… and working on bonsai for more than 16 years. Like so many, he started out as an enthusiast with a true love of horticulture, nature, and natural trees. Baker was an active member of the Baltimore Bonsai Society when a chance encounter at an open house event with bonsai curator Jack Sustic at the U.S. National Arboretum, Bonsai and Penjing Museum (U.S. … off until 2014. Thanks to an introduction by Sustic, Baker spent six months in 2012 studying with bonsai master Torho Susuki at the Diajuen Nursery in Japan. Returning to the U.S. in late …
Type: Staff bio
… the skewers using one or two clothespins as pictured here, and be ready to cover loosely with a piece of paper towel like the glass shown in the middle. Directions First, assemble the … down into the glass without allowing it to touch the sides. Cut a piece of paper towel with a hole in the center. This will go over the top of your glass to prevent dust from settling … directions I followed (from a reputable source) instructed me to moisten the end of the skewer with water and roll it in some sugar to “seed” the formation of new crystals. When I tried this, …
Type: Blog
… bit on their surroundings but only to a certain extent. I’m prioritizing the plants that “pass with a vengeance” (e.g., Shasta daisies, coneflowers, and burnets). I’m less concerned about … its foliage remained beautiful as it bloomed. The foliage is a light green, almost chartreuse, with subtle burgundy splotching. The thing that sets it apart is its layer of hairs that give it a silver sheen. The foliage combined with the plate-sized pink flowers are absolutely stunning. Size: 43” tall by 57” wide. Flower …
Type: Blog
… not accumulate water and should drain well. If the soil is clay-like, it should be amended with leaf mulch, compost, or peat moss. Since dahlias should be planted about 18 inches apart, it … The delay does not seem to appreciably affect when the first blooms appear. You can start with either potted plants or tubers that have been overwintered from last year’s crop. If you are … a root system, place the plants in the ground so that the top of the potting medium is level with the ground. Many growers add a slow-release fertilizer (e.g., Osmocote) and/or composted …
Type: Blog
… Tiddens and a plant healthcare specialist’s best friend head out to play fetch. I also work with the horticulturists on preventive care, including watering, pruning, weeding, and … of more than 2.6 million plants here. I have two great plant healthcare specialists who work with me, and I really rely on the horticulturists—they’re my eyes out in the field—and my … a lot of master gardeners. Every week, I give the volunteers a map and checklist marked with target plants and pests. So a typical volunteer assignment, for example, would be to check …
Type: Blog
… summer in the Dwarf Conifer Garden is all about the new growth. Everything is bursting forth with fresh new growth in vivid shades of green, chartreuse, yellow…and blue! Layers of color … Colorado spruce. From early spring through midsummer, however, the tips of every branch shine with the palest yellow—nearly white—new growth. Likewise, Taylor’s Sunburst lodgepole pine ( … Swiss stone pine ( Pinus cembra ‘Blue Mound’) would be a beautiful plant in its own right, with its long, soft, blue-green needles. But when you throw in dusky purple cones, you get a …
Type: Blog
… are styled, they give the impression of age. The trees may be windswept or upright, often with gnarled bark and wide trunks. We achieve these effects by holding branches vertically with string tied to the ground, with fall pruning, and with candling in both spring and summer. What’s candling? In spring, we …
Type: Blog
… is invited to remain silent. The silence creates a meditative space for the artist to connect with and appreciate nature more closely. For ikebana floral designer and Garden volunteer Shelley … own view of the world are all important components of ikebana,” said Galloway. Ikebana with Phalaenopsis orchids and ferns. Although ikebana designs can be created with all kinds of flowers, the designs on display at this year’s Orchid Show feature the main …
Type: Blog
… an ideal site, they will reseed and form a ground cover. There are dozens of varieties, each with its own unique leaf patterns. Arum italicum ‘Mamoratum’ after a cold snap. Arum italicum … Cyclamen coum . The fall-blooming Cyclamen hederifolium have ivy-shaped leaves with stunning silver patterns and small, windswept-looking flowers. Cyclamen coum blooms in the late winter or early spring, and has heart-shaped leaves with silver patterns. Both plants grow their leaves in the fall and carry them through the winter …
Type: Blog
… Hilgenberg celebrated these six major types of corn—and beautiful heirloom varieties with names like ‘Blue Jade’, ‘Glass Gem’, and ‘Golden Bantam’—in a seasonless sunburst. The … were hand-carved from wood and nuts. Star-shaped flowers are made from milkweed pods, with a crabapple at the center. The supersized fruit of ‘Ralph Shay’ crabapple dot the centers of … Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Horticulturist Ayse Pogue paid tribute to her Mediterranean roots with a fragrant wreath made of juniper and olive branches. Tucked in in delicate sprays, tiny …
Type: Blog
