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If you followed the #seedlingswap tweetup yesterday, you know already that the Seedling Swap rocked my socks! About 30 people came out to share their seedlings, get seedlings to start their first garden, or just watch what was going on … Continue reading
I’ve got all my seedlings for tomorrow’s Seedling Swap labeled and packed, ready to bring down to 14th & U Farmers Market bright and early! Be sure to check out the swapping action on Twitter if you can’t join in person: follow the hashtag #seedlingswap.
If you have plenty of seedlings and don’t want to share, don’t want to wake up quite as early, or just want a helping hand learning how to garden, I was made aware of this program by Neighborhood Farm Initiative that teaches local folks the ins and outs of organic urban gardening–a hands-on course throughout the year that will teach you everything to harvest the most from your urban farm!
The program starts Saturday, May 5, at 10 AM at NFI. Although Saturday’s intro class is free, the program’s cost is $450 for instructional course through September, the 12′ x 12′ plot, and all of the fresh veggies that come with urban farming. Here are the details:
“ATTENTION ALL ASPIRING GARDENERS!! NFI is extending an invitation to you to come and attend the first day of classes of our Adult Garden Education Program. Come and check it out and, if you like it, you’re welcome to sign up for the rest of the season.
WHERE: Fort Totten site (100 Gallatin Street, NE – next to Fort Totten metro).
WHEN: Saturday, May 5 (from 10am to 12 noon).
WHY: To find out how fun and informational our classes are.
HOW: Shoot an email to brenda@neighborhoodfarminitiative.org to sign up for the one-day class invitation.
For more information about the program, visit our Garden Education Program page, and to sign up for the introductory class, send an email to brenda@neighborhoodfarminitiative.org.
The Adult Garden Education Program (GEP) is geared for adults who have a strong desire to learn all aspects of setting up and maintaing an organic garden. Hands on instruction will teach you everything from preparing the soil to planting, maintenance, and pest management. The instruction will be led by Nora Weaver (a former GEP student) and
guest presenters. Want to sign up with a friend? Split a plot with a friend for half the price!
Students will receive:
“
Join DC State Fair this Saturday, May 5, for the Seedling Swap at 14th & U Farmers Market!
Swing by at 9 AM to drop off your seedlings and chat with local gardeners about the varieties they brought to share. This swapper started a few extra black peanuts to share, as well as Sea Island Brown Cotton, Cowhorn okra, Brown Turkey fig cuttings, and a bunch of peppers and tomatoes. Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your community garden plot neighbor, and bring your seedlings to share! (It would also help to bring a list of what you want/need or make one during the pre-swap mingling before the gardening haze takes over and you walk home with ten Cherokee Purple tomato plants and none of the cotton you wanted to grab). Of course, new gardeners or folks without seedlings are more than welcome–there will be plenty for you to take back to your garden, too!
At 10 AM, the swap will begin. Be sure to get there early to check out what everyone is bringing and make sure you walk home with the seedlings you want!
The Seedling Swap will also be tweeted live in DC State Fair’s first tweetup–use the hashtag #seedlingswap while swapping to share tips you learned during the swap and chat with off-site tweeps to get the dish on how well certain varieties grow in DC.
It’s that time of year–starting this weekend and going for the next month, every single plant-related organization, business, club, what-have-you is holding their annual spring plant sale!
Of course, DC State Fair’s Seedling Swap on Saturday, May 5, at 14th & U Farmers Market is your go-to source to share local seedlings with your neighbors–FOR FREE–but there are many, many, many, many other goings-on in the DC area in the coming weeks. Here is just a few for you to check out (big hat-tip to Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener–most of these events come from her monthly e-newsletter events listing).
The events start as early as this weekend–celebrate Earth Day by buying plants for your garden! Most events below are rain or shine–we gardeners are hardy folk! Announcements are linked for more information. Some events are further out than those of us who use only bikeshare can accommodate, but certainly those of you with a vehicle will enjoy the travel!
Saturday, April 21, 8 AM to 4 PM
Friends of Carlyle House Historic Park Annual Garden Day Herb & Craft Sale
Herbs and veggies will be on sale from Mount Vernon and Layng & Company. There are crafts made by local artisans, children’s activities, live performances, and history interpreters. Admission is free–proceeds from the sale benefit the museum and garden. Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
Saturday, April 21, 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday, April 22, 10 AM to 5 PM
Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival
Historic Downtown Leesburg will host more than 150 vendors with landscape designs, gardening supplies, outdoor living items, plants, flowers, herbs, and more.
Friday, April 27, 1 PM to 4 PM and Saturday, April 28, 9 AM to 4 PM
Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair and Plant Sale
One of the largest garden fairs in the area, the FONA garden fair and plant sale will have tons of landscaping plants, houseplants, edibles, garden crafts, and other items from local and national wholesale growers. Plus, the azaleas will be in bloom throughout the Arboretum. 3501 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002.
Saturday, April 28, 8 AM to noon
Historic London Town and Gardens Spring Plant Sale
The sale will have perennials, heirloom vegetables, annuals, and other plants. 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
Thursday, May 3, 7 AM to 1 PM
Bethesda Community Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
Mostly perennials with some annuals, veggies, and herbs. Plant sale proceeds benefit various community projects including landscaping at Bethesda and Davis libraries. Held at the Bethesda Farm Women’s Market, 7155 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Saturday, May 5, 9 AM to 3 PM
Edible & Native Plant Sale
Something to check out after the DC State Fair Seedling Swap: Brookside Gardens will have edible and native plants for sale, including vegetables, herbs, perennials, shrubs, trees, vines, and pollinator-attracting plants. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902.
Saturday, May 5, 9 AM to 6 PM and Sunday, May 6, 9 AM to 3 PM
Franciscan Monastery Annual Herb and Plant Sale
Another post-Seedling-Swap option! Known for their roses, the Fransciscan Monastery will also be selling other landscape plants, herbs, blueberries, grapes, and raspberries. The Monastery’s famous honey and their beeswax soap will also be on sale in limited quantities. 1400 Quincy Street, Washington, DC 20017.
Sunday, May 6, 10 AM to 3 PM
Glencarlyn Flower and Herb Sale
Glencarlyn Library Community Garden, 30 S. Kensington St., Arlington, VA 22204.
Saturday May 12, 8 AM to noon
Beltsville Garden Club Spring Plant Sale
Annuals, vegetables, and herbs in addition to perennials, shrubs, and trees. Held in the parking lot of High Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Saturday, May 12, 8 AM to 3 PM
44th Annual Cylburn Arboretum Market Day
Natives, perennials, shrubs, herbs, vegetables, annuals, and roses, plus garden supplies, books, and more from a variety of vendors. Admission free, but parking is $5 to $10. Held at Clyburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209.
Saturday, May 12, 9 AM to 1 PM
Silver Spring Garden Club Garden Mart
Perennials, herbs, native plants, shrubs, annuals, houseplants, heirloom tomatoes and peppers, and other vegetables. At Brookside Gardens Visitor’s Center grounds, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902.
Saturday, May 12, 9 AM to 3 PM
Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia Plant Sale
Broad selection of plants grown in MGNV demonstration gardens by Master Gardeners. Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312.
Save the Date
Saturday, June 16 10am
Washington Gardener Magazine’s DC Plant Swap
Come with plants to swap or a snack to share if you are plant-less. Free and open to anyone to attend. At the H Street FreshFarm Farmers Market in NE Washington, DC.
With all this warm weather, many new and seasoned gardeners in DC are having trouble waiting to plant their garden this year. So, DC State Fair has the answer–if your tomato seedlings got zapped by a late cold spell, stop by the DC State Fair Seedling Swap on Saturday, May 5, and find a new seedling!
The second-annual DC State Fair Seedling Swap will be held during opening day at the 14th & U Farmers Market, on Saturday, May 5, from 9 to about 11 AM. There’s still time to start some seed to share with fellow gardeners, so get your hands dirty this chilly weekend and sow some tomatoes, peppers, okra, and herbs to share! Also plan on chatting and exchanging information about the seedlings you’re bringing. Did you save the seeds from years past? Is the variety an heirloom from your grandmother’s side of the family? How well do they do in the city heat? Be ready to learn from experienced local gardeners!
If you’re a new gardener and don’t have seedlings to share, don’t worry–we’ve got you covered! Anyone who shows up will walk home with a healthy seedling to grow and show at this fall’s DC State Fair. To plan for your DC State Fair entries for this fall, keep an eye out for any vegetables/herbs/fruit that could taste good; get jammed, pied, pickled, or cupcaked; grow long; grow heavy; or just look crazy-funky!
Please show up as close to 9 AM as possible if you plan on swapping, so everyone has the opportunity to learn about all the varieties and discuss growing tips. (If you have never started seed before or are looking for a quick how-to, there are many available online. There are also sow-date calculators that can tell you when seed should be sown indoors and later transplanted or direct-sown outdoors. April 15 is about the average last-frost date for DC, but who knows how early it’ll be this year?)
The event is free and no registration is required. Just bring your labeled seedlings and be prepared to share and learn growing tips! So whether you’re from U Street or beyond, whether you have seedlings or not, and whether you even have a garden plot or not, come out on May 5 and swap them seedlings!
If you subscribe to our State of the Fair newsletter, you already know that DC State Fair is gung-ho for the third-ever DC State Fair! And we want you to be a part of continuing this new DC tradition.
DC State Fair is run completely by the most dedicated and amazing volunteers in the District, and you can be one of those amazing volunteers, too! DC State Fair has plenty of opportunities for you to take an active role planning the Fair this fall by joining a committee and organizing contests, coordinating events, reaching out to the community, and more! If you, or a friend, or a trusted companion, or a coworker, or (you get the idea) are interested in taking on a leadership role with DC State Fair, e-mail kenneth@thedcstatefair.org for more details.
Events Committee: This committee will help coordinate events, such as info booths at farmers’ markets, special events, and the day of the Fair itself.
Community Engagement Committee: This committee will be responsible for reaching out to other community groups to spread word about contests and events as well as hitting the ground to engage community members who may have interest in participating with the Fair. Anyone with an interest in interviewing previous contestants and writing profiles and recipe posts for the blog and newsletter are particularly welcome!
Contests Committee: This committee will be composed of subcommittees. Each subcommittee will work to determine contests, set judging parameters, find judges, reach out to the community to inform potential contestants, and work to acquire prizes for each contest, plus play a coordinating role during the day of the Fair when the contests are to be held.
Subcommittees:
Right now is the time to start sowing seeds for your summer surplus of tomatoes and other garden delights.
But at the end of every winter, for those of us who don’t have outdoor space of our own to grow crops to enter into this year’s Fair (your DC State Fair blogger included!), we eagerly await the plot availability announcements from DC’s community gardens with their several-year waiting lists.
Well, a new garden just opened up to help fill the supply and demand gap in gardening space: Wangari Gardens, near Washington Hospital!
I just learned from a recent post at Prince of Petworth that they are accepting applications for their 25 plots for gardening this spring–and it’s a fast turn-around time! Get your application in by this Sunday, 11 March, and get word about your plot-holder status by Friday, 16 March.
There are only 25 plots, which are 8′ x 4′ each, so if you don’t get one of these surely to be highly competitive spots, never fear–Wangari Gardens has a lot of plans for expansion, and if you put in volunteer hours (with their planned fruit tree orchard or rain garden, say), you’ll get bonus points for a plot when they have more available!
I feel weird sharing this (because I’m gunning for a plot, too), but apply and spread the word about this new community garden!
