Volunteer Opportunity with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Sunday, March 4 from 9 a.m. to Noon-“Helping Trees to Thrive”
Join WSSC as we remove weeds from trees trying to grow next to the Patuxent River. This is an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful serenity of the river and a woodland that very few people get to see-while making a difference to the Chesapeake Bay.
Supplee Recreation Area, 16904 Supplee Lane, Laurel, MD.
For more information, visit the WSSC website.
Hubby and I are headed out west to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a week of skiing and moose watching (Tom skis. I moose watch) so its been a busy few days getting our yard ready for our absence.
Tom has rigged up an elaborate watering system that will turn our irrigation system on and deliver water through drip irrigation tubes, ONLY if the rain sensor says that it’s needed. Other plants that are in pots have been moved to areas to reap the runoff from our rain barrels, if nature provides it. On a previous trip, some of our plants blew over and dried out, because they weren’t able to catch any rainfall while on their sides, so today I went out and staked up a few pots so they don’t blow over. I also got all the bird feeders and bird baths filled.
When I got ready to pack, I realized that both of our big suitcases are REALLY beat up. I splurged and bought one new one and I’m hoping that the other one will last through one more trip without resulting in our dirty laundry being strewn all over the luggage carousel at one of the airports.
And I’m thinking that the old, torn up suitcase might be a perfect container to use for a portable garden. My friend Leslie uses old dresser drawers that she finds in people’s trash to plant her herbs in, but the suitcase might be even better, because it will let water flow through AND has convenient handles on the sides to pick it up and carry it. I’ll have to think about that when I get back.
We will get to visit our good friends Jon and Kim while we are out there. Jon and Kim are the couple that were featured in the slideshow for my post about The 12 Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening back in September, 2010.
I love Jackson Hole because there is so much wildlife. They have a huge elk refuge out there where up to 10,000 elk come down in the winter to graze. You can also see moose, wolves, bison, coyotes and bighorn sheep all within a short drive.
There won’t be any gardens for me to visit on this trip (Jon said there is two feet of snow in his yard right now) but I’m sure I’ll be thinking of my gardens back here at home. I’ll have to remember to ask the rangers what they do with all of the elk poop from the wildlife refuge. It sure seems like it would make great compost.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection invites residents interested in the health of Montgomery County’s streams to attend the second annual Community Clean Water Summit on March 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veteran’s Plaza, One Veteran’s Place, Great Hall, Room 1. The goal of the summit is to help residents understand how their commonplace actions may contribute to stormwater pollution where they work, live and play.
Stormwater pollution can result from ordinary actions by residents who may not be aware that they are affecting the health of streams, such as littering or ignoring trash, over-fertilizing lawns and not picking up after pets.
Register for this free event at http:cleanwatersummit.eventbrite.com, space is limited.
Light lunch will be provided and door prizes include: an REI 3 season tent, rain barrels and more! (must be present to win).
For more information, contact Ryan Zerbe at Ryan.Zerbe@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-777-7744.
Related post: Protect the Groundwater
I didn’t used to believe in putting bumper stickers or specialty license plates on my car. But then I realized what a great opportunity I was passing up to spread the word about eco-friendly gardening.
If you are a “green gardener” in Virginia, you have the opportunity to help encourage others to create eco-friendly gardening for pollinators.
This beautiful specialty tag is enough to make anyone want to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to their yard, and we all know that means getting rid of chemicals and planting more native plants!
Here’s the info I read on the Virginia Native Plant Society Facebook page:
A group of local nature lovers is hoping to attract support for a new Virginia license plate with the inscription “Protect Pollinators.” The plate is meant to bring attention to the role pollinators — bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, etc. — play in supporting the vitality of the earth’s ecosystem and food supply.
“So far we’ve had quite a lot of interest from Beekeepers, Master Gardeners, Naturalists (including native plant and pollinator enthusiasts), and the Audubon Society,” said pollinator plate organizer Samantha Gallagher. “Like all of the proposed new Virginia plates, we need 450 applicants, the General Assembly’s vote, and the DMV’s approval.”
According to the Virginia Pollinator Plate web site, supporters have signed up 44 people so far. They need another 406 commitments by November 2012 to move on to getting legislative and DMV support. An electronic application can be found here.
Gallagher says the purpose of the plate is not to raise money, but to raise awareness.
“Our plate costs $10 annually and isn’t a shared revenue plate, but our hope is that it provokes interest and conversation in pollinator conservation,” she said.
For more information about the Pollinator Plate, visit the Virginia Pollinator Plates website or visit them on Facebook
For more information about attracting pollinators to your yard, here are some related posts:
What: Birds, Bats, Bugs and Bees: The Importance of Pollinators
Where: Green Spring Gardens
When: February 25th – 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Green Spring Master Gardeners are committed to showing homeowners and gardening professionals how everyone can make a difference in the health of our environment.
Animal pollinators such as birds, bats, bees, and bugs are needed by more than 80 percent of the world’s flowering plants. Without them, we would have very little to eat and a lot less beauty to enjoy in our gardens.
In this eighth annual EcoSavvy Gardening symposium, you will learn about the importance of pollinators and practical tips to make your garden more pollinator-friendly.
Sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension. Call site by February 17 to order a vegetarian or non-vegetarian lunch for $12
Volunteer Opportunity with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Sunday, Feb. 26 from 9 a.m. to Noon-“Continuing More than 50 Years of Beautiful Garden Memories”
WSSC planted an azalea garden over 50 years. This fall, we added over 150 plants. But weeds have also found the azalea garden-and we need your help to remove them. Brighton Dam’s Azalea Garden, 2 Brighton Dam Road, Brookeville
For more information, visit the WSSC website.
Wednesday, February 22, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Walter Reed Community Center,2909 16th Street South, Arlington, VA
Learn the basics of successful plant propagation, including seed selection, requirements for germination, tips on transplanting, and the importance of hardening plants before moving them outdoors.
To register call the Master Gardener Horticulture Help Desk at 703-228-6414 or e-mail mgarlalex@gmail.com.
Maryland farmers are offering homeowners tips on bay-friendly backyard gardening practices.The problem is, none of the sources provide the direct link to the bay-friendly gardening tips.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture says the educational campaign highlights the importance of garden planning during the winter for stronger, healthier gardens and lawns and a cleaner Chesapeake Bay. Topics include proper use of fertilizers, pesticide alternatives, erosion and runoff control and water conservation.
Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance says many routine farm-based conservation measures can easily be adapted to lawn care and gardens.
Gardeners can get tips by visiting the department’s website or calling the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center at 410-531-5573 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Prince George master gardeners will present their 10th annual Good Gardening Symposium, "Indulge Your Senses" from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Prince George High School, 7801 Laurel Spring Road.
Featured speakers will be Ruth Burch, with Butterfly Society of Virginia; Bill Swanson, master gardener in Powhatan; Kathy Chain, owner of The Herbs of Happy Hill; and Wanda Johnson, with VCE, VSU. Topics include identifying butterflies; how to harvest the most produce from a given space, a hobby that leads you around by the nose, and new and interesting ways to prepare your vegetable harvest.
There is limited seating at the symposium. The registration fee is $10. For more information, call 804- 733-2686, visit the Master Gardener website at www.pgmga.org or email m.g.prigeo@gmail.com . Read more.
