Peg’s Picks: January 2017 Gardening Events for the Washington DC Metro Area

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!

Leave a Reply