Hydroponic Gardening Seminar

On Tuesday, October 4, the DC chapter of the Holistic Moms Network is hosting a seminar on hydroponic gardening from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the community room of the Takoma Park Public Library. The meeting is open to the public for first time members.

Agnes Traynor, Master Gardener, will demonstrate different ways of growing your own greens and herbs indoors year-round. She will have a hydroponic garden on display and green, nutritious samples to share. This will be a terrific opportunity to learn how to garden indoors when it is too cold outside! She will also discuss microgreens growing. Microgreens are seedlings that have not yet developed their true leaves. Packed with nutrients, they provide a colorful and unique punch to salads, soups, and sandwiches. Some common varieties of microgreens include broccoli, kale, beet, amaranth, and arugula. You can harvest these homegrown greens within 7-10 days of planting and can enjoy them year-round.

Agnes Traynor is a Master Gardener and Wildlife Habitat Steward with the National Wildlife Federation. She owns Home Food Gardens, a local business promoting hydroponic gardening and supporting local kitchen gardens. Agnes demonstrates her commitment to urban agriculture by growing food for her family in their suburban front yard garden while supplementing each season with produce grown hydroponically indoors.

The “Hydroponic Gardening and Microgreens Growing” meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 4, from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Community Room downstairs at the Takoma Park DC Public Library. The Takoma Park DC Public Library is located at 416 Cedar Street NW, Washington, DC 20012. There is street parking, and the library is also metro-accessible from the Takoma/Red Line stop.

For more information, visit the Holistic Moms DC website

Looks what's in our nest box now!

Tom and I were just out taking a walk around the property. I looked up at one of the nest boxes and for a minute, I thought our screech owl was back. But looking closer......it is full of bees! I'm pretty sure they are honey bees. We've had them on the property once before and they hang out for a day or two and then disappear. Pretty cool sight, though. Notice them coming out of the side, too. That is an air hole we made for the owls.

 

Takoma Hort Club Annual Bulb Sale

The Takoma Horticultural Club (THC) is participating again in the 30th Annual Takoma Park Street Festival by hosting a booth (near Carroll and Tulip) where you can find all your spring bulbs. This is the club's only fundraiser for the year, so please come out, and bring your neighbors and friends! Rain or shine! (We have a tent, and bulbs don't mind getting wet.) Bulbs make great gifts, and extras can be bought for easy indoor forcing to brighten those grey winter days.

The festival will have live bands on three stages, over 200 artists and crafters, community groups, food vendors, and much more. Members of the Takoma Horticultural Club get a 10% discount on all bulb purchases. You are welcome to renew or join the club at the Fair. The membership fee is $18 for the rest of this year and through 2012; or you can become a Life Member for $125.

See you at the Fair with cash or checks and your reusable tote bags!

(Sorry, we cannot accept credit cards.)

Directions and details at www.takomafestival.com.

This information was provided by Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, who also provided this BONUS information about bulbs:

BONUS Bulb Tips from Washington Gardener Magazine:

- plan to plant between mid-Oct and Thanksgiving — but if you get them in by the end of the year, you are still fine

- in general, pointy-side up 

- in a hole 2- to 3-times as deep as the bulb's height

- daffodils are most reliable for returning every year, they multiply in future years, and are deer-resistant

- look on packages for "early season", "mid season" and "late season" – try to buy a variety from each of these to lengthen your blooming time over a 6-8 week period rather than all bulbs blooming at once

- buy only bulbs that are firm, large and unblemished (no mold or mildew)

Kathy Jentz
Editor/Publisher
Washington Gardener Magazine
WGardenermag@aol.com
www.WashingtonGardener.com

Right Plant, Right Place - Seminar - October 14th

When: Friday, October 14, 12pm-1pm

What:  Landscape for Life Brown Bag Lecture Series: Right Plant, Right Place?

 Where: U.S. Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom

Bill McLaughlin, USBG Curator

Truly successful gardens provide beauty, require little chemical input and give back to nature. By emphasizing Mid-Atlantic native plants and understanding their requirements, the homeowner can have it all!

The USBG, in partnership with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, has developed Landscape for Life (www.landscapeforlife.org), a program for home owners on sustainable gardening and based on the principles behind the Sustainable Sites Initiative. This Landscape for Life series serves to highlight how home gardeners can incorporate sustainability into their personal landscapes. These brown bag lectures can be done individually or as a series.

 Location: Conservatory Classroom

 FREE: Pre-registration required: Visit www.usbg.gov