Ducky Hong and one of his creations.

New this year – Behnkes’ own Master Bonsai Artist in Residence!  Yes, Korean Master Ducky Hong is demonstrating bonsai every Saturday from 10 to 4, and also giving a free talk on February 4 at 11 (in English) and 1 pm. (in Korean).  It’s all happening at our Beltsville location.

Bonsai and other forms of creative pruning are enjoying a renaissance of late, even in the U.S.  See all the bonsai videos on Youtube?  They’re great but honestly, bonsai-making is best learned in person (like all pruning is), so come see Ducky in action.

Here’s my own short video of the Bonsai exhibit at the National Arboretum.

One of the easiest and most rewarding things for a gardener to grow is a selection of herbs. It’s fun to use your own fresh herbs in cooking, they are interesting to learn, the most common ones all have the same growing requirements, and animal pests tend to leave them along.

First, cooking. That is when you make your own meal from a series of ingredients instead of buying in at McDonald’s or tossing a frozen bag of pasta into the microwave. Just thought you might want to know. It takes a combination of time and thyme, but on those days when the weatherman has you cowering inside from the elements (Rain today, run for your lives! Hot today, for goodness sake don’t go out there!!), it can be fun to spend some time following a classic Julia Child recipe instead of downloading apps onto your I-phone. But that’s just me.

Anyway: more on herbs as I understand them. Spices and edible herbs are used for flavoring food. Spices are tropical, are often seeds, and often come from trees, shrubs or vines (pepper; cinnamon which is tree bark; vanilla which is the seed pod of an orchid). Our common herbs are more temperate in origin, and look like your standard garden plant, sometimes annuals, usually perennials.

Just because something is called an herb DOES NOT MEAN IT IS EDIBLE. Herb usage was traditionally medicinal, the province of shamans, monks and witches; the flavoring aspect was just a byproduct. (Take two leaves and call me in the morning, if you’re still alive.) Example: Rue is one of the herbs that is usually sold at garden centers. It’s a pretty blue-leaved plant, but can cause a dermatitis reaction like poison ivy on some people (you will rue the day…). So, once you step away from the common herbs like basil and thyme, Google that bad boy before you throw it in the soup.

Right off, I can’t think of any that are North American in origin; they often come from the Mediterranean area, basil originally from India I think. On the whole, they do best in full sun and need good soil drainage. The flavoring frequently comes from oils that develop most strongly in hot weather. That’s why your basil tastes better in the summer than in the winter. When dried, some herbs hold the flavor, others lose it, especially the leafy herbs. That’s why dry basil and parsley are not as good as say, dried rosemary.

Harvest your herbs early in the day for best flavor. Growing them on a sunny windowsill? Some herbs are okay in a south window, but especially in winter, it’s going to be tough to have enough light for them to thrive or develop much flavor.
The strong flavors of herbs should repel deer, so if you have deer problems, try planting some sage or thyme. Let us know if they graze on your basil. We keep lists.

A good place to see herbs in action, so to speak, is at the huge herb garden at the National Arboretum in DC. Depending on what they have going on this year, will be able to observe things like which lavenders or rosemary varieties do better in our climate, and which herbs are more ornamental. The herb garden is near the visitor center and the Bonsai pavilion. The Arboretum is free, of course, and well worth a trip any time of the year.

For beginners, basil is a great plant, and can easily be grown in a pot on a sunny deck. It is an annual, it grows fast, and you harvest the leaves and soft tips. As the summer progresses and the plant matures, clip off the flower spikes and discard them. Make your own pesto. Probably okay to plant now. They are notorious for rotting off at the soil line in cool weather.
Also easy to grow: parsley (grow as an annual); dill (annual); fennel (seeds out badly, watch out for this one); chives (perennial); thyme (perennial); sage (perennial); oregano (perennial); and French Tarragon (perennial).

Rosemary and lavender: perennial but touchy; siting in good drainage is critical, and for rosemary, some varieties are more winter hardy than others. We have a huge rosemary shrub at the exit at our garden center in Beltsville. It is in a raised bed with great drainage, and has the heat of a poorly insulated building for company in winter. Here’s hoping you try some herbs this year!

Simply Put: Local Public Gardens

A couple of the Behnke staff went to Swarthmore College near Philadelphia  recently to attend a perennial conference. We also walked around the Swarthmore Campus (which hosts the Scott Arboretum) and spent an afternoon at Longwood Gardens; both in the rain.  As I label my photos, I am struck by how lucky we are to have so many fine public gardens in our area. The Philadelphia gardens are only a couple of hours drive away, but of course we have many nice gardens right here in D.C. and the ‘burbs.

The gardens are well-maintained, well-labeled, and free—so they are great for family outings and getting ideas. There is nothing like seeing a plant in the ground, or finely crafted mixed container plantings to inspire you on your next trip to Behnke’s.

With digital photography, it’s so much easier now to record what you like. Take a photo of the plant, and a photo of the label. No need to steal labels anymore!  (We find that the plants that are unusual and in bloom almost always suffer from label-thief blight.)  Email us at behnkes@behnkes.net or bring your photo in. We’ll tell you if we can get the plant, and if not, maybe we might be able to tell you where else to look.

Locally, my favorite gardens are the following, with the areas I most like to visit: Go to their websites for more information. A small disclaimer: I am more interested in perennials than other, lesser garden subjects, and that bias may show up in the descriptions below.

The websites will list also activities and lectures for the public, with top-notch speakers. And here’s a secret: the gardens are more interesting to visit in person!  Turn off that computer and get thee to a garden!

• The United States National Arboretum in DC has collections of magnolias, crabapples and other trees and shrubs, and azaleas; all of which are particularly nice to visit when they are in bloom. The herb garden is spectacular, and the Bonsai collection is world class. Asian Valley showcases Asian plants, while the recently renovated Fern Valley showcases native plants.
• The United States Botanic Garden also in DC, at the foot of Capitol Hill has a spectacular historical greenhouse range which was renovated about 8 years ago.  Hidden in a courtyard in the structure is a zone-denial garden (plants that normally wouldn’t take the winters here).  The patio surrounding the greenhouses has terrific container gardens in season, and is a great place to take a break when your feet are succumbing to museum syndrome.

Adjacent to the building is the intimate Bartholdi Park, which features the Bartholdi Fountain when it’s in town (it’s currently offsite for restoration). And opened in 2006, the National Garden, which has a rose garden, water features, and the Regional Garden, featuring native plants.

• The Smithsonian Institution has a number of gardens on the national mall, including a native plant garden at the National Museum of the American Indian, and the intimate, ever-changing and eclectic Ripley Garden which always has interesting perennials to see. Smithsonian Gardens
• Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland is a wonderful place to walk around.  Massive bulb displays in the spring are worth a special trip, and the rose garden has recovered from deer pressure, thanks to a deer-exclusion fence around the property.  This is a particularly good place to see perennials and shrubs for shade. Nice greenhouses with seasonal displays.
• Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia is the place to go if you are interested in vegetable and herb gardening, as the staff have particular expertise in these areas. They also have little vignettes (“twenty thematic demonstration gardens”) set up to give you ideas for home landscapes; courtyards, townhouses, and so on. They also have nice beds of perennials.

By Larry Hurley, Perennial Buyer
From Behnkes Gardenews Fall 2008 Newsletter

In fall, a gardener’s fancy often turns to ornamental grasses. My favorite grass is slated to be the Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year for 2009, Hakonechloa macra or Japanese Forest Grass. This is an interesting choice because, while they are terrific garden plants, they are a wee bit slow-growing and tricky to produce in the nursery, especially in the spring while it is cool. Generally demand exceeds supply.
That said, they can be spectacular in the garden; best sited in morning sun and afternoon shade, in good garden soil that receives regular moisture, they are the epitome of grace.

They have a weeping form and the flowers are insignificant. The prettiest to my thinking is ‘Aureola’, gold with green stripes, height 12 to 15 inches. I have a patch that is at least 15 years old, about 3 feet wide, five feet long. It is intensely gold when it emerges in the spring, fading a bit when it heats up. An all-gold form, cleverly called ‘All Gold,’ has a similar growth rate and habit. Taller and more vigorous at about 24 inches is ‘Albo-striata’, green with white stripes, and the species form, which is all green.

This is a grass that looks great from April to October, doesn’t run and doesn’t seem to seed. It is particularly attractive draping down over the edge of a low dry wall (as can be seen at the Bonsai Pavillion at the National Arboretum) or next to a backyard pond. Like all slow-growing plants, they are relatively expensive; however, I know that if you plant this grass, you will be delighted with the results. 

Larry Hurley, Perennial Buyer

Behnkes will be hosting the Potomac Bonsai Society  

   Potomac Bonsai Society Auction Local Bonsai collectors offer plants at this society fund-raising auction. Meeting and auction open to the public 10 am – 12 pm