2017 Capital Region Fling Overview

The Fling, recently described as summer camp for gardeners, is over but we all get to relive the fun through our blog posts. Much has been written about the Fling on blog posts and in our public Facebook group. I've organized this by day and added a few of the shout-out's from Facebook.

Overall
Cottage in the Court - Fling…Growing A Garden Community

Thursday, June 22  

Welcome Event at Willowsford

Cobrahead Blog 
Digging 

Friday, June 23   

Hillwood Estate, Franciscan Monastery, Smithsonian Gardens, US Botanic Garden

Garden With Diana - Hillwood Estate

pbm garden - Smithsonian Gardens

Late to the Garden Party - Smithsonian Gardens

Digging - Gardens along the National Mall

The Danger Garden - Hillwood Estate

Red Dirt Ramblings - Hillwood Estate

Toronto Gardens - Hillwood Estate
Bonney Lassie - Smithsonian Gardens
A Leafy Indulgence - Hillwood
A Leafy Indulgence - Gardens along the National Mall
pbmGarden - Monastery
Digging - Hillwood
Frau Zinnie - Hillwood
DigGrowCompostBlog - Smithsonian, National Mall
Late to the Garden Party - Hillwood

Saturday, June 24

Private gardens in Maryland and Virginia, Brookside Gardens

Digging - Debbie Friedman

Digging - Jeff Minnich

Digging - Peg Bier

Digging - Scott Brinitzer
Digging - Ellen Ash
Digging - Virginia Gardener
Digging - Barbara Katz
Digging - Brookside Gardens
A Leafy Indulgence - Barbara Katz and Debbie Friedman
Toronto Gardens - Scott Brinitzer
Late to the Garden Party - Barbara Katz
Late to the Garden Party - Brookside Gardens
Garden With Diana - Debbie Friedman's garden
Garden With Diana - Ellen Ash
Garden With Diana - Peg Bier
Danger Garden - Barbara Katz
Danger Garden - Jeff Minnich

Sunday, June 25

Private gardens in Virginia, Casa Mariposa, Merrifield's Garden Center, Stone Tower Winery, Meadowlark Gardens

Digging - Linda Hostetler

Digging - Casa Mariposa, Merrifield's, Stone Tower
Bonney Lassie - Merrifield's, Casa Mariposa, Linda Hostetler's
Bonney Lassie - Meadowlark Gardens
Sharing Nature's Garden - Casa Mariposa
pbmgarden - Merrifield's 
The Paintbox Garden - Linda Hostetler
Late to the Garden Party - Linda Hostetler
Late to the Garden Party - Casa Mariposa
Late to the Garden Party - Meadowlark
The Paintbox Garden - Casa Mariposa

Miscellaneous Posts

Wills Family Acres - Concrete

Wills Family Acres - Pathways

Studiology - The Art of the Fling

Studiology - Plants of the Fling

Ravenscourt Gardens - Fling Overview

See Jane Dig - Fling Overview

Toronto Gardens - Aquamarine

Toronto Gardens - Alliums

More Than Oregano - Containers

Garden Rant - Fling Overview

Late to the Garden Party - Fling Snapshots

Plant + Shoot - Corona Pruners

Toronto Gardens - Cool Container Ideas

Down 2 Earth Garden Design - Overview/Stealable Ideas

Plant + Shoot - Flinging for the First Time

Plant + Shoot - Harris Seeds Red Racer Tomatoes

Veg Plotting - Fling Photography

Angie the Freckled Rose - DRAMM/Harris Seeds Red Racer Tomatoes

PlantsMap - Harris Seeds Red Racer tomatoes 

PlantsMap - Fling overview

Frau Zinnie - American Meadows/High Country Gardens

Frau Zinnie - Corona Tools

Hortus TV: All the Gardening You Can Stream!

My family likes to joke that if I could figure out a way to garden in the dark, I'd do it. I think they may be right. But short of strapping a mining helmet onto my noggin, the best way to get my gardening on when it's too cold, too hot, or too dark is to watch Hortus TV, the internet streaming service that allows you to watch as much gardening TV as you can handle.

With over 1000 gardening shows in their library, many of which are new to North America and available in high def, you could watch almost three shows a day for a year before you hit the end. Started by a passionate gardener frustrated that high quality gardening shows were no longer a part of most network line-ups, Hortus TV includes a free 7-day trial. A monthly subscription is only $6.99 and unlike your phone plan, is available on a month by month basis. You can even watch Hortus TV on your phone, laptop, or tablet. This winter when I'm tired of looking out at my brown dormant garden, which specializes in winter disinterest,  I'll be hooked up to Hortus TV. Hooray!

Southern Living: The Source for Landscape Solutions

Every time I have a problem area in my garden that I try to solve with wrong plant after wrong plant, I feel like I'm lost on a dating site where every match is the wrong one. It would be handy if I could stumble on a website with categories such as "This will grow come hell or high water". But the tough plants from the Southern Living Plant Collection are guaranteed to thrive in Virginia's hot, humid summers. It looks like I finally found my perfect match.

Plants from the Southern Living Plant Collection are designed to solve specific landscape problems and thrive in southern gardens.

The Southern Living Plant Finder makes it easy to find sturdy performers such as crepe myrtles, camellias, loropetalum, and other heat lovers for all your stubborn spots. Southern Living is excited to introduce several new selections such as 'Lime Sizzler' firebush, 'Osage Thornless' blackberry,   and 'October Magic White Shi-shi' camellia. 

'Lime Sizzler' firebush

'October Magic White Shi-Shi' camellia

At their awesome website you can shop online at or cruise such handy categories such as expert videos, style advice, and the plant finder. Check them out!

Encore Azaleas: Superior Plants for Sunny Gardens

Have you ever looked at a plant and thought, "Why can't you just grow in the _____________? Now fill in the blank with whatever light and soil condition you have that the plant hates. Thanks to Encore, azaleas, long staples of shady, warm southern gardens are now available for cold, sunny spots up to zone 6. Encore azaleas are available in 31 reblooming varieties and unlike any other azalea in the world, need 4-6 hours of sun or high filtered shade to thrive. How cool is that?!

'Autumn Fire' azaleas rebloom throughout spring, summer, and fall.

Evergreen Encore azaleas bloom in early spring but continue to bloom throughout summer and fall and can be found in botanical gardens throughout the United States, including the US National Arboretum in Washington DC.

'Autumn Sunburst' azalea

For a gallery of their 31 different varieties and to find a retailer near you, check out their informative website. How can you resist?!

Garden Trends: Expertise and Experience

I love discovering a new company, especially when they turn out to be as awesome as they advertise. Garden Trends, a division of Harris Seeds, isn't new at all. They were only new to me. I discovered Harris Seeds and Garden Trends when searching for purple gomphrena seeds. A mainstay of my summer garden, purple gomphrena attracts pollinators and looks cool doing it. A bright purple flower that looks like it was plucked from an Andy Warhol painting? Yes, please!

Harris Seeds was the first company over a century ago to test and label seed packages for germination rates. My seeds arrived in a heat sealed package and sprouted much quicker than the other types of gomphrena I grew. Orders are shipped within 24 hours of receipt so there is still time to order your favorite summer seeds. In addition to vegetable and flower seeds, Garden Trends sells plants, trees, organic seeds, mushroom kits, bulbs, and garden supplies.

Their garden blog, Garden Digs, and their comprehensive resource library are an excellent source of current trends as well as time tested information. Garden Trends is a garden company staffed by real gardeners and I'll be purchasing their seeds every year.