New Books for Gardeners
So many gardening books, so little time! But I’ve narrowed them down to just three among the 2013 releases that I really really want. Planting: A New Perspective: by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury is at the top of my…
Fun Times at the Christmas Open House
We were blessed with great weather Saturday for our Christmas Open House and it was lots of fun, as you can tell from these first photos. Above, customer Amanda Cook took this great shot and shared it with me. Here’s…
Host/Hostess Gifts Galore
I went shopping today for something to take a hostess for Thanksgiving dinner, and the choice wasn’t easy at all. Christmas Cactus come in a lot of great colors, and they’re just unusual enough, I think. Orchids are increasingly popular…
5 Tips for Selecting Your Poinsettia
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Behnke’s. Our Christmas shop is beautifully decorated, the first set of Christmas trees and greens have arrived and the greenhouses are filling up with Poinsettias, Cyclamen and Christmas Cactus. Our…
What to do with Dead Leaves
This time of year you see a lot of “eco-friendly” gardening advice about dead leaves and I wholeheartedly endorse the bottom line – that it’s crazy to send them off to the local landfill, where they take up space and…
Great Bunch of Crafters
Behnkes once again loved hosting local crafters at our Craft Fair last Saturday in Beltsville. Here are a few of them, and click here to see more crafts and crafters on our Facebook page. Nancy Clifford wrote Except for a…
The Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
This past weekend I ventured to Virginia to a place I’d never been before – the Pentagon memorial to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack. It’s a short walk from the Pentagon subway stop – easy to get to…
Fall is for Feeding
Fall is my favorite time to putter in the garden – adding plants, rearranging the ones I already have – but there are also tasks that really need to be done now. And I’m not just talking about raking, though…
In Praise of Cold Frames
A cold frame is a place to grow plants that’s enclosed with a transparent roof. It’s great because it protects plants from cold weather while admitting sunlight and preventing heat escape. Think of it as a miniature greenhouse or season-extender. …
Beginner’s Guide to Choosing and Growing Orchids
I think I can speak for everyone at Behnkes – we loved hosting the National Capital Orchid Society’s big show last weekend, and many of us took the opportunity to attend the talks. Because I know nothing about orchids, I…
Orchid Show Coming To Behnkes in a Shutdown DC Region
Here in Shutdown Central, ground zero for political craziness, we all know government workers who are affected and even more so, government contractors and people dependent on government workers showing up for work (e.g., nearby restaurants) who will never be…
Beginner’s Guide to Bulbs – What to do in the Fall
Here’s the quick-and-dirty guide to bulbs, the fall version. It starts with this basic info: that you plant NOW for bulbs that bloom in the spring – most bulbs. BUYING AND STORING The bigger the bulb, the better. Though when…