Beltsville Garden Club Newsletter

Transcription

1 Beltsville Garden Club Newsletter Volume 65Number 3 March 2018 On March 28 All You Ever Want to Know About Perennials The Beltsville Garden Club will meet on Wednesday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room of the Duckworth School, Evans Trail, Beltsville. Dr. Richard Olsen will present Perennially Yours: Herbaceous Perennials Need Love Too. Dr. Richard T. Olsen, Director of the U.S. National Arboretum, who admits his first love is woody perennials, shows some love for herbaceous perennials, too. Dr. Olsen will highlight perennials observed in his travels to foreign lands and gardens, and ones worth experimenting with in your own gardens. Prior to becoming Director of the Arboretum in 2015, Dr. Olsen served as the Acting Director of the Arboretum and Acting Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Dr. Olsen joined the Arboretum in 2006 as a research geneticist for the urban tree-breeding program at the Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit, where he reinvigorated the Arboretum's urban tree program. There, he developed new woody ornamental breeding projects. A recognized international leader in the public garden arena, Dr. Olsen has the distinction of being the last Ph.D. student of the famed horticulturist J.C. Raulston at NC State. Please remember to bring something to exchange: a plant, cutting or garden tool or magazine: bring something, take something! Also, donations of sweet or savory refreshments are much appreciated.

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3 Volunteers Needed for Board Positions Like most other community organizations, BGC relies on a small cadre of committed volunteers to carry out the goals of the club. For example, someone puts this newsletter together each month, someone else s it to members, someone keeps track of the membership dues and someone else arranges for the monthly speakers. So, now BGC is looking for a someone to be treasurer next year ( ), a secretary to take minutes at five board meetings, a hospitality chair to organize the refreshments at the monthly meetings, and publicity chair to send out notices of meetings. Don t be shy. Contact Sue Shawhan at or Melissa Mackey at

4 Garden News and Notes by Sandy Lange When most people hear the words cherry blossom, they think of the familiar Yoshino cherry trees at the Tidal Basin. Visit the Arboretum from March 20 to April 12 to explore nearly forty different types of flowering cherries and discover the beautiful variety of shapes, sizes, flower colors, and bloom times that these trees feature. Look for three new varieties developed by Arboretum scientists and don t miss the remarkable weeping Yoshinos. Pick up a brochure in the Visitor Information Center or download one at the USNA website after March 15. Prune evergreens a small amount at a time. Heavy pruning leaves large brown spots in the middle as new growth does not form on old wood. Flowering shrubs should not be pruned until after the flowers fade. Plant early vegetables such as potatoes, onion sets, leeks, peas, beets, bok choy, kale, mustard greens, turnips. Clean up leaves, sticks and other debris from perennial beds. Divide perennials such as hosta, iris, daylilies. Cut back old herb plants. According to the Washington Post, the spotted lanternfly is a non-native pest expected to invade our area. It is already in Pennsylvania and feasts on host plants,...reproduces more quickly than expected and faces no known predators. A Penn State entomologist calls it the weirdest, most pernicious insect I ve seen. After emerging from the gooy egg mass, the larval lanternfly resembles a shiny black jewel covered in white spots which later turn brilliant red. As an adult, it has grayish brown wings with black spots and is about one and one half inches long. Its favorite host plant is the deciduous sumac (Tree of Heaven) but it also feasts on 70 other plants, and attaches itself to stone, mulch, tree bark, tractors, barbecues, toys, patio furniture. It hops or jumps rather than flies, and might hop right into your car with you. It is said to be worse than the gypsy moth invasion a few decades ago. Greenhouse News by Dorothy Cichra Work in the greenhouse is continuing as we get ready for the spring sales and other incidental sales. The Parkdale students have worked very hard transplanting, potting up cuttings, washing pots, grooming and a favorite activity - watering. Their hard work has resulted in a good collection of coleus, scented geraniums, plectranthus, ficus and assorted other things. The plants are responding quite well to new soil, bigger pots, and increased sunshine. We have such little control over the environment in the greenhouse that the fluctuating temperatures are a challenge. There are also many artillery ferns and small Puerto Rican oreganos which are given to the volunteers at Duckworth's Challenge Day along with other plants. Herbs have been started from seeds and cuttings and existing ones have been repotted. If it ever warms up, the plants in the coldframe will be examined. There is much mint and many black eyed Susans that could be potted up for sale if anyone is willing to do that. Perhaps a group potting effort like that done for the clivias would be helpful. Vegetables seeds have been started and seem to be doing fine. The timing of those is always iffy with the dates of our spring sales. The April one is slightly early for most vegetables and by the May one many people have their plants but our prices and varieties still let us do well with them. We have many succulents including small ones which have been started from cuttings and leaves. The small ones hopefully will be combined into some dish gardens. We also have a good selection of gesneriads which are popular especially if they are blooming. The begonias are responding to the spring conditions and look better all the time. There is a community fair at Duckowrth on April 14 for their families and those of surrounding schools. We have been invited to sell plants. It will be a good opportunity to sell some of our houseplants and other plants to a different set of customers. If anyone ever has suggestions, comments, complaints or are willing to help contact me. Donations of pots, plants, cuttings or any other useful items are always appreciated.

5 Garden Events Thru April 8, 10 a.m-4 p.m., Special Exhibit at the Bonsai Museum, Sakura Orihon: Diary of a Cherry Blossom Journey. Saturday, March 17, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Special Lecture by the Artist. Ron Henderson, landscape architect and curator of the exhibition, will give an illustrated talk on horticultural practices that extend the life of cherry trees. Auditorium. U.S. National Arboretum. Free. Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. & Sunday, March 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Orchid Show and Sale. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center. Saturday, March 24, 8:30-3:30 p.m. Lahr Symposium: Biodiversity in Managed Plant Landscapes. Also Native Plant Sale that ends at 2 p.m. U.S. Arboretum, Washington, D.C. Register online at Arboretum website. Saturday, March 24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Ninth Annual Garden Party and Spring Fundraiser. Gardening demonstrations, local food vendors. Community Forklift, 4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston. See communityforklift.org/news events for more information. Proceeds benefit creating green jobs, reducing waste, supporting nonprofits. Friday, April 13 & Saturday, April 14. Spring Garden Mart. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Many east coast vendors selling native and non-native plants. River Farm, American Horticultural Society. Alexandria. Members park free. Otherwise, there is a $10 parking fee. Saturday, April 14, 1-4 p.m. Community Day at the James Duckworth School. Food, games, vendors. Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m.; Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.; Sunday, April 22, 1 p.m. Ikebana Demonstrations. Watch master teachers from Ikebana International create works of art from flowers and other natural materials. U. S. National Arboretum. Free. No registration is required. BGC Calendar of Events Wednesday, March 28, 7:30 p.m. Perennially Yours: Herbaceous Perennials Need Love Too, Richard Olsen, Director, U. S. National Arboretum. Saturdays, April 21 & May 12, 8 a.m. to Noon. BGC Plant Sales, High Point High School Parking Lot. Wednesday, April 25, 7:30 p.m., Native Terrestrial Orchids, Dennis Whigham, Founding Director, North American Orchid Conservation Program. Thursday, May 17, BGC Spring Trip to Longwood Gardens. See page 2 for sign-up form. Wednesday, May 23, 7:30 p.m., Daylilies, Christopher Von Kohn, U. S. National Arboretum. Louise (Spaulding) Clemens Our sympathy to the family of former BGC president (1999) Louise (Spaulding) Clemens who passed away on February 26 at age 94. Louise is the sister of BGC member, Bernie Spaulding. A Big Thank You to Outgoing Board Members BGC thanks those members who served the club so tirelessly this past year and who are stepping down from their leadership roles: Paul and Kathy Fitzgerald (co-treasurers), Mary Clive (secretary), Mary Ann Canter (hospitality) and Suzette Agans (publicity). Each of these members served for one or more years, and their efforts are appreciated.