Video Wednesday: Unexpected Frost

I always advise local gardeners that Mother's Day is the all-clear date for planting tender annuals and that was true forthe past 100 years or so. This year, Mother Nature had other ideas. Parts of the Washington, DC region fell to 32 degrees on Monday night and many gardeners scrambled to cover up newly planted or purchased tomatoes, peppers, etc.

Here, one local gardener, Gary Pilarchik in Maryland, shares his experiences in trying to protect his plants during the cold snap:

Fenton Friday: Cool Beans

This week at my community garden plot it rained every day, so aside from a bit of weeding and harvesting some lettuce and radishes, I have stayed mostly out of my plot.

One thing I did plant is the 'Royal Burgundy' Bush Bean from Seeds of Change. This photo is from the Seeds of Change web site. I hope they turn out to be so pretty! I planted them inside a square, purple trellis I had sitting unused at home. We shall see the results in about 55 days.

Meanwhile, I'm soaking Okra and Nasturtium seeds to plant over the weekend. Also, I have grafted tomatoes I'm waiting to go in once the soil warms up a bit. Finally, we are revamping the shared Herb/Cutting Garden area of the community garden. Lots to do between the May rains and many local garden events and plant sales.

Video Wednesday: Growing Veggies in Containers

Carol Alle, InsectIndex columnist for Washington Gardener Magazine, filmed this helpful video for Behnke Nurseries on growing vegetables in containers.

Lungwort: You Can Grow That!

Lungwort

Lungwort (Pulmonaria) is a terrific plant for shade, but it can also take a good deal of sun. The plant prefers wet, humus-y soils, though it can also be quite drought-tolerant once established. Keep it well mulched.

It awakens in early spring and has a long-lasting bloom. The flowers are purple, pink, and blue. They somewhat resemble our native Virginia Bluebell.

The foliage ranges from plain green to silver spotted to frosted almost totally silver. Its fuzzy leaves make it deer-resistant.

It is a small-ish plant so does best situated in mass groupings or a the front of a border. Pair it with primrose, hosta, carex, and hellebores, which grow in similar shade, part shade, and sun situations.

Garden Bloggers You Can Grow That! Day was started by C. L. Fornari of Whole Life Gardening because she believes “Gardening is one of the most life-affirming things we can do.…We need to thoroughly saturate people with the belief that plants and gardening are worth doing because of the benefits gained.” Garden bloggers who agree post about something worth growing on the fourth day of every month. Read this month’s You Can Grow That! posts.

Fenton Friday: First Radish of the Season

This week in my community garden plot:

Calendula

Strawberry

Basil seedlings

'All Blue' Potato foliage emerging

'Kennebec' Potato foliage emerging

Lettuce mix

First radish of the season!

Washington's Wild Plants

For our April 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine reader contest, we asked entrants to tell us “what plant you have that needs caging.” Here is a sampling of some of the responses:

"My philodendron needs caging, several of them. They are growing up and down and over and across. Always giving away cuttings."

~ Jeavonna Chapman, Baltimore, MD 

"I would plant my ginger plant in the cage."
~ Joan Richards, Fairfax, VA 

" I have a night blooming Cereus plant that seriously needs caging."
~ Gloria June Sherman, Silver Spring, MD

"I need to cage my passion flower that I just bought from a local Farmers' Market."

~ Mary Valentine-Boutte, Hedgesville, WV

"Would love to try Up Cage for my Thunbergia alata (Black-eyed Susan vine) on the deck. So tired of the upside down tomato cage or the bamboo sticks that fall over.  Keeping fingers crossed!"

~  Michele Bitters, Sterling VA 2

"I have tall zinnias that desperately need caging - they are just too tall and they lean toward the sun and start to fall over. I also needed to cage my brussel sprouts because as the sun gets lower in the fall, they also bend just enough to fall before they get really stiff."

~ Barbara Elkin, Alexandria VA

Many responded with that sprawling vine, the tomato.

What wild plants do you grow that need caging?

The winner of our April 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest chosen at random from the entries submitted is Katie Rapp. She wins the Ultimate Plant Cage (prize value: $17.95). It’s the first-ever fully adjustable plant cage. The Ultimate Plant Cage’s unique, patented design opens up your plants to the sun and lets those nourishing rays penetrate from the fruit to the root. 

Video Wednesday: Pieris Japonica

I shot this video for Meadows Farms Nurseries and was so convinced by Ted Zurawski's testimonial that I bought the plant right out of his hands. Now to find a spot for it in my garden...