Monthly Archives: December 2009

Plants, like animals, don’t all behave the same

December 29, 2009 0

by Gene Sumi, Homestead Education Coordinator

Probably the statement I make most in my line of work is that “Plants are living things”.  This may sound like an ridiculously obvious statement, …

… Read more »

Don’t miss the holiday fun at the U.S. Botanic Gardens

December 27, 2009 0

Posted by Susan Harris
Got time off with the kids?  Already seen the holiday displays at Homestead?  Then truck on down to D.C. for the awesome holiday show at the U.S. Botanic …

… Read more »

A Holiday Time for Sharing-Food

December 26, 2009 0

Seasonal Cooking with Rita Calvert~The Local Cook
Glories of the Snow
Sharing Fabulous Food and Art

First for the ‘sharing’, indulge yourself in a bit of  opera at a Spanish Farmers Market …

… Read more »

Happy Holidays from Homestead Gardens

December 24, 2009 0

… Read more »

For “Gardening” in Winter, Watch Paul James on HGTV

December 22, 2009 1

Posted by Susan Harris
I hope you all get basic cable because gardening shows are a great lifeline for us gardening addicts trying to survive the winter.  So I’ll be covering the (paltry few) gardening …

… Read more »

How to Love thy Neighbor, Post-Blizzard

December 20, 2009 1

Posted by Susan Harris
Post-blizzard, we mainly hear about good people shoveling their neighbors’ sidewalks and digging out their neighbors’ cars.  And I was the beneficiary of that kind of generosity myself, as …

… Read more »

Snow – it’s a design opportunity for gardeners

December 18, 2009 0

by Susan Harris
Tomorrow my garden will look like this – a winter wonderland, so frozen there’s nothing I can do out there but go sledding, right?  Wrong, amigos.  It’s the perfect time to …

… Read more »

It’s About the Cookies!

December 17, 2009 0

Seasonal Cooking with Rita Calvert~The Local Cook

You know the kind we really eat and not try to get rid of from the internet.

Since the chocolate chip is the all-American favorite by far, …

… Read more »

Are Your Spring Bulbs Coming Up Already?

December 17, 2009 0


by Gene Sumi, Homestead Education Coordinator

If you see the green tips of daffodils or tulips poking through the surface of your soil, not to worry!  They may be some …

… Read more »

Homestead’s Holiday Trains and Outdoor Lighting

December 16, 2009 2

Here’s Homestead’s “Visual Merchandising” wizard, Scott Daly, talking about our biggest holiday attractions.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6ElHsAMSeA]

And there just happens to be another video on YouTube of seasonal interest – it covers our annual lighting of the outdoor …

… Read more »

December’s “Gardenblogger Bloom Day”

December 15, 2009 2

by Susan Harris
Pity the poor gardenblogger deep into winter (like the Indiana gardener who originated this gardenblogging tradition), still trying to come up with some blooms to show off on the …

… Read more »

Winter Workshops are Posted – Mark your Calendars

December 13, 2009 1

This year Homestead Gardens is offering 26 winter workshops!  Sign up for three workshops by December 31 and the fourth one is free.  (Discount applies only to workshops with a $5 fee. Just mention this special to Customer Service when signing up.)

Gene’s Tips: Gardening Tools ($5)
Saturday, January 23 at 10am
Homestead Gardens Education Coordinator Gene Sumi shows you his picks for the top garden tools to maintain a great garden.

Composting ($5)
Saturday, January 23 at 12pm
Dr. Frank Gouin, one of the foremost authorities on composting, will take you through the simple process of transforming your kitchen scraps and yard waste into “black gold.”

Planting for Wildlife ($5)
Saturday, January 23 at 2pm
Master Gardener Lisa Winters shows you how to bring nature home by selecting the right plants for your backyard.

… Read more »

How “green” are cut Christmas trees? Very!

December 8, 2009 0

by Guest Blogger Jade L. Blackwater, author of the  Arboreality Blog

While perusing Christmas trees at our local Linvilla Orchards this season, I heard an ecstatic boy in the next row over …

… Read more »

All about forcing paperwhites

December 1, 2009 2

Posted by Susan Harris

Sure, perennial manager Betsy Winters loves that plant group but over the holidays and through the winter, she’s pretty gung-ho about forcing bulbs for indoor color.   …

… Read more »