Violets creep into my gardens every year. While I never considered them one of the worst weeds, I would remove them when cleaning up the garden.
No longer.
I recently discovered that native violets are the prime host plant for many of the Fritillary caterpillars. Fritillary butterflies are marvelous members of any garden being both beautiful and good pollinators.
Two years ago, the first American Chestnut trees were planted by the Maryland Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation at the Central Maryland Research & Education Center Seed Orchard.
Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and members of the chapter, a great deal of work has been achieved. Here is a brief video showing some of the progress that has been made:
If you are interested in volunteering, the fall harvest of chestnut seeds will begin in September.
A workshop about how to propagate azalea and rhododendrons will be held Sat., July 21, at 9 a.m. at White’s Nursery, 22531 Wildcat Rd., Germantown, MD. The event will be hosted by the Mason-Dixon Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society.
The workshop will demonstrate how to start azaleas and rhododendrons from cuttings and allow you to try as well. You will take home soon-to-be new plants. The method that will be demonstrated is also effective for other shrubs and trees and is a great way to get extra plants for almost no cost.
Everything you need will be supplied, but if you have extra gallon-sized pots (also called 6” pots), please bring them. The Chapter always needs more.
The workshop will last several hours or more, so don’t worry if you are running a little late.