May is the time for plant sales, home and garden tours, and festivals. So many that this is only a sample but enough to give you the feeling that the gardening season has begun!
1, Friday and 2, Saturday, starts at 10 am the 76th Annual Flower Mart sponsored by the Washington National Cathedral’s All Hallows Guild. This year’s festival celebrates Asia, free admission, rain or shine. National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20016; https://www.allhallowguild.org
2, Saturday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Ladew’s 7th Annual Garden Festival, fee required. 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111; (410) 557-9570; http://www.ladewgardens.com
2, 11:00 am on Saturday and on Sunday May 3, 1:00 pm, Garden Talk: Your Edible Garden: Choosing the right summer crops, growing in raised beds and containers, and uses for manure tea, taught by Carol Allen. Also, on May 31, Sunday, noon, Carol will discuss Growing Herbs in Containers and at 2:00 pm, she will discuss Growing a Kitchen Herb Garden. Free and do not have to register, Behnkes Nursery, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705; (301) 937-1100; http://behnkes.com
2, Saturday 10:30 am to noon, Composting & Vermicomposting workshop, hosted by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304; (703) 228-6414, e-mail mgarlalex@gmail.com, free but must register. http://www.mgnv.org
2, Saturday, 8:00 am to noon, London Town and Gardens Spring Plant Sale, 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater, MD 21037; (410) 222-1919. http://www.historiclondontown.com
3, Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 pm 42nd Annual Takoma Park House and Garden Tour, fee and rain or shine. http://www.historictakoma.org
3, Sunday through 30, Saturday, Annual Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage. Headquarters is at 6200 N. Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21212; (410) 821-6933. Must buy tickets, see web site for schedule to tour home and gardens in St. Mary’s, Dorchester, Anne Arundel, and Washington Counties and Baltimore City. http://www.mhgp.org
3, Saturday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Glencarlyn Library Community Garden Plant Sale, 300 S. Kensington Street, Arlington, VA 22204. Northern Virginia Master Gardeners available for garden-related questions. (703) 671-5310. http://mgnv.org
5, Tuesday, 11:00 am to noon, “Seed packets and plant labels” (free seeds), Simpson Park Demonstration Gardens, 420 E. Monroe Street, Alexandria, VA, by the YMCA. On the first Tuesday of the month, VCE Master Gardeners of Arlington and Alexandria will be at the Simpson Park to answer questions and feature a monthly highlight. http://mgnv.org
Wednesdays in the Garden, led by Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) volunteers and VCE Master Gardeners, these gardening sessions are Wednesdays,7:00 to 8:00 pm at the Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990, free. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks
- May 6: Garden structures and vertical gardening
- May 13: Gardening with and for kids
- May 20: No room? No problem. Growing food in small spaces
- May 27: Critter control–mammals, worms, slugs, etc.
8, Friday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Garden Fest in the Smithsonian Enid A. Haupt Garden (behind the Castle), family friendly event highlighting each of the Smithsonian Gardens and connecting people to plants through engaging hands on activities and educational demonstrations. This year will celebrate National Public Gardens Day with an array of activities focused on the importance of pollinators. http://www.gardens.si.edu
9, Saturday, 9:00 am to noon, Good Guys and Bad Guys (bugs in the garden) and Plant Sale, Saturdays in the Garden series, taught by Prince William Master Gardeners at the teaching Garden at St. Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA 20136. Free but must register. (703) 792-7747; e-mail: master_gardener@pwcgov.org http://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/vce/Pages/Saturday-in-the-Garden.aspx
9, Saturday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Eco Savvy Gardening Symposium: Evolving Gardens, (was originally scheduled in February), Green Springs, fee and must register by May 2. 4603 Green Spring Rd, Alexandria, VA 22312; (703) 642-5173 http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring
9, Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Silver Spring Garden Club’s GardenMart,74th Annual Plant Sale, at the Historic Silver Spring Train Station parking lot, 8100 Georgia Avenue, rain or shine, cash or check only
9, Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, 87th Georgetown Garden Tour, headquarters is at Christ Church 31st and O streets, NW, Washington DC, presented by the Georgetown Garden Club, tickets required, e-mail georgetowngardentour@gmail.com. sidenote: see website for new book called “Gardens of Georgetown: Exploring Urban Treasures,” text by Edith Schafer, photography by Jenny Gorman. http://www.georgetowngardentour.com
14, Thursday, 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, Bethesda Community Garden Club Plant Sale at the Bethesda Women’s Farm Market, 7155 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD http://www.bethesdacommunitygardenclub.org
16, Saturday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Combined event celebrating Endangered Species Day and Herb Day, representatives from the Herb Society of America and organizations working with threatened and endangered species will be available, free, no registration required. U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 225-8333; http://www.usbg.gov
16, Saturday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Green Spring’s Spring Garden Day, the Big Plant Sale. 4603 Green Spring Rd, Alexandria, VA 22312; (703) 642-5173 http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring
16, Saturday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sandy Spring Museum Garden club’s Garden Tour of Sandy Spring Maryland, (301) 774-0022. Tickets required. http://www.sandyspringmuseum.org
23, Saturday, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, Baltimore Herb Festival, $7 for adults, children 12 and younger are free and parking is free. Leakin Park, 1920 Eagle Drive, Baltimore, MD 21207; rain or shine. http://www.baltimoreherbfestival.com
30, Saturday, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Under the Arbor: Garden Classics, Lavender and Roses (in the National Herb Garden). Discover more about these plants; view the National Arboretum’s collections; and learn how to make soap with these herbs. Presented by the Potomac Unit of the Herb Society of America. Free, no registration required (202) 245-2726, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20003; http://www.usna.usda.gov
