Eco-Friendly Gardening Helps you Beat the Heat

Last year, I wrote a post entitled "Eco-Friendly Gardens are No Sweat". In it, I mentioned how many of the actions that make a garden eco-friendly, such as incorporating native plants or using mulch to conserve water,  also end up requiring less work. This means that when others are out dragging around hoses to keep their landscape alive, we can be relaxing in our hammocks, deciding what we want to plant next.

I recently saw an article on Consumer Reports .org entitled The Slackers Guide to Lawn Care which goes a step further. Not only does it list many of the same eco-friendly items that I had in my "No Sweat" post, but it also lists how many hours you can save, annually, by adopting these "green" landscaping practices.

I'm using their estimates for annual time saved to repeat some info I've had in previous posts.  Most of the info is from our post, 10 Tips for a Green, Eco-Friendly Lawn. Be sure and jump over to the Consumer Report website and read their great, information packed post:

• Save up to 12 hours annually by letting the lawn go brown during dry spells -  Water Efficiently – The amount of water that your lawn needs will depend on the grass species and weather conditions. But remember, overwatering can often do more damage than under watering, to both the grass itself and to the local environment. In general, applying one inch of water per week is the recommendation when there is insufficient rainfall during the spring and summer.The best rule is to water only when the lawn begins to wilt from dryness –– when the color dulls and compressed footprints stay visible when you walk across your grass.
• Save up to 8 hours annually by fertilizing less frequently - Fertilize in the Fall for a Healthy Lawn and Community - Before you fertilize, test your soil to learn what, if anything, it needs. Applying too much fertilizer can damage the lawn and is a major source of water pollution. Contrary to popular practice, spring is not the time to fertilize your lawn. Fertilizing in the spring forces energy into the blades rather than the developing roots. This can lead to disease and insect problems later in the season. It will also require more frequent mowing. Fall is the best time to fertilize, when the roots that will sustain the plants through the following summer are actively growing. Slow-acting, organic fertilizer products are available which are kinder to your landscape and to the surrounding environment.
• Save up to 10 hours annually by mowing less often - Follow the “1/3rd rule” of mowing – Lawn experts recommend that you shouldn’t remove more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade when you mow. Removing too much of the foliage while mowing shocks the grass, forcing it to redirect its food resources from roots and stems towards new leaves. That means that if you want to mow to a 3” height, you shouldn’t mow until your grass is 4.5” high.
• Save up to 5 hours annually by learning to live with certain pests and weeds - . Practice Integrated Pest management – One of the first rules of eco-friendly gardening is, not all insects are bad. If you see insects in your lawn, take them to one of the local extension service offices for proper identification. Then, always select the least harmful form of insect control. Here is a list of IPM Specialists from the University of Maryland Extension.
• Save up to 15 hours annually by leaving your grass clippings on the lawn rather than bagging -  Mulch lawn clippings for a healthy lawn – When you mow your grass, leave the grass clippings where they lay. Grass clippings provide free, natural nutrients for your lawn, reducing the need for supplemental fertilizers or the labor intensive chore of bagging and removing lawn waste. Many mowers are outfitted with mulching attachments that chop clippings into fine pieces for quick breakdown. But if you follow the 1/3rd rule, you should never produce enough clippings to cause problems with your lawn.
• Save up to 15 hours annually by choosing a low maintenance grass variety - Get to know your grass – As with everything in your landscape, it’s best to get to know as much as you can about the species that you are dealing with so that you can make the right choices in taking care of it. Whether you already have an established lawn or are putting in a new one, get to know your grass. Here’s a great document from the Virginia Cooperative Extension about Selecting Turfgrass.

The Slacker's Guide to a Great Lawn: Consumer Reports

10 Tips for a Green, Eco-Friendly Lawn: Metro DC Lawn and Garden

Tips for lawn mowing

Here’s another great EPA video I found that goes along great with our new page, Tips for “Green” Eco-Friendly lawn care.

National Arboretum Planning Turf Exhibit

Many eco-friendly gardeners think that turf grass is a bad thing. The truth, of course, isn’t that the GRASS is bad. What can be bad, and detrimental to the environment, are the actions that people take to keep their turf grass green, manicured and healthy looking.

People often over-water their lawns and apply dangerous chemicals to help keep the grass green. They can also pollute the environment by over mowing and trimming.

So I think it is great that the National Arboretum is planning an exhibit to teach people about the benefits of turf grass, along with proper maintenance techniques.

The theme of the exhibit is: New developments in turfgrass-making and environmental choice for our homes and communities and will be arranged in three sub-themes:

Turf and the Environment - Proper maintenance practices, pest/weed control, seasonal issues, water quality, erosion control benefits, research

Turf in the Landscape - Why turf? Grass species, soils, landscape &turf cooling/other benefits, ecosystem services, home values

Turf in the Community - Urbanization, recreation needs, functionality, safety/human health/obesity issues, value of turf industry/jobs

The National Arboretum is currently raising money for the conceptual design phase. The goal is to install the exhibit for an opening by spring 2013. Plans are to continue the exhibit through 2016 or 2017.
For more information, here is a pdf file of the proposal.

Spring Lawn Care for Northern Virginia

Tuesday, March 6, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. 

Join Virginia Tech Specialist Dr. Mike Goatley for a discussion of best management practices for establishing, renovating and maintaining lawns in Northern Virginia.  Topics to be covered include turf selection, soil test and preparation, fertilizing, mowing, weed control, water and drought management, and insect and disease management.  

Fairlington Community Center, 3308 South Stafford Street, Arlington.  

Free parking on- and off-street.  To register, call 703-228-6414 or email mgarlalex@gmail.com.  For more information, visit mgnv.org.

Offered by the Arlington Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension with Support from Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Eco-friendly gardens are "no-sweat"

Every summer at about this time, I sit back, relax with an ice-cold drink, and think about some of the added benefits of eco-friendly gardening. In many ways, eco-friendly landscapes require less work, meaning that I can have more of a “no-sweat” summer than some of my friends and neighbors with more labor-intensive landscapes.

Below are some great reasons to think about turning your traditional landscape into an eco-friendly, “no-sweat” one:

1. Eco-friendly gardeners work WITH Mother Nature, not against her: choosing plants that fit the site means plants are better adapted to survive with minimal care, which means Mother Nature takes care of the plants, not you.
2. Eco-friendly gardeners leave part of their landscape natural: Why tear out existing, native species only to replace them with more labor-intensive exotics? Native plants, which are present on a property, will require less work and will provide an immediate benefit to local wildlifespan>
3. Eco-friendly gardeners plant trees with energy conservation in mind: Shade trees can significantly reduce air temperatures in and outdoors in the summer, as trees intercept and absorb the sun’s heat while transpiring cooling moisture into the air.
4. Eco-friendly gardeners incorporate drought tolerant species, which means less work watering. Drought tolerant trees drought tolerant perennials
5. Eco-friendly gardeners group plants by their care requirements : plants that do require extra water or fertilizer are all in one place, rather than scattered throughout the property.
6. Eco friendly gardeners include beneficial plants: beneficial plants attract bugs and birds that help cut down on insect pest populations, eliminating the need to apply pesticides.
7. Eco friendly gardeners have their soil tested to determine the right mix of fertilizer for their lawn rather than applying fertilizers that aren’t needed.
8. Eco-friendly gardeners identify weeds and pests rather than spending time indiscriminately killing them all. Some bugs are good bugs. And a weed-free lawn is not necessarily a healthy one.
9. Eco friendly gardeners replace lawn with ground covers : Most ground covers need little or no maintenance once they’re established.
10. Eco friendly gardeners use plenty of mulch : adding mulch helps cut down on both weeding and watering
11. If they do have lawn, eco-friendly gardeners mow less oftenMowing grass to the proper height is the single-most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn.
12. Eco-friendly gardeners don’t rake their grass clippings : Leaving grass where it falls adds nutrients back to the soil. However, be sure to sweep up your sidewalk, driveway or street so clippings don't pollute nearby lakes or streams.
13. Eco-friendly gardeners create compost : why lug bags of trash to the curb and bags of purchased soil enhancers to your landscape? Composting your yard and kitchen scraps saves time and money.
14. Eco-friendly gardeners water less: Plants should be watered only when they begin to droop and in the early morning hours before 10 a.m. Grasses naturally grow slower in the summer, so brown grass usually means your lawn is just dormant, not dead.
15. Eco-friendly gardeners use hardscapes creatively: Hardscapes, the landscaper’s term for paving and built features in a garden (think patios and walkways) reduce garden work and extend your home’s living space. Using permeable surfaces also allows water to percolate into the ground, rather than

Mowing high helps save the Bay - and you can help prove it

The University of Maryland needs your help in their Mow Right – Mowing Height Field Study.

The purpose of this study is to measure the adoption of a single lawn care practice: correct mowing height (3 inches or highest setting).  This is the single most critical practice that homeowners need to do correctly to have a healthy lawn. All lawn best management practices hinge on proper mowing.  Many university studies have shown that mowing at 3 inches prevents weed problems, puts less stress on the grass, contributes to a healthy root system and drought resistance. Since it also provides  better resistance to insects and diseases, and helps prevent run-off  of soil, fertilizers, chemicals, and pollutants, maintaining proper mowing height also helps protect the Chesapeake Bay from pollution from runoff.

This study is a regional effort among participants from University of Maryland Extension, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, Audubon International and its members, and large and small lawn care companies. It is our goal to achieve widespread adoption of the 3 inch mowing height across the region.

Why mow at 3 inches?

• It has been widely documented that three inches is the ideal mowing height for residential turf across the country. 
• Low and infrequent mowing may be the major cause of lawn deterioration.
• It is best to remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade each time you mow.
• Mowing to the proper height can reduce weed problems by as much as 50 to 80%.
• Sharpen or replace mower blades at least once a year or more frequently if needed.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn. It is a way to recycle nutrients.

For more information, visit the Growing Green Lawns website.

Eco-Friendly Tips for the Summer Landscape

I thought this great scarecrow that my friends Jim and Glennie Duke made was a fitting illustration for my first day of summer post.

Jim and Glennie also created the cute scarecrow couple in my post about Scarecrows and Other Natural Bird Control.

For Summer tips, I've chosen some from The University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center e-newsletter and added links to some of my previous articles on the subjects.

The entire Extension Center Newsletter can be downloaded here, in pdf format.









Tips for Summer Landscape Care
• Follow proper mowing techniques to help your lawn through the dog days of summer.

• For crabgrass and other summer weeds, try eco-friendly options for weed control or try some Zen weeding.

• Mid-August through mid-October is the best time to start new lawns and renovate or overseed existing lawns. Maryland Extension recommends a turf-type tall fescue cultivar at a rate of 4 lbs. of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of area for overseeding, or 8 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for new lawns. If your lawn area contains more than 50% weeds, consider a total lawn renovation. Newly seeded turf must be watered regularly. (HG 102) . Click here to learn more about Selecting Turfgrass. This post on the University of California website will allow you to find more detailed information on each species: Information about Turfgrass Species.

• Keep newly planted trees or shrubs well watered through dry weather this summer. Thoroughly soak the root ball every few days. A 2-3 inch layer of mulch is helpful. Keep mulch away from the trunk or stem.

• Attract beneficial insects to your landscape by planting a wide variety of flowering annuals and perennials that will bloom over the entire growing season. Good choices are plants in the following families: daisy (marigolds, daises, asters, mums), carrot (dill, fennel, anise, yarrow, parsley) and mint (all mints and thymes).

• Slugs are found on all types of flowering plants. Feeding damage ranges from just a few holes to the entire plant stripped of its foliage in a few nights. Slime trails are a definitive sign of slug activity. Trap with shallow pans of yeast added to water or beer, then discard. Diatomaceous earth, sharp sand or ground crab and oyster shell can also be applied around plants as physical barriers.

• Control weeds by laying down entire sections of newspaper covered with straw or last fall’s mulched leaves.

• Cut back herbs through the summer to keep plants bushy and productive. Essential oils are most concentrated right before bloom. Don’t fertilize herbs as it encourages succulent growth and dilutes essential oils.

• It’s time to begin thinking of fall vegetables. Plant broccoli and cauliflower seed in containers the 3rd to 4th week in June for transplanting into the ground mid July through mid August.

• Earthworms are a sign of healthy soil and are normally seen in the greatest numbers in fall and spring. Adding organic matter in the form of composted leaves, manure, grass clippings, etc. will improve soil structure and attract earthworms.

• Select shredded pine bark or hardwood mulches, not wood chips, for use around your home to minimize the possibility of attracting termites. Avoid any mulches that contain chunks of wood.

• Summer is snake mating season, their most active time of year. Snakes are beneficial creatures and should not be harmed. The most likely encountered large snake is the Black Rat Snake. It can grow to be about 5 feet long and is found in both rural and suburban areas.

• Rabbits can be a destructive nuisance in flower and vegetable gardens, feeding on young and tender plants. They can be excluded with a low, 2 ft. high fence that is secured to the ground. You can also repel them with commercial repellents, bloodmeal, or by sprinkling hot pepper flakes around plants. Or, you can just accept them for the great organic weed control that they provide.

• Prevent deer from feeding on garden and landscape plants, by applying a repellent, such as “Deer-Away”, “Liquid Fence”, “Deer-Off”, “Hinder” or “Ro-Pel” to vulnerable plants. Polywire fencing connected to an inexpensive, solar-powered charger can successfully exclude groundhogs and deer.

• As the summer progresses and temperatures rise and rainfall decreases, cool season lawns usually become dormant. Dormancy is a normal plant response causing them to stop growing and turn brown. Established lawns will not die and watering is not recommended. Newly seeded or newly sodded areas will still need watering.

• Late crops of beans, beets, carrots, Swiss chard, and cucumbers can be direct sown through the end of July.

• Bare soil is very prone to erosion from summer thunder storms. Prevent this by covering the soil with mulch, groundcovers, or turf.

• Mosquitoes are always a summer time nuisance at any outside activity. Reduce mosquito populations by eliminating standing water. Change bird bath water frequently, and empty buckets, lids, garden furniture and toys. The Asian tiger mosquito requires very little water for breeding. Back yard ponds stocked with fish or moving water (fountains or filters) should not contribute to a mosquito problem. However, to be certain, B.t. dunks can bin the pond for mosquito control.

• August is frequently dry. Water deeply by allowing water to soak the soil directly underneath and around newly planted trees and shrubs. Check the depth of water penetration into the soil by digging a small hole after watering. Hard-crusted mulch will repel water and needs to be broken up with a rake or hoe to help the rain and irrigation water to penetrate the soil.

• Late August through September is usually a good time to transplant, divide and plant perennials such as daylily, liriope, and Echinacea. Be sure to keep them well watered during dry periods. If hot, dry conditions persist wait to divide your perennials.

• Do not fertilize shade trees, fruit trees or shrubs in late summer. Fertilization in August is very likely to stimulate new growth at a time when plants are beginning to enter dormancy and could result in excessive winter damage.

• Many kinds of interesting invertebrates live in a compost pile including manure worms, centipedes, millipedes, pill bugs, and pseudoscorpions. They are part of the composting ecosystem and should be appreciated, not feared. Do not attempt to spray or otherwise kill these beneficial critters.

• Ruby-throated hummingbirds continue to visit flowers and nectar feeders. Keep nectar feeders clean and change nectar solution frequently during hot weather to prevent spoiling.

Everything you need to know about eco-friendly lawn mowing

I actually enjoy mowing my lawn. We have a riding mower and a rather large piece of property so it's a very relaxing activity for me.

When we began trying to be more eco-friendly in our yard, I  had to make myself cut back on the number of times I mowed and raise the height of the blade. I just hadn't realized that things like that, as well as the sharpness of the mower blade, could make such a big difference in the health of the lawn…and the health of the planet. These actions even help you save water, because sharp mower blades result in less water loss from the grass. Taller grass also encourages a deeper, more extensive root system with increased drought tolerance, and  is also  more effective at shading out weeds in the landscape. And of course, healthier lawns require less chemicals to keep them looking good and green.

Depending on where you live in the Metro DC area and what grass you grow, you will probably mow your lawn 20-40 times a year. Here are some tips to make sure that you don’t do more harm than good when you are performing lawn maintenance:

1)    Get to know your grass – As with everything in your landscape, it’s best to get to know as much as you can about the species that you are dealing with so that you can make the right choices in taking care of it.  Whether you already have an established lawn or are putting in a new one, get to know your grass. Turfgrasses that provide winter lawn color in the area are known as cool-season grasses. Grasses which go dormant after the first hard frost, and stay brown through the winter months are known as warm-season grasses. Your choice of grass species will affect how you mow.  Selecting turfgrass , Turfgrass Species   <— Excellent information  with photos of grass species

2)    Set mowing heights according to grass species  - Once you know what species you have, you can set your mower blade at the recommended height for your species.(See Turfgrass Species link above and check on Planting and Maintenance Tips). While there are some differences in tolerable cutting heights between the various species of warm and cool-season turfgrasses, a general rule of thumb is to clip them in the 2-3 inch range. Mowing tall promotes a deeper root system and improves turf competitions against crabgrass and other warm-season weeds. If your lawn has a white hue rather than a green color after you mow, it is a good bet that you are cutting too low.

3)    Keep blades sharp and balanced – The quickest way to improve lawn quality AND turf health is to keep your mower blade sharpened. A sharp blade will also improve mower fuel efficiency and extend mower engine life.  Blades should be sharpened at least three times per growing season: start the year off with a sharp blade, sharpen it again in late spring, and then once more in mid-late summer.

4)    Adjust mowing height for different seasons– For cool-season grasses, another tip that promotes summer health and performance is to raise the cutting height during the summer.  A higher mowing height in summer helps to cool the crowns of the turfgrass plants and provides more leaf area for photosynthesis during the stressful summer months. Taller cutting heights at these times help maintain the plant’s root system. On the other hand, warm-season grasses respond to mowing on the lower side of their recommended range in the summer by increasing in density.  Whereas fescues and bluegrasses thrive at mowing heights of 2-3 inches during the fall and early spring, for summer the best strategy is to mow at a 3-4 inch height (or even taller).  Raise the cutting deck to its highest setting when it needs clipping and don’t feel compelled to get the mower out at all if the grass is not growing.

5)    Mowing new lawns –  New lawns need time for their roots to become established before they can be mowed for the first time. For seeded lawns, it may take up to 2 months before they are ready to be mowed. Sod may be ready to be mowed within 2 to 3 weeks of planting. Three to six weeks are required for sprigs, stolons, and plugs to become established. For seeded lawns, wait for all of the seeds to germinate before mowing. For sod, sprigs, stolons, and plugs, make sure the roots are firmly planted in the soil before mowing to avoid tearing out new turf.  Follow these tips for new lawns: Be sure that the lawn is fairly dry before mowing so that you do not pull out any of your new lawn. As a general rule, you should let your lawn grow to about one-and-a-half times the recommended height before cutting so that you are cutting off no more than one-third of the height of your lawn at a time. For the first mow, you can let the lawn grow to the high end of the recommended range or even a little higher before cutting to give it a little more time to become established, but be sure to still only cut off one-third of the blade.

6)    Adjust mowing height for shady spots – For shady areas,  mow on the high side of the recommended range in order to maximize the plant’s leaf area.  Your lawn grasses will already be at a huge competitive disadvantage to the trees in regards to light, water, and nutrients, so it needs some special attention to maintain a canopy.

7)    Employ the “1/3^rd rule” of mowing –  Lawn experts recommend that you shouldn’t remove more than 1/3^rd of the leaf blade when you mow.  Removing too much of the foliage while mowing shocks the plant, forcing it to redirect its food resources from roots and stems towards new leaves. That means that if you want to mow to a 3” height, you shouldn’t mow until your grass is 4.5” high. To mow to a 2” height, you would wait until the grass is 3” high.

8)    Mowing very tall grass–If the lawn has gotten away from you, resist the temptation to scalp it in a single mowing event.  Instead, slowly drop the mowing height every 2-3 days while returning the turf to its ideal height.  This will maintain plant health and prevent you from having unsightly piles of clippings that not only look bad, but can also smother the turfgrass and create an environment that favors disease development. Grass clippings should be bagged or raked and removed when mowing grass that has grown too tall.

9)    Change your mowing pattern – Alternate your mowing pattern or direction each time the lawn is mowed.   Repeatedly mowing the lawn in the same direction pushes the grass over rather than cutting it cleanly. Also, different mowing patterns reduce soil compaction and wear from the mower wheels.

10) Grasscycle – Finally, return clippings as often as possible to your turf. Clippings are nothing more than organic fertilizer for your lawn, and if you follow the 1/3^rd rule, you will never produce enough clippings to cause problems with your lawn.  You can reduce your turf’s fertility needs and help the environment by keeping your clippings in your lawn. NEVER blow your clippings into the street,where they can add to local stormwater pollution.

For More Information: Mow Like a Pro

Sources:  Virginia Cooperative Extension, University of California IPM

It's your planet. Don't blow it.

Ahhh. Springtime. You wake up with the light streaming through the window and the birds tweeting and twittering in the trees, thinking of all of the great things ahead of you for the weekend. And suddenly, your reverie is broken by the sound of a roaring leaf blower.

I'll never quite understand the appeal of these loud, debris-stirring devices. Gardening, to me, is a peaceful experience. My garden is where I do a lot of thinking and connecting with nature. And I can't hear nature talk to me if the growl of a leaf blower is roaring in the neighborhood. Plus, using a good old fashioned broom is a good way to burn some calories.

And leaf blowers can also be bad for the environment. A post on The Daily Green lists these 4 Reasons Not to Use a Leaf Blower:

 Why are gas leaf blowers so offensive? 

1. They pollute the air. 

A single gas-powered leaf blower can emit as much pollution in a year as 80 cars. 

2. They're noisy.  

A normal decibel level, considered acceptable in residential areas, is about 60 decibels (60dB). Every increase in decibels means noise that is 10 times louder. Leaf-blowers usually generate about 70-75 dB. According to the U.S. EPA this level of noise actually degrades quality of life by interfering with communication and sleep, leads to reduced accuracy of work and increased levels of aggravation, which can linger hours after exposure. 

3. They worsen allergies and asthma and irritate the lungs.

Because they operate at such high velocities, leaf blowers stir up the mold, allergens, and dust particles that otherwise have been tamped down with rain and decomposition. 

4. They waste gas. 

Rakes and even electric-lawn blowers offer a petroleum-free alternative.

But there is a fifth very big way that leaf blowers can be bad for the planet.

When used incorrectly, leaf blowers can help to cause polluted waterways. Why? Because if you blow your grass clippings and leaves into the street, rather than back into your yard, the next rain is going to wash them into the stormdrains whihc lead to our waterways. Once there, the nutrients in the grass, even if you don't use chemical fertilizers, can cause algae blooms which can kill plants and desirable animal life.

This document, entitled "Improper Mowing of Lawns Can Impact Water Quality" on the Virginia Cooperative Extension website describes this process:

Cutting turf and impacting water quality sound like completely unrelated topics. However, the improper handling of clippings is a very important way in which nutrients are inadvertently introduced into our water sources. What is the form of the nutrient? Well, it is not a standard chemical fertilizer, but for all intents and purposes it is ‘slow release fertilizer’: it’s your clippings. The leaf blades and stems that are discharged by your mower are comprised of all the nutrients required for plant growth and development. In general, your lawn clippings contain around 4% nitrogen, 0.5 to 1% phosphorus, and 1 to 2 % potassium by weight. And it is the nitrogen and phosphorus that are major concerns for water quality as they both can incite eutrophication of water sources. Eutrophication occurs when nutrient levels in the water become so large that prolific algal blooms occur; these algal blooms consume most of the oxygen in the water and other desirable plant and animal life dies. So, you now see the link between lawn clippings and eutrophication. But let me defend my turf… pun intended! The reason clippings can contribute to eutrophication is us, not the turfgrass. When you make those first few passes with the mower along the street, do you think to throw the clippings back into the lawn, or, as many seem to do, into the street? Or worse still, have you ever seen folks take their leaf blowers and blow piles of clippings into the street in order to clear their sidewalks, driveways, or lawns? The next time it rains, where is all this slow-release fertilizer headed? Straight to the nearest storm drain and eventually to a local water source. Lawn clippings on hardscapes ultimately end up in our water sources. Protect water quality by ensuring that clippings remain in your turf. Fortunately, the solution to this problem is pretty simple. Put the clippings to work for you by returning them to the lawn.               Read full document here.

So pick up a broom and sweep your clippings back into your lawn or add them to your compost. Remember, It's Your Planet. Don't Blow It!

Green New Years Resolution - More Bare Naked Gardening

I always make a LOT of resolutions each year. It's a great practice for me, and although I don't always keep every single resolution, I do find that having a list helps keep me on track. I make resolutions about money, health, relationships and, of course, about how I want to take care of the planet.


For the coming year, I resolve to practice more BARE NAKED GARDENING!

Be kind to the planet - everything you do in your garden affects all others  
A void overwatering - it's a waste of money and bad for the environment  
Reduce storm water runoff - it pollutes local waterways
Enhance your soil naturally - use organic fertilizers and soil additives Bare naked gardening in DC  
Nix the noxious products- choose eco-friendly options  
Add some mulch - mulch retains moisture while adding nutrients  
Keep a compost pile - it's a valuable and free source of fertilizer  
Encourage beneficials - worms and pollinating insects are good  
Determine your site conditions - work with mother nature, not against her Bare Naked Gardening in DC  
Get outside! - gardening is good for the body and good for the soul.  
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use - choose eco-friendly options  
Raise your mower blade to 3 inches- you'll have a healthier lawn  
Don't sweep clippings or fertilizer into storm drains- they pollute waterways  
Eliminate weeds by hand pulling, hoeing and spot treating  
Nurture local wildlife - provide food, shelter and safe conditions for local wildlife  
Install rain barrels - rain barrels conserve water and prevent runoff  
Naturalize your landscape - choose native plants  
Grass-cycle - mulch your grass clippings and return them to your yard

Time to put your mower out to pasture?

America's love affair with their lawns is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to environmentally friendly landscapes. Lawns are water hogs and can have pests and weeds that are frequently treated with harmful chemicals. Using gas powered equipment to keep a lawn manicured can put out more CO2 and other pollutants (plus noise) per hour run time than a Hummer.

Eco-friendly options for landscapes can include minimizing the size of the lawn and replacing it with ground covers, gardens or permeable surfaces such as mulched beds and walkways.

For the lawn that you do keep, make sure that it is mowed correctly, with the blade set to about three inches. Mulching mowers allow the grass clippings to be returned to the grass to put the nutrients back into the landscape.

Before your lawn mower is put to bed for the winter, take a look at it and decide whether it is time to put it out to pasture all together and get a more eco-friendly option. A new lawn mower might be the perfect gift for a homeowner who is trying to be more eco-friendly in the landscape.

Eco-friendly options for lawn mowers include electric models, solar powered mowers, reel mowers and more.

If you decide to keep your old mower, remember that keeping your mower in good shape helps benefit the lawn. Here are some steps to help put your mower to bed for the winter: Service Mowers Now Before Springing them Into Action Next Season

Exercise benefits of eco-friendly landscaping

I was thinking about all of the great exercise that I get while working in my eco-friendly landscape, so I decided to find out just how much good all of this bending and stooping is doing for my body while I try my best to “do good” for the planet.

I hope you enjoy this list of Health Benefits of Creating an Eco-Friendly Landscape

** Estimates for calories burned are from the fitness and exercise directory that I found on the LiveStrong website and are based on the weight of a 120 lb. female.

  1) Sweeping your driveway and sidewalks – It is bad for the environment to leave grass clippings, fertilizer or other substances on a driveway where they will wash into storm drains and pollute local waterways. Sweep up all clippings and add them to your compost pile or your gardens for added mulch. Sweep up any spilled fertilizer and put it back in your garden. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 288.

2) Raking leaves – Rake all leaves and put them in your compost pile. They will decompose and make great compost for the spring. Health benefits: The cardiovascular benefits of raking up the leaves in fall are not unlike a true "gym" workout. This activity burns approximately 274 calories

3) Bagging leaves – if you don’t have your own compost pile, bag your leaves and give them to a friend or neighbor who does. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 218 calories per hour.

4) Building raised bed gardens – raised bed gardens help prevent overwatering and over fertilizing. Health benefits: Outside carpentry burns approximately 327 calories per hour.

5) Installing rain gutters – utilizing rain gutters and downspouts to redirect rainfall into the grass and gardens helps prevent stormwater runoff. Health benefits: Installing rain gutters burns approximately 432 calories per hour.

6) Creating compost - Composting is a natural process that involves the decomposition of biodegradable matter such as fruits, plants and vegetables. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 272 calories per hour.

7) Digging – Planting eco-friendly plants helps conserve water and the environment. Digging in a garden engages both the upper and lower body, and any tools and equipment you use provide resistance. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 272 calories per hour.

8 ) Gardening (general) - Gardening exercises and activities involve preparing soil, pruning plants, planting bulbs and maintaining flowers, plants and vegetables in a garden plot - Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 259 calories per hour.

9) Weeding – hand weeding instead of using chemical herbicides is healthier for the planet. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 331 calories per hour.

10) Hauling compost – Using compost is a great way to conserve water. Hauling compost and mulch across various distances can engage the upper and lower body in constant movement. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 245 calories per hour.

11) Hoeing – Hoeing by hand is a great way to work the soil and remove weeds. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 272 calories per hour.

12) Kneeling to pull weeds - Kneeling will engage your thighs and glutes as you bend and sit for various intervals of time. Health benefits: Kneeling burns approximately 54 calories per hour.

13) Lawn mowing, pushing a hand mower – push mowers are better options for the environment than riding mowers or power mowers. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 327 calories per hour. 14) Laying crushed rock – crushed rock is a great pervious surface to use in the landscape to allow water to percolate into the yard. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 272 calories per hour.

15) Picking flowers and fruits – enjoying the fruits of your labors makes eco-friendly gardening so much more fun! Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 163 calories per hour.

16) Picking up litter - Picking up litter helps the environment -- and your waistline! Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 274 calories per hour.

17) Planting trees - Planting trees help shade the home and landscape - Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 331 calories per hour.

18) Planting native plants - Planting seedlings, shrubs and trees may require you to stoop, squat, bend and lift various gardening materials and tools as you complete the task. Choosing native plant species is often better for the environment. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 245 calories per hour.

19) Pushing a wheelbarrow - Pushing a wheelbarrow while walking employs one of the best aerobic activities available — walking. Coupled with the added resistance of the wheelbarrow and contents, pushing a wheelbarrow will typically expend more energy than walking on your own. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 272 calories per hour.

20) Shoveling compost, dirt, etc - Shoveling moderate loads, such as dirt from your garden, is a good way to get your daily workout and build muscular strength at the same time. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 381 calories per hour.

21) Tilling the soil - Before the first seed or sprout can be laid, gardeners must till the soil to prepare it for planting. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 327 calories per hour.

22) Trimming shrubs and trees manually – Using hand tools is always better for the environment AND your body. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 331 calories per hour.

23) Hand watering plants – Watering by hand helps prevent overwatering. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 187 calories per hour.

24) Tree hugging - Hugging someone (or something) lightly engages your upper body--you will use your arms, shoulders, back and perhaps even your neck muscles in your embrace. Health benefits: This activity burns approximately 54 calories per hour. :)

Train your dog, train your man, train your lawn?

I’m reading a book right now called What Shamu Taught Me About Life Love and Marriage by Amy Sutherland. The premise is that you should be able to train your husband (or anyone else, for that matter, by using techniques created by famous animal trainers. I’m not very far into the book, so for now, my husband isn’t coming when called or heeling very well when we go for a walk.

However, with drought conditions in effect for much of the D.C. area, I thought that now would be a good time to talk about the benefits of training your lawn.

Lawns and gardens can be water hogs. But experts agree that with proper training, most landscapes should be able to tolerate drought conditions with few problems.

Most lawns only need water up to two times a week in the spring and summer, less if it rains, and less in the fall and winter. The problem is that people start out watering incorrectly so they have to re-teach their lawns to use less water.

With drought conditions in affect for much of the area, now is the time to start re-training your landscape for less water. That means to ONLY water your lawn when it really needs it. According to the Virginia Cooperative Extension, you should water your lawn when it shows these signs of thirst:

A "thirsty" lawn turns from the normal green color to a purple-bluish color. In these areas the grass blades will not spring back if you walk across the lawn and your footprints will be visible. This is the first sign of "wilt" and indicates a need for water.

Here are some more landscape tips to consider during drought conditions.

Refrain from fertilizing – Fertilizing encourages new growth, and new growth is less drought-tolerant. If you do fertilize, use fertilizer with slow release nitrogen in it. If your goal is to improve grass color, try an iron application rather than fertilizer. Dull mower blades can also make your lawn look brown instead of green by shredding rather than cutting grass blades.

Reduce lawn areas– Since Lawn irrigation can account for more than 50 percent of total water use at residential and commercial locations, considering installing a pond, walkway, or larger garden beds in place of water-hogging turfgrass.

Irrigation Methods - Investigate the use of micro–irrigation for your plant beds. Micro-irrigation is more efficient way of distributing water directly to the base of plants without water loss from evaporation and wind drift. If you are in the market for a new irrigation system, find a reputable irrigation contractor who has experience with these systems. If you already have an irrigation system in place, many of the larger manufacturers now sell retrofit kits which will allow you to change specific irrigation zones over to micro-irrigation fittings.

Mulch. Add mulch to plant beds to reduce evaporation from soil and to moderate soil temperature, reducing stress on roots. Make sure to pull the mulch away from tree trunks and plant stems to leave a gap of an inch or two to discourage diseases and insects.

Amend the soil - To improve the water retaining capabilities of soil, considering adding several layers of top-soil or compost.

Weed – Keep weeds under control. Weeds steal water from plants.

Your plants and lawn may seem a little stressed as they adjust to their new watering schedule, but after a week or two, they should adapt and begin to flourish again.

For more information: Lawn Management During Heat and Drought and Watering the Lawn , both from Virginia Cooperative Extension

Or check out the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog's other posts on Waterwise Landscaping Techniques

10 Tips to Conserve Water Outside

1) Mulch your gardens - Mulch is great for retaining moisture, helping your plants through times of heat and drought.

2) Mow your grass to the right height - The taller the grass blade, the deeper the root system becomes. Grass with deeper roots is more drought-resistant.

3) Water at the right times - Watering in the early morning or late evening when temperatures and wind speeds are the lowest will reduce water loss through evaporation.

4) Calibrate your irrigation system - A few tuna cans can help you calibrate your irrigation system so you know how long to irrigate

5) Install micro-irrigation - Install a drip or other water conserving irrigation system. Slow drip and deep root watering systems can save up to 60% of all water used in garden care. Professionally installed and maintained irrigation systems will further help conserve water.

6) Install rain barrels - Rain barrels collect and save rain, which provides wonderful pure fresh water for plants and landscapes. A rain barrel will save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months

7) Use permeable surfaces- pavers, gravel and other permeable surfaces help keep the water where it belongs - in your yard!

8 ) Choose an eco-friendly landscape company- a good eco-friendly landscape company can help you save water and prevent stormwater pollution

9) Find a WaterSense Irrigation Contractor- All too often, landscape irrigation wastes water—up to 1.5 billion gallons every day across the country. WaterSense irrigation partners can help you reduce your water consumption, save money, and maintain a healthy and beautiful landscape.

10) Shower outside! - I've known for a long time that my friend Paula has an outdoor shower. I always thought she added it because they have three people living in a one bathroom home. But yesterday she told me the wonderful added benefit of allowing all the water from her shower to soak into her lawn and landscape!

Tips for Choosing an eco-friendly lawn care company

If you are one of the many home-owners who are too busy or just not interested in toiling in the soil and digging in the dirt, there are now companies that offer various forms of environmentally friendly lawn care service. These companies will help reduce the eco-footprint of your home by eliminating inappropriate and polluting landscape practices.

Of course, if you are not a gardener, it may be difficult for you to know what to look for in such a company.

To help find a good “green” lawn care company, you can print out our eco-friendly landscaping quiz and see how prospective landscapers do in answering the questions. If they get all the answers correct, it’s a pretty good bet that they will make the correct choices for your landscape.

For more detailed information, I consulted Catherine Zimmerman, a Metro DC area certified horticulturist and landscape designer. Catherine is accredited in organic land care through the Northeast Organic Farmers Association and has designed and taught a course in organic landscaping for the USDA Graduate School Horticulture program. Catherine is also the author of the new book Urban & Suburban Meadows, Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces.

Below are some comments and suggestions Catherine provided for selecting an environmentally friendly landscape company:

“My approach to the lawn is to reduce it as much as possible in favor of native plants,” Catherine said:

“Where lawn is needed or desired, I take the organic approach. Key things for homeowners to know are:

1) Chemical lawn support such as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are harmful to the environment. We annually assault the earth with billions of pounds of these toxins and as a result we are losing native insect species, polluting waterways and putting our own, and especially, our children's health at risk.

2) Start with the soil. Any eco-friendly land care service will do a soil test to see what is needed, or not needed, on the site in terms of nutrients, pH adjustments and organic matter content. A healthy lawn will have high organic matter 5% or higher. High organic matter feeds critical soil organisms and helps hold moisture in the soil.

3) The lawn should be aerated. Grass performs poorly in compacted soil.

4) Mow high, 2 1/2-3" and leave the clippings to help raise soil organic matter. 

5) Pest control. Elimination of pesticides will help bring the site back into balance because we cannot target just one undesirable insect. We wipe out most insects with pesticide use. Unfortunately some insects, like aphids bounce back quicker because of their faster reproduction cycle than it's natural enemy the lady bug. 

So now we have a real problem. Best to let the bugs duke it out. Introduce biologic controls, like nematodes, if needed. 'If needed' is a very important concept. If a company is selling lots of applications, they are likely not eco-friendly."

A few more suggestions for choosing an eco-friendly lawn care or gardening service:

• Remember that each landscape is different and that your yard does not necessarily need the same treatment as your neighbor's. This is particularly true when it comes to eco-friendly lawn care, which strives to work with the current site conditions, rather than against them. Prospective lawn care companies should take a thorough look at your property and site conditions before giving you an estimate of what work they think your yard requires.
• Even the best lawns have weeds and pests. Ask what techniques the service provider intends to use to treat these problems. Eco-friendly companies should offer environmentally friendly options.
• The best eco-friendly companies will ONLY treat weeds and bugs on an as-needed basis, rather than indiscrimatley applying broad range weed killers, fertilizers or pesticides. If pesticides or weed killers are going to be used on your lawn, find out what specific problems are being addressed and what products will be used.
• Ask lawn mowing services whether they reset mower heights for different turfgrasses and at what height they will cut your lawn. They should know the correct height for your particular grass species. Also find out if they clean equipment between lawns. Mowers and other equipment can spread weed seeds and disease organisms if not cleaned properly.

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission has created a list of professional lawn care services in Northern Virginia who have signed the Water Quality Improvement Agreement with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). These companies offer their customers lawn care services to minimize pollution in order to protect our waterways while maintaining green and healthy lawns.

View the list of Green Lawn Care Companies in Northern Virginia.  

More Metro DC Area Eco-Friendly Landscape Companies
(these companies are listed to help in your selection of a lawn care company. Inclusion in this list does not indicate our endorsement)

• Richard Landscaping, LLC. Owner Richard Bajana told me that their guiding principle is “keeping things simple. Like Catherine Zimmerman, Richard is credited through the Northeast Organic Farmers Association
• My Organic Garden– provides organic vegetable gardens, fruit & berries to folks in lieu of lawns, so property owners can get a little more out of their yard. Vegetable gardens can produce food nine or more months a year in our area. A lawn can produce a lot of veggies or host a nice looking orchard of dwarf apple, peach, or pear fruit trees. To increase the eco-friendly aspect they focus on building great soil rather than pesticides, and utilize drip irrigation and mulching to minimize water usage.
• Solar Mowing - a small local company that uses solar (and wind) energy to power cordless battery-powered mowers. The mowers are quiet and emit NO pollutants!
• American Plant - a family-owned environmentally responsible garden center, provide superior plants, products, knowledge and services for our customers and community.
• Bay Country Lawns – An organic lawn care company that offers a wide array of natural and organic based programs.
• Green Harmony Design - strives to bring nature back into people's lives by creating memorable settings in private and public gardens
• Lawn-Right: Naturally healthy lawns – Professional organic lawn maintenance
• Matt's Habitats - Eco-friendly gardens, painting and more!

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For more information read, Selecting Professional Lawn and Landscape Services

Eco-Friendly Landscaping Quiz

Whether you do your own landscaping or hire a professional, having a basic understanding of environmentally friendly principles will help you make the right choices for an eco-friendly landscape.

©2010 Metro DC Lawn &Garden Blog, Created by Betsy S. Franz 

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1) The best plant choices for your landscape are:

A. All native plants

B. Selected for your particular site conditions

C. Drought tolerant

D. Beautiful and exotic

2) You can save water in a landscape by:

A. Using rainbarrels

B. Adding mulch

C. Grouping plants by their maintenace needs

D. All of the above

3) At what height should you mow your lawn?

A. It depends on the grass species

B. 1"-2"

C. 3" -4"

D. As short as possible

E. I do not mow my lawn

4) If plants or lawn look yellow, you should always add fertilizer:

A. True

B. False

5) How should you clean up fertilizer spills in your driveway?

A. Rinse it off with a hose

B. Sweep it back into the landscape

C. Blow it into the street

D. Leave it for the next rain

6) Which of the following is a benefit of using mulch?

A. Keeps soil temperature uniform

B. Inhibits weed growth

C. Retains moisture in soil

D. All of the above

7) Which of the following help create a wildlife friendly landscape?

A. Plants that provide seeds and berries

B. A water source

C. Elimination of pesticides

D. All of the above

8 ) You should apply pesticides at the first sign of insect damage.

A. True

B. False

9) Which of the following help control pest insects?

A. Keeping plants healthy to better withstand attack

B. Insectidical soap

C. Handpicking

D. Beneficial insects

E. All of the above

10) Gutter downspouts should NOT be directed to:

A. Rain barrels

B. Lawns

C. Your driveway

D. Plant beds

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No lawn is a good lawn – Why Dr. Stabler challenges the poll

From time to time, I run poll questions on this blog about various topics related to gardens and landscapes. The current poll asked how high your mower blades are set: 1, 2 or 3 inches. There was also a selection for "Not sure/don't know".

The purpose of these questions is to encourage people to think a little bit about their gardening and landscaping practices.

The height of our mower blades has a direct effect on the health of our lawns and on the planet. Experts recommend that you mow your lawn at a height of 2 to 3 inches. Longer blades of grass provide for a more vigorous lawn with a thicker turf and fewer pests. There is a very in-depth resource and podcast entitled Mow Like a Pro on the Virginia Cooperative Extension Center website.

A blog reader, Dr. L. Brooke Stabler, an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Central Oklahoma contacted me with this comment:

I don't have any lawn, so I'm not sure how to answer your poll. There are just too many eco-friendly reasons not to have a lawn. Something like 60% of domestic freshwater use goes to water lawns, which of course then leads to the need to mow. Gas powered lawn equipment puts out more CO2 and other pollutants (plus noise) per hour run time than a Hummer. Fertilizers and pesticides run off or percolate into the soil and end up in water, polluting it. The good old American meticulous lawn is one of the biggest environmental disasters there is. Doing away with a lawn and instead installing native vegetation is one of the most eco-friendly things a person can do. Ironically, many cities have ordinances that would consider such a practice "letting weeds grow" and would fine home owners for doing it. 

Although I generally love a good debate with Dr. "Brooke" (she's my sister), I have to admit that this time, she's right. Less lawn (or no lawn) can be much better for the environment. Plus, even more than a good debate, I love having a sister that takes time away from her busy career to visit my blog. 

So in deference to Dr. Stabler's comments, I have changed my poll to reflect a new option: "My eco-friendly lawn does not require mowing."

Here is a link for more information about the Benefits of Reducing Your Lawn

Six "Green" Things I’ve Learned to Do Around my Property so that My Husband Can Keep on Fishing

I mentioned the other day that my husband is the one that really got me started on learning more about environmentally friendly gardening.

I have always loved nature and gardens and wildlife. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey where I inherited my love of gardening from my parents, who always had beautiful elaborate flowerbeds filled with multi-colored, sweet scented blooms. As soon as I was old enough to start living on my own, every home I lived in, whether rented or owned, soon became filled with my own beautiful gardens.

But taking my parent’s lead, I thought that beautiful gardens meant lots of chemical fertilizers and foul smelling pesticides. I was happy with the occasional bird or butterfly passing through and I blamed the lack of more of those gardener visitors on all the new construction going on around me.

Then I met my husband. He was the rugged, outdoor type and when he started trying to tell me everything I was doing wrong in the garden I thought “Yeah, right. What does a construction worker/outdoorsman know about gardening?”

And then I went to his home and saw his gorgeous organic vegetable garden, full of huge ripe vegetables and I watched him hand-picking insects off of them instead of spraying chemicals and when I asked him why he gardened that way, he told me it was because he likes to fish.

Like most gardeners, I have learned my gardening habits from many other gardeners. I’ve learned from my childhood gardens in New Jersey, my inlaw’s gardens in Michigan, and my grandmother’s farm in Oklahoma. But when I met my husband, I soon learned that many of the things I was doing in my landscape were not only harming the birds and butterflies that I loved so much, but the environment in general, and that meant it was having an impact on people that like to fish.

He taught me how everything, from washing my car, mowing my lawn, and walking his dog, could affect his fishing hobby. I should add here that when my husband first taught me many of these things, I thought that he was just trying to save time and money so he’d have more of both to devote to fishing. But I’m from Missouri (the Show Me State) so I did plenty of research that helped to prove that sometimes it really DOES benefit the environment to do a little less around the yard instead of more.

So in an effort to keep the good ol’ boy that I married happy, here is a list of the “Six Things I’ve Learned to Do Around my Property so that My Husband Can Keep on Fishing.”

1. Watch what goes in the groundwater - Everything that goes into the ground around a home has the potential of finding its way into local fishing spots. This is the most important lesson of all. All of the chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that are used in landscapes can get picked up by rain and misdirected sprinkler heads and get washed out into the stormwater lines where they can find their way to rivers, lakes, wetlands, coastal waters and even underground sources of drinking water. This type of pollution is called nonpoint source pollution and is one of the major contributors to degradation of the Metro area’s waterways. Many fish species are affected by nonpoint source pollution. The affects of chemicals in the waterways are so far-reaching that in a study performed in the Potomac River, 79% of the male bass which were studied were either producing eggs or showing other “intersex” characteristics. The solutions to preventing stormwater pollution are simple. First, don’t put dangerous chemicals into the ground (see #2 and #3 below). And take steps to make sure that water remains in your landscape rather than washing into storm drains. Always remove any debris or chemicals from driveways, roads and hard surfaces. Don't let them wash into waterways.

2) Switch to natural fertilizers - Chemical fertilizers in local waterways can cause algae blooms that kill fish. You can meet a plant’s nutritional needs in ways that are not as harmful to the environment by using compost or allowing grass clippings to remain on the lawn. My hubby only let’s me use natural fertilizers such as fish emulsion and liquid seaweed – both good choices for fisherman and for the environment - and, of course, compost.

3) Don’t Let the Pests Pester You – Pesticides and herbicides are two more substance that are almost always found in unhealthy fish. If you keep a healthy yard, bugs and weeds are less of a problem. Healthy plants are less vulnerable to bugs and predators such as bigger bugs, toads and birds usually take care of the ones that sneak in. Anything that you decide to spray to kill insects, again, has the potential of making its way into the groundwater so if you do decide to use chemicals, ask your retailer for the least toxic solution for a particular bug and ONLY spray the bug or infected plant. Broad spraying of an entire garden or yard is rarely needed or effective. Broad applications of products such as weed and feed are also harmful. Many pest problems can be treated in ways that don’t harm the environment. You can handpick bugs or prune off infested parts of plants. Weeds can be handpicked, blocked with mulch or treated with corn gluten meal (CGM) a natural weed control.

4) Don’t waste water – Fish depend on the rise and fall of ground water levels for survival, so wasting water at home reduces water in fish habitat and increases the concentrations of minerals and contaminants in the remaining water. The results are crowding, disease and eventually fish die-offs. Wasting water can disrupt the natural cycles in wetlands, ponds and lakes.The biggest waste of water in the Washington DC metro area (and most states) is landscape irrigation. Planting drought tolerant plants, using rain barrels, mulching and properly managing your irrigation system can save thousands of gallons of water annually.

5) Quit fighting mother nature – Many of the problems caused by non-point source pollution and excess watering can be solved by creating a more natural landscape. A landscape plan that follows the natural contours and soil conditions of the site and utilizes native plants which are well-suited to the site conditions will require less fertilizing, less pesticides and less watering. The ideal plant for any location will have needs that match what your site already provides. Native plants are often excellent choices because they require less maintenance (which allows more time for fishing). Correct plant selection and placement can help filter pollutants out of groundwater and reduce heating and cooling costs by providing shade and wind barriers.

6) Don’t coddle your lawn - A healthy lawn helps protect local waterways by acting as a filter to trap sediment and pollutants. Fortunately, keeping your lawn healthy usually means less work, not more. Over watering, over-mowing and over-fertilization weaken a lawn by not forcing it to develop a strong, healthy root system. This harms the lawn AND the environment. As with other plants, it is important to choose a species cultivated for the region, such as the red and tall Fescues. Proper lawn mowing also keeps the lawn healthy. Keep mower blades sharpened to avoid damaging the grass blades and never remove more than one third of the grass blade when you mow. Tall grass shades and cools the soil, discourages weeds and shelters beneficial ants and ground spiders that prey on pest insect eggs in the turf.

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Since I’ve learned these things, I’ve devoted a good part of my life trying to teach them to other people. Some folks think I do it all to attract more wildlife and to help grow delicious chemical free produce. But mainly I think that if I convince enough people, maybe my husband won’t think that he has to go out every weekend to check on the fishing!

For additional information about these principles, visit: Landscaping and Gardening, Fairfax County, Virginia From Creeks to the Chesapeake, Protecting our Watershed (pdf file) (City of Rockville) Conservation Landscaping (City of Rockville) Water Quality Stewardship Guide, Fairfax County, Virginia.