Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Here are some gardening tips, educational opportunities, videos, and events for June. Events for June  include Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens, 6th Annual Garden Party at Behnke Nurseries, Sandy Spring Strawberry Festival, Woodlawn Visitor Center Open House, and more!

Planning:

• As the heat and humidity moves in, take it easy by working in the morning or early evening to avoid intense sun and humidity. Leave the big projects for this fall. For now, concentrate on maintaining the beds you’ve already established and nurturing your new plantings.
• Don’t overwater if it is hot and muggy. Remove plants severely infected with powdery mildew. Thin crowded plants.
• Check out plants going on sale!
• Peruse fall bulb catalogs.
• Order spring-flowering bulbs to arrive for planting this fall.
• Plan who is going to water your plants during your vacation.
• Plan where to plant your fall bulbs.
• Take photos and update your garden journal.
• Set aside a few hours each weekend for attending garden shows and tours. | DC Gardens
• Go on a local house or garden tour to see what plants are thriving in other’s area home gardens: http://www.visitmaryland.org/list/gardens-maryland

Flowers and Groundcovers:

• Deadhead spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
• Remove spent lilac and rhododendron blossoms.
  • Video: Pruning (or NOT Pruning) Rhododendrons
    We have 36 new curated videos on the nonprofit site
• Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons and monitor them closely for any lacebug damage.
• Take cuttings from azaleas and roses to start new plants.
• Cut a few flowers to enjoy at your workplace.
• Tie-up climbing roses and other wandering vines.
  • See University of Maryland Extension HGIC’s site for tips on caring for vines.
  • HGIC Article: A Rose is a Rose…Not always! Look at ‘Knock Out’ Landscape Roses
• Try a few new tropical plants on your patio.
• Start a sunflower patch with help from a few kids.
• Pinch buds of fall-blooming plants (asters, mums, Joe-Pye weed).
• Prune azaleas directly after blooming.
• Water transplants when dry.
• Pinch out growing tips of leggy transplants.
• Fertilize spring blooming bulbs after flowering.
• Stake tall plants.
• Fill in bare spots with annuals
  • See the University of Maryland Extension HGIC’s garden tips on annuals
• Spray roses with Neem oil every two weeks
• Pests to watch for: 4-lined plant bug, Aphids, slugs
• Diseases to watch for:  powdery mildew
• See UMD’s HGIC’s June Flower tips for more details.

Trees and Shrubs:

• Contact a certified arborist to have your trees’ health inspected.
• Transplanting azaleas is still possible.
• Take soft wood cuttings of plants to propagate.
• Shape your evergreens and hedges.
• Prune boxwoods.
• Prune flowering shrubs as their flowers fade. Last chance to do so for fall-blooming camellias.
• Walnut Wilt (Juglone) – Trees and Shrubs Common Problems
  Some plants will not grow near black walnut trees. Plants growing near black walnut trees may show reduced growth, wilt and eventually die. Walnut wilt should be suspected when wilting occurs even though there is sufficient soil moisture.  See the University of Maryland Extension HGIC’s site with a list of plants that may be affected by the black walnut tree.
• Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) has many common names, including Carolina allspice, strawberry-bush, sweet bubby, sweet Betsy and spicebush. As these names indicate, it is valued for the sweet, often fruity fragrance of its flowers. Sweetshrub is native along the east coast from Pennsylvania south to northern Florida and west to Mississippi. In South Carolina it is native in the Upstate and Central regions, and grows well throughout the state. See details on this popular shrub on Clemson University’s site.
• Fertilizing Landscape Trees and Shrubs Tips: How much and how often to fertilize shade trees?  See the University of Maryland Extension HGIC’s site for details.
• Pests to watch for: Gypsy moths, sawfly, azalea lacebug, webworm, spidermites, leafminers, caterpillars, adelgids, scale, aphids, borers, bagworms, and Japanese beetles.
• Diseases to watch for: Powdery mildew.
• See HGIC’s June Trees and Shrubs Tips for more details.

Lawns:

• Mow in the early evening and cut off no more than one-third of the grass height at a time. Leave clippings on the ground to provide nutrients.
• Sharpen your lawnmower blades.
• Turn your compost pile.
• Diseases to watch for: dollar spot, brown patch and red thread
• Pests to watch for: Grubs
• See HGIC’s June Lawn Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants:

• Fertilize houseplants.
• Begin hardening off prior to putting outside in shade for summer.
• Houseplants can be combined with flowering annuals in container plantings.
• Monitor for insect problems.
• Pests to watch for: Spidermites, mealybug, scale, aphids
• See HGIC’s June Houseplants Tips for more tips.
  

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

• Watch for insect and disease problems throughout your garden.
• This is the perfect time to apply grub control.
• Avoid using pesticides or any chemicals near your water garden.
• Watch for ants , carpenter bees, mining bees, mosquitos, stink bugs, termites, ticks.
  • See the University of Maryland Extension HGIC’s tips Mon Mosquitos and prevention of the Zika Virus.
• See HGIC’s June Insect Tips for more details.
• This is snake mating season, their most active time of year. Snakes are beneficial creatures and should not be harmed. Snakes in the garden help control insect and rodent pests. See the HGIC June Wildlife tips for identifying snakes.
• Prevent deer from feeding on garden and landscape plants, by applying a repellent, such as “Deer-Away”, “Liquid Fence”, “Deer-Off”, “Hinder” or “Ro-Pel” to vulnerable plants. Grow plants seldom damaged by deer. See FS 655 Deer Resistant Ornamentals.
• Watch for: rabbits, groundhogs, deer, moles, snakes, squirrels, and voles.
• For more information on wildlife management and attracting wildlife see HGIC’s June Wildlife tips.

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

June

See below for upcoming local events in June.

WINGS OF FANCY

Wednesday, April 27 – Sunday, September 25

10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. | Brookside Gardens

$8 ages 13 and up | $5 ages 3-12 | Free ages 0-2

Brookside Gardens is happy to announce the return of its premier Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit. The seasonal display features hundreds of live butterflies from all over the world. Families, students, nature lovers, and everyone in between can get an up close experience of these brilliant butterflies from North America, Costa Rica, Africa and Asia as they soar among colorful flowers. Visitors can learn about their amazing metamorphosis, the important role butterflies play in having healthy ecosystems, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in our own gardens.

Climb-A-Tree at Elm Street Park
Saturday, June 4
9 a.m.-Noon | Elm Street Urban Park | FREE Come climb a giant tree in Montgomery Parks! Join our arborists as they provide safety gear, assistance and encouragement to help kids put their heads in the clouds and see our parks from a new perspective. Tons of fun and free for all! Let’s see how high you can climb! Join us at any of the following dates, times and locations for a fun adventure among the trees: Saturday, June 4th, 9am-noon Elm Street Park 4600 Elm Street,Bethesda, MD 2081 Wednesday, June 22nd, 9am – noon – Fairview Park 8900 Fairview Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Wednesday, July 6th , 9am- noon Wall Park 4901 Nicholson Lane, Rockville, MD 2085
More Info

SANDY SPRING STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

Saturday, June 4

Sandy Spring Strawberry Festival is back for the 35th year. Enjoy live music, dance performances, petting zoo, beer garden and more at the Sandy Spring Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fresh local strawberries and shortcake will be available.

Sandy Spring Museum
17901 Bentley Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860

6TH ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY AT BEHNKE NURSERIES

Saturday, June 4, 10:00am-2:00pm. 

Keynote speaker sponsored by Espoma: Kerry Ann Mendez.

Kerry Anne is an award-winning garden designer and author of four gardening books. Design Tips for Knockout, Easy-Care Flower Gardens. Gorgeous, low-maintenance gardens are no accident. Learn proven design tricks for sensational gardens, including selecting great plants, design strategies, incorporating focal points, vertical interest, sustainable practices and more. Book signing to follow.

• Buy Raffle Tickets to support Friends of Brookside Gardens.
• Play Garden Party Games: Garden Hat Contest, Garden Trivia and more!
• See the full list of the days events here!

BROOKSIDE GARDENS SATURDAY WALKS – FREE TOUR

Saturday, June 4 and 18

10:00 am-11:00 am

Woodlawn Visitor Center Opening Celebrations
Saturday, June 11
Noon-4:00 p.m. | Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park Free! Montgomery Parks is excited to open this historic gem to the public. Explore the Stone Barn exhibits where echoes of the past will tell the story of a bustling farm, its community, and those who made a bold bid for freedom on the Underground Railroad. Learn about Woodlawn’s earliest residents and their neighbors. The celebration will include, living history demonstrations, tours, activities for children, food, live music and a special performance featuring the extraordinary music of the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices. The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices ensemble is committed to the preservation of African American history and traditions – presenting songs and stories of struggle and perseverance, trials and triumphs, as expressed through a cappella music, drama and dance.
More Info Facebook Info

Brookside Garden’s Xperience Speaker Series: Native Bees in Your Garden

Tuesday, June 21

10:00 – 11:30am

Sam Droege, Head of the United States Geological Survey Bee Monitoring Lab. Open your eyes to an entirely new world in yourown backyard. Sam Droege, biologist and macro photographer extraordinaire, collects and photographs the thousands of native bee species that thrive locally and around the nation. These small and often overlooked organisms are incredibly vital to your garden and our local ecosystem; Sam will show you how to welcome them to your property.

Course # 14880

Fee: $15, FOBG: $13; registration required

Visitors Center Auditorium
Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD, US 20902

July

Wings and Wine

Thursday, July 7, 7:00 – 9:00pm

What do butterflies do when the sun sets? Find out with exclusive evening access to our Wings of Fancy exhibit! Sample local wines as butterflies and music swirl around you; learn more about the fascinating extended family family of butterflies- Lepidoptera. Finish off the evening by potting up a butterfly container garden to take home.

Course # 14886

Fee (per two people): $60, FOBG:

$54; registration required

Brookside Gardens Conservatory

Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD, US 20902

FIELD & FIDDLE FEST 2016

Montgomery Countryside Alliance

Saturday, July 23, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (EDT)

Montgomery County Farm Tour

July 23 – 24, 2016

Montgomery County, Maryland celebrates its agricultural heritage, promotes local farms, and provides residents the opportunity to indulge in seasonally fresh food during the Annual Montgomery County Farm Tour and Harvest Sale. The Farm Tour provides people with an opportunity to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants and other local products. Several farms have hayrides, pony rides, music, demonstrations and other fun and educational activities for all ages. It’s an educational experience and a great family day outing.

Support our local farmers by visiting local farms and buying fresh produce, vegetables, and even wine! See below for a list of Montgomery County farms in the area. Don’t miss the Montgomery County Farm Tour and Harvest Sale Saturday–Sunday, July 23 – 24, 2016, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Montgomery County Farm Tour is held rain or shine. However, in the event of rain, some events and activities may be delayed or canceled.

Source: http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/MCFarmTour.htm

 Details on the Farm Tour: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/farmtour

Google Map Farm Tour Farm Participant Locater

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MontgomeryCountyFarmTourAndHarvestSale

Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Here are some gardening tips, educational opportunities, and events for May. Events for May include Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens, National Public Garden Day at Tudor Place,  Family Archeology Day at Needwood Mansion, World Bonsai Festival, MoCo Spring Fair, Flocks and Farms at Black Hill Visitors Center, and more!

Planning:

• Set aside a few hours each weekend for attending garden shows and tours. | DC Gardens
• Treat Mom to a Mother’s Day Floral Tea at the Tudor Place in DC!
• Go on a local house or garden tour to see what plants are thriving in other’s area home gardens: http://www.visitmaryland.org/list/gardens-maryland
• Good Gardening Videos.org Launches Today.  April 19, 2016
   A good resource for videos, gardening websites, and books, Good Gardening Videos.org, launched on April 19th with over 300 videos that have been selected for watchability (e.g., no traffic noise) and for gardening advice that’s reliable. Viewers can search for videos by category, by tag, or by browsing the “Latest” and “Most Popular” on the home page. Good Gardening Videos is a nonprofit, ad-free website created by garden writer and teacher Susan Harris, with help from an Advisory Team of scientists and other communicators.

Flowers and Groundcovers:

• Pinch out growing tips of leggy transplants.
• Remove last of spring flowers, replacing with transplants or seeds.
• Fertilize transplants.
• Plant hardier transplants.
• Plant summer flowering bulbs.
• Begin hardening off tender transplants.
• After the last frost date, plant warm-season annuals and tender bulbs (calla lilies, dahlias, gladiolus) in the ground and in containers.
• The Hosta Garden (Montgomery County Master Gardener Program)
• Tips on Gardening for Butterflies | Washington Area Butterfly Club
• Introduction to Herbaceous Perennials (HG20) | University of Maryland Extension
  extension.umd.edu | A short but thorough guide to the basics of perennial gardening.
• Water transplants deeply when dry.

• Poison ivy | University of Maryland Extension | extension.umd.edu · Learn to identify poison ivy and avoid it!

• Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland – Garlic Mustard | mdinvasivesp.org
• New! slideshow of 54 top shade plants – A Way To Garden
  A Way To Garden | Got shade? Here are some plants that grow in the shade.
• 10 Spring Plants That Are Dangerous for Dogs and Cats
  Vetstreet | Spring plants that could cause serious harm to pets.
• Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla) will usually survive winter damage and regrow from the roots.
• Featured Plants – Swamp Azalea ‘Delaware Blue’ | University of Maryland Extension
• extension.umd.edu · Swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) is a species of deciduous azaleas, and they come into flower at a time when shrub bloom is scarce.
• Article: When you love lilacs, but they don’t love you back
  Washington Post | Adrian Higgins
• 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 May Flower tips for more details.

Trees and Shrubs:

• Directly after blooming, prune flowering shrubs and vines.
• Plant and transplant shrubs that have finished blooming. 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!)
  • FAQs – Shrubs Spring/Summer | University of Maryland Extension
    extension.umd.edu · Some common questions about shrubs answered
• If you MUST mulch: Remove old mulch then add 2″ – 3″ shredded pine or pine needles, keeping 3″ away from trunk.
  • Avoid hardwood mulch (water phobic)
  • FAQs – Mulch | University of Maryland Extension
    extension.umd.edu · Some common questions about mulch answered by University of Maryland Extension’s experts
• Prune crepe myrtle when you can see what is still alive.
• Prune long shoots on shrubs to keep plant neat looking.
• Pests to watch for: Gypsy moths, sawfly, azalea lacebug, spidermites, leafminers, caterpillars, adelgids, scale, aphids, and borers.
• Diseases to watch for: Apple scab, Cedar-apple, hawthorn or quince rust, Verticillium wilt, and Oak leaf blister.
  • Common Problems – Trees and Shrubs: Witches’ Broom – Trees and Shrubs | University of Maryland Extension
    extension.umd.edu · Witches’ brooms are characterized by a proliferation of shoots growing close together. The shoots are usually shorter, stockier, and have an upright but more compact growth habit than normal. Witches’ brooms may be caused by fungal, viral, or mycoplasma-like organisms (MLOs).
• See HGIC’s May Trees and Shrubs Tips for more details.

Lawns:

• Mow grass at 3 inches and leave the clippings on the lawn.
• Fertilize turf only if weak: apply 1 lb N/1000 sqft
• Calibrate your spreader before fertilizing!
• Mow zoysia grass at 2 inches.
• Lawn Weeds: Carpetweed | University of Maryland Extension. Carpetweed is a summer annual broadleaf weed that spreads by seed. Seeds begin to germinate as soils begin to warm in early spring and continue to germinate throughout the growing season.
• Lawn Disease: Red Thread – Lawns | University of Maryland Extension
  extension.umd.edu · Red thread is a lawn disease that can show up on turf during cool wet weather in the spring and fall.
• Pests to watch for: Grubs
• See HGIC’s May Lawn Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants:

• Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
• Begin hardening off prior to putting outside in shade for summer.
• Pests to watch for: Spidermites, mealybug, scale, aphids, squirrels
• See HGIC’s May Houseplants Tips for more tips.
  

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

• Watch for ants , carpenter bees, mining bees, stink bugs, termites, ticks.
• See HGIC’s May Insect Tips for more details.
• Watch for: rabbits, groundhogs, deer, moles, voles, and squirrels
• Snakes, turtles and toads are all very active now. These are all very beneficial creatures. They are very sensitive to pollutants such as pesticides. Their presence in the landscape is a sign of a healthy environment. To learn more about snakes in Maryland watch our video series (link is external).
• What to Do About Wild Rabbits : The Humane Society of the United States
  humanesociety.org
• Fun Facts about Bird Nests
  fws.gov | A reminder to be careful about birds’ nests.
• It’s fawning season! Did you know that female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus viginianus) leave their fawns on their own for hours at a time? Often, when humans find a fawn in natural areas or even in their yard as this homeowner did, they assume that the mother (doe) has abandoned it or has died. The truth is whitetail does leave their fawns alone to protect them.  For questions pertaining to fawns or other wildlife in Montgomery Parks, please visit parksnaturalresources.org or call 301-962-1344.
• For more information on wildlife management and attracting wildlife see HGIC’s May Wildlife tips.

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

May

See below for upcoming local events in May.

Wings of Fancy

Wednesday, April 27 – Sunday, September 25

10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. | Brookside Gardens

$8 ages 13 and up | $5 ages 3-12 | Free ages 0-2

Brookside Gardens is happy to announce the return of its premier Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit. The seasonal display features hundreds of live butterflies from all over the world. Families, students, nature lovers, and everyone in between can get an up close experience of these brilliant butterflies from North America, Costa Rica, Africa and Asia as they soar among colorful flowers. Visitors can learn about their amazing metamorphosis, the important role butterflies play in having healthy ecosystems, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in our own gardens.

Friday – Saturday, May 6-7: National Cathedral Flower Mart.

Festival foods, children’s rides, artisanal & boutique gifts and, of course, herbs & flowers. Drawing locals and tourists alike since 1939, this festival of flowers and fun will celebrate All Hallows’ Guild’s centennial of service to the 59 acres of gardens and grounds around Washington National Cathedral. 10-6 on Friday and 10-5 on Saturday. Watch the video!

Friday, May 6: Smithsonian Garden Fest.

May 6: Visitor Appreciation Week and National Public Gardens Day at  Green Spring Gardens. Free gardening discussions, demonstrations or plant giveaways at 11 am and afternoon refreshments.

Friday, May 6: National Public Garden Day at Tudor Place in DC

Enjoy the historic, 5½-acre garden at no charge in honor of National Public Gardens Day! Stroll among spring blooms at leisure or join free guided tours. Don’t miss the special Garden Sale — just in time for Mother’s Day — featuring gifts, seeds, and live plants cultivated from heirloom specimens on the estate. Tudor Place is proud to support the American Public Gardens Association by opening our gates on this special day celebrating public gardens’ important role in promoting green spaces, conservation, education, and environmental stewardship.
Garden admission is free, with no registration necessary!

Play the Public Gardens Bingo Game to win prizes!

–from dcgardens.com

• NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
• Guided Garden Tour (free) offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
• Pair your visit with a house tour (at the regular admission price); the day’s final tour begins at 3 p.m.
• We can be reached by bus, Metro, and bicycle — a great time to try Capital Bikeshare!

2016 Family Archaeology Day at Needwood Mansion

Needwood Mansion opens its doors to the public for a day of investigating archaeology. Visitors are invited to see and experience what archaeologists do. Watch Park Archaeologists at work on the Needwood Excavation and try your hand at a simulated excavation, while the younger set digs in mock excavation pits.

Join the costumed interpreters in a tour of the 1854 “Sunnyside” house. Visit the Civil War Surgeon Dr. Stonestreet and soldiers encamped in the yard. An introduction to archaeology for all ages, Family Archaeology Day features

• 19th century Slave Quarters Dig Exhibit
• Mansion Tours
• Simulated Archaeology Dig for Children
• Storytelling, Old-time games, Hands-on Crafts, and Atl-atl tossing

Bring a bag lunch and stay for the day! Visit HistoryintheParks.org for more information.

Friday – Sunday, May 13-15: World Bonsai Day Festival at the National Arboretum, with the Potomac Bonsai Association.

See full schedule here.

MoCo Spring Fair

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Zimmerman-Ace Field
4101 Sandy Spring Rd
Burtonsville, MD 20866
USA

Cost: $29

Bring your family and celebrate warmer weather
Weekday evenings and all day Saturday in Burtonsville, Maryland.
Wednesday May 18 – 5 PM to 9 PM

Buy Unlimited Carnival Ride Wristbands.
The BEST in Family-Friendly FUN!
Carnival Rides & Games

Save on Ride Wristbands at MoCoSpringFair.org
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