In Part 1 of my Garden Club Report from the Behnkes Garden Party, six local clubs were covered.  Here are the other clubs (and more!) that took part in this fun event.

The Four Seasons Garden Club was represented at various times throughout the day by Jim Dronenburg, left, and later by Chris and Karen Upton.  Originally a hort-related way for gay men to socialize, the club has morphed into a super-active, all-inclusive group of about 80 dues-payers and friends, including many of the DC area’s top horticulturists.  They have a free Yahoo group through which advice is asked for and received and the club’s two monthly events are organized and announced.  Yes, every month the club holds a lecture AND a field trip!  (Next up, 7 carloads are making the trip to Monrose, NC.)  Plus, the club holds two plant swaps every year and two holiday parties.

The close-to-Behnkes Beltsville Garden Club is another very active group.  Since moving to Greenbelt I joined the club and am impressed with their strong emphasis on public service, especially their support of the Duckworth Elementary School.  Duckworth’s greenhouse was unused and its gardens nonexistent until the club adopted them, and gardening is now an integral part of the school curriculum.

The Beltsville Garden Club is also known for its awesome plant sales in April and May.  We profiled the club here on the Behnkes Blog.

The Potomac Hosta Club  is the “go-to club for hosta-lovers” in DC, MD, VA and WV.   They host lectures, open gardens and other fun events (ever played Hosta Bingo?) and plant sales at both River Farm and the National Arboretum.  Among the potted-up hostas I spotted a product I’d never seen before, which was recommended to me as a new way to keep deer from eating your hostas.  Called Hosta Saver, it’s a little bottle of pellets that you insert near the hosta roots, after which they act as a systemic deterrent.  There’s nothing about it online yet but if it works as advertised, I expect Behnkes to start stocking it.

The National  Capital Orchid Society is a familiar sight at Behnkes – they’ve held some big events here, including the recent Paphiopedilum Forum. (We love having them!)  From this gentleman I learned that the Phalaenopsis orchid may just be the most popular houseplant today, and is the easy-to-grow gateway orchid that’s drawing people to orchid by the droves.  (Greenhouses have sprung up across Taiwan to meet the new demand in the West.  And due to the increased supply, prices are way down.)

Each orchid flower lasts up to three months, and each scape will flower up to five months!  They do best in low light, so maybe an east window or a shaded south window, and I’m told they’ll love hanging in my porch under the skylights.  Indeed they love the outdoors, as long as they’re kept off the ground (to avoid slug damage).  Plus, cats won’t eat them.  That’s it – I’m trying one!  I was told to just avoid overwatering – the most common cause of orchid death.

The National Capital Orchid Society has about 400 members who meet regularly, and their big annual show over the Columbus Day Weekend is not to be missed.

The National Capital Area Garden Clubs is composed of 81 garden clubs throughout DC, MD and VA.  It supports the National Arboretum in myriad ways, including operating its gift shop and helping to maintain Fern Valley.  The group also provides scholarships in horticulture, landscape design and environmental students for area students.  They also operate a speakers bureau for the benefit of member clubs.

The Burtonsville Garden Club is a friendly group of about 40 members – small enough to meet in members’ homes (and gardens, I bet).  Their activities include garden tours and day trips, including a trip each year to the Philadelphia Flower Show, and plant swaps and sales.  There are also purely social events to celebrate summer and winter, and lots of good service projects, especially those that enliven the lives of nursing home residents.  They can be contacted via email:  BurtonsvilleGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Silver Spring Garden Club (profiled here on the Behnkes Blog)  is one of the largest clubs in the area, at about 150 dues-paying members and lots of others who attend their public meetings.  President and Program Chair Kathy Jentz (see below) does a fabulous job lining up speakers, a roster that’s included some of the best authors and speakers in the U.S.  Check this link to see who’s coming up soon.

Speaking of the Silver Spring Garden Club, president Kathy Jentz is also editor and publisher of local favorite Washington Gardener Magazine.  She was on hand in her various capacities, as she is everywhere garden-related in the region and beyond.  Nobody can figure out how she does it all, and so well, too.

The Takoma Horticulture Club boasts a large membership AND historical significance as possibly the oldest garden club in the whole U.S. (It’s been going great guns since 1916, and no other garden club has been found to rival that duration.)  We profiled “Takoma Hort” here on this blog.  Their activities include two popular plant swaps, lots of in-garden events (called “Open Gardens”), terrific speakers and a bulb sale every fall. Click here for the 2013 calendar.

Brookside Gardens is – of course – the beloved public garden of Montgomery County, site of many events by local clubs (including all those by the Silver Spring Garden club).  Shown here tabling for the garden are Anne Hardman, avid garden volunteer about town, and Leslie McDermott,who works for Brookside doing (I believe) marketing and communications.  She does a great job, whatever her title!

And here’s an actual club, the Friends of Brookside Gardens, which was the beneficiary of the auction held at Behnkes during the Garden Party event.  It’s a great cause that everyone can agree on.  We have FOBG to thank for all these events, and overall, for making Brookside the fabulous public garden that it is.

The Metropolitan Washington Garden Club is another old club (formerly the Men’s Gardening Club of Montgomery County, but those days are long gone) and currently has about 45 active members.  Next up on their roster of events is a picnic on what I was told is a fabulous farm in Gaithersburg, possibly the last large one in the county.  Its regular get-togethers, held in Bethesda, include  plant swap, tours and guest speakers.  They also offer spring-blooming bulbs at club discount prices.  They can be reached via email:  sengfarm@juno.com.

The National Capital Cactus and Succulent Society holds its big show each year in August (at Brookside Gardens) and that’s a great place to learn about and buy hardy cactus and other succulents for our region.

I chatted with Bob Stewart (left above) who highly recommends the new book Cacti and Succulents for Cold Climates by Leo Chance for local gardeners.  He also showed me the photo above of his very own garden, but warned that it’s NOT the no-maintenance garden that some might assume.  (Sure, we gardeners know there’s no such thing as no-maintenance but newbies might be fooled by inaccurate hype in the media.)

The club,which is seriously committed to preserving and studying cacti and succulents, also reaches out to “closet succulent growers” in our area to help them avoid common problems encountered by people unfamiliar with these plants.

Finally, both the Prince George’s and Montgomery County Master Gardeners were here recruiting new members and answering everyone’s gardening questions, but somehow I missed them altogether. My bad!  I’m so glad I’ve written elsewhere on this blog about these fabulous groups -  Montgomery County MGs here  and Prince George’s MGs here.   The photos here were taken at other Behnkes events (one of which must have been colder).

Stephanie Fleming (L) and Carole Galati (R)

Before I go, here’s a big shout-out, well-earned kudos and a big thank-you to Garden Party organizers Carole Galati and Stephanie Fleming.  Carole is known for her devotion to gardens and garden clubs far and wide (Takoma, Silver Spring, Arboretum, Brookside, et cetera) and she shared her very own garden on this blog.  Stephanie is the granddaughter of Albert Behnke himself and devotes herself full-time to the company and its customers.

Posted by Susan Harris.

The Behnkes Garden Party last Saturday was great fun and an opportunity to find out what’s new and noteworthy from representatives of area garden clubs and societies.  As the designated Garden Party reporter I did just that, and here’s my first report.

First, the Potomac Rose Society is now meeting at the Franciscan Monastery, which is a fabulous idea!  That enables them to reach an audience of rose-lovers from the eastern part of DC, plus Prince George’s County, too.  And of course, the Monastery is famous for its rose collection.  The club meet 8 to 9 times a year and has over 1,200 members.

These gentlemen stressed to me that the club isn’t just for experts, and that they welcome the new rose-growers who’ve been attracted to roses by the introduction of Knockouts and other disease-resistant types.  The Rose Society is happy to help people who’d rather not spray to lots more disease-resistant types, though.  For rose newbies the society has “consulting rosarians” eager to help and terrific resources on their website.

The Francis Scott Key Iris Society was a new Garden Party participant this year, so welcome!  The society currently has 87 members and holds two popular rhizome sales each year, in addition to its tours, shows, and other events.

I learned that there are lots more types of Irises than I realized, including some that are native (below left) and some that prefer shade (below right).  I also learned that I should be dividing my Siberian Irises every 3-5 years because (like Hostas) their centers become unproductive over time and need to be removed.

The Potomac Valley Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society has about 100 members and their meetings take place around the DC area – at Brookside Gardens, the National Arboretumk, and other venues.   It was explained to me that rock gardeners are generalists, using any plants that enjoy well drained, rocky soil.  For that, it’s simple enough to create a berm with porous soil, and apartment dwellers can create rock gardens in containers like the ones on display here.  Also, not all rock garden plants are sun-lovers.  Shade-loving plants can simply be tucked behind a rock.  Who knew?!

The Hyattsville Horticultural Society was founded in 1916 by some professors at the University of Maryland and now has a core of 25-35 super-active members who meet in either the Municipal Building or members’ homes (and gardens).  In addition to their website, the club has an active email group for getting and giving advice, getting and giving away extra plants, et cetera.  They have two plant swaps each year, and a seed sale (where used books and tools are also sold).  There’s lots of interest among members in planting for native pollinators.

The Baltimore African Violet and Gesneriad Club is the only violet club in Maryland, and draws members from across the state and Pennsylvania, too.  Now 61 years old, the club holds a yearly show and sale and a summer picnic at a member’s home, plus a fall plant sale.

I learned that inside our homes is the perfect environment for African violets, making them possibly the most popular houseplant in the U.S. (though orchids are nipping at their heels).  In fact, even during the summer months, African violets are much happier indoors than outdoors, where they’d be vulnerable to a variety of insects.

Apparently there’s cross-membership between the Baltimore club and the National Capital Area Chapter of the Gesneriad Society. 

Posted by Susan Harris.

“Less Lawn” is the shorthand for a new trend in gardening that started in the arid West and is coming East, fast.  (Lord knows the Lawn Reform Coalition is doing everything it can to spread the word.)

And one of the most promising groups of plants to create lawn-like sweeps of short plants that can replace turfgrass is the genus Carex.   Carexes are plants commonly thought to be grasses – because they look like ornamental grasses – but technically they’re sedges, not grasses.  (And don’t ask me the botanical difference between grasses and sedges.)

I’ve been growing Carexes for 25 or so years and made sure I thought some with me when I moved because they’re such a help in filling in a new garden.

Above, two of the larger Carexes help fill in a sunny border in my former garden.

But look how well they do (above) in the shade of a deck.  I also used them in my full-shade woodland garden.  They don’t spread, but establish larger and larger clumps that can be divided many times, as I’ve done over the years.

Most Carexes stay nice and low, like Liriope.  Above is Carex morrowii at the Scott Arboretum, where it’s being used as a groundcover on a shady slope in the fall.  It’s also happy in full sun and best of all,  it’s evergreen!  On the right is a variegated version of Carex morrowii that I’ve grown for years, also.

So for shady spots where turfgrass struggles to survive, try Carex.  Options include Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge) that’s native to our region.

One limiting factor to using Carexes instead of turfgrass is that they can’t take foot traffic, so put them where they won’t be walked on OR just create a foot path through them.

Below is are just two of the Carexes on offer in the Perennials Department of our Beltsville location.

“Less Lawn” Show and Tell

And to learn more about lawn reduction – great design ideas and alternative plants – come to Greenbelt tomorrow nite!  Details below.

Posted by Susan Harris.

This is a special and timely opportunity, to hear an expert talk about (and SHOW) the most fought-over azaleas on the planet – the famous Glenn Dale Azaleas developed by local horticulturist Ben Morrison.

When and Where:  Wednesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Historic Takoma Inc. headquarters, 7328 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD. (Map)

The regionally popular Glenn Dale azaleas were developed by the first director of the National Arboretum, Benjamin Y. Morrison. Beginning in the late ’20s, Dr. Morrison worked more than 25 years to develop winter-hardy azaleas with large, colorful flowers, suitable for the Washington, DC region, and they’re widely considered the best known and most popular feature of the Arboretum today. Morrison lived in the area and shared his hybrids with many Takoma Park friends.

The speaker is  Bill Miller, billed as an “ardent azalea aficionado.”  His azalea hobby began in the ’70s for this career biologist with the NIH.  Miller was active with the Azalea Society of America and served as president of the Brookside Gardens chapter in the ’80s.   He’s written many published articles about azaleas, and introduced four azalea cultivars of his own, including one called ‘Brookside’.

Doors open at 7, talk at 7:30 pm.  Plan to arrive by 7:15, so everyone can have their snack and be seated for the 7:30 start.  Bring a snack to share.  The club will provide beverages.

The event is jointly sponsored by the Takoma Horticultural Club and Historic Takoma Inc.

Photos courtesy Save the Azaleas. org.

Spring gardening events in the DC area start this weekend!  First up, the Behnkes Spring Open House.

Discover the Joy of Gardening
Behnke’s Spring Open House 2013

10 am to 4 pm at the Beltsville Store
We will have lots of new products to show off, gardening experts to talk with and demonstrations to show you. Free door prizes will be presented throughout the day. And when you want to relax a little, you can grab some food and enjoy a little music.

Next, going on all weekend, is the Washington Home and Garden Show at the DC Convention Center.  The perennial complaint about this show is that it’s loaded up on the home side and there’s not enough on the garden side for people like us – gardeners.  But, this year there’s a special treat for vegetable growers.  The famous Barbara Damrosch (whose syndicated column appears in the Washington Post on Thursdays) is making a rare appearance in the DC area, speaking at 10:00 Sunday at the show.  (A late addition, her talk isn’t listed on their schedule of speakers but I’ve confirmed it with the show people.)

Here’s more about Barbara:  Barbara Damrosch, called “The queen of organic growers” by The New York Times is one of the nation’s most respected garden experts and writers. She is the coauthor of the recently published The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook and the author of Theme Gardens and The Garden Primer, and writes a weekly column for The Washington Post called “A Cook’s Garden.” She appeared as a regular correspondent on the PBS series The Victory Garden, and co-hosted the series Gardening Naturally for The Learning Channel.

Barbara—with Eliot Coleman—operates Four Season Farm, an experimental market garden in Harborside, Maine, that is a nationally recognized model of small-scale sustainable agriculture.

Other “Celebrities” speaking at the show include Ahmed Hassan, the knowledgeable and engaging host of DIY’s “Yard Crashers,” and local favorite Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, who’ll be talking about local challenges to gardening, like deer.  Both Ahmed and Kathy are speaking Saturday and Sunday – here’s the stage schedule.

Posted by Susan Harris.