Despite the cold there are plenty of gardening related activities in our Washington DC metropolitan area!
5, Thursday, The Healing Nature of Gardening by registered horticultural therapist Jan P. Lane, 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Rust Library, Old Waterford Road, Leesburg. Free and sponsored by the Loudoun County Master Gardeners. http://www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org
10, Tuesday, Microgreens: What are they, why they are so fabulous, and how to grow them, 7:00-8:00 pm. Free and must register in advance, Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford Street, Arlington. Also offered on January 17 at Barrett Branch Library in Alexandria. E-mail: mgarlalex@gmail.com. http://www.mgnv.org
13, Friday, Tour: Marvelous Morphology, noon to 1:00 pm. Free, but must register, U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
14, Saturday, Lecture: Rock Gardening: Reimagining a Classic Style by Joseph Tychoneivich, author of same book, 10:30 am to noon, free but must register in advance. U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
14, Saturday, opening of exhibit on the New American Garden: The Landscape Architecture of Oehme, van Sweden. Exhibit runs until March 26 and is open from Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Vollmer Visitor Center, Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore http://www.cylburn.org
15, Sunday, Winter Lecture: How Plants Got Stripes. 1:30 to 3:00 pm. Joseph Tychonievich shares the science and secrets behind variegated and patterned leaves. Fee and must register in advance at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring
16, Monday, Lecture: Sugar: History, Botany, Production and Processing, 10:30 am to noon. Free, but must register, U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
17, Tuesday, Microgreens: What are they, why they are so fabulous, and how to grow them, 7:00-8:00 pm. Free and must register in advance, Barrett Branch Library, 717 Queen Street, Alexandria, VA. Also offered on January 10 at Fairlington Community Center. E-mail: mgarlalex@gmail.com. http://www.mgnv.org
21, Saturday, Houseplants 101: All the Basics and More by Carol Allen. 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Free, Behnke Nurseries Garden Center, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD. (301) 937-1100. http://www.behnkes.com
22, Sunday, Winter Lecture: New Horizons for the Native Plant Movement. 1:30 to 3:00 pm. Thomas Rainer explores current trends in leading-edge planting design and how native plant advocacy groups must adapt to meet the needs of an urbanizing planet. Fee and must register in advance at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring
23, Monday, Keeping Ahead of the Jones: Sourcing New and Rare Plants by Jim Dronenburg, Free. Doors open at 7:30 pm and lecture starts at 8:00 pm. Hosted by the Silver Spring Garden Club at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. (301) 962-1451. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
24, Tuesday, Terrarium workshop. 10:00 am to 11:30 am. Fee and must register. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. (301) 962-1451. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
25, Wednesday, Tour: Backstage Pass: The U.S. Botanic Garden’s Production Facility, 10:30 am to noon. Free but register in advance and meet at the facility at 4700 Shepherd Parkway, SW, Washington DC. Register via USBG’s website, http://www.usbg.gov
26, Thursday, Tour: Behind the Scenes at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Production Facility, 10:30 to 11:30 am. Free but register in advance and meet at the facility at 4700 Shepherd Parkway, SW, Washington DC. Register via USBG’s website, http://www.usbg.gov
26, Thursday, Vegetable Gardening Part I: Jumpstart Your Garden with Seeds, 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Free and must register in advance. Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA. Also offered on January 28 at the Westover Branch Library in Arlington. E-mail: mgarlalex@gmail.com. http://www.mgnv.org
28, Saturday, Vegetable Gardening Part I: Jumpstart Your Garden with Seeds, 10:30 am to noon. Free and must register in advance. Westover Branch Library, 1644 N. McKinley Road, Arlington, VA. Also offered on January 26 at Burke Branch Library. E-mail: mgarlalex@gmail.com. http://www.mgnv.org
28, Saturday, Garden Program: Small Space Food Garden. 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Smithsonian gardener Matt Burch provides strategies for creating a productive food garden that will add flavorful variety to your meals even when space is at a premium. Fee and must register in advance at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring
28, Saturday, Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange, 12:30 to 4:00 pm, Brookside Gardens, register online at WGSeedExchange-Brookside.brownpapertickets.com (also offered on February 4 at Green Spring Gardens, 12:30 to 4:00 pm, register at WGSeedExchange-GreenSpring.brownpapertickets.com). Admission fee is $20 but $15 if a Washington Gardener Magazine subscriber, or a “Friends of Green Spring” or “Friends of Brookside Gardens”
28, Saturday, In Offense of Colds and Flu. 10:00 am to noon. Learn which herbs are good for immunity and make a tea blend to boost your immunity this winter. Fee and registration required. Willow Oak Flower and Herb Farm, 8109 Telegraph Road, Severn, MD. (410) 551-2237. http://www.willowoakherbs.com
28, Saturday, Class: Trees 101, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Free but register in advance. Casey Trees, 3030 12th Street, NE, Washington DC. http://www.caseytrees.org
29, Sunday, Winter Lecture Series: Summer Flowering Bulbs. 1:30 to 3:00 pm. Jenks Farmer will share creative design ideas combining summer bulbs like crinum and perennials to add “wow” to the summer garden. Fee and must register in advance at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring
The Merrifield Garden Center seminars that are held on the weekends will start on January 14, Saturday, stay tuned!
