Weekend Garden Events
Valley View Farms in Cockeysville.
Gardening for a Healthier Planet, Saturday, 9 a.m. - As gardeners, we are stewards of our environment. Today we will use a checklist provided by the University of Maryland Extension as a guide to determine the best practices to use in gardening to protect our planet and our region.
Your's truly, Garden Variety blog mistress Susan Reimer, will be speaking at 11 a.m. on Gardening on the Internet. I'll take you on a brief tour of the websites that can be a real resource for gardeners. And I am free!
U.S. Botanic Garden, Washington, DC
Saturday:
Production Facility Open House: Only once each year does the USBG invite the public to see its growing facility, the largest greenhouse complex supporting a public garden in the United States.
The site, completed in 1994, includes 85,000 square-feet under glass, divided into 34 greenhouse bays and 16 environmental zones. In addition to foliage and nursery crops, participants will see all of the USBG collection not currently on display, including orchids, medicinal plants, insectivorous plants and rare and endangered species.
Register for one of the tour times to meet the growers, ask questions and wander through this working wonderland of plants.
Tour Times: 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m. or 1:30 p.m.
Location: USBG Production Facility (directions provided after registration)
Friends: FREE; Non-members: $5
Pre-registration required, visit www.usbg.gov or call (202) 225-1116
Behnke's Nursery (for location, see description)
Saturday:
Building a Terrarium in Beltsville, 9 a.m.; Cost: Your cost will depend on the terrarium and plants you choose from our supplies. All other materials for this workshop are free.
Find out why some plants work better than others for terrariums as you build one to take home at
the end of class. Learn which plants work best together and how to care for your new micro-garden.
Create a Hypertufa Planter in Beltsville ($35); 11 a.m. Learn how to make your own planters for the garden or patio. Hypertufa planters are rustic stonelike pots or troughs made of simple materials that are relatively lightweight and easy to handle. Though you will create your planter during this class it will need time to cure. Staff will let you know when you may pick it up. All materials will be provided.
Starting from Seed in Beltsville ($20); 1 p.m. Learn the best techniques for starting your garden from seed Which seeds should be started early in trays and which grow best when planted directly in the ground. Then you will plant some seeds to get the hang of it. You will also be sent home with a seed starting tray, soil and seeds.
Orchid Diagnostic and Repotting Clinic in Potomac; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Host: Carol Allen
Have an orchid question Ask Carol! Her vast knowledge of orchids comes from many years of
hands-on experience. She would love to answer your questions and, for a minimal fee, she will
expertly repot your orchid.
Sunday
Raised Gardens - Maximizing Your Space in Beltsville (Free); 1 p.m. Tired of plowing up the back yard every spring. Learn how to create easy to work in gardens especially for your vegetable crops. The soil in raised beds stays loose since you do not need to walk through it, and the plants sit a little higher making them easier to work with. Also, visit some alternative ways to create raised beds.
