Our 2023 year of the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club began with an outstanding presentation entitled “Birds in Your Garden” by Dr. Dan Neumann, the Associate Director for Neutron Science and Technology at NIST and a true bird lover! It was well attended by both club members and the community. We all certainly learned a bit more about our own backyards. Our communications chair, Nancy Brady, is also a talented artist. In February, she transformed our meeting room into a gallery of her beautiful paintings which mostly focus on nature. Perhaps you have seen some of her works in local art exhibits. With spring on our heels, our master gardener, Claire Peterson, shared best methods and planters for seed planting. In March, we hosted a Native Tree and Shrub Giveaway. In April, we once again sponsored a stream clean-up. We also hosted a Planters for Spring event by Julie Friedman, where we learned tips about landscape design with planters for spring. September was a month of field trips. We first traveled to Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens where we took tours of the mansion and gardens, ending the day with high tea in their café. Additionally, we visited our favorite beekeeper, Karen Henderson’s, beautifully unique home in PA she calls “Bee Balm.” We saw firsthand the hives and all the equipment she uses to process her honey followed by lunch in one of her lovely gardens. Last month we invited author Claudia Kousoulas who shared her book, Private Gardens of the Potomac and Chesapeake.
In addition to opening our programs to the community, we are hard at work maintaining the Roslyn, Miller Fall and Shady Grove entrances, keeping a watchful eye on that tunnel to ensure its cleanliness, as well as alerting the county of fallen trees and replacing diseased ones. We are very pleased with the Mill Creek Village “Welcome Bag” program for new residents that was initiated. Our garden club contributes a seed packet and welcoming note as part of their package.
We would like to thank you for your support in the past years! Donations to pay for landscaping and maintenance of the Mill Creek Towne Entrances and our garden-related programs at our community meetings are greatly appreciated and accepted year-round! Please help support the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club! To fulfill our mission, we depend on the generosity of donors who appreciate the value of our services. If you can help, please visit our donations page (see link below). We accept online and offline (cash/check) donations.
Submitted by Beth Giannone, MCT Garden Club President
Happy Fall! This is the prime time to allow plants to establish and grow strong for next spring. During this season, we can enjoy the cooler weather, fall crops, and preserve some food for the winter months. Don’t forget to support our local farmers by visiting our local farmer’s markets and local farms! Here are some garden tips, educational opportunities, and videos for October. This includes some events from U.S. Botanic Garden, Master Gardeners of Montgomery County, and Maryland Gardens. A lot of gardening events are announced on Facebook as well as on our website. Some upcoming events include Ask a Master Gardener at Brookside Garden, Backyard Composting Demonstration Workshop- In-person, Mill Creek Towne Garden Club’s October Community Event: Private Gardens of the Potomac and Chesapeake, Birdability Week in Montgomery Parks, Montgomery College’s Fall 2023 Garden Classes, American Horticultural Society’s Great American Gardeners Webinar Series, and more! These events will be hosted as online or live events.
Private Gardens of the Potomac and Chesapeake
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
7 pm – 8 pm
Guest Speaker: Claudia Kousoulas
Provided by: Mill Creek Towne Garden Club
Location:
Mill Creek Parish United Methodist
7101 Horizon Terrace
Derwood, MD 20855
Free
Light Refreshments
Join Mill Creek Towne Garden Club on Tuesday, October 24th and learn about “Private Gardens of the Potomac and Chesapeake” from our guest speaker, Claudia Kousoulas, a freelance writer and editor whose work focuses on design, architecture, urban planning, and culinary history. She is the author of Contemporary Architecture in Washington, DC; Bread & Beauty: A Year in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve; and A Culinary History of Montgomery County, Maryland. She lives in Washington, DC.
Summary:
Embark on a captivating journey spanning the vast expanse from the vibrant Washington, DC, Metro Area to the serene Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Delve into the enchanting realm of 15 exquisite gardens, carefully crafted by renowned designers, as they unveil the captivating landscape style of the Capital region.
RSVP: info@mctgardenclub.org
Please do NOT attend this event if you are or have been experiencing symptoms of illness.
This event is FREE. Donations of $10 or whatever you can afford are appreciated. Donations pay for landscaping, repair and maintenance of the Mill Creek Towne Entrances, and our garden-related programs at our community meetings.
NOTE: If Montgomery County Schools are closed due to inclement weather, the Garden Club meeting will be cancelled.
Planning Tips
It’s harvest time and also a good time to start taking stock of what worked well for you this season and what didn’t.
Check out garden centers for end-of-season bargains.
Take photos and update your garden journal.
Start shopping for spring bulbs.
Inspect your garden hose for leaks an tighten all connections.
Gather seeds and carefully label them. Store in a dry location.
Buy a good gardening book or magazine subscription for a gift for your favorite gardener.
Have a question about gardening? Check the University of Maryland Extension’s New Maryland Grows blog for garden tips.
Maryland Grows Blog
In weekly posts on MD HGIC’s blog, learn about pollinator conservation, growing native plants and food, and how to solve plant pest and disease problems.
In a Flash: How You Can Help Fireflies
Dr. Anahí Espindola from the University of Maryland Entomology Department offers ways you can support these special insects that light up the summer nights to the delight of children and adults alike. Read her post
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):
See our list with recently published books. This cumulative list for 2023 has more than 120 titles and serves as a great resource for holiday gift ideas. Visit our Gardening Books Resources page for gardening ideas.
Online Gardening Resources
Here are some online gardening resources focused on the MD/DC area:
There are many resources for recipes to make from your garden crops including seed companies, local farms, and online recipe cookbook catalogs. If you grow vegetables, these are very useful resources as the recipes feature the very plant you are growing. Here are few links to recipes you can make from your garden crops
Local Farms
We are so thankful for our local farms each and every day. During this challenging time, consider supporting your local farms, whether they farm produce, flowers, animals, or specialty. Our food supply is safe and secure, and many farms are continuing to offer delivery or curbside pickup. #LocalIsTheNewNormal#BuyLocal
The 2023 MoCo Food & Beverage Guide is here! The Guide from the Montgomery County Food Council is available online – delicious baked goods, prepared foods, condiments and more. The craft beverage list grows each year and find two dozen local and amazing farms:
From mid-October through November, plant hardy bulbs for spring flowering.
Divide and move many perennials.
Cut foliage of irises to 2″.
Dig up bulbs from your Gladioli, cut off foliage, dry for a week, and then store for winter.
After hard frost, sow seeds of spring-blooming hardy annuals and perennials then mark beds!
Leave seedheads on Black-eyed Susan, Echinacea, Goldenrod, Sunflowers, and Thistles for the birds to enjoy over the winter.
Sow wildflower seeds, such as California Poppies, for next spring.
Remove spent annuals, replacing with hardy mums and fall season annuals. Water deeply.
As the days get cooler, plant native Asters.
Start collecting plant seeds for next year and for trading.
Renew your container plantings, which may be looking a bit ragged at this point. Pinch back overgrown plants. Pull out any spent ones and pop in some substitute annuals or mums. Keep them well-watered and add a little liquid fertilizer every few weeks to keep them going through early autumn.
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
Cut a few flowers to enjoy in your workplace or home.
Water transplants deeply when dry.
Pinch out tips of leggy plants.
Stake tall plants.
Tie up clematis and other fast-growing climbing vines.
Maryland’s goal is to plant and maintain 5 million native trees by 2031. There are various ways you can get involved – plant trees and register them — or volunteer! A number of tree-planting assistance programs are available at the municipal, county, and state levels.
Download vegetable planting calendars from University of Maryland Extension, in English and Spanish. This page also has a link to a frost/freeze date calculator.
Keep an eye out for the first frost date. In Zone 6, it is expected between September 30 and October 30. In Zone 7, it is predicted to be between October 15 and November 15.
Harvest most fruits before frost.
Pick mature tomatoes and peppers to ripen on your window sills.
Set up a cold frame, then plant lettuces, radishes, and carrots from seed.
Plant cover crop (i.e., rye, clover, hairy vetch, winter peas) where nothing is growing.
Plant garlic for spring.
Harvest sweet potatoes.
Remove finished plants.
You can still have your vegetable garden and landscape soils tested.
Mulch strawberry beds for winter.
Plant/seed cool season plants (turnips, carrots, beets, spinach, Chinese cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts).
Harvest leaves of herbs used in cooking (rosemary, basil, sage) in early morning, for best flavor. Dry them indoors if you can’t use them right away.
Cut herbs and flowers for drying indoors.
Preserve gourds for display in the fall.
New fruit plants: keep watered their first spring, summer, and fall.
Pick apples and pumpkins at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market.
Deadhead garlic chives before they go to seed. Makes a nice cut flower.
Dig up garlic when tops turn brown. Let dry in sun, then store.
Sow seeds of: beets, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash for fall harvest.
Sow heat-tolerant greens like Swiss Chard and mustard greens in part-shade.
Keep all transplants watered deeply for 2-3 weeks.
Put in supports for tall-blooming plants.
Divide perennials and herbs. Pot up extras and give away at plant swaps.
Thin seedlings.
Harvest your herbs often and keep them trimmed back to encourage leafy growth.
CSAs can take many forms, but essentially they are community supported farms in which members contribute to farming projects, usually by way of membership fees, in exchange for fresh, local produce. The concept came to the United States from Europe in the 1980s. They are a great way to take advantage of fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, herbs, and more while supporting nearby farms. Each one is different, some offer pickup locations in urban areas, some offer only farm-based pickups.
There are multiple CSAs located around the County offering a wide variety of products. CSAs begin taking sign-ups for spring and summer seasons in the early part of the year, and they tend to fill up FAST! Know of another CSA not on our list? Let us know! Montgomery Countryside Alliance also maintains a list:
Struggling with your garden? Do you have plant questions?
The Master Gardeners from Montgomery County Cooperative Extension will offer their highly popular plant clinics. Bring your ailing plants or any other gardening questions for expert advice.
Master Gardeners can help you to:
Select the right plants and trees for your site.
Decide when and how to test your soil.
Feed your turf without feeding the Chesapeake Bay.
Identify weeds, insects and disease.
Avoid blanket use of herbicides and pesticides.
Identify and avoid killing beneficial insects.
Learn how and when to prune your trees and shrubs.
Chose the right mulch for your garden.
Read seed catalogues.
Develop strategies to deal with deer.
Questions about this program? Contact the Visitor Center Front Desk: 301-962-1400
See below for upcoming in-person events schedule and details please visit:
Birdability Week is an annual occasion to exchange valuable resources and innovative ideas, aiming to foster an inclusive and accommodating environment within the birding community. By encouraging accessibility, embracing diversity, and promoting a warm and open atmosphere, Birdability Week aims to ensure that birding is an enjoyable experience for everybody.
Celebrate the beauty of birds and enjoy a welcoming and inclusive birding experiences October 15 through October 22, 2023 in Montgomery Parks.
To learn more about Birdability Week throughout the nation visit Birdability
Schedule of Montgomery Park’s Birdability Week 2023 programs and events:
Montgomery Parks October Speaker series looks at the topic of birding and how to make sure the popular pastime is accessible to everyone.
Disabled birder and occupational therapist Freya McGregor will discuss her company, Access Birding, which provides training to help nature-based organizations improve access and inclusion for disabled birders.
What: October Speaker Series: Access Birding(opens in a new tab) When: Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. How: via Zoom Link will be sent to registrants the day before the event
“We hope anyone interested in birding, beginner or experienced, will join us to learn how they can increase accessibility for themselves and others.” said Ashlyn Thompson, Montgomery Parks Inclusion and Community Outreach Specialist.
The Access Birding Speaker Series presentation is part of Montgomery Parks’ Birdability Week activities. A complete listing of events can be found on the department’s Birdability Week webpage.
Orchids are more popular than ever, and are readily available at mass markets, florists, and garden centers. Explore how to be successful with orchid selection in the home environment. Learn how to purchase, care, handle, repot, and rebloom your orchid. The instructor will use live plants to demonstrate best practices. You are encouraged to bring your own orchid plants for questions. View Catalog Description & Prerequisites
Course
CRN
Credits
Days
Time
Start – End Dates
Campus
Location
Instructors
LLI022
24269
0.300
T
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
10/24/23 – 10/24/23
WD&CE Virtual-Remote
DL
Janet S. Johnson
GARDEN DESIGN – LLI 519
Do you ever wish you could have a beautiful home garden? In this course, garden enthusiasts and homeowners will examine the basics of garden design. You will discuss current garden trends; and how to integrate the architecture of your home/buildings into the landscape for a cohesive overall design. You will focus on using plants and materials that are suitable for the Mid-Atlantic region to create a garden design suitable for your own home. View Catalog Description & Prerequisites
Course
CRN
Credits
Days
Time
Start – End Dates
Campus
Location
Instructors
LLI519
24268
0.800
T
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
11/07/23 – 11/28/23
Rockville
MK 101
Janet S. Johnson
Let’s Talk Gardens
Thursdays 12 to 1 p.m.
Smithsonian Gardens
“Grow” your gardening know-how! Our free online gardening program, Let’s Talk Gardens, covers a wide range of topics presented by our own professional staff, as well as guest speakers.
