You would think that not a lot happens in January in the gardening world but actually I had to trim this list down to make it manageable! Although my aim is to focus on edibles, I can’t help but include a few cooking classes because after all, if you grow it, you have to figure out how to eat it! January is an exciting time, lots of lectures, classes, and workshops.
Saturday, January 9, Pruning workshop 9:30 am, hosted by Casey Trees at 50 Marina Drive Alexandria, VA 22314, Free but must register in advance http://www.caseytrees.org
Saturday January 9, Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist by Michael Judd, author and edible landscape designer, course #8082, 2:00 to 3:30 $14 ($13 for FOBG), registration required, Visitors Center Auditorium, Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902, (301) 962-1451; http://www.brooksidegardens.org
Tuesday January 12 through February 16, Landscape for Life gardening course developed by the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden. Learn how to transform home landscapes and public places into healthy refuges that benefit birds, pollinators, and other wildlife including the community and the Chesapeake Bay. Classes are Tuesday mornings 10:00 am to 12:30, January 12 through February 16, (snow date February 23), at the Crossroads United Methodist Church, 43454 Crossroads Drive, Ashburn, VA. Fee, $60, and must register, for more information e-mail landscapeforlifeclass@gmail.com
Wednesday, January 13, Backstage pass at the production facility of the U.S. Botanic Garden, 10:30 am to noon, free but must register in advance. Meet at the production facility on 4700 Shepherd Parkway, SW, Washington DC 20032. http://www.usbg.gov
Wednesday, January 13, Roots of Flavor, Join Adrienne and Danielle Cook in learning how to cook with turmeric and ginger root, course #8021, noon to 1:30 $35 ($31 FOBG) registration required, Visitors Center Auditorium, Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902, (301) 962-1451; http://www.brooksidegardens.org
Thursday, January 14, Join Adrienne and Danielle Cook in learning how to cook with turmeric and ginger root, noon and repeated again at 12:45 (also offered on Thursday, January 28 at noon and 12:45. Free; no registration required. U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street SW, Washington DC 20024; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
Saturday, January 16, Tea Tasting: Teas for Winter Health, 10-11:30 am. Taste a variety of the best teas and herbal infusions to boost immunity and cure the winter blues. Learn about their medicinal properties and discover new healthful brews to enjoy year round. Take home a sample. $22/person. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.
Sunday, January 17, Winter Lecture: Acts of Garden Wildness, 1:30-2:30 pm. Alan Ford and Laura Beaty of the Virginia Native Plant Society will show how to use a native plant palette to invite birds and beneficial insects to join your garden party. Learn about the natural relationships that bugs and birds have with these plants and how to recognize who has been visiting your garden. $10/person for advance registration ($12 for out-of-county registrants) or $12 at the door. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.
Monday, January 18, Lecture: Sugar: History, Botany, Production and Processing, 10:30 to noon, free and must register in advance. Conservatory Classroom of the U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street SW, Washington DC 20024; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
Thursday January 21, Horticulture Magazine’s webinar, “The Downsized Veggie Garden: How to Garden Small Wherever You Live, Whatever Your Space,” by Kate Copsey, 2:00 to 3:00 pm. The downsized garden is about adjusting your growing to small quarters. The audience will see what other creative gardeners have done to find room to grow herbs, tomatoes and other produce in a very small space. Kate Copsey is the author of The Downsized Veggie Garden (coming February 2016, St. Lynn’s Press). Free. http://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening-workshops
Saturday, January 23, Lecture: Making Scree Sexy, by Peter Couchman, Executive Director, High Glen Gardens. As a designer and horticulture manager at Verdant Garden Design in Brooklyn, Peter worked on creating private residential landscapes. With Green Roof Associates, he helped create and install a green roof on a new corporate building that “broke the mold” of what people consider a typical green roof. Currently he is leading the transition of High Glen Gardens, which includes a sizeable Mediterranean garden, from a private estate to a public garden. Join Peter as he discusses the challenges and successes of working with a wide range of plant species in these diverse sites. Free but must register in advance. Conservatory Classroom of the U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street SW, Washington DC 20024; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
Sunday, January 24, Winter Lecture: Is it Better or Just New?, 1:30-2:30 pm. With so many new perennials released every year, it can be difficult to distinguish legitimately better cultivars from those that are simply marketable. Through production trials, garden visits, vendor visits and conversations with other growers, plantsman Paul Westervelt has worked to select the true winners for our region. $10/person for advance registration ($12 for out-of-county registrants) or $12 at the door. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.
Thursday, January 28, Horticulture Magazine’s webinar, “Good Berry, Bad Berry: Identifying Wild Edible Plants in Your Area” by Helen Yoest, 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Foraging is hot right now, but did you know there are berries in your own back yard that you can eat? Have you walked your local greenway and wondered if the berries you spied were edible? Good Berry, Bad Berry is a homeowners guide to who’s edible, who’s toxic, and how to tell the difference. Free. http://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening-workshops
Friday, January 29, Garden Talk: Pruning Trees & Shrubs,1:30-2:30 pm. Master Gardeners offer basic pruning techniques and tips on tool selection to give you the confidence to tackle those pruning tasks in your landscape. $10/person. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.
Saturday, January 30, Lecture: The Science and Culture of Coffee, 10:30 am to noon, free but must register, U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street SW, Washington DC 20024; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
Saturday, January 30, Lecture: Bananas: Botany, History, Agriculture and Future, 2:00 to 3:30 pm, free but must register. U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street SW, Washington DC 20024; (202) 225-8333. http://www.usbg.gov
Saturday, January 30, Plight of Urban Bees, 10-11 am, Author Alison Gillespie shares their stories with you and teaches how you can help bees survive. Book signing to follow lecture. $10/person. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173. [As an aside, green springs has started a “Bee Programs” more lectures in February and March.]
Saturday January 30, Seed Exchange hosted by Washington Gardener Magazine at Brookside Gardens, (another one on Saturday, February 6 at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria). Both are 12:30 to 4:00 pm. Can register in advance or register at door. $20 or $15 for Friends of Brookside, Friends of Green Springs, and WG subscribers. http://www.washingtongardener.com
Sunday, January 31, Winter Lecture: The Art of Gardening, 1:30-2:30 pm. Meet Chanticleer gardener Joe Henderson as he shares content from the new book, The Art of Gardening: Design Inspiration and Innovative Planting Techniques from Chanticleer. Learn how techniques differ with site conditions and plant palettes; how to experiment successfully; and how to achieve union between plant and site. Book signing to follow. $10/person for advance registration ($12 for out-of-county registrants) or $12 at the door. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. Register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.
