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A Green and Connected Start to 2026

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As we step into 2026, I want to welcome you to what is shaping up to be a productive, community-focused, and very green year for the Bolton Hill Garden Club. While our name reflects our neighborhood roots, our membership and mission extend well beyond Bolton Hill. We bring together gardeners, stewards, and advocates from neighboring communities and across Baltimore City, united by a shared commitment to urban greening and environmental care where it matters most.

A central focus this year is connecting residents and communities with greening efforts that directly impact how and where we live today—public spaces, streetscapes, parks, and shared neighborhood environments.

Here’s a look at our major events through the spring:

In January, we’ll begin the year with our Winter Tea, an introduction to the art of tea—how it is grown, brewed, and experienced—exploring the traditions and techniques behind this craft.

In February, we’ll host our Greening Briefing, focused on greening efforts across our neighborhoods. This briefing will highlight current initiatives, upcoming opportunities, and ways residents from across Baltimore can engage in projects shaping our shared landscape.

In April, we host two of our largest and most visible events. The Maryland-wide Plant and Seed Swap draws participants from across the state while remaining deeply rooted in our local community. The event features music, educational opportunities, and on-site expertise from horticulturists, Maryland Extension, Master Gardeners, and other plant professionals. It is both a plant swap and a seed swap—and a celebration of shared knowledge and connection.

Also in April, our Spring Sale brings together the Plant Sale, Silent Auction, and Shed Sale. These events support our programming and help fund greening efforts throughout the year.

What makes the Garden Club work so effectively is member involvement. Volunteers power everything we do—serving on committees, co-chairing events, and stepping into leadership roles. Many hands truly do make lighter and better work.

Looking ahead, we will be seeking new officers as part of our staggered leadership structure, with anticipated openings for Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and First Vice President for Membership.

Finally, our greening efforts continue to expand. In 2026, we will be focusing work along North Avenue and in Madison Park, Marble Hill, and Bolton Hill. Greening grants are now open, and we encourage members and neighbors throughout Baltimore City to apply. These grants help turn ideas into planted, visible improvements that benefit entire communities.

Thank you for being part of the Bolton Hill Garden Club. With shared effort and a city-wide perspective, 2026 has the potential to be one of our most impactful years yet.

Warm regards,
Chris
President, Bolton Hill Garden Club

Common Weeds: Advice from Chris Mirkovich

/ Joyce Oliner

I’ve been asked by a few gardeners about some of the common weeds we seem to have in our small city gardens, and what is the best way to eliminate them.  Here is a list of the common offenders you might see.  This list is not all inclusive.

Keep in mind that just pulling from the top of the plant or cutting the tops off the weeds will not kill most weeds.  You have to dig into the ground and pull out the roots.  This may take a few seasons to eradicate weeds completely.  One of my horticulture mentors told me “If you hear it snap when weeding, then you did not get the whole weed.”

See the photos below to help you identify what might be in your garden.

Cinquefoil (Potentilla) – This is a perennial plant with five palmately compound leaflets.  It has a small yellow flower with 5 petals.  The plant has a long taproot, and it will spread via underground runners (called stolons).

How to treat it:  You can remove it by removing the tap root and removing the plant before it flowers and goes to seed.  If you select to smother it, you must first remove the entire plant and then cover it with organic material.  This will take several seasons to completely eradicate it.

Tall Morning Glory/Small White Morning Glory  (Impomoea) – These are vines whose seedlings will develop a taproot.  The growth of these is rapid.  It branches and twines onto anything it can get it’s hands on.  If it flowers, one plant can create up to 10,000 seeds.  Seeds have a long dormancy period and grow rapidly in disturbed soil.

How to treat it: It is important to remove the vine by hand method and as much of the root as possible.  Smothering with organic material so the leaves do not photosynthesize is recommended.

Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) – this grass-like sedge is spreading rapidly in Maryland.  The plant grows and creates small nut-like tubers.  These nutlets can  lay dormant for up to 3 years before spouting.

How to treat it: The best way is to dig up the plan while young before it has developed underground nutlets.  Older plants will require a bit of sifting to remove the grass and any nutlets you may find.

Wiregrass, Devil’s Grass, Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) –  This grass is in lots of our plots and walkways.  The blades are grey-green in color  The stems are slightly flattened.  As the stems reach new ground, they will reroot from the stems and from underground stolons.

How to treat it: By consistently manually pulling, cutting, and digging up the rhizomes and stolons.  You need to be consistently removing it to remove it.

Canada Thistle (Circium arvense):  We all have this one!  This plant emerges as a rosette in fall and spring.  The plant continuously produces new shoots.  There are spines or sharp hair along the older stems.  You will find a deep, fibrous taproot and lateral roots sprouting from the plant. New younger plants will sprout from the lateral roots in a circular patch and form a dense cluster of plants.  Any portion of a root fragment can sprout a new plant.

How to treat it:  Mechanical removal by digging out the roots.  Do not let it go to seed.  In off seasons, plant cover crops in the off season to smother out the plant.  Cover unused garden space with organic material if not being planted.

These are just a few of the more common weeds we are all dealing with.  I hope this is helpful in giving you directions on how to identify and remove the weeds.

The key is being consistent and persistent in your weeding practice.

Happy Gardening!