Helmut T. Jaehnigen March 8, 1936 — November 15, 2025
Remembering Helmut, who worked at Behnke Nurseries for decades and was a steady, caring part of my life and our nursery community.
Walking With Gratitude Thank You from Team Sonja💜
This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Centennial Park was a moving reminder of why we walk. Team Sonja raised $3,595 to honor my mom, Sonja Behnke Festerling, and to support families and caregivers touched by this disease.
Beyond the Garden Beds: Life These Last Few Weeks
From blooming daylilies and deer troubles to catching up with old friends and prepping for the Christmas-in-July show—here’s what June looked like for Stephanie.
Make A Difference With Every Ring
One of my mom’s, Sonja Behnke Festerling favorite things to do after retiring from Behnke’s was ringing the Salvation Army bell at Behnke Nurseries. As a member of the Beltsville Rotary Club, which organized bell-ringing shifts from Thanksgiving through Christmas…
Photo Of The Week: A Very Special Halloween Pumpkin
As many of you know, the late singer Eva Cassidy worked at Behnke Nurseries for a number of years before she left to devote herself to her full-time music career. We worked together at Behnke’s Largo location. In…
Till We Meet Again
On September 19, 2024, Ele Behnke passed away, and Heaven gained another angel. I don’t even know where to begin expressing how much Aunt Ele meant to me. My earliest memories are of playing with her daughter, my cousin…
Gaver Farm ~ Frederick County
Last weekend, I went on yet another adventure. This time, my wonderful daughter-in-law, Amy Fleming, invited me to tag along to Gaver Farm outside of Mt. Airy, Maryland, in Frederick County. She was taking my grandchildren, Robert and Elizabeth Rose,…
Larry Hurley’s Photo Of The Week: Pollinators
Although bees, butterflies and hummingbirds get much of the credit for pollinating, there are loads of other pollinators in your garden. This is a photo of a (non-native) hybrid ornamental onion, Allium ‘Millenium’. This was the Perennial Plant Association Perennial…
A Brick Full of Memories
This little brick is more than just a planter, it’s a piece of my childhood home and one of Behnke’s Bests, Larry Bristow’s legacy. It comes from the little brick house that once stood at the back of Behnke…
Remembering Becky Beaver
This week, we said goodbye to yet another of Behnke’s Best. Our friend and co-worker Becky Beaver passed away at her home on July 21st after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Those of us who knew and loved Becky…