Early June is Urban Foraging time for Serviceberries and Mulberries here in the Mid-Atlantic! I hope you enjoy my two-minute video and that it inspires you to go out to do some foraging of your own.
I originally posted this video directly to this blog in early June 2011, but many of you were unable to view it. It is now up on the Washington Gardener Magazine Youtube channel for ease of viewing and sharing:
Read more about both berries at this Washington Gardener Magazine blog entry: http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2009/06/mulberry-stains-and-scouting-out.html.
Video Wednesday: Urban Foraging for Serviceberries and Mulberries
Labels: berries, edibles, Urban Foraging, video
Astilbe: You Can Grow That!
Labels: ycgt, You Can Grow That
It is deer-resistant and tolerates clay soils well. Use mid-border in a mixed garden bed or in a container as the central feature. It spreads slowly and is fairly easy to divide. It is generally hardy down to Zone 4.
Astilbe is often seen in white hues, but also check out the different colors offered in the Astilbe chinensis 'Visions' collection -- from dark red to pink-purple.
I inter-plant mine with early-spring bulbs such as 'Thalia' daffodils so that the emerging Astilbe foliage in mid-spring covers the bulbs as they die-back. Also, I leave the flower heads to dry on the plant as remain attractive for many months. You can cut them back in winter when they start to look ratty.
6th Annual DC Plant Swap on Saturday, June 15
hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine
What: A Plant Swap -- bring and receive free plants to expand your garden
Why: Free Plants! Last chance to do so before the season heats up.
Date: Saturday, June 15
Time: starting at 11am bring your plants for sorting by category (shade perennial, groundcover, herb, etc.) -- swap starts promptly at 11:30am -- do not be late (the swap goes fast and can be over in a matter of minutes!) - after swapping, we can socialize, snack, buy farmer's market goodies, and trade more info on the plants we brought - we plan to conclude and be cleaned up by 12:00noon. so you will have the rest of the day to plant and enjoy your Saturday.
Place: H Street Farmers Market at H & 13th NE -- near Union Station
(The market runs from 9am-12n -- NOTE NEW LOCATION!!! The market is no longer at 8th Street!)
Who: anyone is welcome as are any of your friends, relatives, or neighbors -- it is FREE -- feel free to forward on this invitation
How: be prepared to BRIEFLY introduce yourself and describe your plant swap offerings
Bring:
~ a name tag - home-made or from work or school -- whatever works
~ pen and paper - you will want to take lots of notes as folks describe the plants and their growing conditions
~ plants to swap - pot them up NOW -- the longer they can get settled in their pots, the better their chance of success and survival - (no plants to share? see note below)
~ labels - fully label all your swap plants with as much info as you have - optimally that will include: common and scientific name, amount of sun needed, amount of water needed, any other special care notes, and color of the blooms (if it is not currently in flower)
What NOT to bring: common orange daylilies* and any invasive species - use this list to screen your plant offerings
*Hybrid daylilies are fine and totally welcome, but the common orange ones (aka "Ditch Lilies") usually end up with no takers and we end up having to throw them into compost.
What if you do not have plants to swap? Come anyway! Bring refreshments like cold drinks and yummy finger foods to share with the other swappers:-) Be sure to also bring cups, napkins, utensils, serving spoons, etc., if your food item requires those for consuming it.
A BIG thanks to FreshFarm Markets for hosting us and giving us the space to do this. Don't forget to shop at the market before the swap!
Fenton Friday: Tomato Time!
Labels: community gardens, edibles, Fenton, tomatoIt occurred to me this week that we have just reached our two-year anniversary at the Fenton Street Community Garden! On May 13, 2011 I posted my first weekly "Fenton Friday" report about our first days in the garden. It is very hard to believe it has only been two years in Plot #16.
One of the biggest changes from the start of the garden to now is that the soil is finally in decent shape. This week I added a big bag of aged horse manure from gardening friend, Lynn Title. I mixed that into a 3x3 foot area and that is where I planted my 9 tomato plants. Three are for me -- 'Sun Sugar,' 'Sun Gold,' and 'Yellow Pear' -- as I love the sweet, cherry-sized ones. The rest are tomato plants I was sent to trial (one of the great perks for being in the Garden Writers Association) -- three are grafted tomato plants from Mighty Mato and the other three are 'Sakura' Tomato from Harris Seeds. No cages for me this year. I find the PVC-coated green garden stakes and nylon ties work much better and take up much less room.
This week we had a "Bermuda High" weather front sitting on top of us, which meant several days in the 90-degree range and daily watering trips to my plot. Plus, worrying about my lettuce and other cool weather crops bolting (aka going to flower and setting seed) in this humid, sticky heat. So far, so good.
Every day I'm harvesting about a cup of Sugarsnap Peas, several bunches of Lettuce, and over a cup of Strawberries. I checked one of the Carrots, but they are still too small -- will give them another couple weeks. This coming week, I plan to put in melon, cucumber, and (new) okra seeds.
Here is an overview shot of my plot I took today by standing on a chair -- 10 ft wide by 20 ft long -- I have a wide border all around and a wide path in the window (I've learned long ago at my home garden that with edibles, access from all sides is key for weeding and harvesting. I have two long beds of about 3.5 ft wide and 18 ft long. On the left-hand bed, in order from front to back, are: Calendula flowers (not pictured), Sugarsnap peas with Basil and Nasturtium seedlings coming in below, Lettuce, Carrots, and four Potato hills. On the right-hand bed, in order from front to back, Strawberries (not pictured), Ornamental (hot) Pepper, Asparagus, a blank space where Okra seeds have yet to emerge, Bean seedlings, Garlic, Tomato plants, and lots of Cosmos.
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| an overview shot of my plot this week |
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| 9 tomato plants are finally in this week |
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| sugarsnap peas are ripe - picking about a cup a day |
Win Butterfly Exhibit Passes!
Running daily through mid-September, from 10:00am to 4:00pm, Brookside Gardens South Conservatory features live butterflies. Come witness the butterfly life cycle as tiny eggs hatch into crawling, chewing caterpillars, which then encase themselves in jewel-like chrysalides and emerge as sipping, flying adult butterflies. Learn about the best annual and tropical plants, and hardy shrubs that are used as nectar sources to attract butterflies to your own garden.
To enter to win one of the 5 pairs of passes, send an email with “Wings2013” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Friday, May 31. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, mailing address, and tell us: What Local Nursery/Garden Center You Shop at the Most and Why. The pass winners will be announced and notified by June 2. Some of the entry responses may be used in future online or print articles.
Fenton Friday: Seeing Red!
Labels: community gardens, edibles, Fenton, strawberry
I was so excited to arrive at the garden plot on Tuesday to see the strawberry plants covered in ripe fruit. What a change in just a few days! I sat right down and ate a handful -- just heavenly. I have picked a cup of fruit for my breakfast each day since. I found a few berries chewed on with ants on them. Sacrificing a few is alright, but any more than that and I will have to pull out the garden guns.
In the rest of my plot everything is up and growing well, except my okra. No sign of them at all. If they do not surface soon I will plant a new batch from Landreth Seeds.
New this week were some Sweet Potato slips another plot gardener left for communal use. I put them in quickly just so they would not dry out, but I think I will move them to a better location shortly.
The 'Bright Lights' Cosmos mix I had last year has re-seeded all over the back third of the plot and the Basil and Calendula also seeded all about. I thinned out a bit of them and also potted up several of the seedlings of each for the DC Tropics plant swap this Sunday. If they do well, I think I will pot up some more also for the Washington Gardener Magazine plant swap on June 16 at the H Street Farmers Market.
In the rest of my plot everything is up and growing well, except my okra. No sign of them at all. If they do not surface soon I will plant a new batch from Landreth Seeds.
New this week were some Sweet Potato slips another plot gardener left for communal use. I put them in quickly just so they would not dry out, but I think I will move them to a better location shortly.
The 'Bright Lights' Cosmos mix I had last year has re-seeded all over the back third of the plot and the Basil and Calendula also seeded all about. I thinned out a bit of them and also potted up several of the seedlings of each for the DC Tropics plant swap this Sunday. If they do well, I think I will pot up some more also for the Washington Gardener Magazine plant swap on June 16 at the H Street Farmers Market.
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| ripe strawberry! |
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| something chewed on a few |
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| beans getting bigger every day |
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| sweet potato slips are in |
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| nasturtium seedlings are up |
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| lettuce is booming - salad anyone? |
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