also had to accept a level of tolerance for less than perfect plant displays. The plants themselves were perfectly happy; they just looked a little worse from the chewing. But this was traded for honeybees pollinating my cucumbers, butterflies alighting my Lantana, and birds singing in the wee morning hours.

This went on for a few years. Yet, to label myself an organic gardener was not something I was ready to embrace. Even though this was the first step to organic gardening, I figured there had to be more to it and as such, didn’t feel I was worthy of the label. Today, I can say with confidence, I am an organic gardener. What I didn’t know then that I know now, was that my first steps toward organic gardening 20 years ago is all that is really needed to become an organic gardener. Every journey begins with the first step.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will post the rest of my journey that brought me to where I am today. I’ll enlighten you on soil, mulch, right plant in the right place, fertilizer, water-wise design, rain harvesting, fungicides, herbicides, pre-emergences, and in general, my organic gardening philosophy.

Thanks for taking this journey with me: I hope not to disappoint you. It is my hope you too will look at your garden just a little bit differently and feel it is OK to wear the label “organic gardener.”

Here is a link to a tiny TV segment my garden made. Helen (me) is much livelier person in real life with a name that rhymes with MOST; at least I was able to show Helen’s Haven as a good example of sustainable gardening.

Healthy potting soil ensures your plants and vegetables grow up hearty. While every local
garden store and center sells myriad kinds of potting soil, with the right ingredients you can
also make your own.

Choosing the Right Potting Soil or Mix

What kind of soil do you use for your potted plants? Garden centers and stores sell numerous kinds of potting mixes, but you can also make your own potting soil mix.

If you have a particularly sensitive plant, or if you want to try experimenting with your own mixture, it’s pretty easy to get started. If you are unfamiliar with the soil needs of potted plants, you can check out these three potting mix recipes from Better Homes and Gardens.

Container gardening enthusiasts may also want to check out this article from Virginia Tech’s Virginia Cooperative Extension, which includes information about container gardening and potting soils. This document from the University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center contains even more detailed information, but is geared towards vegetable gardening in containers.

There are numerous recipes for home-made potting soils, many of which you can find floating around on the Internet. If you want something that you know is definitely tried-and-true, you might want to ask a gardening friend or an expert at a local gardening center, club or other organization for their favorite recipes.

- Fiona McNabb
Photo: WikiCommons

This Eastern Shore estate has a replica of what some churches might have appeared to look like at the end of WWII. Conceptual design by the owner and fully executed by the stone masonry company out of Bethesda, MD.

Serra Stone Corporation created this work of art over one summer. Currently, most designs follow a more contemporary look in their work, but this non-conventional structure might be the only of its kind in the state of Maryland.

Set amidst a picturesque background, visitors often find themselves wondering if they are really looking at a 200+ year old church.

- Omar Martinez

Keep up with Joe Gardener and his $25 vegetable garden challenge at Compost Confidential.

Gardens up and down the East Coast have received more than their fair share of water this spring because of all the rainfall. Thanksfully, the drought is over. Unfortunately many folks raising gardens in-ground have to sit back almost helplessly as their sprouts struggle to cope with the excess of water.

As Joe Gardener (a.k.a. Joe Lamp'l of Compost Confidential) writes about the plight of his cucumbers, whose leaves are turning yellow -- a classic symptom of overwatering.

That's where the debate between container gardening vs. in-ground gardening comes in. If you don't have land to plant a garden, you can always purchase flower pots and fill them with potting soil, but will the confined space have a negative impact on your plants? Quite the contrary, according to one article, which says container gardens actually surpass the performance of in-ground plots.

With containers you have more flexibility. For example, if your home and garden are doused rain, you can move your containers to safety during the worst of it. With an in-ground garden you're sprouts and blooms are stuck where they are. To guarantee your container gardening success, though, read up on these 6 Steps for Starting a Container Gardening and learn everything you need to know from selecting the right container and soil to choosing the right plants.

Photo courtesy of Compost Confidential

Is watering your garden a pain in the back? Instead of schlepping water to your garden
containers, try attaching a hose to your kitchen sink using an adapter like this Koala by Claber.

My friend Susan at Garden Rant recently ranted about the hassle of schlepping water from the kitchen to her container garden, which is growing on her deck upstairs. Unfortunately, she has no spigot near the deck, but she's growing food this year and water is of the utmost importance.

Actually, I've got the same problem. I fill a watering can up from the kitchen sink then lug it to back of my English basement, to the driveway, where my second attempt at growing vegetables from seed is thriving on a shelf. I generally end up sloshing at least some of the water onto the kitchen floor and truthfully, the heavy watering can can be a bit of a pain (literally).

Susan asked if her readers had any solutions. Many suggests were presented, including strategically positioning a rain barre, simply dealing with or even embracing the task and investing the money to have a plumber install a water spigot near the deck. All great suggestions, and here's one more:

Check out this garden gadget, an adapter that connects to your kitchen or bathroom sink and then screws onto the end of your hose. The adapter runs between $7 and $10 dollars at your local hardware store and runs hot and cold water.

Photo: ToolMonger

Houseplant Husbandry

A few carefully chosen plants can add a lot of life and color to a room, and many people use plants to complement their other interior decorations and create a certain look or feeling in a room.

Unfortunately, unhealthy houseplants are not visually appealing, and can take attention away from the beautiful décor in your home. A great resource for diagnosing and treating common maladies among houseplants is the Home and Garden Information Center's Houseplants publication.

This handy guide to houseplants includes possible causes and treatments for problems like a wilting plant, discolored leaves, and abnormal or insufficient growth. It also gives some useful advice on topics like feeding and repotting houseplants. If you've been having problems with one of your plants, this may be a good place to look for a new solution to your plant tending troubles.

-Fiona McNabb
Photo: WikiCommons

When the current rains finally stop for a while and we can start to pursue gardening outdoors
again, we should be thinking of what we can and should do after this period of wetness.

When the current rains finally stop for a while and we can start to pursue gardening outdoors again, we should be thinking of what we can and should do after this period of wetness.

First be sure not to step in the planted areas of your yard too soon after the rains stop. The worst thing you can do is to put your body weight on wet soil. Just stepping on wet ground will create unusually high compaction, which will damage roots and adversely affect your soil’s drainage in those spots. Wait a couple of day to let the soil drain a bit, or put down a board to step on to spread the weight over a larger area and not compact that one small spot.

Waterlogged soil, if not drained soon after it stops raining, may cause serious plant damage that will start to show up immediately. If the soil is waterlogged, that is, all the spaces in the soil are not filled with water and no air, the plant roots will not be able to breathe (yes, plant roots take is air from the soil and will “drown” quickly if there are no air pockets in the soil from which to draw air). You will see this first as excessive leaf loss, then plant death. You can avoid this by making sure the plants in your garden have good drainage. This means that any water excess to their needs can drain off from the root zone to somewhere else.

Lastly, be on the lookout for plant diseases to crop up, especially as warm air temperatures follow the rainy days. Many spring diseases are bacterial, rather than fungal, in nature. They prefer cool temperatures and wet. One of the most serious is Fire Blight. This shows very distinctive signs that are easy to recognize. This blight will cause the ends of tree branches to suddenly turn black and appear to have been blackened by a blowtorch. The blight will spread quickly down the branch.

Look for this disease on fruit tress, especially pears. They also attack quince, cotoneaster, hawthorn, crabapple and other ornamentals as well. Many fungicides may not be effective on fire blight. I recommend you use a new biological disease control called Serenade, which is listed for the control of fire blight. Also, be aware that these are the conditions best suited to a fungus called Powdery Mildew. This does leaf damage to many, many plants, and you will identify it by leaves turning from green to grayish-brown, then fine white powder covers the leaf. Look for this on roses, lilacs, peonies and many other plants. Apply a general fungicide at the earliest sign of the disease for the best outcome.

I hope you enjoy the better weather ahead and have a very beautiful garden this spring!

-Gene Sumi
Homestead Gardens
Photo: WikiCommons

Several gardens and estates host events for gardeners and gardening enthusiasts each
spring and summer. To view more events or to tell the world about your own gardening
event, visit the calendar section.

Summer is the season for vacations and relaxation. If you're looking for something fun to do on a day off, you can find some great events at local gardens. These events can range from concerts to lectures on horticulture. The wide variety of available events means that there's something out there for just about everyone.

Flower lovers may enjoy seeing the Floral Design Demonstrations at Hillwood Museum and Gardens in DC on June 28th, which will be held at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 PM. Some other fun events include the June 13th workshop Herb Gardening in Containers and the July 15th Concert in the Garden at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria.

Or, if you know you'll have time off late in the summer, you might “Designing Containers,” a lecture about how to design beautiful containers for every season for your container garden, which will be held at 1:00 PM on August 26 in the United States Botanic Garden.

To find more interesting events and exhibits, all you have to do is look up your favorite garden and check to see if there is an online event list or a phone number that you can call for more information.

- Fiona McNabb
Photo featured in Planting Hope

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who died in service to our nation. It was established in 1868 to commemorate the dead from the Civil War.

Over the years it came to serve as a day to remember all U.S. men and women killed or missing in action in all wars. It also marks the traditional beginning of Summer and is a time for celebrations and family outings.

Cooking with herbs goes a long way to achieving a cook's desire to serve delicious food. We have a great selection of fresh herbs - basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, mint, chives, cilantro, Italian parsley, and many more - to liven up your main courses, side dishes, and desserts!

And Saturday, May 23, the Johnson's Florist & Garden Center in Kensington, Md. will be hosting a session on "Growing Herbs" from 10:00 am until noon.

Need tables and chairs for your next barbeque? Browse premium-grade teak garden furniture, plantation-grown teak produced in Indonesia. This furniture can last 50 years or more with little or no maintenance.

Johnson's stores will be open Memorial Day but with reduced hours. The Washington, D.C. store will be closing at 5:30 p.m., the Kensington store at 5:00 p.m., and the Olney store at 5:00 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Johnson's Florist and Garden Center

The first large-scale study of its kind provides hard statistics showing how well-placed shade
trees can reduce energy costs as well as atmospheric carbon.

While money doesn't grow on trees, some well placed shade around your home can save you money on energy bills while reducing your carbon footprint.

Trees positioned to shade the west and south sides of a house may decrease summertime electric bills by 5 percent on average, according to a recent study of California homes by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"People have known for a long time that trees have multiple benefits for people, but we've quantified one of them for the first time using actual billing data and put a dollar value on it," said NIST's David Butry, who authored the paper with Geoffrey Donovan of the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station.

The study's findings included:

-Planting trees on the west and south sides of a house decreased summertime electricity use, but planting them on the north actually increased it. Those on the east had no effect.

-Fast-growing trees provide better help than do smaller ones, and placement of the trees, particularly the distance from the house, is a significant factor.

-A London plane tree, planted on the west side of a house, can reduce carbon emissions from summertime electricity use by an average of 31 percent over 100 years.

This last finding was particularly significant to Butry, who said that trees not only reduce the carbon produced by the local gas or coal-fired power generator, but also remove carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas—from the atmosphere.

"Trees sequester carbon in addition to providing shade," Butry said. "We measured how much these shade trees reduced the carbon created by burning fuels to produce the electricity, and found that the trees also sequestered an equivalent amount of carbon on top of that. So there's a double benefit."

Utility companies from as far away as South Korea and South Africa have contacted the team about expanding the study, which was limited to a single season in a single city.

"It would be really interesting to look at how the effect varies across regions of the U.S. and of the world, and to see what happens in wintertime," Butry said. "Sacramento Municipal Utility was very helpful in providing us with the data we needed. But future studies will depend on who has data and shares it with us."

Photo courtesy of NIST

Looking for a garden space? Sharing Backyards DC is a place where gardeners and people
with a plot in need gardening mingle.

If you don't live in the middle of a sprawling suburban neighborhood, chances are you don't have much room for gardening.

However, there's no need to worry, since there are lots of ways to fix a small space so that it will be lush and beautiful while leaving room for you to sit and enjoy the view.

The first task in creating a small garden will be working out a layout for your space. Do you want to have grass, some kind of paving, a bench, or a table and chairs?

Once you decide what essential items must be included in your garden, you can think about how much space will be left for your plants. It is important to choose plants that won't grow too big, so you might consider purchasing relatively small shrubs, ornamental grasses, and ground plants.

If you like having a lot of color in your garden or if you want to add some height, you should check out different varieties of crepe myrtle, which come in various sizes, some as small as a few feet high.

You can find some great tips about which plants to choose for a small space in Serendipity Garden Design's newsletter.

- Fiona McNabb

There's hope for Britney yet, or at least our friends at Garden Rant are pulling for her.

Troubled popstar Britney Spears has "found solace" in gardening, according to a report by a British tabloid. The singer, who is required to take random drug and alcohol tests under the terms of her child custody deal, heads straight into her garden each time she returns to her California home, an unnamed source told the Sun.

She's also turned to the writings of American lifestyle guru Jack Canfield and his self-help manual Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul.

If it's true what they say about Spears becoming a gardener, she's not the first to get her hands dirty. The Obamas are already harvesting greens from the White House Kitchen Garden Project, while the first family of Maryland planted a vegetable garden at the Government House a couple weeks ago.

Maryland First Lady Katie O'Malley works plants vegetables in the food garden outside the
Government House in Annapolis, with the help of several beginner gardeners.

Fashionable Gardening: Grow Your Own Vegetables!
View more photos >>>

In America, the First Lady is often acknowledged as the height of fashion, and right now, she's growing a vegetable garden in her back yard. It seems many people, both in and out of the limelight, have taken a cue from Mrs. Obama, not least of whom is our own Katie O'Malley, who is starting a vegetable garden that will be used for events of state as well as to feed the family. The O'Malleys' daughters, who are both vegetarians, might especially enjoy having their own garden.

If you need a little extra motivation before you start your own garden, think about joining the Obamas and the O'Malleys in growing your own food. Growing vegetables isn't fashionable just because it's fun. It can also help you save a little money while doing a small favor for the environment.

You can check out the O'Malleys' garden at the Baltimore Sun website, which has a blog entry and pictures from the planting, or go to the full story from the Office of First Lady Katie O'Malley.

- Fiona McNabb
Photo: Jay Baker, Governor's Office

A Zen spiral, an all-black planting and a Persian garden are just some of the settings showcasing contemporary sculpture inspired by plants in Flora: Growing Inspirations, the exhibit that will inhabit the U.S. Botanic Garden from May 23 through October 12, 2009.

Co-organized with the Washington Sculptors Group, Flora: Growing Inspirations features more than 30 sculptures by artists from across the United States and Zimbabwe on display in outdoor garden rooms spanning the Conservatory Terrace and in the East Gallery.

Learn more about the event at the USBG website.
See what else is blooming.

Close-up of a pink cyclamen. For more pictures of
beautiful flowers and gardens, view the photo of the day.

Spring is here, and many of us are ready to rework our gardens! Whether you just want to replace some old annuals or add a whole new garden, one of the most important decisions you will face is the question of what to plant. If you don’t have your heart set on a particular plant, or if there are just too many beautiful plants to choose from, you might have a hard time narrowing down your choices.

Some things you will want to consider when choosing the plants for your garden include whether the plant is annual or perennial and when it will bloom, as well as the plant’s color and type. Once you decide what general characteristics you want your plants to have, you should consider your home’s climate and how much rain and sun the plant will get. A useful resource for determining what kinds of plants might grow well in your garden is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which shows different climate areas across the US, and gives suggestions of what plants would grow well in each climate.

An even better method of deciding what to plant is going to a local garden center and talking to the employees there. The employees of most garden centers will know a bit about the different plants they sell and should have access to information about all kinds of plants. More importantly, you will be able to see samples of the different plants you might want to buy, which could change your mind about which plants would be best for your garden.

If you are still at a loss as to which plants you want, just go out and have some fun! If you buy a few “test” plants, you can experiment to see what will grow best in your garden, and which plants looks better with the rest of your landscape. You can always replant later, so in the meantime, take some time to relax and smell the flowers!

- Fiona McNabb

The cherry blossom trees in the Kenwood enclave of Bethesda, Md. draw upward of
30,000 visitors each year, while the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington,
D.C. attracts about a million.

One neighbor counted 1,200 cherry blossom trees in the Kenwood housing tract, which
includes 290 homes.

The cherry blossom trees at Kenwood were planted during the 1920s, before the first
house was ever built.

Photos: Joe Evans

Want a yard with curb appeal? Not ready to invest in a full-fledged landscape design just yet? The most efficient and cost effective way to spruce up your curb appeal could be a Spring Clean Up. It is labor intensive, and unless you have a compost area in your yard, will require some hauling of debris and materials. Still, the Spring Clean Up can add sparkle to a previously dull landscape.

The Spring Clean Up usually requires a step-by-step process. First, work in the beds, pruning back dead wood, pruning and trimming shrubs as needed, clearing out the leaves and debris left over the winter. After this, loosen the existing mulch with a soft rake. You may want to apply a pre-emergent in the beds to minimize future weed growth.

After hauling the debris away (or composting the debris), you will want to cut a sharp edge to the planting beds with a spade. This helps define the bed, and is an important aspect in making the Spring Clean Up a success.Next, clear out the grass and dirt disturbed by the edging, and make sure that the edge of your bed remains defined. If desired, fertilize the plants with Hollytone or another accepted product making sure to follow the directions on the bag, and making sure no fertilizer makes its way to the lawn. Finally, mulch the plant beds to a standard 2 inch depth.

Be careful to lightly mulch around the plants as too much mulch at the base of the plant can cause disease and prevent proper growth. Remember to keep your edges defined, so do not mulch directly to the edge, but allow the mulch to thin out as it reaches the edge of the plant bed. Clean all lawn areas of debris and mulch with a soft rake.

If you would like to include your lawn area in the Spring Clean Up, mow the lawn areas to 2.5 – 3.0 inches. If you have a thatching machine, dethatch the weeds from the lawn area, and mow again (to the same height as before). After dethatching, overseed (using the instructions on the bag) in spot areas, apply a 1/8” layer of peat moss on top of the seed, and water regularly (read instructions on the bag). If desired, add a starter fertilizer to the seed to ensure proper growth.

It is a lot of hard, physical labor, and doing all of this will ensure your yard takes on that Spring look, giving definition to your plants, beds, and lawn.

- Johnson's Landscaping

Interested in going green but don't know where to start? It turns out your own back yard is the perfect place to begin reducing your carbon footprint.

For instance, did you know a 40-pound bag of synthetic fertilizer contains the same amount of fossil fuel as 2.5 gallons of gasoline? Mowing the lawn for one hour with a gasoline-powered mower generates the same amount of pollution as driving a car for 20 miles, too, according to the National Geographic.

"To keep lawns green, we apply about 10,000 gallons of water, which leads to fungal diseases and weeds that attract pests, so we douse our coveted green patches with approximately 67 million pounds a year of synthetic pesticides," according to the green guide.

The Green Guide will help you discover your fertilizer's environmental impact and and help you achieve an eco-friendly garden in a couple easy steps. If you're still unsure about where to find organic fertilizer, Evo, an online organic retailer, sells several types. Be sure to check out the rest of the website, which is full of affordable and natural products for your home and garden!

Check out the Green Guide for more tips on how to incorporate the green revolution into your life. It includes buying guides for everything from washing machines to garden supplies and keeps you updated on everything green.

-- Misi Cooney

The Girard Children's Community Garden will host a variety of free workshops for
adults, children and families.

Learn to prepare and plant your garden just in time for spring using the Lasagna Method during a free workshop at the Girard Children's Community Garden this Saturday.

The event is part of a garden series put on by community garden group City Blossoms, who will host a new event each month for the duration of the year. The organization uses gardening to create environmental, nutritional and cultural connections for children and youth.

To see City Blossoms in action, check out the City Blossoms Blog, which features photos and videos of local children working the Girard Garden, located in Northwest Washington, D.C.

Photo: City Blossoms blog