Harris is the neighbor everyone wants — the one with the most beautiful garden on the block. Thankfully for the rest of us, the Takoma Park resident has legions of proteges who follow her blog at gardenersusan.com, and create some lovely landscapes throughout the Washington region. People seem to distinguish between urban gardening and everywhere-else gardening. Is there a difference?
Not really. Urban gardeners probably have a smaller lot, or they may plant things on their rooftops and balconies.
For those of us who are getting into gardening this late in the season, what should we plant?
I’m a big proponent of shrubs. They can add the most to your garden with the least amount of money and work. There are some shrub roses that will bloom all season long — some grow really fast, too, if you’re just getting started.
Are you trying anything new this year in your garden?
I’ve gotten rid of my lawn, and I’m trying instead a tapestry of sedum. Primarily, people plant sedum on rooftops. But I thought that if they do well on rooftops, they’ll do well in what was a sunny lawn. So, my grass is gone, and with sedums you never have to mow, water or seed.
What’s the best thing about the D.C. area when it comes to gardening?
It’s a great climate — this is the perfect climate for people to get into gardening. … The mid-Atlantic is famous for that. And, in my opinion, the mid-Atlantic has the best public gardens in the entire country.
For those of us who may not have the green thumb, where are those great public gardens?
Right on the National Mall, my favorites are the Ripley Gardens. And the gardener there has signs telling you what everything is — she’s really wonderful. And then of course there’s the National Arboretum — that’s a great place to learn. And in Maryland, there are the Brookside Gardens, and in Northern Virginia, there are the Green Spring Gardens.
– Leah Fabel
