Gardens of Old Greenbelt

Old Greenbelt Gardening Boosters is an informal collection of local gardeners who just want to help other people in Old Greenbelt learn to garden. So we have no dues, officers, or monthly meetings. We DO create learning and social events for local gardeners. Here are the ones we had PLANNED for 2020.

  • Self-guided garden tours.
  • Open Garden evenings.
  • Free garden consultations to lucky winners picked at random. 3-4 experienced gardeners go to the winners’ gardens to offer suggestions for design, plant choices, and solutions to their site’s unique challenges.
  • Teaching GHI members with euonymus or privet hedges how to prune them, to improve sidewalk safety and lower the maintenance requirements. This project started in February and included hiring a shrub-pruning expert to teach residents the pruning techniques they needed to use. Videos, photos and tips from that training session are now online: How to Prune Hedges and Other Shrubs in Old greenbelt. 
  • Promoting fun and educational events of nearby garden clubs and public gardens, including offers of rides. Great way to meet other gardeners! Join the Gardening in Greenbelt Maryland Facebook group for notices of happenings.

Actual Activities During the Pandemic

To avoid creating gatherings of people, the Boosters’ 2020 activities are/have been/will be::

Who We Are

We’re a combination of experts, communicators, organizers and supporters. The group of 8-10 of us includes one or more horticulturists, Master Gardeners, current and former garden-club presidents, lifelong gardeners, enthusiastic beginners stepping up to organize an event. At its first and only meeting (so far) in February of 2020, the following gardeners met: Susan Harris, Mary Lou Williamson, Melissa Mackey, Sandra Lange, Nancy Newton, Annie Shaw, Michael Bordelon, Mara Whitney, Liz Walker and Evelyn Crellin.

We all live in “Old Greenbelt” or “Central Greenbelt,” either in GHI but in nearby (Boxwood, Lakeside, etc), between the highways.

Join Us or Send us Your Ideas

Email editor@greenbeltonline.org and let us know if you’re:

  • A gardening expert or experienced gardener interested in joining us in teaching others to garden.
  • A gardener at any level who wants to help with our events.
  • Have a suggestion for how we can help you and others in Old Greenbelt learn to garden.

Local Events we Publicize/Carpool To

Beltsville Garden Club speaker meetings and special events, like bus trips.

Silver Spring Garden Club also has speakers for their meetings, and special events. Its meetings are held at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton.

Takoma Horticulture Club has monthly speaker meetings and special Friday Night Open Garden events in June.

Horticultural Society of Maryland meets in Baltimore. Their garden tour in June is always a hit.

Annapolis Horticulture Society meets in downtown Annapolis.

Photos of Our Work

Our “Old Greenbelt Garden Walk” in the fall of 2019 merited 3 photos in the Greenbelt News Review, and great reviews by participants!

Below, garden consultations for winners chosen at random.

Below (L) Consulting with Greenbelt Homes General Manager Eldon Ralph. (R) Pruning demonstration for GHI members by Bill Phelan.