The Joys and Benefits of Indoor Gardening

As we begin preparing for cooler months, we often shift our focus from outdoor gardens to indoor plants. Indoor gardening is a wonderful way to bring the tranquility of an outdoor garden inside your home. But what exactly is indoor gardening? According to The Spruce, indoor gardening is related to the act of growing a selection of plants inside that you would typically grow outside. Gone are the days of only growing plants in the spring and summer thanks to indoor gardening.  

There are many benefits to indoor gardening for you and your family. Houseplants can act as natural air purifiers by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, enhancing the air quality of your home. Indoor plants are also known to reduce stress, improve productivity, and of course, they are beautiful to look at! Studies have shown that being around plants can help lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and even boost the immune system. 

Indoor gardening is an enriching and fulfilling pursuit that brings nature into your daily life. Start small and watch as your indoor garden transforms your space and your well-being. Happy gardening!  

Sources: The Spruce:  https://www.thespruce.com/indoor-gardening-beginner-guide-5199347 
Piedmont: https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/health-benefits-of-indoor-plants 

USDA Releases Updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, a national standard by which gardeners can determine which plants are most likely to survive the coldest winter temperatures at a certain location. 

The USDA describes the latest map, jointly developed by Oregon State University’s PRISM Climate Group and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, as the most accurate and detailed version it has ever released.

PRISM, part of the OSU College of Engineering, stands for Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model. The previous version of the plant hardiness map, also based on PRISM data, was released in January 2012. The new plant hardiness map incorporates data from 13,412 weather stations, compared to the 7,983 that were used for the 2012 edition. 

Viewable in an interactive format, the map is based on 30-year averages (1991 to 2020) for the lowest annual winter temperatures within specified locations. The 2012 edition was based on averages from 1976 to 2005. 

“The addition of many new stations and more sophisticated mapping techniques using the latest PRISM technology led to a more accurate and detailed Plant Hardiness Zone Map but also produced localized changes that are not climate related,” said Christopher Daly, director of the PRISM Climate Group and the map’s lead author.  

The plant hardiness map is divided into a total of 13 zones, each zone representing a 10-degrees-Fahrenheit range of temperatures. Each zone is then further divided into two half zones, with each of those representing a 5-degree range.  

“Overall, the 2023 map is about 2.5 degrees warmer than the 2012 map across the conterminous United States,” Daly said. “This translated into about half of the country shifting to a warmer 5-degree half zone, and half remaining in the same half zone. The central plains and Midwest generally warmed the most, with the southwestern U.S. warming very little.”  

Accompanying the new map is a “Tips for Growers” feature that provides information about Agricultural Research Service programs likely to be of interest to gardeners and others who grow and breed plants.  

The approximately 80 million American gardeners and growers are the most frequent map users, according to the USDA. In addition, the USDA Risk Management Agency uses the map in setting certain crop insurance standards, and scientists incorporate the plant hardiness zones into research models, such as those looking at the spread of exotic weeds and insects. 

We Need Your Help: Spring2ACTion

Wednesday, April 26 is the official Spring2ACTion Giving Day for the City of Alexandria, where AHS and its historic River Farm headquarters resides. This year, we celebrate 50 years at River Farm, where we live our mission of horticultural excellence, where we focus on honoring the past, leveraging the present and charting the future.

Once part of the farmlands that George Washington owned, the beautiful 25-acre gardens have provided a place of respite, inspiration, and beauty to countless visitors, fellow gardeners and nature enthusiasts. In recent years—in support of AHS’s increased focus on sustainable gardening—we have continued to implement and demonstrate Earth-friendly gardening practices at River Farm.

As a private, self-funded nonprofit without an endowment, we rely on the generosity of people like you to keep our sustainable gardening mission alive! Please consider making a donation during Early Giving or by the April 26 deadline to support River Farm’s maintenance and stewardship. You may donate here.

Thank you for helping to support River Farm!

Halloween Horticulture History

Did you know that several Halloween rituals are rooted in horticulture? Our friends at the Royal Horticultural Society got the dirt on some of these stories. Here are three that we love.

1. Apples – When cut down the middle, apples were said to reveal the witch’s five-pointed star, thus reflecting a symbol of magic.
2. Turnips – Creating lanterns to scare off frightening spirits is thought to have originated in England, Ireland and Scotland centuries ago and still remains a tradition today with carved pumpkins. However, pumpkins and other winter squash only arrived in Europe in the 1500’s, so previous ancestors carved turnips and other hard-skinned autumn vegetables like swede (known as a rutabaga in America) and beetroot.
3. Kale – As storied by Robert Burns in his poem “Halloween” published in 1785, kale was used to predict future romances. The length and shape of the stalk was said to represent your future partner’s height and figure while the amount of soil around the roots represented wealth.

For more fun Halloween horticultural history, visit Museum Crush.

RIVER FARM NOW OPEN SATURDAYS!