How to save 150 gallons of water a day….

That’s the headline I saw on a blog post recently so, of course, I had to click over to read it. I’m fairly certain that we don’t even come CLOSE to using 150 gallons of water a day in our home, so I was interested to see how someone could write an article about saving that much. But the writer, Michele Hallahan, writing on LivingGreen Magazine, DID appear to do her homework.
Here are some of the facts gleaned from the article that allowed the writer to come up with the hefty sum of 150 gallons of water savings:

• Water use in the USA is typically around 180 gallons per day per person.
• Switching to low-flow showerheads can save you 12.5 gallons every time you take a 10 minute shower. That’s 50 gallons per day in a household with 4 people showering daily!
• Switching to low flow aerators on your sinks can save up to 21 gallons per day
• Nationwide, irrigation uses more than 7 billion gallons of water a year! Irrigate your garden only before 10am or after 7pm in order to make sure your thirsty plants get the most from your precious water!  Save up to 60 gallons per day by watering wisely.
• Front-loading washing machines use half as much water as top-loaders. Switch to an Energy Star rated machine to save up to 12.5 gallons a day.
• Run your dishwasher only when full. Save up to 6.5 gallons of water per day.

We are definitely good about saving water in our landscape. Not counting what we get from our rain barrels, I would say that we don’t even use 60 gallons of water all MONTH in our landscape. And we save a lot by waiting until our dishwasher is full and not running the extra cycles. But it’s nice to have the reminders for some of the other easy changes.
Here’s the link to the full article if you want to read it: How to Save 150 Gallons of Water per Day Without Leaving Your Home

Take control of your irrigation system controller to help conserve water

If your home has an irrigation system, it is tempting to just set the controller for a regular schedule and assume that it is handling all of your lawn and garden watering for you.

But the recent edition of the EPA Watersense newsletter has some great tips to ensure that homeowners don’t allow their irrigation systems to waste water.

Here are some TIPS to make sure that you keep the upper hand when it comes to controlling your watering:

1) Get to know your controllers: Kathy Nguyen, a 2011 WaterSense Promotional Partner of the Year, recommends that homeowners spend  time getting to know their irrigation systems this summer. For example, those with an automatic irrigation system should know how to turn it on and off.

“What has consistently saved the most water is when customers turn their automatic irrigation controllers on and off manually. Then, they are more apt to be involved in evaluating whether their landscape needs watering,” she says.

2) Spy on Your Sprinklers : Home and business owners should watch their sprinkler system run through each watering zone at least once to see how much concrete is inadvertently being watered. Systems that run overnight or at other times when users are not present can apply water to pavement that then evaporates before the user returns to the site.

3) Give Your Grass the Step Test:  Even if you don’t have an irrigation system for your yard, you can take steps to save water and improve your lawn’s health and beauty. Grass doesn’t always need water just because it’s hot out, Nguyen notes. Step on the lawn, and if the grass springs back, it doesn’t need water. She recommends performing this “step test” in the early morning or late evening to get the most realistic view.

Learn additional ways to save on your summer water bill, while enjoying a landscape that’s both beautiful and convenient.

Current Summer 2012 | WaterSense | US EPA

Mulch Calculator

I'm almost done increasing the size of my front garden. During one of my rest breaks, I came in and did a quick internet search to find an online mulch calculator. Plenty of them showed up in my search, but I decided to share the one that I found on 1-800-Mulch-Pro, just because they have a lot of other great information about mulch on their website.

For instance, this is what their website says about the benefits of mulch:

What is Mulch used for?

• Mulch prevents weeds from growing.
• Mulch will maintain an even temperature in the soil. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Mulch protects the soil from soil erosion.
• Mulch will conserve moisture.
• Mulch provides a clean surface for accessing the garden.
• Mulch can make a garden look neat and finished.

They have some good photos of the different types of mulch and the mulch calculator page has some nice diagrams of how to measure your garden.

I've never purchased anything from mulch pro (and, in fact, I never heard of them before this morning's search). But their website looks like a great resource!

While writing this post, I realized that I forgot to add "Use Mulch" as one of the options in this month's survey about ways to conserve water. (Whoops!) But why not take a moment and answer the survey anyway! It's in the right hand column of this blog. I promise I'll add that option in future surveys.

Rain Barrel Workshop, July 28th

Rain barrels are a great benefit to any eco-friendly landscape. They not only help conserve water, but they also allow us to re-direct rain water, helping to cut down on stormwater runoff, which can cause flooding and water pollution. To learn more about the benefits of rain barrels, plan on attending the Rain Barrel Workshop, being hosted by University of Maryland Extension Prince George’s County.

What: Rain Barrel Workshop

When: Saturday, July 28, 2012, 9:30-11:30am

Where: University of Maryland Center for Educational Partnership,6200 Sheridan St., Riverdale, MD 20737

Connect with other concerned citizens for a workshop to learn how to recycle rainwater for use on your property while also combating stormwater pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay.

Information session with rain barrels provided at completion

Workshop Only: Free
Workshop plus 1 rain barrel: $70
Workshop plus 2 rain barrels: $140

Register at http://recycletherain.eventbrite.com

Contact Christie Balch at cbalch@umd.edu or at (301) 779-2806 x706 for more information.

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

H2O Fest

Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.-“H2O Fest”-Learn about the Patuxent, Jug Bay and the Chesapeake through many hands-on activities, kayak trips, music and crafts.  Free admission.  WSSC’s Western Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant, 6600 Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro

For more information, visit the WSSC website.

Here's ANOTHER way to conserve water in the landscape

Instead of buying any new plants, I have been doing some garden remodeling lately. I spent part of this weekend rearranging  some plants that we already had by moving them to more appropriate spots. I also planted some of the things that we had started indoors in pots.

I was really enjoying having my hands in the dirt again until it suddenly dawned on me how much water I was wasting. Because I was being so careful to stay hydrated, every hour or so, I had to go into the house to take a bathroom break. And everytime I did, I had to clean all of that beautiful garden soil off of my hands. After about the third trip inside, the “AHA” light went off in my head.

After that, I filled a small tub with water and placed a towel next to it, and whenever I needed a bathroom or snack break, I would rinse my hands in the tub and dry them on the towel. At the end of the afternoon, I was able to use the water from the bucket to water some of the plants I had planted.

Of course, wearing gardening gloves are another good option, but I’m the kind of gardening who really likes to feel the soil between my fingers and tickle the little earthworms I find along the way!

Of course, there are lots of other great ways to save water in the landscape.

How do you conserve water in your lawn and garden?

10 Tips for Rain Barrel Maintenance and Safety

I know I’ve written a lot of posts about rain barrels, but that’s because I think they are a real no-brainer for an eco-friendly garden.

Rain barrels are easy to make, easy to install and they help the planet in two ways: by both conserving and protecting our planet’s water supplies.

Rain barrels capture and store the rainwater running off a rooftop. The harvested rainwater can be stored for later use, or used immediately for watering lawns and landscaped areas, filling ponds or fountains, or washing cars. This stored water helps to save money and it really comes in handy during times of mandatory water restrictions.

By collecting runoff from rooftops, rain barrels can also prevent stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is caused when heavy rains  run directly into streets and storm sewers, carrying it (and the pollutants it collects) directly to the local waterways.

Rain barrels require very little maintenance. However, to make sure that they remain problem free, here are:

10 Tips for Rain Barrel Maintenance and Safety

1. Rain barrels can weigh about 400 pounds when full, but they need to be elevated for good water flow. Make sure that they are placed on a sturdy, level base to avoid all possibility of toppling over.
2. Make sure that all overflow pipes or hoses are directed to pervious (landscaped) surfaces so that overflow water soaks into the ground instead of pooling where it can create slippery puddles.
3. Don’t drink the water from your rain barrel. There is no telling what substances the rain has collected from your roof or gutters.
4. Use the water in your rain barrel before using other water sources to help prevent standing water in the barrel.
5. Clean your gutters regularly to reduce debris.
6. Once a year, tip your rain barrel over during a dry spell and rinse it out with a hose. You can also put a capful of chlorine bleach into the water to help prevent algae growth.
7. Check your rain barrel on a regular basis to make sure all openings are clean, free of debris and flowing freely.
8. During severe rain storms, check your rain barrel to make sure the overflows are working properly.
9. If your rainbarrel springs a small leak, most can be repaired with aquarium caulk, a clear sealant available at most hardware stores
10. Rain barrels should be drained and removed for the winter months to prevent ice damage.

Related post about rain barrels: The Rain Barrel Response

March 22 is World Water Day – Adopt a Waterwise Diet

Since 1993, March 22nd has been observed as World Water Day to focus attention on the importance of preserving and protecting our planet’s fresh water resources.

World Water Day has a theme each year, and this year’s theme is “Water and Food Security” and deals with the planet’s supply of clean, healthy, abundant water and its relationship to providing food to the people of the world.

As eco-friendly gardeners, we often talk about waterwise landscaping. We know that by utilizing rain barrels, choosing waterwise plants, and using mulch, we all can help conserve water in our landscapes. But for World Water Day, this year’s theme seems to focus on "waterwise eating". "Waterwise eating" means following a healthy, sustainable diet; consuming a less water-intensive diet; and reducing food waste.

Of course, we all realize that we need water to grow food for people to eat. But the “Water and Food Security” theme also wants to encourage everyone to consider the water required in the production of the food that they eat, and to adopt a diet that is less water “hungry”.

Each food has its own “water footprint”, which accounts for the amount of water used to grow and/or produce that food. By learning a little about the water footprint of your foods, you can choose to make a choice for a more “waterwise” diet.

Here are some quotes, and a short video, from the World Water Day Website:

The world is thirsty because of our needs for food. Today, there are over 7 billion people to feed on the planet and this number is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. To be able to feed everybody, we first need to secure water, in sufficient quantity and adequate quality. We will also need to produce more food using less water, reduce food wastage and losses, and move towards more sustainable diets.

Here are some additional links for information about the “water footprint” of various foods:

Water Footprint of animal products

Water Footprint – Product Gallery

Rain barrel workshops for Leesburg Residents

The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District, in partnership with the Leesburg Environmental Advisory Commission, will offer four rain barrel workshops for Leesburg residents during April and May.

Rain barrels are an economical and practical way for homeowners to conserve water and save money. In addition, they reduce runoff, as stormwater is collected before it picks up sediment and contaminants that pollute area streams and rivers, which drain to the Potomac River and eventually to the Chesapeake Bay.

The rain barrel workshops will be held at Tuscarora Creek Park, located at 425 Solitude Court SE, on Wednesday, April 25; Thursday, April 26; Tuesday, May 15; and Wednesday, May 16. All workshops begin at 6:30 p.m.

Residents can make a rain barrel to take home or purchase a pre-made barrel. Each workshop will last approximately one hour; participants need to attend only one workshop. The rain barrel kits to make on site are $50 each; the pre-made barrels are $65 each, plus tax. The EAC is offering a $20 discount on the purchase of a rain barrel to each Leesburg household as an incentive to promote water conservation. Discounts are limited to two per household.

Participants are reminded to dress appropriately if they will be constructing their own barrels. A registration form can be downloaded from the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District website at www.loudounsoilandwater.org. For more information, call Suzanne Brown, education outreach specialist for the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District, at 571-918-4530, ext. 105.

Plans for the weekend – lessen the lawn

It looks like we are going to have beautiful weather for getting outside and working in the yard today. And one of the main things on my garden to-do list is to remove some more lawn to make another garden area.

It’s a little bit of hard labor, but it’s still cool enough outside to make the work bearable. And the environmental benefits (plus having more garden area in the part of our yard that gets the most sun) will be well worth it.

Here are some of the eco-friendly benefits of reduced lawn area:

1. Reduced water consumption – turf generally requires more water than plants which are properly chosen for your site’s conditions.
2. Reduced storm water runoff -  shrubs, trees, and other leafy plants help absorb, intercept, and slow down rainfall, thereby reducing storm water runoff.
3. Reduced labor – less time spent on lawn maintenance.
4. Reduced need for chemicals – more homeowners use chemicals greening and feeding their lawns than on properly selected plant species.
5. Reduced  air and noise pollution caused by gas mowers, edgers, blowers, etc.
6. Enhanced biodiversity – replacing lawns with shrubs and flowers provide shelter and food sources for birds, butterflies and other local wildlife.

Fix a Leak Week – March 12th - 18th

According to the EPA WaterSense website, March 12th – 18th is Fix a Leak Week – a great time for everyone to check their household fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.
Their website says that leaks can account for, on average, 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, which is enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
Their site lists plenty of ways to check for and repair water leaks. Here’s what they say about the great outdoors:

Outdoors:

• An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing.
  
• An irrigation system with pressure set at 60 pounds per square inch that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
  
• To ensure that your in-ground irrigation system is not leaking water, consult with a WaterSense irrigation partner who has passed a certification program focused on water efficiency; look for a WaterSense irrigation partner.
  
• Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

To help consumers save water and improve water efficiency in the home, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) encourages citizens to find and fix household water leaks during "Fix a Leak Week."
At a special Fix a Leak Week event on Wednesday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., DC Water representatives will distribute water conservation information and demonstrate how to install water-efficient plumbing fixtures. The event will be held at the Frank W. Reeves Municipal Center, 2000 14th Street, NW. DC Water’s mascot, Wendy the Water Drop, will also make a special appearance. For more water-saving tips and information, consumers can visit DC Water’s Facebook page.

New gardening product – Is it Good or Bad for the environment?

I’m always on the lookout for new products that help make eco-friendly gardening a little easier. So when I read the teaser about the Pure Rain watering tools on a website called  pollutiononline.com, I had to take a look.

The teaser read : Pure Rain oxygen-infusing garden products provide chemical-free way to increase plant growth by up to 30 percent.

The article goes on to say :

“When people think of water pollution, they often imagine large oil spills or waste from industrial plants as the primary culprits. But according to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, nonpoint source pollution--or pollution from smaller, scattered sources, including residential lawn and garden chemicals--is the leading source of water quality problems. "Some of the chemicals put on landscapes gets taken up by the plants, but a lot of it washes off into the lakes, rivers, oceans, and streams and eventually winds up in the ground water," says Paul Tukey, author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual.”

So how does a watering nozzle help prevent water pollution? According to the article, when attached to a hose, the Pure Rain products infuse more oxygen into the water supply, which is crucial for the plants growth and vitality.

“Ultimately, plants grew up to 30 percent larger without the use of potentially harmful chemicals or other soil amendments that often end up back in the water supply.

And improving the dissolved oxygen content in tap water means less need for water overall, enabling homeowners to save money while saving the planet.”

Of course, eliminating harmful chemicals and soil amendments is a great thing, when it comes to preventing pollution. But in our landscape, we primarily use water from rain barrels and drip irrigation to water our plants, so it would SEEM like a waste of water to use spray nozzles, unless they don’t require a lot of pressure and can be used on a garden hose attached to a rain barrel.

We do sometimes use oscillating sprinklers on our lawn, but do we really want our lawn to grow faster?

What do you think? Has anyone out there ever used these products or do you know enough about the value of oxygenized water to have an opinion on these products? 

Leap Day great time to “Leap” towards more water savings

The EPA Watersense program is encouraging people to use Leap Day as a reminder to checkout irrigation systems to make sure that they aren’t wasting water.

Here is an excerpt from the Winter 2012 Issue of The WaterSense Current

Do you have a landscape watering system with preset controls? Experts estimate that as much as 50 percent of water applied by irrigation systems is wasted due to overwatering caused by inefficiencies! 

Leap Day, February 29, is a great time to stop and use a few of those extra minutes to check your irrigation system’s control settings and schedules. 
 
It’s important to adjust your irrigation controller based on the season; in most climates, plants don’t need summer levels of watering during the rest of the year. A simple check and adjustment can ensure that your system operates at its maximum efficiency. 
 
If your system uses a traditional clock timer, you may want to consider installing a WaterSense labeled irrigation controller, which uses local weather data to automatically adjust watering schedules and systems to better match plants’ water needs. WaterSense recently released a final specification for these controllers, which do the thinking for you in terms of when and how much to water. WaterSense labeled models of these weather-based irrigation controllers should be available soon; visit the WaterSense website for more information.
 
Even if you don’t have an irrigation system, it’s still a good time to consider low-maintenance landscaping that uses less water and still looks lovely. Consider some new, drought-tolerant plants for your yard this spring. Native plants that don’t require supplemental irrigation will help you keep your water bills low and provide a beautiful landscape. You can find a local plant list from your water utility, cooperative extension service, or on the WaterSense website.
 
And for those who like a lush lawn, take a little leap on your grass this spring to avoid overwatering. If you step on your lawn and the grass springs back, it does not need to be watered. Use this easy method to save on water while still keeping your lawn healthy and learn more outdoor watering tips.

And here are some previous blog posts from this blog that might interest you:
Find a WaterSense Irrigation Expert
Beneficial Drought Tolerant Plants for the DC Area – Part 1
Beneficial Drought Tolerant Plants for the DC Area – Part 1

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.

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.

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

My Bucket List for the Planet

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” G.K. Chesterton

That was one of my favorite quotes when I was a young, romantic teenager. I’m still a romantic, although not quite as young as I used to be. And I still believe that one of the best ways to really appreciate anything is to think about how empty your life would be without it. It certainly works with age and time.

When you are young, you think that your time on earth is endless, and you waste an awful lot of it. As you get older, your time is much more valuable to you, and you really don’t want to waste any. Since you can’t do a lot about the quantity of time you have left, you start making an effort to put more Quality into your time. You start making Bucket Lists of all of the things you want to do before you die. You realize you want to squeeze everything you can out of life, and not waste a drop. 

The problem with getting people to learn to appreciate and save things like natural resources…wildlife… the environment…and the planet in general, is that everyone thinks that there is an endless supply of those things. I just can’t imagine the day when there are no more lions or tigers or bears because of habitat loss or human predation, but it certainly could happen. Their numbers are dwindling because of stresses brought about by hunting, habitat destruction and introduced predators and diseases.

 Water, though, is another story. The planet will probably NEVER run out of water. That's because the amount of water is always the same -- it just changes in form. Water from oceans, lakes and rivers evaporates into the atmosphere where it becomes clouds and returns to Earth as rain or snow.

 However, we COULD run out of clean water. Almost all of the water on the Earth is salt water, and 77 percent of the fresh water is frozen at the Earth's poles. That leaves only a small amount for drinking, washing and growing things.

As the Earth's population increases, more people need water and the earth’s supply of clean water gets even smaller. And a further problem, of course, is that a lot of the things that human beings do pollute water which means that we have to spend lots and lots of money to have water cleaned to make it usable again.

 As logical as this all is, people waste a heckuva lot of water. According to the EPA website, the average family of four can use 400 gallons of water every day. Let’s see. The current population of the United States is 312,625,280, divided by 4, times 400 gallons =……. Sorry, my calculator doesn’t go that high. But it’s a LOT. Still, I drive down the road and see people idly running sprinklers in the rain, or letting their hose run down the driveway while they are soaping their car or dog.

 Its hard to get people to understand the importance of conserving water. Around our house, one of the ways that we save water is with our Bucket List. We have a whole slew of buckets and watering cans, and we keep them filled up with water from our rain barrels, leftover water from steaming veggies, graywater from when we clean the hummingbird feeders, etc. We try to restrict ourselves to using JUST that water on our plants and gardens. And like the hours and minutes of our lives, we try not to waste a drop.

 I encourage you to start your own Bucket List for the planet. Put up a couple of rain barrels around your yard. They not only help collect water but are great at cutting down on stormwater runoff, which is one of the main things that pollutes clean water. And then start collecting watering cans and buckets. You can find them at garage sales and thrift stores for less than a dollar. And when you have enough of them, you rarely have to waste any clean water to keep your garden growing.

 'Cause life is short. And we've got a lot more fun things to do with our time than worry about water. Betsy's Bucket List: #34 - Try to encourage a few people to take better care of the planet