Happy Groundhog Day!

US Botanic Gardens

Admission to all public areas of the U.S. Botanic Garden is FREE.

• Conservatory Hours: open 10 AM - 5 PM daily, including all weekends & holidays
• National Garden Hours: open 10 AM - 5 PM daily.
• Bartholdi Park Hours: open dawn to dusk, daily, including all weekends & holidays
• The Conservatory's main entrance is located at 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20001 (use this address for Internet mapping searches). The National Garden is adjacent to the Conservatory, with entrances from Independence Avenue, from Maryland Avenue (at 3rd Street), and from the Conservatory Terrace. Bartholdi Park is located across Independence Avenue from the Conservatory, with access from any of the three bordering streets - Independence Avenue, Washington Avenue, or First Street.
• Map of the U.S. Botanic Garden

5-Layer Mexican Dip

5-Layer Mexican Dip

what you need

1 can (15-1/2 oz.) refried black beans

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

3 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup sliced black olives

1 tomato, chopped

make it

MIX beans, chili powder and cumin; spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate.

TOP with layers of remaining ingredients.

REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Burger-Potato Bites

ingredients

• 16 large frozen French-fried waffle-cut potatoes (1/3 of a 22-oz. pkg.)
• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 2 to 3 tsp. grilling seasoning blend
• 4 slices cheddar cheese, cut into quarters (4 oz.)
• 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• Mustard, ketchup, dairy sour cream, and/or dill pickle slices

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Evenly space potatoes on baking sheet. Bake potatoes for 18 to 20 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Adjust oven racks and preheat broiler.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine meat and seasoning. Form into sixteen 1-ounce mini burgers (about 2 tablespoons). In a 12-inch skillet cook burgers, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until temperature registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, turning burgers once halfway through cooking. Drain fat. Top each potato with a burger, cheese quarter, and tomato slice. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and tomato begins to brown. Serve with mustard, ketchup, sour cream, and/or pickles. Makes 16 snacks.

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Bonanza Bean Dip

ingredients

• 1 16-oz. can refried beans
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 recipe Lime Guacamole, below
• 4 oz. cojita cheese, crumbled (1 cup) or 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 8-oz. carton dairy sour cream
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 2.25-oz. can sliced pitted ripe olives
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Green onion tops (optional)
• Tortilla or Corn Chips
• Lime Wedges

directions

1. In bowl combine beans and cayenne. In one half of bottom of 2-quart rectangular baking dish spread bean mixture in even layer. Spoon Lime Guacamole in other half, spreading evenly. Sprinkle both with cojita cheese. Spread sour cream over all. Cover; chill up to 24 hours.

2. Before serving, sprinkle tomatoes, well-drained olives, and onions over sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tomatoes. Sprinkle onion tops. Pass lime wedges. Makes 8 to 10 (1/2 cup) servings.

3. Lime Guacamole: In bowl combine 4 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and coarsely mashed; 1 medium tomato, chopped; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves); 1 tsp. shredded lime peel; 2 Tbsp. lime juice; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper; and 1/8 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce.

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Pork and Slaw Barbecue Rolls

ingredients

• 1 4- to 5- pound pork shoulder roast or pork shoulder blade Boston roast (Boston butt)
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 16 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
• Coleslaw

directions

1. Place meat in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl combine vinegar, brown sugar, salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Pour over meat.

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Transfer meat to a cutting board; reserve cooking juices. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones and coarsely chop. In a medium bowl combine meat and as much of the juices as desired to moisten. Arrange meat on roll bottoms. Add roll tops. Serve with coleslaw. Makes 16 servings.

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Veggie-stuffed Quesadillas

ingredients

• 2 small green and/or red sweet peppers, cut into thin strips
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin 1-inch-long strips
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or cooking oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese (tub style)
• 5 6- to 7-inch flour tortillas
• Salsa (optional)

directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet cook sweet peppers and onion in 1 teaspoon of the oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in cumin and chili powder. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in parsley. Set aside.

2. Spread cream cheese over half of 1 side of each tortilla. Top with pepper mixture. Fold tortilla in half over peppers, pressing gently.

3. Place tortillas on an ungreased large baking sheet. Brush tortillas with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve warm. If desired, pass the salsa. Makes 10 servings.

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Turnip Greens

Gold Splash® Euonymus

Gold Splash® Euonymus

Euonymus (Wintercreeper)

Proven Winners: Shrubs are no longer only for the ground. Add them to your containers for a dramatic focal point.

Shrimp Shooters

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled, large cooked shrimp
• Romaine lettuce heart leaves

Preparation

1. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Place cooked shrimp and vinaigrette mixture in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Seal and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Arrange lettuce leaves in 8 (6- to 8-oz.) glasses. Spoon shrimp mixture evenly into glasses.

Note: Vinaigrette may be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Let vinaigrette come to room temperature, and whisk before adding cooked shrimp.

Charleston-Made Goods

Sweetgrass Basket

Mount Pleasant native Marilyn W. Dingle headweaves her fruit and flower basket using sweetgrass, bulrush, palmetto palms, and pine needles. 843-884-5590; $560 (baskets are available in a range of prices)


Lowcountry basket makers use a filed-down spoon handle, called a “nailbone,”
to pierce the sweetgrass coil, making way for the palmetto binder.

Plant An Easter Basket

Durable Metal

A metal basket makes an excellent, long-lasting planter. This one needed drainage holes, so we drilled a few in the bottom before planting golden club moss and hostas. Golden club moss grows flat and covers the soil like a shimmering chartreuse blanket underneath the leafy hostas. This shade-loving mix provides a medley of foliage from spring till summer.

Plant An Easter Basket

New Life for an Old Basket

A rusted, wire-framed hanging basket makes a great planter. We removed the chains and let it rest on the ground. Then we added a coco-fiber liner and filled it with potting soil. When choosing plants, be creative and try a shrub. We put a small boxwood in the center and tucked petunias around it. Once the boxwood outgrows the space, plant it in the yard. We used variegated ivy along the outside edge of the container.

Plant An Easter Basket

Tasty Treats

Two of the baskets contain edible greenery. One is filled with creeping thyme and topped with a large ornamental egg. The thyme's fine texture makes a nice green nest for the oversize egg. The larger basket contains chartreuse leaf lettuce mixed with chives, which have spiky, hollow foliage. Chives produce beautiful pink spring blooms. For a decorative touch, eggshells can act as pots. Crack open real eggs, wash the shells, and fill them with small sprigs of thyme.

This season, let baskets decorate your landscape. It's a great time of year to garden, and plants are plentiful. So what are you waiting for? Plant one for yourself, and give one to a friend for a memorable spring treat. (source: Southern Living)

Early Spring Basket

Exposure:	Sun
Pot Style Shown:	Hanging Basket
Color Scheme:	Pastel Mix

This recipe assumes that 4.5" plants are being used. To make the recipe work using larger plants, you will need to choose a pot that is larger than our suggested size or use fewer plants of each variety in the recipe.

Early Spring Basket Recipe:

Superbells® Yellow Chiffon

Calibrachoa

Supertunia® Royal Velvet

Petunia

Proven Winner's Snowstorm® Giant Snowflake®

Sutera (Bacopa)
Spiller that trails up to 36 inches.

Urban Rain Garden

Is A Rain Garden Right For ME?

Rain Garden Quiz

A rain garden is good for the environment. But does it work for you? 

A rain garden is both a rational choice and a philosophical one. Whether or not to install one really comes down to whether you want to make a personal, individual contribution to the environment, and whether a rain garden is a good fit for your landscape.

First, the rational questions:

• After a storm, do you often notice standing water somewhere on your lawn?
• Have you detected any soil erosion on your property?
• Do you have a low spot that stays damp or wet, particularly located downhill from a downspout or concrete area around your house?

Then, the philosophical questions:

• Do you care about the environment?
• Are you aware of, and concerned about, the amount of water that flows from your property into the local storm water system?
• Are you interested in a simple, low-cost way you can make a difference?

If you answered yes to one or more of either group of questions, a rain garden is a good choice for you, your community, and the environment.

Class: Rain Garden Basics

Rain Garden Basics Class at the IMA

Indianapolis Museum of Art on Thursday, April 8 » 6-8 pm

Adult Lecture Room A
Registration:  Register by March 25 

Rain gardens can slow or eliminate runoff, reduce the amount of water entering streams, rivers and municipal sewers, as well as be an attractive way to deal with storm water. Additionally, they can have a positive impact on the environment by filtering out pollutants and sediment, reducing the need to use fertilizers and pesticides, providing food and shelter for wildlife. Through a lecture and tour of a rain garden at the IMA, horticulturist Jim Kincannon will present the many benefits of these landscape features and cover the basics of site selection, design, construction, plant material and maintenance. Class size limited to 20.

Cost:  $21 IMA Members; $30 Non-members

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Gardens and Grounds:  FREE Open daily from dawn to dusk 

Free General Admission

4000 Michigan Road; Indianapolis, Indiana

External plant parts

External plant structures such as leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, and seeds are known as plant organs.

Each organ is an organized group of tissues that works together to perform a specific function.

These structures can be divided into two groups: sexual reproductive and vegetative. Sexual reproductive parts produce seed; they include flower buds, flowers, fruit, and seeds.

Vegetative parts  include roots, stems, shoot buds, and leaves; they are not directly involved in sexual reproduction. Vegetative parts often are used in asexual forms of reproduction such as cuttings, budding, or grafting.