Between the Rows – A Guide to Vegetable Gardening:
February 2023
Vegetable Gardening information and events for February 2023.
Between the Rows – A Guide to Vegetable Gardening:
TREE: Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Eastern White Pine is the largest conifer of forests in the eastern and upper midwestern United States. It is common in the Virginia mountains and is native to NoVA except to Arlington. It neither abides air pollution of urban and populated areas nor salt spray, but given the right environment and enough room to grow, this conifer will become a magnificent specimen.
Invasive Plant Video: Nandina domestica
The Glencarlyn Library Community Garden coordinators are creating a new series of short videos about locally invasive plants and native alternatives. This series looks at individual invasive plants, discussing how to remove them and suggesting native plants to consider as replacements. This month's post is on Nandina domestica.
New Year Resolutions: Houseplant Edition
As we look to 2023 with the best intentions, maybe include a few plant care resolutions with your fitness plans and Dry January. Winter is a hard time for our houseplants, and cold temperatures and dark days will remain through March. By implementing just two care tips, you will come into spring with a house full of happy, healthy plants.
PERENNIAL: Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Purple Coneflower has a rich history of medicinal use that has resulted in its over harvesting and decline in its natural habitat, centered in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. The few established populations in Virginia and Pennsylvania appear to be escapes from cultivation. So many beneficial insects (and goldfinches) flock to it though, one thinks of Echinacea as native. In any case, its attributes make it a "must-have" for a sunny garden.
VINE: Bignonia capreolata (Cross-vine)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
This semi-evergreen vine can cling to stone, brick, and wood without support. Found in forests and along roadsides mainly in the South,* its showy, two-tone flowers are an early nectar source for butterflies and hummers. Cross-vine refers to the cross-shaped pattern of the cut stem.