Work With Mother Nature, Not Against Her

What is the number 1 rule for creating an eco-friendly landscape? Learn to work with Mother Nature, not against her. To do that, you need to get to know your property on a deeper level.

Most of the ill effects of improper gardening are from too much water or too many chemicals. Choosing plants which are compatible with your site conditions and grouping them by their maintenance needs will require less of both.

A few words about water, or why you "should" be concerned about your landscape 

Although we have access to an abundance of water most of the time in the DC metro area, water conservation is still something we should all be concerned about. An American family of four can use 400 gallons of water per day, and about 30 percent of that is devoted to outdoor uses. More than half of that outdoor water is used for watering lawns and gardens. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for almost one-third of all residential water use, totaling more than 7 billion gallons per day. 

As populations increase, demand on our water resources will grow. Conserving water can prevent or postpone the expense of building or renovating new water supply facilities. 

Going hand-in-hand with the topic of water conservation is water pollution. Everything that goes into the ground around your home has the potential of finding its way into local water supplies. Rain and irrigation systems wash pesticides, fertilizers and other substances into our streams, reservoirs and lakes. These pollutants can harm fish and wildlife populations, kill native vegetation, foul drinking water, and make recreational areas unsafe and unpleasant.

How well do you know your property?

As property owners, we each own a piece of the earth. To take care of it, and the rest of the surrounding eco-system that it connects to, we need to get to know our property.

There are some things that you can learn about your site conditions from books and online resources. For others, you need to go out and spend some time in your yard.

For example, you probably already know your Plant Hardiness zone. This zone number is listed on many plants and will help you buy plants that will tolerate our winters.

You may also already know the average rainfall and high and low temperatures for your area.

For the other aspects of your property, I suggest at least five nice slow walks around your property. Ideally, these walks should be taken at different times of the day and during different weather conditions. Why? Because you want to find out things such as where the sunny and shady spots are and where water collects after a rain.

If you have a printed survey of your property, make a copy of it and use it as a diagram to make notes during your garden walks. If you do not have a printed survey, it will be helpful to draw a sketch of your property and make notes about what you learn about your landscape.

When you take your walks, pay attention! Turn off your ipod. Leave your phone inside. And really notice what is going on around you.

In a previous post, I suggested that you keep a garden blog or journal. A journal is the perfect place to keep track of what you discover while you are getting to know your property.

If you are making a drawing, mark areas of shade and sun, slopes in the terrain, low spots that will hold water and any large trees and plants that you plan to keep. If you enjoy gardening for wildlife, I also suggest that you make note of any birds or butterflies you see in your yard and what plants or natural elements they are using.  

Things to Keep in Mind as you Get to Know Your Property

• Are there any local deed restrictions or other ordinances that will affect your landscaping plans?
• Take digital photos of any unknown plants to your local nursery or extension service office for help with identification. Are any of your current plants native or invasive species?
• What kind of soil do you have? Read this article, Knowing Your Soil, to find out.
• Have you had the pH of your soil checked? Here is a pdf document to help you with this step: Soil Sampling for the Home Gardener.

Decide what you want for your landscape and make a plan

What are your goals with your landscaping? There are many benefits to proper landscaping, including aesthetics, improved resale value, noise reduction, climate control and wildlife habitat.

How do you plan to use your yard? Do you need play areas for children, relaxation areas for adults, or vegetable gardens for nourishment? Do you enjoy gardening or would you rather have a yard that practically takes care of itself?

If you don't intend to do your own landscaping or lawn maintenance, read these Tips for finding an eco-friendly lawn care company.

For more information on planning your landscape, visit Virginia Cooperative Extension's Creating a Waterwise Landscape.

Local Cooperative Extension Centers: Virginia Cooperative Extension, Maryland Cooperative Extension

Once you have gotten to know your landscape and developed a garden plan, you are ready to move onto the next step in creating an eco-friendly landscape. : Right Plant, Right Place.

Subscribe to this blog to read the next step for an eco-friendly landscape.

6th Annual Washington DC Green Festival Oct. 23 - 24

Are planning on going to the 6th Annual Washington DC Green Festival this year?

Here are some of the green gardening activities and vendors that will be on hand.

• Walk through a real organic garden, learn about the Local Food Project and see how easy it is to grow your own food
• Observe how composting has taken WDC by storm
• Spend happy hour in the local organic beer and wine garden

Exhibitors

Aldertree Garden - Environmentally friendly garden design

American Plant - A Washington Dc local Garden Center Offering Organic and Natural Gardening Alternatives.

Aquabarrel Rain Barrels - Rain barrels designed by a person that actually uses their rain barrel for rain water containment.

Bamboo Ecoline- BAMBOOECOLINE provides eco-friendly, biodegradable flower pots, nursery pots and candle holders made from bamboo powder,grain husks,crop stalks and natural binding agents.

Razarsharp Inc. - Environmentally friendly products dedicated to URBAN gardening solutions for small city yards

Sustainable Garden Supply, Inc. - Grow organic vegetables, fruits and herbs without the hassle! No dirt,no weed, no herbicides.

The American Horticulture Society - one of the oldest and most prestigious gardening organizations in the United States whose mission is to educate and inspire people of all ages to become successful and environmentally responsible gardeners by advancing the art and science of horticulture.

And many, many more. Visit the Green Festival Website for more info.

Rain Garden Workshop - October 23rd

Beautifying Your Yard for Clean Water - Rain Garden Seminar for Homeowners
Saturday, October 23
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center Room 100 7054 Haycock Road Falls Church, VA 22043

Homeowners will learn how to properly site, design, construct, and maintain a small scale do-it-yourself rain garden!

This workshop is co-sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Arlington County Department of Environmental Services, Virginia Tech - Natural Resources Program, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Community Appearance Alliance of Northern Virginia.

Rain gardens, also known as bioretention areas, are attractive landscape features that allow rain water and snow melt to infiltrate into the ground. A layer of mulch and plants intercept water running off streets, driveways, and rooftops, slowing its flow and removing pollutants before the water reaches local streams, the Occoquan River and the Potomac River, drinking water supplies for the region.

For more information, visit the Northern Virginia Regional Commission website.

The best thing you’ll ever eat – Thanks to local honey bees

I have a neighbor who raises honeybees. I was intrigued by the whole process, since bees are such important pollinators, so he gave me a tour of his hives. When he gave me a jar of fresh honey from his hives, I went online to find a recipe to make something yummy with the golden nectar.

I chose a recipe for banana bread on allrecipes.com that looked pretty healthy, and I made a few modifications of my own. I love the recipe so much that I always have a loaf in the house. It is a perfect bedtime snack.

But last night, I discovered something that turned my satisfying snack into a scrumptious, luscious, heavenly treat: I added some Häagen-Dazs® Butter Pecan Ice Cream.

So if you want to discover the Best Thing You’ll Ever Eat, follow these steps:

1.  Locate and buy some local honey (see sources below) 
2.  Make Honey Wheat Banana Nut Bread (recipe below) 
3.  Cut a thin slice of banana bread and warm in toaster oven 
4.  Put toasted slice of banana nut bread in a bowl 
5.  Add scoop of Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan ice cream 
6.  Dig in!

While you are enjoying your scrumptious snack, learn about the plight of the honey bee, the Häagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees™ campaign, and how you can make a difference at helpthehoneybees.com
 

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Honey Wheat Banana Nut Bread Recipe

This is a very moist and very healthy banana bread. It is not REAL sweet (which I like) but sometimes I sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar or dribble extra honey on the top before baking to give it a little added sweetness. Since it is so moist, I usually toast slices in the toaster oven before I eat them. Yummy! I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com and made some modifications.

(My modifications are in parenthesis. Some of them were suggested by other users from the site allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup honey (or ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas
1 ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
¼ cup hot water
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup chopped walnuts (I use pecans and also add about ¼ cup raisins)
Extra chopped nuts and cinnamon sugar for topping

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. In large bowl, mix applesauce, honey, brown sugar, and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Add flour. Add baking soda TO HOT WATER. Stir to mix, and then add to batter. Add nuts and raisins. Spread batter in greased 8x5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and extra chopped nuts on top before baking.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for ½ hour before slicing

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Where to buy local honey: The Honey Locator; Or enter your zipcode in Local Harvest's Honey search
 

Share Your Bounty - Help Feed the Needy - Make a Difference

When it comes to growing food, most gardeners know that their crops tend towards either feast or famine. When we are just learning the ins and outs of growing edibles, we may end up with one measly green pepper or a few stunted tomatoes. But once we get the hang of it, we can end up with far more fruits and vegetables than we can eat.

In these tough economic times, when one out of every 8 Americans does not have enough food for an active, healthy life, an ideal solution is to donate your home grown products to local food banks and soup kitchens.

The problem is that some of these resources only accept non-perishable food items and finding the ones that do accept green goods can be difficult and time consuming. Fortunately, there are resources available to help match up growers with the organizations that can put their surplus produce to the best possible use. And sharing your surplus produce is a great way for gardeners to help others for Make a Difference Day.  

Finding a Place to Donate

The AmpleHarvest.org (www.ampleharvest.org) campaign is one group that is working hard to make sure that gardeners can find good outlets for their produce. Started in 2008, AmpleHarvest.org was created specifically for backyard gardeners to help share their bounty. Gardeners can search the AmpleHarvest database by entering their zip code or city and all registered pantries within a specified distance will be listed. Entries include not only name, address and other contact information, but also days and hours that gardeners’ donations can be accepted.

Many food pantries operate out of houses of worship. Your best bet may be to check several of the larger churches in your area. Or you may search Angel Food Ministries (www.angelfoodministries.com) which lists thousands of churches across the country that help get food into the hands of the needy.

FeedingAmerica.org (www.feedingamerica.org) has a link to locate food banks in your area. If you find a conveniently located foodbank, contact them to find out if they accept fresh produce.

LocalHarvest.org (www.localharvest.org) has a searchable listing of farmer’s markets, family farms, and other sources of locally grown food. Some of the local farmers in your area may be able to tell you where they donate their own surplus produce.

Saving Water in the Landscape - from The Green Blue Book

Earlier this month, I mentioned The Green Blue Book: The Simple Water-Savings Guide to Everything in Your Life by Thomas M. Kostigen. Although I wasn't very impressed with the author's 'virtual water' numbers that he listed for many products that we use in life, I do think that the book has some merit for the handy water saving suggestions that it includes. Here are some of the suggestions from the author for saving water in a landscape:

1) 2 inches is about the best height to mow grass. Shorter grass requires more water. And leave the clippings as a natural fertilizing blanket.

2) Get a sprinkler timer and set it for the early morning hours. Less water will be wasted due to evaporation.

3) Make sure that you aren't watering the road or sidewalk. Adjust your sprinkler heads.

4) Use a shutoff nozzle on your garden hose. Water flows from an unrestricted hose at a rate of more than 12 gallons per minute.

5) Get drought-resistant plants and you could save up to two thirds of the water you'd use on thirstier plants.

6) Create a Xeriscape. An acre of Xeriscaped land can save about 850,000 gallons of water annually.

7) Water only once or twice a week. Most outdoor plants are over-watered by 50 percent.

8) The type of soil you use makes a huge difference in the amount of water your garden needs. Find out what kind of soil you have so you can water accordingly.

9) The type of fertilizer you use can also reduce your garden's watering needs. Just 5 pounds of organic compost mixed into 100 pounds of soil can hold an additional 25 gallons of water.

10) Go natural. Indigenous plants and those that grow easily in the local area should require less water.

The Green Blue Book is loaded with other water-saving hints and tips. Give it a read!

City of Alexandria Fall Tree Sale - Oct. 23

The City of Alexandria Urban Forestry Steering Committee will hold its 6th Annual Fall Tree Sale Saturday, October 23 "Great Trees, Great Prices, and Great for Alexandria".

The sale will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the George Washington Middle School, 1005 Mt. Vernon Ave. The goal of the sale is to promote the preservation of the Alexandria’s tree canopy by encouraging the planting of trees on private property throughout the City. Alexandria Tree Stewards and Master Gardeners will be on site to answer questions about tree selection, planting and care.

The City’s tree supplier, Denison Landscaping and Nursery of Ft. Washington, Md., will provide the same varieties of trees the City plants in three to fifteen gallon containers. Trees will be sold at below retail market prices to encourage private planting in Alexandria, a major goal of the UFSC.

To read the full press release about this event, click here.

Learn to create backyard wildlife habitat - Oct. 13th & 15th

I love having wildlife in my garden! The birds, butterflies and other little garden visitors turn our yard into a private little wonderland for me and my husband to enjoy.

If you would like to learn how to create a wildlife habitat in your yard, why not plan on attending one of the FREE educational workshops put on by The District of Columbia Department of the Environment and Audubon Maryland-DC’s Audubon At Home. The next two workshops will be held on October 13th and 15th from 5pm - 8pm at Hearst Park, 3600 Tilden Street NW.

These hands-on workshops will help you learn about plant selection, conservation landscaping and will discuss the basic needs of wildlife.

Participants will receive a FREE habitat kit at the conclusion of the workshop. The kit will contain a native plant guide, an invasive plant booklet, a book on wildlife gardening, a birdhouse kit and live plants.

For more information or to register, visit the District Department of the Environment website.

Swap Seeds at the Green Festival in Washington, D.C.- Oct 23-24th

Start saving your seeds!!

There will be a seed swap sponsored by the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange at the Mother Earth News Fair Pavillion as part of the Green Festival on October 23rd and 24th.

Share your seeds, your knowledge and your enthusiasm for different plant varieties with other gardeners and farmers! Connect with folks who might be your neighbors, or from anywhere in your bioregion and bring any seeds you have to share. Bring all seeds, whether you’ve saved them yourself or even have varieties leftover from this year’s garden! This is an informal, relaxed event and beginners are welcome.

For more information, visit the Mother Earth news website.

10 Eco-Friendly Garden Apps for the iPhone

I’m probably one of the few people left on the planet who only uses my cellphone for actually making phone calls. I don’t even know how to text on it, or to READ a text if someone sends me one, much less use any of the more complicated functions it has. So I’m amazed when I casually ask a question in a group of people and suddenly thumbs are flying across tiny keyboards searching for an answer. Apparently, there is an “App” for everything.

There seem to be almost an endless number of Apps for gardeners, but it took me a bit of digging (pun intended) to uncover the Apps that were geared for eco-friendly gardening. Here are ten that I thought looked interesting.*

1) Garden Insects, by Natural Gardens LLC - The North Woods Garden Insect Guide features 18 of the most common garden pests that thrive on the hard work you put into your vegetables each year. Wouldn't you like to be able to identify them and learn environmentally friendly ways to discourage and eradicate them from your plantings? This app was designed to do all of that.

2) Compost - "Compost" is a calculator utility designed to help household composters achieve an optimal mix. A well functioning compost decomposes at a good rate and does not smell bad. To achieve the proper environment, experts recommend a Carbon:Nitrogen ratio somewhere around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. Users input the pounds of food waste and/or grass clippings they have available and then select from dry tree leaves or newspaper as their high-carbon source. "Compost" suggests an appropriate amount of leaves or newspaper to use. This is another one that users say isn’t worth the price.

3) Organic Garden– A comprehensive guide with the most common vegetables, with their botanical names, descriptions, needs of light, water, soil, climate, sowing time, bloom time, cares, diseases, nutritional info, association, enemies, etc.

4) Organic Gardening for Beginners – Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Own Organic Vegetables – In this easy-to-read guide, you will learn how to garden using no chemicals or outside man made products.

5) GardenID – Once you set your location, you can select from a master list of fruits & vegetables, or you can see what grows best around you. You can even see what’s best to grow now, so you waste waste time or money on plants that are out of season.

6) SoilPH - Many struggling gardeners don't bother learning about their soil. It certainly isn't as much fun as choosing plants. However, if you choose the wrong plants for your soil you might just be throwing money away. Soil pH is one of the easiest factors to measure and account for. Unfortunately, it is often neglected because it sounds difficult and reminds people of their old school chemistry lessons. This app was designed to help you test your soil PH, correct your soil PH and find the correct PH for your plants.

7) Rain Harvest - Have you ever wondered how much rain falls on your roof during a typical rain storm? Use this simple rain harvesting calculator to find out. You will be amazed at how much water can be collected from your roof (or any other surface) during even the shortest of rain storms. Why not collect and store this wonderful natural resource and put it to good use later to water your organic garden?

8) Gardening Toolkit - Not sure what to plant and when to plant it? The Toolkit can you give the advice you need. This feature-packed app also tracks what's in your garden, keeps notes in a handy to-do list and even lets you search a photo-filled encyclopedia of hundreds of plants

9) Vital Almanac – Vital now offers you the complete gardening enthusiast’s almanac for growing your organic fruits and vegetables by using the power of the moon.

10) Florafolio – Native Plants of the North East – The ultimate native plant resource for gardeners and nature enthusiasts. Florafolio 2 is an easy to use, interactive field guide to native plants of North Eastern North America. Florafolio is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to identify species in the wild or garden with native plants. *Keep in mind that I don't have an iPhone, so I'm not personally recommending any of these apps or the AppShopper site. However, I did find that the search function on the AppShopper site was one of the more user friendly ones.

For others without an iPhone, here is an on-line app that I find very cool. It is called the National Tree Benefit Calculator and it was developed by Casey Trees and Davey Tree Expert Co. This tool allows you to input your zipcode and select a tree to find out the various environmental benefits including: stormwater benefits, property value, energy, air quality and CO2.