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August 2021


 


Garden Club News


++++ September Program ++++
SAVE THE DATE
Sandy Spring Museum Garden Club Program
Sunday September 19
2pm - 4pm
 

Fall decorating with an eco-friendly spin!
Join Lauren Peirce, Sandy Spring Museum Marketing Director, and Lori Thomas, Strawberry Festival Chair
for this interactive discussion and workshop. The mother-daughter duo have a passion for decorating
and all things fall. Each day they are learning to live more sustainably, making them more conscious of
what they use to decorate from season to season. They will discuss how the same decor can span the seasons to help beautify your home. In this program, they will share their tips and tricks and lead a take-home decorating activity.

The September program will be outside, with indoors as a back-up. $5 for members, $15 for non-members. Be sure to sign up early as numbers may be limited. Check the museum web site calendar.


Our Courtyard Garden Angels






Christmas in July - prepping for the Holiday Greens Sale







Plant Booth at The 100th Annual Women's Board Picnic and Bazaar




New Compost bins
Thank you to the Scouts of Olney Troop 264




)))) Weeds - Friend or Foe ((((




The Benefits of Garden Weeds

1: Weeds protect soil.

Weeds are fast growing, so they can quickly cover bare ground to protect it. Their roots hold soil together and keep it from eroding away in the wind or rain. Their presence can indicate the need for mulch to protect soil, i.e. more mulch can often mean fewer weeds.

2: Weeds may fertilize soil.

Many weeds are said to accumulate vital nutrients from the subsoil and bring the nutrients into their leaves. As the weed leaves die back, they make a healing medicine (fertilizer) for damaged topsoil.

Their presence can indicate the need to enrich your soil with amendments such as worm castings or compost. That’s because each time you harvest vegetables, you extract nutrients from the soil.

Decaying roots—especially deep taproots—add organic matter to the soil. They provide channels for rain and air to penetrate. Decaying roots also create tunnels for worms and other beneficial soil microbes. They help improve the no-till garden.

4: Weeds attract beneficial insects.

Weeds are usually quick to sprout, yet short-lived. For this reason, they flower frequently in order to set seed for the next generation. The flowering and their dense foliage can attract beneficial insects looking for habitat or nectar.

Beneficial Weeds

Dandelion

  • Nutrient Accumulator: Dandelion’s deep roots are said to accumulate potassium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and silicon while loosening the soil.
  • Beneficial insects: Dandelion attracts ladybugs, lacewings, parasitoid wasps, honey bees and pollinators looking for nectar. 
  • Dandelion has edible leaves, roots, and flowers with highly medicinal properties.
                                                                White Clover
  • Nutrient Accumulator: Clover is said to accumulate phosphorus.
  • Beneficial insects: Clover attracts ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, and pollinators looking for nectar. It provides shelter for parasitoid wasps, spiders, and ground beetles. Clover is a preferred egg-laying site for lacewings.
  • White clover has edible flowers.
Plantain

  • Nutrient Accumulator: Plantain is said to accumulate calcium, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, iron, and silicon.
  • Plantain has edible and medicinal properties
Chickweed

  • Nutrient Accumulator: Chickweed is said to accumulate potassium and phosphorus.
  • Beneficial Insects: Chickweed attracts pollinators searching for nectar in the spring and early summer.
                                                           Lamb's Quarters
  • Nutrient Accumulator: Lamb’s quarters’ deep roots are said to accumulate nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and manganese while loosening the soil.
  • Highly nutritious edible properties when found growing in safe environments. The leaves go for a high price to local chefs.

                                                              







Garden Travel

Beautiful hillside garden in Falls Park on the Reedy, Greenville, SC


What's Blooming?
Coral Honeysuckle

A swallowtail enjoys the purple monarda



Green tree frog

Bees love coneflowers and monarda

The unusual Acanthus Mollis or oyster plant

Cascading vinca, daylily, caladium display at Lewes, DE, crocosmia

                                                            
The Garden Club is a body of the Sandy Spring Museum
Learn more about our activities and how to join the Garden Club.
https://www.sandyspringmuseum.org/programs-and-events/garden-club
email:  gardenclub@sandyspringmuseum.org or call 301-774-0022.
Follow us on Facebook

June 2021 Garden Club Newsletter

 




                          Garden Club News

The Garden Club had a successful Pop-Up Plant sale on May 15. A variety of vegetables, herbs and annual flowers were tended by several members, moved to the Museum and sold, along with divisions of perennials, shrubs and trees. Beautiful hanging baskets from Terra Nurseries were sold in advance, and a kind donation of 5 kousa dogwood trees went home to some lucky buyers. Thank you to all who helped.


Marge and Kathy, our co-Presidents ran the sale.


The Museum courtyard garden and entrance garden received a clean-up and planting by our mighty crew, led by Mary. The new plants in the garden this year are Bidens 'Bidy Gonzalea', Begonia 'I'conia Miss Malibu' and 'I'conia Upright Sunshine' and Alternanthera 'True Yellow'. Plants we haven't used in a long time include pentas, celosia, bacopa and cosmos.

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                                      Mosquito-Repelling Container Gardening

Garden Therapy shows us how to make beautiful mosquito-repellent containers using various herbs and flowers. These include mint, lemongrass, lavender, lemon balm, marigolds, ageratum, basil and the citronella plant. Rosemary, catnip, bee balm, allium and scented geraniums are other options.



Book Review

Deer Resistant Design by Karen Chapman was reviewed by Kelly O'Kelly in the latest issue of the Ecological Landscaping Alliance Newsletter. This book has general guidance, along with plant suggestions, landscape photos and fencing options. It is filled with examples of the strategies she uses in her landscaping business.

"A highlight of the book was the chapter detailing deer-resistant container plantings. Beautiful photographs, along with detailed plant listings, make it easy for anyone to follow suit. The author also offers two excellent examples of barriers for vegetable gardens that are worth looking at in more detail. A good fence is the best deterrent!" Kelly O'Kelly


Strawberry Season


Pick your own farms nearby
Larriland Farm, Woodbine, MD   http://www.pickyourown.com/
Swann Farms Waldorf, MD  https://www.swannfarms.com/
Shlagel Farms Waldorf, MD  https://www.shlagelfarms.com/
Butler's Orchard, Germantown, MD  https://www.butlersorchard.com/
Baugher's, Westminster, MD  https://baughers.com/baughers-pick-your-own.php
Sycamore Spring Farm, Frederick, MD  https://www.sycamorespringfarm.org/
Pearlstone Center, Reisterstown, MD  https://www.pearlstonecenter.org/


Events in the Area


Meadowlark Botanical Garden Music in the Garden

June 13        Classical gems, Bartok, Kivrak

             June 27         Paganini, Still, Shostakovich and more
 

Bring a blanket or bag chair and enjoy the sounds of principal players and guest artists from the VCO in the beautiful setting of the Korean Bell Garden. A different ensemble will play each week. While picnicking is not permitted, please feel free to bring a beverage and snack or purchase some in the gift shop.

Soleado Lavender Farm





Look What's Blooming!
Anne's beautiful patio

Claire's front garden

Jan's blooms indoors and out

Amy's glorious colors

Nancy's view


From a friend's garden

Almost ready to bloom at Mary Lou's


Betty's backyard



UGH!!



The Garden Club is a body of the Sandy Spring Museum
Learn more about our activities and how to join the Garden Club.
https://www.sandyspringmuseum.org/programs-and-events/garden-club
email:  gardenclub@sandyspringmuseum.org or call 301-774-0022.
Follow us on Facebook


May 2021 Garden Club Newsletter

 


Garden Club News

The Garden Club had a wonderful program on Roses presented by Carol Allen last month. As a rose grower of many types of roses, she revealed a wealth of history on the many cultivars of roses as well as personal experience on the growing habits, blooms, fragrance and care of roses. Pruning was well covered in this talk. 

The video recording of the talk can be found HERE.

GARDEN CLUB – POP-UP PLANT SALE

Saturday, May 15 at10:00 am - 2:00 pm

What would the spring time be without a Garden Club Plant Sale?!

One day only!  A pop-up shop featuring locally-grown flowers, herbs, vegetables, grasses, and more; all raised with love by members of the Garden Club. All plants are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Quantities are limited so come early to get your favorites.

Museum members will have the first hour of the event to themselves! The on-site sale will open at 10:00 am for Museum Members and Garden Club Members and at 11:00 am for the general public. Click here to confirm your membership status. Click here to become a member today.

Hanging baskets are available for pre-sale only to be picked up the day of the event.

You can expect to find:

  • Unique varieties of vegetables such as Heirloom Tomatoes, Shishito Peppers, and Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
  • Herbs such as Thai Basil, Thyme, and Italian Parsley
  • Annuals such as Geraniums and Snap Dragon
  • Perennials such as Agastache and Bleeding Heart
  • Grasses

Garden Club members have been busy growing vegetables and annuals in local greenhouses.

From the 2020 Plant Sale



Garden Tour

When planning your summer travel in the northeast, you may like to make a detour to see the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich, Mass. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Charles Dexter purchasing the land where he began his rhododendron hybridizing work. The North American Hydrangea Test Garden showcases some of the newest hydrangea cultivars on the market. Additionally, the McInnes Garden will continue the pollinator theme, while the Garden of the Senses will feature a newly planted succulent area as well as more herbaceous perennials.


Amy snapped many photos during her 2020 trip to Massachusetts
                                       A few of our local flower displays include:

Schwartz Peony Garden

Peony Garden in Seneca Creek State ParkThe Schwartz Peony Garden is a living reminder of one of the great commercial horticulture operations in Montgomery County. Now located in Seneca Creek State Park’s Day Use area, the garden was originally planted at Summit Avenue in downtown Gaithersburg.

Between 1915 and 1924 a prosperous real estate broker and flower fancier, Mr. Edwin P. Schwartz, collected heirloom peonies from dealers in Holland, France, England and Germany as well as the United States. Mr Schwartz’s mansion home, which once overlooked the garden, is now Gaithersburg City Hall. By the 1920s the family had become prominent peony root stock dealers, publishing a catalog offering hundreds of different varieties for order by mail. In the 1940s the family moved their commercial garden operations to five acres in what is now Seneca Creek State Park.

Thousands of individual peony plants in scores of varieties still bloom in the park every May and June. Visit the display garden and walk the open fields to enjoy the spectacular flowers in all their colors and varieties.​

Brighton Dam Azalea Garden




Roses at the Franciscan Monastery
               
                                                            McCrillis Gardens
                                                            
Beyond the Garden Gates, Downtown Frederick Garden Tours
May 15-16


Havre de Grace Garden Tour and Mart


More info and tickets here


Gardening Hints

  1. Use coffee filters in the bottom of pots to keep the soil from leaking out the bottom.
  2. Dust cinnamon on top of the soil to prevent fungus from killing small seedlings. It can also be useful as a rooting hormone on stem cuttings.
  3. For deep planters, fill the bottom with old cans, water bottles and plant pots. This will improve drainage and make the planter lighter.
  4. Put old sponges into the bottom of a plant pot that dries out quickly. 
  5. Use a post hole digger when planting larger plants, shrubs or trees.
  6. Place an empty soda bottle or milk jug, with small holes punched in the bottom, near newly planted tomatoes or shrubs to fill with water. It will release slowly.


What's Blooming in your Garden?

Marge's Grecian windflower



Trillium

Serviceberry

Bloodroot

Virginia Bluebells


Redbud







Supporting Food Insecurity in Montgomery County
A collaborative effort between Harvest Share, the Master Gardeners and the Rainbow Community Development Center, called Growing Healthy Futures, provided materials for creating a green garden out of repurposed crates and educational materials needed to successfully plant, grow and harvest the vegetables. Additionally, throughout the summer, some of our Garden Club members provide fresh produce to this community outreach center through Harvest Share.



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The Garden Club is a body of the Sandy Spring Museum
Learn more about our activities and how to join the Garden Club.
https://www.sandyspringmuseum.org/programs-and-events/garden-club
email:  gardenclub@sandyspringmuseum.org or call 301-774-0022.
Follow us on Facebook