Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Spring is almost here!   Below are some gardening tips, educational opportunities, and events to prepare for Spring in March. Events include the Orchid Show at Brookside Gardens, Green Matters Symposium at Brookside Garden, Earth Day events, Gardening Expo in Silver Spring, the Montgomery Park’s Spring and Summer Festival events, a Grow It Eat It Open House in May at Derwood, MD, and more!  Don’t miss our meeting on Tuesday, March 22nd, starting at 7:30 pm with Master Gardener Marie Rojas’ talk about “Bees, Beneficials, and Blooms” on honey bees, native bees, and other beneficial insect pollinators and what to plant for them!

Planning:

• Mark beds outside where new plants are to go.
• See this list of native plants for bees to plan your garden.
  • Reliable Lists of Native Plants for Bees – EcoBeneficial! ®
    Native plants which benefit bees. | EcoBeneficial! ®
• Gardens of Maryland
  Spring brings the best time to visit Maryland’s public gardens.
  Plan ahead to enjoy these gardens!
• Don’t miss this weekend’s Orchid Show and Sale at Brookside Gardens! March 19, 10 – 4 p.m.; March 20, 10 – 3 p.m.
  
  

Flowers and Groundcovers:

• How to use mulch, and problems to avoid. Two info-packed pamphlets: (Virginia Tech)
• Deadhead pansies and bulbs. Plant pansies. Transplant seedlings into individual 3″-4″ pots when crowded.
• Fertilize summer flowering bulbs.
• Divide perennials.
• Cut perennials and over-wintering ornamental grasses to 2 inches above ground.
• Plant and prune roses.
• Start seeds for: Mallow, Dwarf Zinnias, Cosmos, Celosia, Tall Marigolds, Tall Zinnias.
  • How to Grow Plants from Seeds & Cuttings – Empress of Dirt
    Good tips. | Empress of Dirt
• Attracting Hummingbirds (Wildlife Outreach Center)
  How to attract hummingbirds, with a chart of plants and growing time schedule.
• Bad Plants Planted by Good People – Maryland’s Wild Acres
  Not all plants sold at nurseries are good for the environment. Here is a list of species currently sold at nurseries that should be avoided.
• Invasive plants can sometimes be hard to distinguish from natives. | Delaware Department of Agriculture and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services. Here is an identification guide for the MidAtlantic region in the US.
• Decline of Pollinators Poses Threat to World Food Supply, Report Says | The New York Times.
  “The first global assessment of the threats to creatures that pollinate the world’s plants world’s plants was released by a group affiliated with the United Nations on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Without an international effort, a new report warns, increasing numbers of species that promote the growth of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of food each year face extinction.”
• Unprecedented scientific report says decline of pollinators a threat to food security
  Protect pollinators… Now. | The Chicago Tribune
• Diseases to watch for: Damping off of seedlings.
• Pests to watch for: Aphids, slugs, snails
• See UMD’s HGIC’s March Flower tips for more details.

Trees and Shrubs:

• Prune out Eastern tent caterpillar egg masses.
• Prune summer-flowering trees, except crepe myrtle.
• Begin planting when soil is not too wet.
• Prune butterfly bush to 8″ – 10″.
• Rejuvenate prune hollies.
• Fertilize plants not getting ready to bloom if needed.
• Diseases to watch for: Fireblight, Phomopsis on new growth of juniper, Cytospora canker on Spruce.
• Test soil pH on some hydrangeas and adjust: pH 5-5.5 = blue; pH 6-6.5 = pink
• Pest to watch for: Easter tent caterpillar
• See HGIC’s March Trees and Shrubs Tips for more details.

Lawns:

• Test soil if you haven’t already!
• Dethatch if necessary and plug aerate BEFORE applying weed control.
• Apply pre-emergent crabgrass and/or broadleaf weed control when forsythia finishes blooming.
• Reseed bare spots or overseed (through early April).
• Lawn Weed Identification | University of Maryland Extension

  Lawn weed ID and control options from UMD Extension.
• See HGIC’s March Lawn Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants:

• Repot larger plants that are going outside for the summer.
• Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
• Pests to watch for: Spidermites, mealybug, scale, aphids
• See HGIC’s March Houseplants Tips for more tips.
  

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

• Watch for termites, fleas, and carpenter ants. Also, Elm leaf beetle, leaf-footed bugs, Asian ladybird beetles, boxelder bugs, cluster flies, stink bugs  and other species  may wake up during spells of warm weather in March.
• Slugs and Snails | University of Maryland Extension
  Slugs and snails can be a problem in the garden as they feed on a wide variety of plants.

• Save the Honey Bees Lecture. On Thursday, March 31 at 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM, University of Maryland, Bioscience Research Building, Room 1103 | FREE
  Dr. vanEngelsdorp gives a free lecture on efforts to save the honey bees.

• See HGIC’s March Insect Tips for more details.

• Keep bird feeders clean and filled.

• Set out traps for mice, moles, and voles.

• Resistance of Ornamentals to Deer Damage (FS-655) | University of Maryland Extension
  A list of plants classified by level of deer resistance.

• For more information on wildlife management and attracting wildlife see HGIC’s March Wildlife tips.

Source: University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC).

March

See below for upcoming local events in March. Don’t miss our meeting on Tuesday, March 22nd, starting at 7:30 pm with Master Gardener Marie Rojas’ talk about “Bees, Beneficials, and Blooms” on honey bees, native bees, and other beneficial insect pollinators and what to plant for them!

MCT Garden Club March Meeting Topic: Bees, Beneficials, and Blooms

Hi Fellow Gardeners and Neighbors!
In March, the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club will have Master Gardener Marie Rojas talk about honey bees, native bees, and other beneficial insect pollinators and what to plant for them.  As always, refreshments will be provided. Please come join us – all are welcome!  Below are the details.

• Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
• Topic: Bees, Beneficials, and Blooms
• Speaker: Marie Rojas, Master Gardener
• Location: Mill Creek Towne Elementary All Purpose Room
• Hostesses: MCT Garden Club members

Dear MCT Friends, Neighbors,

Please help support the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club by participating in our Spring Flower Power Fundraiser. For every purchase made on this site (click on link below for details), Flower Power Fundraising will give 50% back to Mill Creek Towne Garden Club. Flower Power offers top-quality flower bulbs with an absolutely exciting Spring product line-up, which includes Mixed Coneflowers, Stargazer lilies, and many others. All orders ship directly to your home and come with a 100% money-back guarantee. The deadline for orders is Friday, April 15, 2016.

Funds will help defray the costs for landscaping/maintenance of Mill Creek Towne’s main entrances and garden-related educational programs for the Derwood community! Thank you for all your help and contributions!

Mill Creek Towne Garden Club 

www.mctgardenclub.org

Flower Power Page link:

http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/campaign?campaign_id=22502

Montgomery Parks Special Events & Festivals

More events are being added regularly. Please check back often!

Egg Hunt at Meadowside Nature Center

Friday, March 25

Times Vary | Meadowside Nature Center $8 | 2-12 years old. Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org Search for real eggs in our meadow, then dye and decorate the eggs you find. Enjoy other spring-themed activities throughout the event as well. Fun for the entire family! Don’t forget to bring your basket to collect your eggs. Reservations are required to ensure enough eggs for all!

Register

US Botanical Garden’s Orchids in Focus Exhibit

Orchids in Focus February 27 – April 17, 2016

US Botanical Garden, Washington, DC

Conservatory Garden Court and East Gallery Orchids in Focus, in partnership with Smithsonian Gardens, highlights the world’s largest plant family and the USBG’s most extensive plant collection. Found on every continent except Antarctica, orchids amaze with their diversity of forms and colors. Come see for yourself why these exotic beauties have inspired artists and photographers for centuries. Immerse yourself in a floral paradise of orchids from the forest canopy down to the ground, and focus your own camera on these unique and beautiful plants. Learn more » – See more at: https://www.usbg.gov/exhibits#sthash.DrlBIZSz.dpuf

Find Your Park – Visit Montgomery County – Conference and Visitors Bureau

Get outdoors and enjoy the weather! #FindYourPark | Visit Montgomery

Spring Events 2016 – Visit Montgomery County – Conference and Visitors Bureau

• Spring is approaching! ?Save the date for these upcoming Spring events! Events include activities at Butler’s Orchards, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Paws in the Park, Montgomery County GreenFest to celebrate Earth Day, and more!

20 Great Walks Around Washington, DC | Washingtonian

• As the weather warms up, here’s a list of some awesome walks in the Washington, DC area.

April

History in the Parks Season Opening Celebrations: Special Night Hikes on the Underground Railroad Experience Trail

Friday, April 1

5:00 pm & 7:30 pm | Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park $5 | Appropriate for ages 10 and up Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org Journey back to the 1800s during this special night hike and meet persons of the past.5:00pm Registration | 7:30pm Registration

Guided Cabin Tours and “Celebrating African Rhythms through Dance & Song”

Sunday, April 9

Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park, 3610 Brookeville Road, Olney, MD 20832
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm | FREE

Join us at Oakley Cabin for an African dance workshop, tours of the 19th century cabin, crafts and games for children. Explore an archaeology dig with Montgomery Parks archaeologists.

More information about all our historic ongoing and special events is online at HistoryInTheParks.org along with information about Group Tours and School Fieldtrips offered throughout the year.

20th Annual Gas & Steam Engine Show

Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10

10am-3pm Free. Montgomery Parks and Friends of The Agricultural History Farm Park invite you to the 20th annual Gas & Steam Engine Show. See gas engines, tractors, antique cars, trucks and steam tractors. The event will feature live country music, hay wagon rides, kiddie tractor pull, crafts and much more! Rain or Shine event! Free parking and plenty of food vendors so you can stay all day!

More Info

Grow Anywhere Gardening Expo, Saturday, April 30th, 10 AM – 2 PM, Silver Spring Civic Building, Veterans Plaza.

Coming April 30 to Silver Spring: the Grow Anywhere Gardening Expo, 10 AM – 2 PM, Silver Spring Civic Building, Veterans Plaza.

The Urban Gardening initiative of the Montgomery County Master Gardeners invites you to our free demonstrations and hands-on activities, including take-home projects. Join us and learn all about container gardens, making self-watering containers (just for kids!), growing herbs, vegetables and microgreens, vertical gardening, creating water gardens for small spaces, sustainable garden design, and healthy houseplants.

2nd Annual Montgomery County GreenFest to Take Place April 30 in Takoma Park

May

Grow It Eat It Open House, May 1, 9:30am-4:00pm at Derwood, MD.

There will be many gardening classes and activities for adults and children. Click here for the full children’s programs flyer: https://extension.umd.edu/…/grow_it_eat_it/childrens%20prog….

The following programs are $12 each:
Discover Bugs, grades 2-3, http://discoverbugs2016.eventbrite.com,
Discover Gardening, grades 2-3, http://discovergardening2016.eventbrite.com,
Discover Flowers, grades 4-5, http://discoverflowers2016.eventbrite.com,
Discover Trees, grades 6-8, http://discovertrees2016.eventbrite.com .