Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Happy 4th of July! Here are some garden tips, educational opportunities, and events for July. Events include Nature Matters: Moths of Meadowside, Montgomery Parks Speaker Series: Design: 11th St. Bridge Project and Anacostia Watershed, Shakespeare in the Parks, Latino Conservation Week, Brookside Garden’s Wings of Fancy,  History Hour at Woodlawn Manor, Music on the Farm, 29th Annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale, Food Matters: Foodie Fridays Speaker Series, and more!

Planning:

• Check out plants going on sale.
• Peruse fall bulb catalogs.
• Plan who is going to water plants during your vacation.
• Plan where to plant fall bulbs.
• As the heat and humidity move in, take it easy by working in the morning or early evening to avoid intense sun and humidity. Leave the big projects for the fall. For now concentrate on maintaining the beds you’ve already established and nurturing your new plantings.
• Put up a hammock or a garden bench so you can enjoy your view(s).
• Check your local garden center for mid-summer bargains.
• Check out gardening books from your local library to read on vacation.
• Have a question about gardening? Check the University of Maryland Extension’s New Maryland Grows blog for garden tips.
• Support our local farmers! Visit a local farmers’ market near you. Download Montgomery County’s Office of Agriculture 2018 Farmers Market Flyer to find a farmer’s market near you.

Flowers and Groundcovers:

• Don’t fertilize plants that slow down in the heat, but keep them watered.
• Fertilize lightly plants that are blooming heavily.
• Pinch back any annuals that may be growing leggy.
• Cut back spent stalks on common daylilies.
• Divide and cut back bearded iris.
• Stake and tie-up any tall-growing perennials such as phlox or delphiniums.
• Pinch back mums so they grow bushier and won’t flower until autumn.
  
• Annuals are now hitting their peak. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through September.
• Gather roses to enjoy indoors and be sure to make the cut just above a five-leaf unit.
• Feed your roses and new plantings with slow-release fertilizer sparingly.
• Spray roses with Neem oil every two weeks.
• Deadhead perennials for a second flush of blooms later this summer.
• Pests to watch for: Aphids, spidermites, whiteflies, snails, slugs
• Diseases to watch for:  Blackspot on roses; powdery mildew, rust, bacterial diseases
• See UMD’s HGIC’s July Flower tips for more details.

Trees and Shrubs:

• Prune foundation shrubs and trees to be no closer than 1 foot from the house.
• Prune and thin shrubs (forsythia, lilacs, and azaleas) that have already flowered.
• Thin out small trees and cut off any suckering branches growing from the bottom root ball.
• Take cuttings from azaleas, boxwoods, and camelias to start new plants.
• Shape your evergreens and hedges.
• Contact a certified arborist to have your trees’ health inspected.
• Hold off planting new trees and shrubs until the summer heat has passed.
• Check often and water newly planted and transplanted trees if they don’t pass the “finger test” (stick your finger deep into the soil – dry? Water!)
• If you must mulch, remove old mulch then add 2″ – 3″ shredded pine or pine needles, keeping 3″ away from the trunk.
• Avoid hardwood mulch (water phobic).
• Remove Ivy, Pachysandra, and other vine-like groundcover from under shrubs.
• Remove dead and dying trees.
• Pests to watch for:  Gypsy moths, azalea lacebug, adelgids, aphids, bagworms, borer, caterpillars, scale, sawfly, spidermites, leafminers, and Japanese beetles.
• Diseases to watch for:  Powdery mildew
• See HGIC’s July Trees and Shrubs Tips for more details.

• Mow in the early evening and cut no more than 1/3 of grass height at one time. Leave clippings on the ground to provide nutrients.
• Sharpen your lawnmower blade.
• Turn your compost pile.
• Mow high to reduce weeds and stress and leave the clippings on the lawn: Fescue and Bluegrass: 3″ – 3 ½”
• Test soil if you haven’t already (every 3 years minimum).
• Calibrate your spreader before fertilizing.
• Fertilize turf ONLY if weak: apply 1 lb. N/1000 sq. ft.
• Start lawn seeding.
• Dethatch if necessary and plug aerate BEFORE applying weed control.
• Apply pre-emergent crabgrass and broadleaf weed control when forsythia finishes blooming.
• The annual soil science calendars from the Natural Resources Conservation Service are both educational and beautifully done. The one for 2018 as well as those for previous years are available as free PDFs here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcseprd1250008
• Diseases to watch for: brown patch, and red thread
• Pests to watch for: Grubs
• See HGIC’s July Lawn Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants:

• Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
• Begin hardening off prior to putting outside in shade for summer.
• Move to shady location for summer.
• Re-pot the houseplants that you’ve moved outside for the summer.
• Re-pot and fertilize houseplants when new growth begins.
• Maintain moisture in pots wintering indoors, but do not over water!
• Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents.
• Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film to build-up.
• Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
• Fertilize houseplants now that they are actively growing again.
• Pests to watch for:  aphids, mealybug, spider mites, scale, and  whitefly
• See HGIC’s July Houseplants Tips for more tips.
  

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

• Ticks are very active now.
• Hand-pick Japanese Beetles or shake them off over a bucket of dishwater. Early morning is a good time to catch them, while they are still drowsy.
• Look for slug trails in the early morning and put out slug bait (beer traps or Sluggo pellets) as needed.
• Make hummingbird food by boiling two cups of sugar in four cups of water.
• Clean and refill bird feeders.
• Apply a different deer deterrent.
• Wash and refill the bird bath or set out a shallow bowl of water in icy weather.
• Be vigilant for mosquito breeding spots — any standing water from a bottle cap to blocked gutters, and clean them out quickly.
• Add Mosquito Dunks to any standing water in your yard such as birdbaths, downspouts, plant saucers, and gutters.
• Vacuum up any ladybugs that come in the house.
• Caulk and seal your outside walls to prevent insect entry into your home.
• Check for vole problems and set up traps.
• See HGIC’s July Insect Tips for more details.
• Watch for: carpenter ants, flies, stink bugs, termites, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, deer, moles, snakes, squirrels, and voles.
• For more information on wildlife management and attracting wildlife see HGIC’s July Wildlife tips.

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

See below for upcoming local events in July.

Montgomery Parks Special Events & Festivals

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

Save the dates for these upcoming events!   Events include Nature Matters: Moths of Meadowside, Montgomery Parks Speaker Series: Design: 11th St. Bridge Project and Anacostia Watershed, Shakespeare in the Parks, Latino Conservation Week, Brookside Garden’s Wings of Fancy,  History Hour at Woodlawn Manor, Music on the Farm, 29th Annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale, Food Matters: Foodie Fridays Speaker Series, and more!

Master Gardener Plant Clinics

Varied Locations, dates, and times

Montgomery County Master Gardeners - Maryland

What can Master Gardeners do for you?

• Help you select and care for annual and perennial plants, shrubs and trees.
• Determine if you need to test your soil.
• Provide you with information on lawn care.
• Identify weeds, beneficial and noxious insects, and plant diseases and remedies.
• Teach you how to use pesticides, mulch and compost.
• Guide you in pruning trees and shrubs.
• Provide you with options for managing wildlife.
• Provide you with gardening resources.
• Help you submit a plant sample for diagnosis

Plant Clinics are held at several sites in the county on a weekly basis and at special events such as garden festivals and the county fair. Regularly scheduled Plant Clinics are located at public libraries and farmers’ markets throughout the county as well as at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase.  There are also clinics three days per week at Brookside Gardens.  The busiest season is April through September, but some clinics are open year-round.  Bring your plant samples and questions to one of these locations in Montgomery County, MD (see link below to find a location near you):

http://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/plant-clinics

Derwood Farmer’s Market

Discover Montgomery Parks this July during Park and Recreation Month

Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD, US 20902
FREE

Discover Montgomery Parks this July during Parks and Recreation Month! The 2018 theme is “A Lifetime of Discovery.” So, we have a special theme each week to encourage you to get out and discover different parks and their features and amenities. To kick off Health and Fitness Week, we invite you to take a walk today on one of our HeartSmart Trails: ow.ly/OQoN30kKtXX.

Some of the places, amenities and activities Montgomery Parks is recommending residents check out during Park & Recreation month include:

• Health & Wellness activities such as fitness stations in parks, heart smart trails (one-mile paved trails with markers at each tenth of a mile), and the water trail at Black Hill Regional Park
• Art in the Parks including sculptures and artwork located throughout the parks, as well as an open-air performance of Shakespeare in the Park, or a photography session at Brookside Gardens.
• Historic sites such as a portion of the Underground Railroad Trail, the Agricultural History Farm Park and the National Capital Trolley Museum
• Nature & New adventures including the mountain bike and BMX pump track, the Go Ape Treetop Ropes Course and canoeing / kayaking on one of the parks two lakes.

Share your discoveries with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with#DiscoverJuly #MoCoParks!

Shakespeare in the Garden

Tuesday, July 10th
6:30 PM – 8:45 PM

Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD  20902

Join us for the second year of our FREE Shakespeare in the Garden!

Grab a picnic and get as cozy as Titania in her bower as we are visited by Puck, the merry wanderer of the night; a cast of fairies; lovesick youth; and a band of hapless players in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Whether you are an experienced Shakespearean scholar, or this is your first theatrical encounter, this FREE professional production is destined to delight all ages. Don’t miss the magic!

Production produced by Prince George’s Shakespeare in the Parks. Sponsored by Friends of Brookside Gardens.

 

Shakespeare in the Parks

Friday, July 13th
7:30 PM – 9:45 PM

Meadowside Nature Center
5100 Meadowside Ln
Rockville, Maryland 20855

Faeries, mischief, and a mystical boy converge in a modern interpretation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” an enchanging summer adventure where love is lost, then found, and fools rehearse their wedding play, only to lose their lead actor to a magic spell. This timeless comedy is complete with juggling acts, live music, dance, and Shakespeare’s language accessible to all. The story is family-friendly.

Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a FREE performance. Donations welcomed.

Food trucks will be available.

 

Fireside Fridays

Fri. July 13th
5:30pm to 7:30pm

Brookside Nature Center
1400 Glenallan Ave
Wheaton, Maryland 20902

Looking for a family friendly Friday activity? Look no further! Every Friday from 5:30 – 7:30, join one of our naturalists around the campfire in our Woodland Amphitheater. During the first hour you are welcome to bring your dinner to cook and enjoy around the campfire, then roast marshmallows provided by the Nature Center. During the second hour one of our naturalists will lead an evening program on subjects ranging from bats to folklore. You are welcome to stay afterwards for the flying squirrel program! Rain cancels program.

Intended for ages 3&up

This event will be held at Brookside Nature Center

$6

Register Today!

Latino Conservation Week

July 14 – 22, 2018

Montgomery Parks is hosting a series of special events and programs as part of the 5th Annual Latino Conservation Week, July 14 – 22, 2018.

July 15 | 7:00 am – 11:00 am | 5k Fun Run/Walk  |   Carrera Divertida 5k
July 18 | 10:00 am – 11:00 am | Bilingual Storytime with Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro |  Cuento bilingüe con la concejal del condado de Montgomery Nancy Navarro
July 19 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am | Volunteer Park Cleanup | Limpieza del Parque Voluntaria
July 21 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am | Youth on Earth Nature Program | Juventud en la Tierra Programa de Naturaleza
July 21 | 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm | Family Movie Night Presenting “Coco” |  Noche de Cine Familiar, presentando “Coco”

LEARN MORE

 

Montgomery Parks Speaker Series: Design: 11^th St. Bridge Project and Anacostia Watershed

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m

Montgomery County Planning Department Auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

https://www.montgomeryparks.org/speakerseries/

Scott Kratz and Jim Foster – Design: 11^th St. Bridge Project and Anacostia Watershed

Could an old bridge be turned into a park? That’s what community activist Scott Kratz wants to achieve. He’s been working with Washington DC government and Building Bridges Across the River, a Ward 8-based non-profit, to transform an old freeway bridge into a park above the Anacostia River.

Jim Foster is the president of the Anacostia Watershed Society.  The Anacostia Watershed Society is committed to cleaning the water, restoring the short and honoring the heritage of the Anacostia River. The society’s goal is to help make the river fishable and swimmable by 2025.

RSVP for Lunch-Space is Limited

Register Now

FREE

Join us on Wednesday, July 25, at 7 pm, as Woodlawn Manor launches its new lecture series–History Hour at Woodlawn Manor. Associate History Professor and President of the National Capital Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Foundation, Michael Petty, will present “History Connections Along the Route of Lewis and Clark”. During the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, he followed the explorers’ route by car, canoe, horseback, bicycle, and on foot. Light refreshments served.

Music on the Farm

Saturday, July 28th

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Agricultural History Farm Park
18400 Muncaster Rd
Derwood, Maryland 20855

Our popular music series returns with the swinging hot sounds of pre-World War II jazz. Bring your family, friends, a picnic dinner, and dancing shoes and experience the fun of the Farm as the sun sets over the fields! Historic children’s games, friendly farm animals, beautiful gardens, and amazing music make this the perfect way to spend a warm summer evening under the stars!

Intended for All Ages

$10

More Info.