Washington County OSU Master Gardeners

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

🐝 It's June. Let's celebrate National Pollinator Month! 🦋

is a dedicated time to spotlight the essential role bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other vital pollinators play in sustaining natural ecosystems and global food supplies.

Check out this free and helpful Bee Identification Guide from our friends at The Pollinator Partnership ➡️ go.ncsu.edu/pollinator-partnership-bee-guide

(OR pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/3002022284_Bee-Identification-Guide.pdf)

📸 credit: Dave Bonta (CC BY-SA 3.0) - Butterflies such as this Eastern swallowtail are key wildflower pollinators for wildflowers like this Joe Pye W**d.

06/11/2026

June Tips and Tasks

☀️ It's finally starting to feel like summer here in Maryland! ☀️

That means it's time for cookouts 🍔, pool days 🏊, and yes... lawn mowing 🚜.

As the heat of June settles in, one of the best things you can do for your lawn is also one of the simplest: **mow higher.**

🌱 For tall fescue lawns, set your mower to **3–4 inches**, or use your mower's highest setting during the hottest and driest part of summer.

Why does mowing height matter?

✅ Helps reduce weeds and some lawn diseases
✅ Encourages deeper, stronger roots
✅ Improves drought tolerance
✅ Reduces stress on the grass by limiting regrowth demands

When grass is cut too short, it must spend valuable energy replacing lost leaf tissue instead of developing healthy roots. The result? A weaker lawn that struggles during summer heat and dry spells.

⚠️ One more important tip: Avoid mowing when the lawn is wet, or when growth has slowed due to drought stress or prolonged temperatures above 90°F. A stressed lawn benefits from a little extra patience.

🌿 A few simple adjustments now can help keep your lawn healthier all summer long.

Learn more about summer lawn care from the University of Maryland Extension:
https://extension.umd.edu/resources/yard-garden/lawns/lawn-care-and-maintenance/

06/09/2026

WOODY KEYSTONE PLANTS: The Spiraea (meadowsweet) genus ranks fairly high for larval host support in the Wild Ones list of native woody plants, supporting caterpillars of 89 Lepidopteran species, including numerous moths, such as the Columbia Silkmoth, the New England Buckmoth, and the Brown-tail, Small Emperor, and Gray Dagger, as well the Spring and Summer Azure, the Lorquin’s Admiral, and Swallowtail butterflies. In addition, these shrubs attract pollinators to their flowers, offer seeds for birds, and provide shelter and nesting sites for birds and small mammals.
There five species of Spiraea native to Virginia, two of which are Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba), found in scattered locations in the mountains and northern Piedmont, and Steeplebush or Hardtack (Spiraea tomentosa), which is present in the Coastal Plain and the mountains. Both species prefer moist to wet soil and can be used in rain gardens and at pond edges or in borders that receive regular watering.
Learn more about the characteristics and care of Steeplebush on the MGNV website at https://mgnv.org/plants/native-plants/shrubs/

06/09/2026

Fun Farm Fact: If you haven't already, it's time to plant your tomatoes. 🍅 thrive in well-drained, nutrient-dense soil. They also need at least 6-8 hours of direct ☀️ a day.