Tag Archives: Washington

Peg’s Picks: September Gardening Events in Washington DC Metro Area

Here are Peg’s Picks for September 2015 gardening events focusing on edible gardening in the Washington DC metropolitan area.

Arlington Central Library hosts the “Garden Talks” series of free presentations every Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm. The website lists the topics and provides gardening resources for gardeners in the area. 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA; (703) 228-5990. http://www.library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks/

  • September 2: Putting the herb garden to bed for the winter
  • 9: Cover crops and crop rotations
  • 16: Extending the season: cold frames, row covers, etc.
  • 23: Inside Arlington kitchens: tasting our cultures
  • 30: Preparing the garden for winter: tool and garden bed care

3, Thursday, Using Fresh Herbs in Summer Cocktails, 6 to 8 pm with a rain date of September 4, 6 to 8 pm, National Herb Garden, U.S. National Arboretum. Must register via e-mail, fee is $59 or $47 if a FONA member. Fee includes food and drinks, a garden tour, and demonstrations. 2400 R Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. http://www.usna.usda.gov

11, Friday, Garden Talk: Edibles: Mix It Up. Green Spring, 1:30 to 2:30 pm. Must register; $10 fee.4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. (703) 642-5173. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring/events.htm

12, Saturday, Fall chores in the garden: clean up, plant division, soil preparation, fall cover crops in the cooks garden, MGPW plant sale, 9:00 am to noon, “Saturdays in the Garden” at the Teaching Garden at St. Benedict Monastery, presentations are given by VCE Prince William Master Gardener Volunteers. 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136; Free but must register (703) 792-7747. E-mail: master-gardener@pwcgov.orghttp://pwcgov.org/grow

12, Saturday, Friends of Brookside Gardens annual plant sale, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Brookside Gardens Service Hill, follow signs on Glenallen Avenue, Wheaton, MD.  (301) 962-1435. http://www.friendsofbrooksidegardens.org

12, Saturday, Fall Herb Faire, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Free admission, parking, classes and tours. Lavender Fields Herb Farm, 11300 Winfrey Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059; (804) 262-7167; http://www.lavenderfieldsfarm.com

14, Monday, through October 5, Landscape for Life (sustainable gardening practices), Monday evenings 6:30 to 9:30 pm with a field trip on October 3.  Crossroads United Methodist Church, 43454 Crossroads Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147. $60 and must register, call Sharon Hines (703) 729-5100 to register or e-mail instructor Nan McCarry at landscapeforlifeclass@gmail.com for more information. http://www.landscapeforlife.org

19, Saturday, Fall Garden Day & Plant Sale at Green Spring, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. (703) 642-5173. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring/events.htm

26, Saturday, Hot! New! Plants! Walking tour. 9:00 to 10:30 am, meet in visitor center at the U.S. National Arboretum. Hot: thrive in hot humid weather; New: creative designs include new cultivars; Plants: incorporated into striking designs. Free but registration recommended. Call (202) 245-2708 to register. 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20002. http://www.usna.usda.gov

9th Annual Heritage Harvest Festival, September 11-12, at Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia

The 9th Annual Heritage Festival is presented by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello in partnership with the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Each year the Heritage Harvest Festival honors Jefferson’s legacy with this fun, affordable, family-oriented, educational event promoting gardening, sustainability, local food, and the preservation of heritage plants. Participants enjoy tastings, workshops, hands on demonstrations, interpretive walks, and a variety of garden tours and exhibits.  Friday and Saturday offer more than 100 programs and workshops, 90 vendors and exhibitors, and sample food from local farms and restaurants. On Thursday, September 10, from 1 to 4: pm, there is a special presentation with Craig LeHoullier author of Epic Tomatoes; Nan Chase, author of Drink the Harvest; and Ira Wallace, author of the Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast. Afterwards, there will be questions and answers, book signings, and a tomato tasting. For more information, including ticket information, see http://www.heritageharvestfestival.com.

Peg’s Picks for June Gardening Events in the Washington DC Metro Area

Peg’s Picks for June 2015 Gardening Events in the Washington DC Metro Area, with an emphasis on edibles

3, Wednesday, 10:00 to 11:30 am or 4, Thursday, 10:00 to 11:30 am, Herb Container Garden, fee and must register, Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902; http://www.brooksidegardens.org

6, Saturday, 10:00 am to noon, Saturdays in the Garden: Keep Your Garden Growing Strong, presented by the VCE Loudoun County Master Gardeners, free. Outside at the Loudoun County Master Gardeners demo garden, Ida Lee Park, Leesburg, VA. http://www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org

6, Saturday, Joe Yonan, food/dining editor at the Washington Post and author of “Eat Your Vegetables,” will talk on eating and growing vegetables, 2-3 pm. The U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington DC; (202) 225-8333; free but must register. There are many more events and exhibits; check out the USBG’s calendar on their web site, http://www.usbg.gov

6, Saturday, Behnke Nurseries’ Annual Garden Party, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Behnkes, 11300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD; (301) 937-1100. http://www.behnkes.com

6 & 7, Saturday and Sunday, Virginia Herb Festival, hosted by the Sunflower Cottage Garden Center; admission fee required.150 Ridgemont Road, Middletown, VA 22645; (540) 869-8482. http://www.virginiaherbfestival.com

12, Friday, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, A Permaculture Homestead, spend a summer morning at local author and permaculture expert Michael Judd’s homestead. Fee and must register, meet at Wheaton Regional Park, 11715 Orebaugh Avenue, Wheaton, MD, for van transportation, register via http://www.parkPASS.org

13, Saturday, 9:00 am to noon, Saturday in the Garden: A Walk Through the Native Bed and tips and tricks used in the Drought Tolerant Bed. Taught by VCE Prince William Master Gardeners at the teaching garden at St. Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136. Free but must register. E-mail master_gardener@pwcgov.org or call 703 792-7747

13, Saturday, 11:00 am, 8th annual DC plant swap hosted by The Washington Gardener at the U.S. National Arboretum, R Street parking lot, Washington, DC 20002. For more information & instructions on how to do a plant swap, check out “events” on http://www.usna.usda.gov

18, Thursday, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, “Managing Pests and Diseases in the Landscape.” Presented by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia at the Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22206. Offered again on Saturday, June 20, 10:30 to noon at Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria. Free but must register. http://www.mgnv.org

19, Friday, Todd Brethauer, USBG science education volunteer, will talk about “The Right Soil and Fertilizers,” noon to 1:00 pm. The U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington DC; (202) 225-8333; free but must register. http://www.usbg.gov

27, Saturday, Under the Arbor: In Love with Lavender, at the National Arboretum’s National Herb Garden, presented by the Potomac Unit of the Herb Society of America, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, free. 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20002. http://www.usna.usda.gov

The Arlington Central Library hosts the “Garden Talks” series of free, one-hour presentations every Wednesday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm starting in mid-March through the end of October. The web site lists the topics and also serves as a resource for gardening in the area. 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA; (703) 228-5990. http://library.arlingtonva.us/events/garden-talks/

  • June 3:             Insect pests & beneficiaries
  • June 10:           Weeds, mulches, tillage
  • June 17:           to be determined
  • June 24:           Pollination, pollinators, and perennials

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation is offering over 50 free garden workshops from May through September, taught by the leaders of DC’s urban garden movement. Each class is 2 hours long, on Monday or Wednesday evening, and there are various Saturday field trips. Free but must register online at http://www.dcdpr.asapconnected.com. For a full list of classes and locations, check out http://dpr.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dpr/publication/attachments/SummerGardenWorkshopSeries2015.pdf

For further questions, contact the DPR community garden specialist, Joshua Singer, e-mail: Joshua.singer@dc.gov. Here is a sample of June topics:

  • medicinal and edible plant walk
  • garden pests and diseases
  • edible annuals tour
  • native and invasive identification walk
  • garden leadership course
  • urban fruit tree management