“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
- Aldo Leopold
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
- Aldo Leopold
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 101: Sustainable Lawn Care
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-101.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 147: Sustainable Gardening Practices
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-147.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 117: Environmentally Friendly Gardening
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-117.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 189: Organic Gardening
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-189-organic.html
This episode is archived at:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Plastic-in-Gardening-e2ijckr
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.
SHOW NOTES will be posted after 4-23-2024.
Read more about the Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet initiative the April 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/april-2021-issue-of-washington-gardener.html
Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz
Interview Edit and Show Notes: Hannah Zozobrado
PIN THIS FOR LATER!
What are you growing in your edible garden this week?
About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 13th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).
What is a spring in the Mid-Atlantic without abundant azalea blooms? Masses of bright blossoms make for a wonderful sight after a long, cold winter. Sure, they can be over-used at times, but the reason we love them so much is because they are so successful and reliable in our gardens.
Azalea season runs from April through June with early-, mid-, and late-season blooming shrubs. (Though technically, with the new re-blooming varieties, the flowering season can extend through fall.) Be sure to re-visit some of these locations throughout the several weeks of bloom so you can enjoy the changing mix of colors as different varieties wax and wane.
A few years ago, Washington Gardener Magazine asked local azalea fans for their favorite bloom-viewing spots in our region. “I’ve always enjoyed the ride along Prosperity Avenue between Little River Turnpike and Route 50 in Fairfax County, VA. Many homes have beautiful, mature azaleas,” said Rick Bauer, president of the Northern Virginia Chapter, the Azalea Society of America.
“My first place vote will always go to the National Arboretum,” said Mike Welsh, retired city gardener for Takoma Park, MD. “It has everything: a great collection, many different forms and varieties, the wonderful lay of the land for viewing, and a central location. By far, the most fascinating lore and history. It gets better, year after year. All one needs do is to go and look at the faces of those visiting and witness first-hand their expressed pleasure and their interaction with those beautiful azaleas.”
Mike’s professional gardening domain was Takoma Park, MD, which is well-known for its many beautiful azaleas, in both private and public gardens. The location is the former home of Benjamin Y. Morrison, the famed horticulturist who was the founder and first director of the U. S. National Arboretum. Morrison is noted for cross-breeding different strains of azaleas to produce the Glenn Dale azaleas, which are prevalent today throughout the eastern United States. Morrison lived near Piney Branch Road and many of his Glenn Dale introductions can be seen throughout the city’s private home gardens and public parks.
Azaleas at the USNA bonsai collection. Photo courtesy of DCGardens.com |
Japanese
Andromeda (Pieris japonica)
is a landscape shrub that has clusters of delicate white or pink blossoms that
drip from the branches in early spring and are visited by a number of pollinators
such as the native Mason Bee. It is also known as the Lily-of-the-Valley
Shrub.
It has thick, glossy leaves that start off in shades of red
that turn a deep green as they mature. This evergreen is deer-resistant and
attractive in all seasons.
It is native to Asia and is a member of the Ericaceae family,
which includes rhododendrons.
It is hardy to USDA Zones 5 to 8. This shrub thrives in
part-shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil. Give it protection
from winter winds.
Spread pine needle mulch around the base of the plant and feed
it with a fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs such as that formulated for
camellias and azaleas.
Pruning is generally not necessary, but if you must do so,
cut it back after it finishes flowering. It can be propagated by stem cuttings.
Depending on the variety, it can reach 8 feet wide and high.
There are also dwarf cultivars available. Newer varieties have variegated
foliage and the smaller versions can be grown as container plants.
Pieris japonica: You Can Grow That!
The video was produced
by Washington Gardener Magazine.
Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Cassie Peo
➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up
and subscribe to our Youtube
channel (thank you!)
➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new
videos are out
➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE
~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com
~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener
~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/
~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine
~ Podcast: GardenDC
If you liked this video, we think you will like these Plant
Profiles:
~ Flowering Quince • Flowering Quince Plant Profile
~ Spirea • Spirea Plant Profile
~ Weigela • Weigela Plant Profile
~ Daphne • Daphne Plant Profile
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 144: Flowering Cherry Trees
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-144-flowering.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 119: Crapemyrtles
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/09/gardendc-podcast-episode-119.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 6: Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-6-spring.html
~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 106: Ancient Plants
https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-106-ancient.html
This episode is archived at:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/episodes/Dogwoods-e2i7jeq
BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
See how at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/support.
SHOW NOTES will be posted after 4-16-2024.
As you can see in the above photo, I was away last week so the Asparagus spears have gotten a bit tall. I went ahead and cut them in hopes that the tops are tender enough to still eat for dinner tonight.
We had more rain this week and fierce winds. I took down the old, faded items from our bulletin board and next week I will laminate replacements as well as a new sign at our pollinator garden strip. The pathways are freshly chipped and the community garden is looking great overall!
We planted the white onion sets and weeded a bit. The radish, arugula, and spinach seeds have emerged -- and I finally saw a few peas emerging too.
I still need to clear a space for planting the potatoes. I think I may do them in a grow bag, because everywhere I think to put the potatoes is a spot I have something else coming up (dahlias) or planned to go in (tomatoes, peppers, and okra).
What are you growing in your edible garden this week?
About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 13th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).
Today is Amazon Prime Day, so I thought I'd again share the garden products I use almost every day. These are the tried-and-true w...