May has more than 60 gardening events, workshops, lectures, plant sales, and home and garden tours in the greater Washington DC area.
2, Tuesday, Gardener’s Focus: Woodland Path, 2:45 pm. Fee is included in suggested donation, limited tickets. Also offered on Thursday, May 4, and Saturday May 6 at same time. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
2, Tuesday, Container and Balcony Gardening, 7-8:30 pm, free but advance registration requested. Presented by VCE Master Gardeners. Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford Street, Arlington. http://www.mgnv.org
3, Wednesday, Foraging for Wild Edibles. 7:00 pm. Wednesdays in the Garden Series, led by Arlington Food Assistance Center volunteers and Master Gardeners. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990, free and no need to register. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks
3, Wednesday, Lecture: A Year in Half Circle Garden, by Dave Leaverton. Sponsored by Annapolis Horticultural Society, 7:00 pm, open to the public, and free. St. Anne’s Parish Hall, 199 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD. http://www.annapolishorticulture.org
4, Thursday, Gardener’s Focus: Woodland Path, 2:45 pm. Fee is included in suggested donation, limited tickets. Also offered on Tuesday, May 2, and Saturday May 6 at same time. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
4, Thursday, Getaway: Charlottesville Private Gardens, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Coach bus leaves from Green Spring, is an all day trip. 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
5, Friday, Lecture: Epic Tomatoes from YOUR gardens: Stories, history and tips for success by Craig LeHoullier, gardening author and lecturer, noon to 1:00 pm, Free and pre-registration required. Conservatory Classroom, U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC. http://www.usbg.gov
5, Friday, Garden Talks with Master Gardeners: Gardening for Birds, 1:30 to 2:30, 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
5, Friday, 10 to 6; and 6, Saturday, 10 to 5, Flower-Mart at the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington DC. Free. http://www.allhallowsguild.org/Flower-Mart/flower-mart/
5, Friday and 6, Saturday and 12 and 13, 9 to 5 pm. Lavender Field Farm Spring Herb Faire. Free admission and parking, rain or shine. 11300 Winfrey Road, Glen Allen, VA. http://www.lavenderfieldsfarm.com
6, Saturday, plant (seedling) sales, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm., Eastern Senior High School, 1700 East Capitol Street NE. Hosted by Mighty Greens. http://cityblossoms.org/mightygreens/
6, Saturday, Gardener’s Focus: Woodland Path, 2:45 pm. Fee is included in suggested donation, limited tickets. Also offered on Thursday, May 4, and Tuesday, May 2 at same time. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
6, Saturday, Hanging Basket Workshop, 10:00 am to noon and 1:30 to 3:30. Fee and must register. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
6, Saturday, Teacup Topiaries, 10:00 to 11:30 am. 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
6, Saturday, Ladew Garden Festival: Specialty Plants and Garden Ornaments, 10 to 4:00 pm, free. Ladew Topiary Garden, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD. http://www.ladewgardens.com
6, Saturday, 1:30 to 5:00; 7, Sunday, 9:30 to 4:30 pm; 20, Saturday, 1:30 to 5:00 pm; 21, Sunday, 9:30 to 4:30 pm Orchid Diagnostic and Repotting Clinic. Free advice but a fee for repotting. Behnke Nurseries Garden Center, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD. http://www.behnkes.com
6, Saturday, Summer Annual Container, 10:00 am to noon, fee and registration required Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
6, Saturday, Carroll County; and 13, Saturday, Baltimore County/Oella: Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage, tickets required. http://www.mhgp.org
6, Saturday, Confidential Backyard Composting, 9:00 am to noon. Teaching Garden at St. Benedict Monastery. Hosted by the Prince William Master Gardeners. 9535, Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA. Free but must register and dress for weather. http://www.pwcgov.org/grow
6, Saturday, Sustainable Landscaping 4: Maintaining the Sustainable Yard, 9:00 am to noon, free but advance registration requested. Hosted by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford Street, Arlington. http://www.mgnv.org
6, Saturday, Transitioning from a spring to summer vegetable garden, 10 to 11:00 am. Free garden talk followed by a Q&A session, Saturday in the Garden Series hosted by the Loudoun County Master Gardeners, Loudoun County Master Gardeners’ demo garden, Ida Lee Park, Leesburg, VA. http://www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org
6, Saturday, noon to 5:00 pm. May Day Music Festival, Potomac Overlook Park, 2845 Marcey Road, Arlington. Meet the Master Gardeners who maintain the Organic Vegetable Demonstration Garden. They will be available during the festival to answer organic gardening questions. Free, no registration necessary. http://www.mgnv.org
7, Sunday, Glencarlyn Library Community Garden Plant Sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 300 S Kensington St, Arlington, VA. Hosted by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. http://www.mgnv.org
7, Sunday, Takoma Park House and Garden Tour, 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Ticket required. http://www.historictakoma.org
7, Sunday, Spring Open House and Plant Sale (local ecotype plants), 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. EarthSangha Nursery is in Franconia Park, Cloud Drive, Springfield VA. http://www.earthsangha.org
9, Tuesday, Obsession and Exploitation: A Cultural History of Trilliums, presented by C. Colston Burrell, sponsored by the Horticultural Society of Maryland. 7:30 pm. Vollmer Center Auditorium, Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD. members free, nonmembers fee. http://www.mdhorticulture.org
9, Tuesday, 11:00 to noon, Simpson Gardens Stroll at the Simpson Park Demonstration Gardens, 420 E. Monroe Street, Alexandria, free and no registration necessary. Talk with Master Gardeners who maintain the garden. http://www.mgnv.org
10, Wednesday, Gardening with Your Children. 7:00 pm. Wednesdays in the Garden Series, led by Arlington Food Assistance Center volunteers and Master Gardeners. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990, free and no need to register. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks
11, Thursday, Wings and Wine, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, fee and registration required. Learn about butterflies, sample several wine varieties and enjoy light refreshment as butterflies and music swirl around in the tropical conservatory. Finish off the evening with a decadent desert. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
11, Thursday, Behind the scenes at the US. Botanic garden production facility, 10:30 to 11:30 am, meet in the lobby of the production facility, pre-registration required. Also on Wednesday May 24, 10:30 am to noon. U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC. http://www.usbg.gov
11, Thursday, Bethesda Community Garden Club plant sale, 7:00 am to 1:00 pm., Bethesda Farm Women’s Market, 7155 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD. http://www.bethesdacommunitygardenclub.org
13, Saturday, Growing a Cutting Garden, 10:00 to 11:30 am, Fee and must register. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
13, Saturday, Market Day, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. admission is free but there is a fee to park, Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD. http://www.cylburn.org
13, Saturday, Beltsville Garden Club Plant Sale, 8:00 am to noon, High Point High School parking lot, 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD, sponsored by the Beltsville Garden Club, http://www.beltsvillegardenclub.org
13, Saturday, Silver Spring Garden Club’s GardenMart plant sale, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Brookside Gardens, Visitors Center South Terrace, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD http://www.brooksidegardens.org
13, Saturday, Georgetown Garden Tour, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tickets required. Headquarters is Christ Church, 31st and O Street NW. http://www.georgetowngardenclubdc.org
13, Saturday, 4:00 to 7:00 pm and Sunday, 14, noon to 5:00 pm. Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s Annual House and Garden Tour. Tickets required. http://www.chrs.org
13, Saturday, Vegetable Gardening Throughout the Year, 2:00 pm, free. Behnke Nurseries Garden Center, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD. http://www.behnkes.com
13, Saturday, Container Garden Workshop: Bright Summer Annuals, 10:00 am to 11:00 am or 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Fee and must register. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
13, Saturday, Great Falls Garden Club plant sale, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA. http://www.gfgardenclub.org
14, Sunday, Small Space Vegetable Gardening 2:00 pm. free. Behnke Nurseries Garden Center, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD. http://www.behnkes.com
13 & 14, Saturday (10 to 6) and Sunday (10 to 5), Annual DC Green Festival at the Washington DC Convention Center, Admission fee. https://www.greenfestivals.org/washington-d-c-2017-may-12-14.html#!243
16, Tuesday, Garden Program: Gable Rhododendrons. 7:30 to 8:30 pm. 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
17, Wednesday, Weeds 101: Keeping Those Weeds at Bay. 7:00 pm. Wednesdays in the Garden Series, led by Arlington Food Assistance Center volunteers and Master Gardeners. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990, free and no need to register. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks
20, Saturday, Workshop: Growing Dahlias, 2-3:30 pm. Fee and must register, Greenhouse Classroom at Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD. http://www.cylburn.org
20, Saturday, Spring Garden Day — the Big Plant Sale, 9 am-3 pm. Sponsored by Friends of Green Spring. Free admission. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring/
20, Saturday, Gail Gee’s Peony Garden, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Fee, which includes transportation and snack. Must register. Meet at the Visitors Center at Brookside to visit a Fulton MD garden with more than 400 peonies. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
20, Saturday, Herb Garden Container Workshop, 10:00 am to noon or 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Fee and must register. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC. http://www.hillwoodmuseum.org
20, Saturday, and 21, Sunday, Loudoun County, VA, Spring Farm Tour, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, free, self-guided tour in Loudoun County, no tickets required. See map and participating farms as well as craft beverages and special events. http://www.loudounfarms.org
20, Saturday, and 21, Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 pm, Beyond the Garden Gates Garden Tour of gardens in downtown Frederick, MD. Tickets required. http://www.celebratefrederick.com/events/garden-tour/
21, Sunday, 2-5 pm, Annual Shepherd Park Citizens Association Garden tour, ticket required. Self-guided tour of gardens in Shepherd Park in Northwest Washington DC. http://www.shepherdpark.org/garden.html
22, Monday, Lawn Substitute: Easy Alternatives for Beauty and Nature. 7:00 to 8:30 pm., free and no registration necessary. Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, 270 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria. http://www.mgnv.org
23, Tuesday, Rediscover Bartholdi Park, 10:30 to 11:30 am, Tour meets by the Bartholdi Park Fountain, free, pre-registration required. U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC. http://www.usbg.gov
24, Wednesday, Behind the scenes at the US. Botanic garden production facility, 10:30 to noon, meet in the lobby of the production facility, pre-registration required. Also on Thursday May 11, 10:30 am to 11:30 am. U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC. http://www.usbg.gov
24, Wednesday, Lecture: Franciscan Monastery Gardens, 7:30 pm, free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Beltsville Garden Club, Duckworth School, 11201 Evans Trail, Beltsville, MD. http://www.beltsvillegardenclub.org
24, Wednesday, Garden Structure: Support, Going Vertical and Rabbit and Deer Control. 7:00 pm. Wednesdays in the Garden Series, led by Arlington Food Assistance Center volunteers and Master Gardeners. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990, free and no need to register. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks
24, Wednesday, Lecture: Nature’s Temples: The Complex World of Old-Growth Forests with Joan Maloof, (author of same book), 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Book signing. Fee and must register, Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD. http://www.cylburn.org
25, Thursday, Mosquitos and Ticks: Identification and Control, 7-8:30 pm, Burke Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria. Sponsored by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. Free and advance registration requested. http://www.mgnv.org
27, Saturday, Baltimore Herb Festival 2017 Year of Cilantro, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, Leakin Park, 1920 Eagle Park, Baltimore, outdoor rain or shine, fee but free parking, http://www.baltimoreherbfestival.com
27, Saturday, Herb Gardening: From the Everyday to the Unusual, 2:00 pm, free. Behnke Nurseries Garden Center, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD. http://www.behnkes.com
28, Sunday, Flowers, Berries, Bark: Designing a Garden for Interest Throughout the Year, 2:00 pm, free. Behnke Nurseries Garden Center, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD. http://www.behnkes.com
31, Wednesday, Stormwater Solutions: Conservation Landscapes and Rain Gardens, 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Fee and must register. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD. http://www.brooksidegardens.org
31, Wednesday, Top 10 Vegetable Diseases, 7:00 pm. Wednesdays in the Garden Series, led by Arlington Food Assistance Center volunteers and Master Gardeners. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990, free and no need to register. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks
The DC Parks and Recreation has a Summer Garden Workshop Series. Free workshops until September. Focused on practical urban gardening and taught by the leaders of DC urban garden movement. Check out the website for more details: https://dpr.dc.gov/node/1124742
Right around the corner so make your reservations now!
June 1, Thursday, evening dinner and lecture with Brie Arthur, author of The Foodscape Revolution, 5:00 to 6:45 pm dinner in Café, garden admission included, weather permitting, 7:00 pm lecture in Barn Gallery with book sale. Fee and must register. Ladew Topiary Garden, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD. http://www.ladewgardens.com
