Rockville, MD

Hi. I currently live in Louisville, KY (zone 6). In a couple of months I am moving to Rockville, MD. Can those of you from MD give me some insight into local gardening conditions? Which plants work in MD? Do you know the zone for Rockville? I see that Baltimore is 7. Any help would be much appreciated!

Hey there Eric...maybe share with us what types of plants you lean toward i.e. fragrant, cottage, succulents etc. We're blessed w/some amazing gardeners in MD that I'm sure will chime on in but let us know your gardening preferences.

Welcome ericmg~~ I don't think it'll be that different from your current garden. Maybe you'll have more humidity in summer, and maybe you can get by with some more warm zone plants in sunny spots if you're lucky. We consider that we're tempered a bit by the ocean, even though Rockville is not exactly ocean front but relative to KY it is closer. Rockville I'd guess is 7,like I have maybe, but with mocroclimates might go 8- still experimenting.

The soil is likely to be more acidic in Maryland, but not necessarily. At least you won't find any of the limestone/karst soils that Kentucky is known for in that part of Maryland. All the plants you have pictures of in plantfiles would be happy in Rockville, given the same sun conditions.

Ah, the dirt in Rockville is probably based on slightly orange clay and can get pretty hard in summer , although fertile. Bring some horse stuff with you.

I love hydrangeas. Especially macrophylla. How do those do in MD? Any late freezes to kill the flower buds? Hopefully not....

I also love heucheras and brunnera among other perennials. Which perennials do you have good experience with?

And, of course, Japanese Maples. How do these do?

So the soil tends to be more acidic?

HI Eric: Hydrangeas do great. Notwithstanding what Claypa says, in my micro-yard the soil is (to my suprise) very alkaline, so it does vary (I am very near Rockville). I'd do a soils test. But yes, late freezes do happen.

Heuchera and brunnera do great. Japanese Maples do great -- you'll see them all over town.

Do you know where you'll be living yet?

We are blessed with wonderful gardeners who host wonderful swaps, so you can get swept up into the thick of things very quickly.

I'm in Rockville, and I've always considered it to be a mix of 7a and 7b - almost everything I put in the ground will grow, though, except what is obviously not meant for this area. I do old garden roses, heirloom vegies, heirloom bulbs and fragrant and other interesting flowers, and for the most part they flourish. I did have to amend the soil in my garden quite a bit, and when I plant anything in the rest of the yard I do have to add to the soil there also. The soil in my area, even at the edge of a clump of woods in the back of my yard, is kind of thin and rocky. Once it's amended with humus and rotted manure from my rabbits and the local nursery, though, anything I plant generally takes right off. Hydrangeas do really well, to the point where they're almost a nuisance; honeysuckle really is a nuisance; vines in general threaten to take over the yard and house (even my beloved squash and pumpkin become quite menacing by the end of summer); Japanese Maples abound everywhere; hostas are huge; cannas are very popular; not sure about heuchera or brunnera since I don't grow those. Of course cherry trees of every type are all over, and in fact springtime around here is beautiful since there are so many flowering trees - when you walk down the street and the petals are falling it's like a warm snowfall! Summers can get humid, which I'm sure you know all about, and fall is always welcome, and by Halloween the weather has usually turned chilly. The winters can be very cold, but usually the weather reports give us plenty of time to cover up or bring in those plants which we want to save, and it's the same in spring, when the weather can be freezing one day and warm the next. All in all, it's a nice area to garden in, enough variety in the weather and enough choices in plants to make it all interesting. I think you'll like it - Good luck and welcome!

I will be living in Montgomery Co - off of the Montgomery Ave exit.

You guys have been so nice and helpful! I really appreciate it.

Do you have any pictures of your gardens?

I am really looking forward to the change. I am excited you guys are one zone warmer (7) as opposed to 6!

my backyard in August. I'm lucky I have a half acre lot.

That's funny -- I have lots of photos of disastrous plants, but I don't think I have any recent photos of my yard as a whole. I need to do that this summer!

If I can tell right from the thumbnail. this is variegated liriope, Autumn Joy and a var. miscanthus, all near the shade of maples.
Are you inheriting a gardened yard, or brand new/ blank slate?

Thanks so much for the pictures.

I am moving into a town home with my girlfriend. Luckily I will have some area to work with. It's basically going to be a blank slate.

I'm not used to not having a larger yard, so that's going to be an adjustment. But I'll have plenty of space to work with (hopefully). And I like container gardening, so that will help to expand the space.

Any pictures of hydrangeas? Those are my fav!

I love hydrangea too. I lost one this past year and one the year before that -- they suddenly went limp on me. I don't know if it was a root weevil (my suspicion) or what. But despite my experience, I think they do well here. I have a bunch I can root for you if you are interested.

What about the nurseries / garden centers? Are there any good ones you can name in the area?

Thanks for the offer. I might take you up on that. I hate leaving my plants behind. I have tons of hydrangeas - limelight and bluebird are my favorites.

I'm just getting back to serious gardening after a couple years of haphazard, benign neglect so I don't have any good pictures either. Some townhomes have decent-sized yards - and blank slates can be a lot of fun to plant in! I've gotten some decent plants from farmer's markets around here, I don't go to many garden centers but there is one in Potomac, I believe, that I recall as being fairly extensive.

Welcome, Bredela!

Thank you! I have very good memories of when I did intensive gardening, but then the last few years got away from me. Now I have the time and inclination to get out there and play in the dirt again, so I'm already out there poking around and seeing what I've got. It's going to be hard to wait til Spring especially with all the catalogs flooding the mailbox everyday!

I'm still pretending it is last fall!

Erci - DG's GoGardening http://davesgarden.com/products/go/ might be able to help you with regard to local nurseries etc.

Big ole VA welcome to you, Bredela!!!

Thank you so much Chantell!!!! That was very helpful! Muchas Gracias!

Thank you Chantell - I appreciate it! I don't know how I gardened before without this site, I'm learning so much. Spring can't get here too fast for me!

Welcome, Eric! Just in case you might be in the area that weekend, note that we're having a DG gathering on Feb. 21 in Frederick. :-)

There are some GREAT nurseries around here... Behnke's is a big operation with 2 local locations, and when we get you up to Frederick you'll have to check out Dutch Plant Farms and a bunch of others here!

Thanks for the welcome! That's funny. Actually I will be up there that weekend. I am selling my house here in KY on Feb 20th, and moving my things there on the 21st.

I won't actually be fully moved until March 15, but I can't wait.

Thanks for the names of the nurseries!!!! I can't wait to start gardening in MD. I already have so many ideas.

I'm guessing you might be a bit preoccupied that day, then, but you'd sure be more than welcome to come by for any part of the day's festivities!

A man's gotta eat sometime! between moving a bunch of boxes

...and you can do some serious noshing at that buffet!

This is off of the topic, but does anyone have the name (and number) of a good, reasonable floor tile / granite guy?

Actually I might...I'll need to find out if he goes up to MD though...or maybe one of the others know of someone actually IN MD that would be closer...I'll wait and watch

Eric--
There's always Home Depot!
I don't know where they fall on the "reasonable" list--but they do not charge more or less because of where you live. At least I don't think so.....

Just so you know--I work for HD--but I do not know how much they charge. One thing I do know--they will stand behind their work until you are satisfied.

Believe me! Rockville is NOT one of the cheapest places to live....Too close to DC...

Gita

Hey Gita,

Thanks for the info. Are you guys still running the carpet special?

Eric

Yup! WHOLE house install for only $139! That IS a great deal!
That does not include the padding or the carpet--of course....

I work as one of the Phone Operators in out store. Been there 11 years--the first 5 of which I ran the whole Greenhouse, so house plants is one of my "fortes". I am also pretty good at general gardening issues, pruning, fertilizing, annuals, lawn care....the whole gamut.

If you ever have a "need to know "NOW" question--I will do the best i can to help you. Just D-mail me. So will anyone on DG as well--of course!

You have several stores in your area. Silver Spring--Laurel--just call any one of them and ask.....

Thanks, Gita

Gita,

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. I had a feeling the standard of living might be a bit higher in Rockville versus Louisville.

Hopefully I can find a decent job.

I can't wait to start gardening!

Eric

What kind of job- if you don't mind saying, in the spirit of networking. You never know who's out here that might need a good employee. Even temporarily. There's lots of jobs here and lots of people...

I agree. Insurance.

Hey Gita!

Does $139 include removal of old carpet, and moving furntiure?

Eric

Eric--

I know there is a charge to move furniture. Not sure on the old carpet removal?????

Called my HD--(I just got home from work)--and asked.....

NO! It does not include any of the above. There is a fee for both as follows:

Moving furniture--$50 per room (5 pieces, but they may not count...). Good idea to have the carpet installed before you put any furniture in the rooms????

Removing and hauling away your old carpet and pad--35 cents/square foot. (9 sf=a sq. yd.)--SO--$3.15 per square yard.
Might be worth it....What would you do with a huge pile of old carpeting???? Trash won't pick it up! If you have a land-fill nearby, then you might be able to take it to there.

OR--If you have a basement with nothing on the floor--you could lay it there...
OR--if you plan to install an above-ground pool, or a pond, old carpeting works well as an underlayment.

Now--if you buy any appliances--they will haul away your old one for free. You also will get back the delivery fee ($65) by mail-in rebate in 4-6 weeks.

You could also check with Lowes--out competitor....

Gita

edited to say that----
Forgot to note that this $139 install fee is a "special" and may end at any time--NOT the usual price!

This message was edited Feb 24, 2009 8:26 PM

I recently heard that insurance is doing well these days.
We use a local company named Erie, from Pennsylvania, and really like them, but they may not have an office in that area.

Oh Gita,

I hate to say, but I ended up going with your main competitor! Sorry.

Do you guys install counter tops?

Eric