And the survey says….Green is the new sexy

It's no secret that I think the environment….and taking care of it…are sexy. But the new Eco-Love Survey conducted by Timberland, a company that specializes in shoes and other clothing for the great outdoors, revealed that an awful lot of people agree with me.

77 percent of the people surveyed said that they regard eco-consciousness as an appealing trait in a mate and 50% are attracted to those who practice eco-friendly behavior around the house such as conserving water, recycling and turning off the lights. Which means, of course, that those who practice eco-friendly gardening by planting waterwise plants, using rain barrels and eliminating chemicals, aren’t just helping the planet. We are bumping up our sex-appeal!

The online poll surveyed over 1000 men and women 18 years of age or older and was conducted in January 2012.

Timberland then took the survey findings to the next level, partnering with dating gurus from the free dating site OKCupid to create the Timberland Green Guide to Dating and Love, full of tips for those on the hunt for their eco-sweetheart.

58% of those surveyed said that they would prefer to meet that special someone outdoors, at a venue such as a farmer’s market, community garden or volunteer activity. They even suggested planting a tree or gardening together as a great first date activity!

On the other end of the spectrum, nearly half of respondents say a date who is an “environmental zealot” is a turnoff.

So if you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to start your eco-friendly garden. And then next time you are out on the town looking for a date, don’t be afraid to say “Let me tell you about my rain barrel!”

Relationship Rule #2 for People and Gardens: Don’t Drown them with Love

In keeping with my Love theme for Valentine’s Day week, I am expounding on some of the rules that I wrote about a few years ago in my post The 12 Relationship Rules for Gardeners. Today’s rule: There is a fine line between showering with love and smothering with love.

In human relationships, everyone likes a little attention from their romantic partner. Certainly, none of us want to be ignored. But there is a fine line when just enough can become too much. And the tricky part is, the line is different for everyone, depending on just how much attention they require to thrive.

For me, a dozen roses and a fancy dinner at an elegant restaurant is almost too much attention. I had a boyfriend who once sent me three dozen roses for Valentine’s Day and, quite frankly, I probably could have bought groceries for a few weeks with the money he spent. On the other hand, a hand-written love note and a home-cooked dinner by candle light will keep nourishing the love in my heart for months!

The same principle can certainly be applied to gardens. Over-doing almost anything in the garden is a bad thing, from water, to fertilizer, to plants themselves.

So how do we know how much is too much? We get to know each other, really well.

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of  getting to know your garden and the site conditions of your landscape. Once you know your garden, you will better understand just how much of everything it needs to thrive.

How too much attention can harm your garden:

Over watering: Over watering is usually a death sentence for plants, especially when accompanied with poor drainage. Waterlogged soils limit oxygen uptake by plant roots, which in turn affects the plant's metabolism, nutrient uptake, water absorption and photosynthesis. Over watering causes runoff, which can wash harmful chemicals from your yard into natural water supplies. Over watering also wastes water resources and reduces water supplies.

Over fertilizing: Too much fertilizer can be harmful to the lawn and plants in your landscape.  Not only can it burn a plant’s roots and make the plant more vulnerable to insects and diseases but it  may lead to water pollution through run-off or leaching of nutrients. Excess fertilizer which finds its way into waterways can cause unsightly algal blooms which reduce oxygen, often resulting in fish kills.

Pesticide Use: In my opinion, any use of chemical pesticides is too much. Pesticides are usually indiscriminate, killing the good bugs as well as the bad bugs. They can also have harmful effects for humans and other forms of garden wildlife.

Over planting: Even the practice of overcrowding a garden can be harmful to your plants. Overcrowding can cause weak growth and reduce air movement, resulting in increased insect and disease problems.

So when it comes to your relationship with your garden, don’t be an obsessive lover. Get to know what it wants and needs and then shower it with just the right amount of affection. That’s the best way to keep your relationship growing!

The right way to love your garden

"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." — Wayne Dyer

A few years ago, I wrote a post entitled The 12 Relationship Rules for Gardeners. In it, I mentioned that many of the same “rules” that work in human relationships also apply to our relationships with our gardens.

This week, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I will be going over some of those rules.

To get things rolling, I will start with what I think is the number one rule in both relationships and gardening, and that is “Don’t try to change the object of your affection.”

In human relationships, no matter how much we think we love someone just the way they are, eventually we come up with something that we think needs to be changed about them. Perhaps we want them to go on a diet or to drink less. Maybe we think they should be more affectionate or more talkative or less opinionated. Whatever the change may be, we think, for some reason, that we should be able to modify this human being that has already been existing just fine on their own, to better suit our desires. And we expect them to be happy about it. Or at least to accept our version of the new and improved “them” without protest. But this rarely works. And so the secret to a happy long-term relationship with another human is to get to know as much about them as you can, before you commit to them, to make sure that you can live with them just the way they are. And then instead of trying to change them, spend your life encouraging them to be the best of what they already are.

The same theory holds true of our landscapes. To have the most successful relationship with a landscape, you have to get to know as much about it as you can before you start trying to co-exist with it. You need to learn how it has been living up until the time it met you. How much does it like to drink? What does it like to eat? Is it showy and flamboyant or is it more laid back and natural?

Sure, we have a lot more control over modifying a landscape than we do another human being. But the result in both cases is the same. To have the happiest, most successful, maintenance-free relationship with a person or a garden, learn to work with and bring out their natural beauty rather than trying to change them into something else.

So, the number one rule for successful gardening is: Get to know your site conditions and learn to Work With Mother Nature, Not Against Her

Getting to know your landscape and its needs and wants will help you chose the right plants which are properly adapted to your site conditions. It will help you conserve water and will reduce the need for unnecessary and unhealthy garden additives such as chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

There are way too many beautiful people and beautiful pieces of land in the world that are suffering because someone is trying to make them into something they are not. And when any of that natural beauty fades away and dies, the whole world suffers for it.

Go Green on Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King was a man who dedicated his life to standing up for the projects in which he believed. And Lisa P. Jackson, on the EPA website, reminds us that Martin Luther King day is a great day to volunteer for the projects that we believe in and want to support.

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve.” Those words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have inspired millions of Americans over the years to step up and serve. And they’re the words that come to mind each January, when we honor Dr. King’s legacy on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Each year, people across the country come together for volunteer service, to strengthen their communities and make a difference for the people around them.

The Martin Luther King website that Ms. Jackson mentioned allows you to put in your zip code and locate volunteer activities in your area. There are plenty of opportunities to find a project to help you answer the question that MLK once posed: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

If you can't find a project that compels you to participate, Ms. Jackson has several suggestions for making a "green" difference on a personal level.

There are countless ways to be part of a Green MLK Day: Start using biodegradable and environmentally friendly cleaning products. Learn about composting and give it a shot in your own backyard. Pick up litter at a local park or field. Organize a “green club” in your workplace, school or community.

There are many more suggestions for going green on this blog, including eliminating chemicals, creating compost, and installing rain barrels. You can use the search tab at the top of this page to find a great green option to get you started or check out a post such as this one on Bare Naked Gardening, that sums many of them up in one place.

Whatever you decide to do on this day of remembrance, Jackson encourages you to share your project on twitter with the hashtag #greenMLK

A Year’s Worth of Eco-friendly Events and Garden Tips

Bookmark this list or print it out! You won’t want to miss these eco-friendly events and garden tips for 2012.

January –

• Celebrate National Bird Day on January 5, 2012 by setting out bird seed for our fine feathered friends and planning your summer wildlife garden.

February –

• February 6^th – 12^th, 2012 is Go Green Week – a national week of action on climate change in schools, colleges and universities. It’s a great week to start planning a butterfly garden with your kids.
• Become a Citizen Scientist by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count – February 17-20^th, 2012

March -

• World Water Day is March 22, 1012 - International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Mark the day by adding a few rain barrels to your landscape.

April –

• April is National Garden Month – Every April communities, organizations, and individuals nationwide celebrate gardening during National Garden Month. Trends for 2012 point to more and more gardeners choosing eco-friendly options.
• April 15-21, 2012 – National Environmental Education Week - dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of K-12 students. Do your part to help grow your own Environmentalist.
• April 22, 2012 – Earth Day – Creating an eco-friendly garden is a great way to celebrate the earth every day.

May –

• May is National Wetlands Month - Support and promote wetlands by informing community members about wetlands' vital roles, "adopting" a wetland, joining a local watershed group, or participating in a wetland monitoring, restoration, or cleanup project. There are many other actions Americans can take to help conserve wetlands. To learn more about what you can do to help protect and restore these valuable natural resources in your state or local area, visit What You Can Do to Protect and Restore Wetlands.
• National Public Gardens Day – May 11, 2012 – a celebration of botanical gardens, arboreta, and other public gardens takes place.

June -

• Create a garden to attract pollinators for National Pollinator Week – June 24^th – 30^th (always last week in June)
• World Environment Day – June 5^th, 2012 - World Environment Day is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. Celebrate the day by making a pledge to eliminate chemicals from your landscape.

July -

• July is smart irrigation month – Find a watersense irrigation contractor to help tune-up your irrigation system.
• Nude Recreation Week is July 9^th – 15^th 2012 (link is censored – you’ll have to Google that one yourself!) – time for some Bare Naked Gardening

August –

• August is National Water Quality Month. Learn how eco-friendly gardening helps to protect local water supplies.

September

• September 11. 2012 is Protect Your Groundwater Day. Eliminating chemicals, using rain barrels, and picking up after pets are all great ways to protect the groundwater.
• Pollution Prevention Week – July 16^th – 22^nd, 2012 (third full week in September) This week is an opportunity for individuals, businesses, and government to emphasize and highlight their pollution prevention and sustainability activities and achievements, expand current pollution prevention efforts, and commit to new actions.

October –

• October 4, 2012 – World Animal Day - In the garden, Invite the critters. Whether you want to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, beneficial insects other pollinators or wonderful wriggling worms, eco-friendly gardening is your first step.
• Make a Difference Day – 4^th Saturday in October – Acts of kindness can come from the garden, too.

November -

• America Recycles Day – November 15^th - Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day - the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. Creating compost is a great way to recycle in the garden.

December-

• Christmas Bird Count – December 16^th – January 5^th? Since the 12^th annual Christmas Bird Count is still under way, the dates for the 13^th annual count may not be set yet. But participating is a great way to prove that our eco-friendly gardening efforts are making a difference.

Garden Trends for 2012 bode well for the Planet

Susan McCoy and the team at Garden Media Group have come up with a list of Garden Trends for 2012 that may just indicate that eco-friendly gardening has reached the tipping point to becoming the new norm.

Their 2012 Garden Trends Report predicts a generation of environmentally conscious Gen X & Y’s, driven by a desire to preserve and protect the earth’s resources, planting drought tolerant, low-maintenance gardens as food for their bodies as well as their souls.

“Plants are no longer a luxury, but a necessity for our lives,” says McCoy, trendspotter and outdoor living expert. “Plants can live without us, but we can’t live without plants.”

Here are some excerpts of what McCoy and her team of Garden Media Group trend spotters see for gardening in 2012.

Urban-Knights. A growing army of ‘urban-knights’ are creating oases wherever they can find a patch of earth. They’re planting shrubs, flowers, edibles and pop-up gardens on balconies, in alley ways, and on street parklets – even in abandoned buildings and walk-in shipping containers. From yard sharing and raising chickens to ‘step gardening’ and harvesting rain water, urban knights are finding a ‘new good life’ by getting grounded with the earth.

Eco-scaping. Beauty and sustainability are key. People want the “beauty and romance” of a garden with less work. “Gardeners want easy, low maintenance plants that give plenty of color.”

Occupy Local. People are “occupying” local farmers markets and joining CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) for fresh produce, plants and products. “Farmers markets are our new backyard veggie gardens and are becoming our local grocery store,” says McCoy. According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, sales of “locally produced food” reached $4.8 billion in 2008.They project that locally grown foods will generate $7 billion in sales dominated by fruit and veggies this year.

Mindful Consumption. According to the 2010 Cone Survey, 83% of consumers still want to see more brands, products, and companies that support worthy causes. “We’ve finally moved from “me” to “we” and consider our earth and each other when we purchase,” says McCoy.

Water-Watchers. “There is no single issue greater than water,” says Dr.Hall. Recent drought and regional water restrictions are causing us to grow plants, flowers and vegetables with less water.

Seedlings. From the White House to the neighborhood schools, kids are learning how to grow their own food and take care of the planet. McCoy says we’ve ignored two generations of gardeners and need to get kids back to having fun growing things.

There is much more in the 2012 Garden Trends Report , which you can download from their website (in pdf format).

But the statement that stands out the most to me is this: A generation of gardeners that thinks of “we” instead of “me” when they garden has to bode very well for the future of our planet.

To My Eco-Friendly Santa Baby

My husband just LOVES Christmas but he always worries too much about what gift to get me. Since my life is already so good, I can rarely think of a darn thing to tell him that I want or need.

Truth be told, as corny and romantic as it sounds, sharing my life with a wonderful, joyful man like Tom kind of makes every day feel like Christmas.

I’ve mentioned before that he is the one who taught me much of what I know about being an eco-friendly gardener. And he really still is the primary gardener in our household. He not only carefully tends our gardens in a complete organic and eco-friendly way, but he always makes sure that my bird and hummingbird feeders are full and that the birdbaths are ready for visitors. In other words, much of the happiness that I get from living in our own little woodland habitat of critters, birds and butterflies; eating meals made from fresh, home grown organic produce; and knowing we are doing our part to help take care of the planet, is because of my live-in Santa Claus, my husband Tom.

So, sweetie, if you want to know what to get me for Christmas, just keep gardening with me. I love what we are growing together.

And readers, I’ll apologize in advance for this REALLY corny poem. And I promise it will be my last one for this holiday season!

To My Santa Baby (Tom)

Santa baby, slip some compost under the tree
with me,
I’ve been an awful good girl
Santa baby
so help me spread some compost tonight

Santa baby, another rain barrel too
light blue
I'll help you hook it up, dear
Santa baby, let’s make another barrel tonight

Think of all the run-off that we’ve missed
By being eco-friendly con-ser-va-tion-ists
We’ve been being oh so good
By being eco-friendly like I know we should
Boo doo bee doo

Santa honey,
I wanna plot and really that's not,
a lot
I’ll keep it chem-ic-al free
Santa baby, just help me plant this garden tonight

Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need
Some seed
For these critters of mine
Santa cutie, so help me fill the feeders tonight

Santa baby,
I've got a few little more proj-ects
We’ll get them done in no time
Santa baby, so hurry while we’ve still got day-light

Help me trim those old oak trees
To even out our forest can-o-py
I’ll hold the ladder
still for you
Let's just see
How well we’ll do
Boo doo bee doo

Santa baby,
forgot to mention one little thing,
to bring
Bring some firewood inside
Santa baby,
so we can light the fireplace tonight.

And we can cuddle by the firelight
And we can cuddle by the firelight….

Ohh, Santa Baby!

Naughty or Nice – how to have a natural landscape without annoying your neighbors

Let’s face it. Gardening is all about choosing what we do and don’t want to grow on the chunk of land that surrounds our home.

It is up to us to decide what is welcome and what is not. We define what is a weed and what isn’t….what forms of wildlife are a nuisance and what forms are welcome. We usually even decide what areas the plants and animals must remain in, setting up garden borders and designated feeding stations for wildlife.

Other people may not agree with or even understand our gardening style. A front yard full of vegetables may fill your heart with joy and your refrigerator with fresh food, but may earn only raised eyebrows from your neighbors. The same is certainly true of a yard that welcomes birds, bunnies, squirrels and deer. You may look at these visitors with awe and wonder and your neighbors may be having visions of venison and rabbit stew. And a yard left to “go wild” with native wildflowers and shrubs may be called weedy and unkempt by those with a penchant for a more manicured look.

“Green”, eco friendly gardeners may face additional challenges when it comes to being accepted by the rest of the neighborhood, as they integrate rain barrels and compost piles into their landscape design.

But eco-friendly gardening has many benefits. The use of native plants, the elimination of chemicals, the capture and re-use of rainwater and garden waste all do their part to help protect not just one garden, but every interconnected piece of property and, eventually, the entire planet.

So how do you keep peace with your neighbors while you are creating a more eco-friendly landscape? Just remember that it is all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

R – Recognize the right of other people’s opinions. Remember that although you have a right to your coneflowers and native grasses, your neighbor has the right to a manicured lawn, plastic geraniums, and cement lawn deer if they want.
E -  Educate. You have good reasons to create an eco-friendly landscape -- let others know them before you start. If you tell your neighbors why you're tearing up the lawn, or planting native plants, or constructing a rain garden, chances are that they will be more likely to accept it. Share the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog with them so they can learn more.
S – Set it apart. Something as simple as keeping a neutral zone between your eco-friendly landscape and the property of others can go a long way in keeping the peace. A simple border of lawn, hedge or fence provides a nice transition area between landscapes.
P – Personalize it. Add interest to your yard with paths, benches, sculptures and other human elements, letting your neighbors know that your yard is as much your own personal sanctuary as it is a place for environmental stewardship. Decorate or disguise rain barrels and compost piles to make them less obtrusive.
E – Ease into it. You will reduce expense, increase the effect of your learning curve, enjoy your efforts more, and engender less resistance from neighbors if you start in small steps.
C – Certify it. Once your eco-friendly landscape is established, it may easily qualify as a National Wildlife Federation certified habitat. Applying for certification and displaying the Certified Habitat sign will let everyone know that your yard is a special place, deserving of recognition and admiration, not contempt.
T – Trim, tend and primp. Although eco-friendly landscapes often require less care, that doesn’t mean they should be neglected. Keeping your plants pruned and your flowerbeds weeded and mulched will help to give “green” gardens the neighborhood seal of approval.

Remember, your eco-friendly landscape is a great gift to the planet. Taking a few extra steps to make sure that your landscape fits in will help your efforts earn the recognition and respect that it deserves.
For more information, visit the Wild Ones Handbook on the EPA website.

Seeds Bombs: For or Against?

As a garden blogger, there are a couple of topics I tend to shy away from because opinions on both sides of the topic are so strong. Cats, for instance. Many gardeners love cats in the garden. Others feel just as strongly against them. Same thing with deer.

And a third topic, and one that has been getting a little bit of “news play” lately, is seed bombs and guerilla gardening. Normally, I would stay away from this controversial topic, too. Except for the fact that I think that seed bombs can be harmful to the environment.

I wrote about guerrilla gardening back in February of 2011. I admit that part of my problem with both guerrilla gardening and seed bombs are the words, themselves. (Back in my hippy days, I used to get together with a group of people that discussed things like words that brought violent thoughts to mind, and those two words just do, to me.)

Anyway, Frederick Maryland resident Brian Slagle has been in the newspaper and even on TV lately because of the seed bombs that he makes and sells online and at local stores. Apparently, they are a hot item for Christmas.

I was ALMOST swayed to change my opinion about seed bombs when I was reading the article about him on CBS Baltimore.com. I read about how these bombs of wildflower seeds, thrown into vacant lots and bare land, can attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. ‘Ahhhh,’ I thought. ‘More hummingbirds and bees and butterflies!’

But here is my concern with seed bombs. The whole point of seed bombs are to grow things on other people’s property. The online video on TBD.com even shows a picture of Slagle’s kids throwing the bombs onto a piece of property bearing a sign that says Private Property – No Dumping Allowed. WHAT IF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THAT PROPERTY DON’T WANT THE PLANTS THERE AND USE CHEMICAL HERBICIDES TO KILL THEM? Even using a gas mower to mow the plants down puts pollutants into the air. And if the local government comes in to mow or clean up the property, who do you think pays for that?

I do understand the principle behind taking over a vacant lot and planting vegetables or other plants, IF YOU TAKE responsibility for the care and maintenance of the plants. But seed bombs are something else all together.

My suggestion for seed bombs is this: Plant native plants on your property to attract birds. They will eat the berries and seeds and create their own seed bombs when they poop them out across the city.

And if you want to spread the joy and beauty of flowers, by giving seed bombs or other seed packets, encourage people to plant them in their own yard. If they want to know more about the joys or gardening for bees, butterflies or hummingbirds, I’ll be happy to tell them.

12 Days of Christmas for Eco-Friendly Gardeners

Written by Betsy S. Franz

On the first day of Christmas my garden gave to me
An eco-friendly native tree – (Native plants are often excellent choices for eco-friendly gardens, since they require less chemicals and less water to maintain)

On the second day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Two new loves – (when you look closely enough, every day in your eco-friendly garden will bring you something new and wonderful to love.)
And an eco-friendly native tree.
On the third day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Three full bins - (kitchen scraps, leaves and garden discards keep my compost bins full)
Two new loves
And an eco-friendly native tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Four hummingbirds – (planting the right plants and eliminating chemicals make hummingbirds regular visitors to my garden)
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Five less wat-er-ings - (eco-friendly gardens conserve water with adequate mulch, drought tolerant plants, and rain barrels)
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Six trees a swaying - (Trees protect water quality, clean the air and provide wildlife habitat.)
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the seventh day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Seven barrels brimming - (rain barrels not only conserve water, but help keep harmful pollutants out of our waterways)
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the eighth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Eight monarchs milking - (Okay. Monarch butterflies don’t really “milk” milkweed, but their tiny caterpillars need these native plants to grow into beautiful butterflies)
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the ninth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Nine ladies dancing - (Painted ladies are another beautiful butterfly that you can attract to your DC area garden by planting the right plants for them)
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the tenth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Ten worms a creeping - (Worms help aerate the soil while producing valuable nutrients)
Nine ladies dancing
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Eleven pipes a piping - (we direct all excess rainwater, and overflow from our rain barrels, into the grass and other permeable surfaces)
Ten worms a creeping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Twelve weeds succumbing - (chemical free weed control helps keep our weeds under control)
Eleven pipes a piping
Ten worms a creeping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree

The Greenest Garden in DC?

I saw an article in the Huffington Post recently, written by Nigel Sheinwald, British Ambassador to the United States. The article is entitled The Greenest Garden in Washington and lists some of the great eco-friendly features of the British Embassy.

 I love the fact that Sheinwald points out that today's gardeners need to be as concerned about the environment as they are about the good looks of their gardens.

 Below are some excerpts from the article: The single largest contributor to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is chemicals applied to lawns and farms. To do our bit to combat this trend, the British Embassy adopted an organic approach to management of the Residence garden on Massachusetts Avenue in July of 2009.


 It has not been an easy task -- certainly spraying weeds is faster than plucking them by hand. But the extra work makes for a more responsibly and sustainably run garden. 


 In order to reduce the amount of water we use, we have installed a 1,700-gallon cistern. The cistern is the central part of our grey water system, collecting rainwater that we then use in the greenhouse and elsewhere. 


We're cutting down our chemical use, too. An integrated pest management approach is helping reduce our dependence on pesticides and herbicides: we check plants for bugs before they're introduced to the greenhouse, and use horticultural oil and soap to eliminate the pests that make their way in. 


We now compost all weeds, branches, appropriate kitchen waste, leaves and grass clippings. Reducing what we take of public resources, and decreasing the chemicals we put into the air and water, stems from our goal of being a responsible member of the DC community. 


 As well as being a good neighbour, we want to be an active participant in DC's verdant gardening scene. Our new rain garden slows down water flow across the property, so more water soaks into the soil. This reduces runoff onto Massachusetts Avenue, and helps us keep Winston Churchill's feet dry where he stands at the edge of the property.


 District of Columbia ordinances require properties to have some form of runoff control, and rain gardens have sprung up as a low-cost, aesthetically pleasing option. In many ways, gardening has much in common with diplomacy. 


The seeds you plant take careful care and cultivation to turn out well. Nothing is the same from year to year. You learn from what works -- and what doesn't -- to know better what to do the next time. And the end goal of your work is a productive area where all things have a chance to grow and thrive. 

Yes, it's a great article, but what do you think? Is the British Embassy really the GREENEST garden in DC?