Moved from Dallas to Wash D.C area...Help!

When I moved from Minneapolis to Dallas 2 1/2 years ago, my Daves Garden family was invaluable with Texas gardening tips and garden center recommendations. I've now taken a job in Arlington, Virginia and would like to hear about your favorite garden centers / growers in my new area.

Even though it's winter, I can see that people have beautiful and extensive gardens therefore, I can only assume there must be wonderful landscape resources in the vacinity. It's not spring yet, but I want to be prepared as soon as the frost is out of the ground!!! Recommendations? Thanks.

Wow jardin, what a move youve made.I wish I could help you but I have no idea whats in your area. I know there are lots of people in and around your area so I know your going to have a blast. If you ever get a chance to get out this way there are 3 places I usualy haunt, used to be four but Franks nursery recently closed down for good : (.

jardin, I am not familiar with garden centers in Northern Virginia but I highly recommend that you check out Behnkes. They have three (3) locations but the one that I frequently visit is located in Beltsville, MD. which is 11 acres. Excellent quality plants. It should be worth the short trip.

I have also listed the web address for the National Capital Daylily Club if you are interested in daylilies. Their web site lists a calendar of events for 2005.

And, if you have never visited the National Arboretum in Washington, DC or Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, put them on your to visit list.

http://www.behnkes.com/

http://www.daylilyclub.org/aboutNCD.htm

http://www.usna.usda.gov/

Anyway, welcome to the Mid-Atlantic area ....

Dravencat,
Would like to know your haunts even if they aren't right in my back yard...you never know when I'll be driving in the area. Yes, I too used to frequent Franks in Minneapolis, but they've been closing their stores one by one recently. Got some great deals on roses late last fall at a St. Paul, MN store. Minnesotan's weren't buying them...too late in the season and the ground was freezing so I bought a bunch and packed them in my carry-on luggage back to Dallas. I still have my homes in Minneapolis and Dallas therefore, my gardening seaons are quite varied!

Linthicum,
Thanks for the lead on Behnke's and the links to other websites. I've signed-up for their newsletter. It appears their Potomac Garden Center is the one most near to my house. Will visit them in the near future. Also I won't pass up a trip to their 11 acre site either. Thanks again.

jardin, hey you are missing some great weather here. Mpls had a foot of snow Friday. Of course St. Paul's Winter Carnival is coming up this week so they like the snow.
We only had an inch, then it was 45º on Monday & Tuesday.
Anyway, I was searching through Farmers Market web sites. There is one in Arlington that looks pretty big. That's a real good place to buy plants. They will probably all be homegrown. Not sure of the addy, but go on Google, type farmers markets in the search. It's on about the third page.
Have a great time in your new home.
Bernie

jardin, if you are up to traveling a little farther (less than 1 hour), there are two other garden centers that I visit frequently. The first one is Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, MD. As I recall, they do the landscaping around Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. Quality plants, wide selection, perhaps a little pricey but as is often the case, you get what you pay for.

The second one is Valley View Farms, in Cockeysville, MD (may take a little longer than one hour).
They, too, have a wide selection.

I would say that Behnkes, Homestead and Valley View Farms are the three main garden attractions in my geographic area.

And, one final note. Don't measure Behnkes Beltsville site by your visit to their Potomac location.

http://www.homesteadgardens.com/

http://www.valleyviewfarms.com/

Maryland Rose Society's web page follows .........

http://www.mgs.md.gov/mdrose/index.html

Happy Gardening !!!

Homestead Gardens is one of my haunts but not too frequently, Im a cheapskate by nature and they can be a little more pricey than I like, but I love to go there, the selection is really good and they have awesome garden decor and furniture too.
Also like Meadows Farms, on rt 214, they have locations all over it seems and the prices are really good
http://www.meadowsfarms.com/directions.htm

and last is Maine's widh is close by me here off of 214 and not too far from Homestead Gardens, its a homebased garden/greenhouse and the lady who runs it is one of the nicest people. Her prices are about average and her selection is really pretty good, and she knows what brugs are too. Ill have to take a drive over there to remmeber the street name but I believe its right off the intersection of 214 and Riva road. I forget street names after I know how to get there, LOL.

Oh, you must visit Merrifield garden centers in Virginia. They have a nice website too. They have 2 centers. There is one right off of Rt 50 and Gallows Road. This is just a hop, skip and a jump from Arlington--just stay on Rt 50 outside the Virginia beltway and turn on Gallows Road. They also have a 2nd center out in Fairfax. Both are very, very nice centers.

Then there is also the Wolf Trap Nursery off of Rt. 50. A bit smaller, but they have nice stock.

If you stay on Rt. 7 and head towards Leesburg, there are at least 3 or 4 good size garden centers between Tysons Corner and Leesburg. If you would like, I'll will take a look at the names and get back to you. I can't remember exactly what they are called. I know one is opposite Reston Parkway, and one is out in Ashburn. Virginia is full of great garden centers. You'll have plenty to choose from--as well as all the others mentioned in Maryland.

Thanks everyone, I can see I'll have a lot of places to explore...that's the fun part when moving to a new area. Some other questions you may have answers for...

1. Are there any feed/seed co-ops where I can buy 40-50lb bags of alfalfa (meal, pelletts / cubes)?

2. If you happen to grow roses, you'll know why I'm asking #1 above....it's the best soil additive for not only roses but other perennials too. Also, are there any areas with a concentration of horses... I'd like to arrange with the stable to get some of their horse manure.

3. What nurseries specialize in roses or at least have good selections of Antique and/or English / French roses?

4. I note that many yards have ivy as a ground cover, does Asian Jasmine survive here? This happens to be the predominate ground cover used in Texas landscapes... was just wondering if anyone grows it here in the D.C. area. It gives a similar effect of the ivy, but has a smaller leaf. In Texas it's almost indestructible, not even Roundup kills it!

Nminmd knows all about it! Jardin, RUN....do not walk....get in your car and go see Merrifield Garden Center!!! I lived in the DC area until last April and I am coveting your location right now :) I miss Merrifield already!

I always went to the one in Fairfax, beautiful. Really helpful staff, too. I called their info line a lot with general questions and always got great help. Even if you shop elsewhere, keep their number handy :) They easily have the best selection that I saw in the area. Virtually any perennial you can dream up! They have customers come in from hundreds of miles away just to buy their plants. Excellent! Ooooooh, enjoy :)

Hugahosta,

Sounds like Merrifield Garden Center is theeeeeee place to be. Will carve out a day on one of the upcoming weekends to scout it out. Lately we've been allocating our time between our other 2 houses trying to get one of them (the Dallas area house) ready to either rent or sell. This doesn't leave any weekend time to explore the Garden Centers locally. That will change, though, in the not too distant future!

The next best thing to going there myself is sending a DG buddy :) Sorry we can't go together!!! They also have little lectures/classes available during the growing season. Check it out :)

Jardin, do you know Louisa? she is an avid rose grower who also happens to live in Virgina, troy i think. I havent seen her around for a while, but you probably know her from the rose forums.
Good luck to you in your new home.

Pebble,

I know Louisa only from seeing her posts on DG. The same holds true for you...I read many of the posts about your move (believe you moved from Washington state to Bodrum)? I have to admit, my relocation seems minor compared to yours. I loved seeing the photos of the houses you're selling in Bodrum. They're beautiful!

My husband and I have done a lot of international travel, but never to Turkey and its surrounding countries. Would love to travel there someday, but it's probably not advisable right now considering current world events with your neighboring countries to the east. None the less, Turkey is still a beautiful country!

jardin:

Welcome to Northern Virginia. I have been a resident for the last 5 years. It is a pretty good area to garden. Well that is if you can afford enough land to support a garden!

I don't like to point people towards GardenWeb, but the Virginia and Mid-Atlantic forums over there are great resources. They can be a little slow this time of year, but look through the recent posts and you will find lots of good information.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/vagard/
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/midatl/

I have purchased alfalfa pellets at the TSC in Leesburg. Suburbia is pushing out the feed stores, but there are still pockets of horse farms in Fairfax County, so you might be able to find a supplier in closer. I have not tracked down a source of manure, but then again I have not tried.

- Brent

Brent,

You're right re: the cost of real estate in the DC area. I had total sticker shock when I started to look for a house to buy. Currently we're renting a fully furnished carriage house on Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington until we find something to buy. Actually, our landlords live in the main house and could use some gardening advice so I'll get to put my gardening skills to good use.

Thanks for the websites...they have some interesting posts...even someone giving horse manure away!