Thyme to Grow Your Own Herbs Workshop on Sunday, August 14

Thyme to Grow Your Own Herbs Workshop With Kathy Jentz

Sunday, August 14 from 1:00-3:00pm

at On the Purple Couch in Kensington, MD

You don’t need to cultivate an entire backyard plot to grow enough herbs to use in meals; a simple container on a deck or patio can provide herbs all season, as you need them. This class provides you with the information you need to grow herbs in a container garden or in a small garden bed.

You’ll discover which herbs are best started from seeds and which are best bought as seedlings. You’ll also get tips on different sources for herbs and how to care for them.

Attendees will sample, smell, and taste a variety of herbs.
We will paint a pot with Annie Sloan’s Chalk paint and pot some herbs up in it.

Register at: http://www.onthepurplecouch.com/event/thyme-grow-herbs-class-kathy-jentz/

Instructor:
Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable, and her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration. She is currently the Green Media columnist for the Mid-Atlantic Grower. Kathy’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Examiner, Pathways Magazine, and Washington Women magazine. In addition, she appears on regular gardening guest spots on Channel 9, Channel 4, and WAMU radio in D.C.

Thyme to Grow Your Own Herbs! Class

Basil 'Genovese'

Join me for a summer afternoon talking about growing herbs -- no gardening experience required!

Register now at the link below - spaces are limited.

The class is this Sunday afternoon (7/3) at 2pm near downtown Silver Spring, MD.

Sign up at -
 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2569943

>>Thyme to Grow Your Own Herbs!

You don't need to cultivate an entire backyard plot to grow enough herbs to use in meals; a simple container on a deck or patio can provide herbs all season, as you need them. This class provides you with the information you need to grow herbs in a container garden or in a small garden bed.

You'll discover which herbs are best started from seeds and which are best bought as seedlings. Youll also get tips on different sources for herbs and how to care for them.

Attendees will sample, smell, and taste a variety of herbs.

Instructor:
Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable, and her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration. She is currently the Green Media columnist for the Mid-Atlantic Grower. Kathy's work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Washington Examiner, Pathways Magazine, and Washington Women magazine. In addition, she appears on regular gardening guest spots on Channel 9, Channel 4, and WAMU radio in D.C.

Fun Flower Arranging Class on Sunday July 10 at On The Purple Couch

Learn to "Arrange Flowers with Ease" on Sunday, July 10 from 1-3pm. Join us and learn hands-on how to put together a charming flower arrangement using the bounty of your own garden or sourcing from a florist. The class will go over Flower Arranging 101 — we will discuss the basics such as container selection, how to get flowers to last longer, design techniques, stretching your flower budget, and much more.

Then, we will cover the Hand-Tied method of flower arranging and you will get to make an arrangement of your own to take home in a rustic tin can or jam jar. We will paint the can/jar container with Annie Sloan chalk paint as part of the class.

  No prior florist skills or experience required! Bring your friends and family for a fun afternoon.

 The class is hosted at On The Purple Couch in Kensington, MD.
(Note that they moved recently to 10513 Metropolitan Avenue.)

   Register at http://www.onthepurplecouch.com/event/flower-arranging-washington-gardener-otpc/
 

Discuss "Planting in a Post-Wild World" with Washington Gardener Book Club

For our Garden Book Club Summer 2016 Meeting we will be discussing Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West. Please join us on Thursday, July 21 from 6:30-8pm at Soupergirl, located right next to the Takoma metro stop.

"This groundbreaking guide presents a powerful alternative to traditional horticulture: designed plantings that function like naturally occurring plant communities."

"Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, two leading voices in ecological landscape design, reveal how plants fit together in nature and how to use this knowledge to create landscapes that are resilient, beautiful, and diverse. As practical as it is inspiring, Planting in a Post-Wild World is an optimistic manifesto pointing the way to the future of planting design."

Please RSVP to washingtongardener (at) rcn.com or at the book club event page at facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine by July 15, so we know how many chairs to hold for our group.

 

If you like to read ahead, here are the next selection for the Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club:

FALL 2016 - Paradise Under Glass: An Amateur Creates a Conservatory Garden by Ruth Kassinger

The Washington Gardener Magazine's Garden Book Club is free and open to all. We meet quarterly on a weekday evening near a metro-accessible location in the DC-area. We will announce the details of each upcoming meeting about two months in advance. Please check back on this blog for schedule updates and announcements.

Video Wednesday: Kensington Day of the Book Festival 2016

11th annual. Street festival celebrating the International Day of the Book on Sunday, April 24, 2016.. Over 100 authors, poets, and other participants line Howard Ave in Old Town Kensington, Md. Live music, children's program, author readings, food trucks, and more!

How to Submit a Local Garden Event Listing

Washington Gardener Magazine's monthly online magazine features a listing of local garden-related events. We receive thousands of emails per day (no exaggeration!) and hundreds of event listings each week. We only list garden-related events in the Washington, DC region (DC, MD,  and VA plus parts of DE, WV, and PA), If you want yours to stand out from the crowd and make it on the list, please follow these simple instructions:

To submit an event for this listing, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol.com and put “Event” in the email subject head.

Please put all pertinent event information in the body of the email including date, time, event title, sponsoring organization, any cost, and a web link for those who wish to get further details.

Please do NOT attach PDFs, JPGs, TIFFs, etc. to the event notice.

Our next deadline is April 10 for the April 2016 edition featuring events taking place from April 16 - May 15. Then, the next deadline after that is May 10 for the May 2016 featuring events taking place from May 16 - June 15. And so on...

Video Wednesday: Rooting DC 2016

Here is a short video of the Rooting DC forum. It is the central meeting ground for individuals and nonprofits looking to grow a healthier food system in the nation’s capital. Find out more at: http://rootingdc.org/ 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine and photographed/edited by interns Daisy Nji and Seema Vithlani.

ADVERTISER OF THE WEEK: Green Matters Symposium

Green Matters, an annual symposium at Brookside Gardens since 2004, concentrates attention on the intersection of horticulture and environmental issues. Environmental stewardship is a core value of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Brookside Gardens' parent organization. As such, we strive to provide timely information and viable solutions to environmental challenges, because we feel strongly that green does matter. See registration information at: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/green_matters_symposium.shtm

ADVERTISER OF THE WEEK Details:
Every Thursday on the Washington Gardener Magazine Facebook page, Blog, and Yahoo list we feature a current advertiser from our monthly digital magazine. To advertise with us, contact wgardenermag@aol.com today.

Explore America! at the Philadelphia Flower Show

Welcome SPRING at the Philadelphia Flower Show

Sick of SNOW and COLD weather? Me too! Come join us for a day-trip to a virtual Garden of Delights at the upcoming Philadelphia Flower Show!
Washington Gardener Magazine has two tours this year going up to the Philadelphia Flower Show. The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world. the theme for 2016 is “Explore America.” Guests will discover the range of horticulture in the national landscape, including the rainbow of wildflowers, desert blooms, coastal flora, verdant meadows, fragrant pinelands, and ancient redwoods. The Flower Show will tell the diverse stories that forged the United States with exhibits inspired by the nation’s monuments and places where history happened. “Explore America” will spotlight Independence National Historical Park, Lincoln’s birthplace, Liberty Island, and other sites honoring our national heritage.

The Flower Show attracts non-gardeners as well as die-hard green-thumbed people of all ages. Foodies of all tastes will love the Garden to Table Studio. Participate in the Lectures and Demonstrations series, Gardener’s Studio, and the “Make & Take” workshops. First-time and returning riders will enjoy the welcoming, custom details of our coach service.

The two tours are on different days; from different locations. Here are the details:

~ Wednesday, March 9 from 10am-10pm, leaving and returning to downtown Silver Spring, MD - includes a lunch and is nearby to public transit - see the registration form for more details:

~ Thursday, March 10 from 10am-10pm, leaving and returning to Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, MD - includes a lunch and has free parking - see this registration form for more details: 

Note: The forms are for printing and mailing along with your payment. They are not interactive online forms.

If you have any trouble printing them out, please send an email to kathyjentz@gmail.com and I can send the forms directly to you. 

Our coaches fill up quickly, so please act fast to reserve your spot with us!

Video Wednesday: Trees Matter Conference 2015

The fourth annual Trees Matter Symposium, was themed “Trees and the Built Environment.” It took place November 4, 2015, in the Silver Spring Civic Building and was sold out. This year’s event focused on the welfare of trees in developing landscapes, and included six speakers.
   Experts such as Dr. Michael Dirr, founder of Plant Introductions Inc., spoke about the economic and environmental value of trees. Dirr also closed the event with a second talk on top tree selections for surviving in various environments. Keynote speaker and horticulturist Holly Shimizu spoke about how trees change and adapt over time. Dr. Chris Luley, vice president of Urban Forestry in New York, spoke on fungi that affect trees in urban environments. Dr. Kelby Fite, a member of the Barlett Tree Research Lab, covered the importance of root development and proper soil in urban settings.
   The symposium included vendors from places such as the Maryland Native Plant Society, Kelly Landscaping, the Montgomery County Forest Board, and Stadler Native Plants. There was also a speaker book-signing table and door prizes. The event was presented by the Horticulture, Forestry, and Environmental Education Division of Montgomery Parks and Pogo Tree Experts.