Washington Youth Garden spring volunteer orientation

The Washington Youth Garden will be having their annual spring volunteer orientation on Saturday, April 9th from 9am to 12pm. Volunteers are asked to attend an  orientation before they volunteer. If you can't make it on the 9th, they will be having more orientations throughout the season on the first Saturday of the month.

After you attend the orientation, they have volunteer opportunities every Tuesday and Saturday from 9am to 12pm.

Information about what the WYG does and directions to their site at the Arboretum can be found on their website:

http://www.washingtonyouthgarden.org/

For more information, contact:

Kacie Warner
Education Coordinator
Washington Youth Garden
Friends of the National Arboretum
office: 202-245-2709
www.washingtonyouthgarden.org
http://washingtonyouthgarden.blogspot.com

Fix a Leak Week - Mar. 14th - 20th

You probably didn't even realize that today is the first day of our country's 3rd annual Fix a Leak Week!

Okay. I admit it. I missed the first two Fix a Leak Weeks entirely, but now that I am trying to be more eco-conscious, it seems like a great idea to pass along.

During the week of March 14th – March 20th, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Watersense Program encourages all citizens to check their home plumbing for leaks and get them repaired.

Every Drop Counts 

Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks?  

Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That's why WaterSense reminds Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year during Fix a Leak Week.

 

What this means for gardeners:

The following information is provided on the EPA website for outdoor water leak problems and solutions

Outdoors:

• If you have an in-ground irrigation system, check it each spring before use to make sure it wasn't 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.
•  Or hire a WaterSense irrigation partner to inspect things  for you. These professionals have passed a certification program focused on water efficiency. They will not only help you detect and correct leaks in the system, but also maximize its efficiency.

USDA encourages Public to Sign-up and Show their People's Gardens

WASHINGTON – March 11, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today urged people across the Nation to start People's Gardens in their communities and to register their gardens in the new People's Garden database, a tool for USDA partners to showcase their People's Gardens on an interactive map. This past year, thousands of USDA employees and partners heeded Secretary Vilsack's call to give back to their communities by volunteering their time to participate in the department-wide People's Garden initiative. 

"Real and effective change starts small and it starts in our own communities, and through the People's Garden initiative, people can be engaged in their own towns and neighborhoods to promote access to fresh, healthy food, as well as sustainable practices," said Vilsack. 

With the opportunity for the people to enter their People's Gardens into the database, they will be able to describe each garden, identify who is involved¸ where it is located as well as attach photos and add the contact information for their partners. For those who start a People's Garden, they can ask to have a People's Garden sign shipped to them. To view the interactive People's Garden map and access the database, go to www.pubinfo.usda.gov/garden.

Click here to read full news release.

Free and low-cost compost and mulch

In response to a request for a good place to find low-cost soil or compost, Dodie Butler, DC area realtor and gardener, provided this info on a local forum:

Here is a link to the page in College Park's website that describes it's 'Smartleaf' Compost, likely some of the prettiest 'dirt' around. It can be picked up or they will deliver, and it may not seem cheap, until you picture what a couple of cubic yards looks like compared to a few bags of 'soil.' While Takoma Park's composted leaves are chopped up, good for 'mulch' but not really 'compost,' College Park really manages its composting by mixing leaves and grass and turning their piles and producing true compost. Super clean (no glass or paper bits), rich compost. 

I would start with a pile of the good compost and maybe mix in some sand to better approximate 'dirt.' Or add some dirt, but not much. Don't just buy bagged garden soil, it's not nearly as good as this compost. 

(BTW, while many of us find the smell of fresh compost to be lovely, when first delivered it can be pretty strong. First time I had it dumped in my driveway it didn't occur to me that there would be a smell. I had neglected to engage my neighbors in the plan and the smelly mountain of compost sat right under their kitchen window. I was mortified, but fortunately persuaded them to take a bunch of the compost. So aroma at initial delivery is a good reason to try to engage neighbors in compost purchases. The compost smell goes away quickly with exposure to the air.)  

To also pitch Takoma Park leaf mulch — anyone can go dig at their mulch piles and take the chopped leaves away for free. (I went into the public works office there a few years ago and asked a human before I believed that my D.C. plates wouldn't cause me to be challenged for taking mulch, but was assured it was OK.) Their chopped leaves are also quite clean and superb as mulch. If you really want to kill weeds, surround the plants you want to keep with sheets of newspaper and then cover with the leaf mulch.  

Takoma Park's website tells how much they charge for filling people's trucks with mulch and has the following prices for out-of-TP deliveries:  

Outside The City Price

3 yards delivered $65

7 yards delivered $105

10 yards delivered $105 

With either the College Park or Takoma Park deliveries, consider doing a group purchase with nearby neighbors, then the cost goes down to almost nothing.

Dodie Butler, Realtor

Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc.

Dodie, thanks for giving me permission to reprint this great info. I've got a few more locations listed on the Links and Resources page.

Favorite Native Plants ~ Thomas Rainer

Today's list of Favorite Native Plants comes from Thomas Rainer, a landscape architect by profession and a gardener by obsession. Thomas has worked on projects such as the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and The New York Botanical Garden, but is happiest puttering in his small garden in Washington, D.C.

Picking my favorite natives is like picking my favorite foods: I love so many; it’s hard to know where to begin. But I think I’ll focus on a few underappreciated natives that make great garden plants. 

Most gardens have shade and these areas are typically the areas of our garden we neglect the most, or fill with invasive groundcovers. My absolute favorite fern is Dryopteris x australis or Dixie Wood Fern. This plant is a naturally occurring hybrid that is found in moist areas from Louisiana all the way to Virginia. The plant has strikingly upright fronds that grow three to four feet in height. What I love about this plant is how vigorous it is. In places where Ostrich Fern or Cinnamon Fern have limped along, Dixie Wood fern thrives, covering the ground in dense, glossy foliage. Plus, this fern is semi-evergreen, holding much of its form during winter. Combine this fern with other perennials with contrasting foliage such as hostas, Solomon’s Seals, or native sedges. You won’t be disappointed.

My favorite grass at the moment is Sporobolus heterolepsis or Prairie Dropseed (click here for photo). This plant is finally getting the attention it deserves. Low, neat clumps of fine textured grass hug the ground for most of the growing season. During late summer, the grass adds fine inflorescences that smell a bit like coriander (or burnt popcorn). The grass has lovely orange tones in during autumn. I love to use this plant in large masses, particularly against the edge of a lawn where it gives the look of a ‘rough.’ And because this plant is so low and fine-textured, it is an excellent plant to interplant flowering perennials into. A lovely, drought-tolerant, and tough grass. Chanticleer has a large mass of this grass at the edge of a large lawn . . . it’s stunning. 

Finally, last year I fell in love with Monarda punctata or Horsemint. This low perennial sports hot pink whorled leaves just below the flowers that dries into a lovely silver color that glows in the moonlight. Unlike most Monardas, this plant tolerates poor soil and drought. Pollinators love this plant. Since this plant can get a bit gangly by itself, I plant it in pockets on the edge of the border, or better, interplanted into a matrix of low grasses like Sporobolus, Schizachyrium, or Elymus. Last year, I easily grew this plant from seed and it bloomed during the first season. 

You can read more of Thomas' views on gardening and landscapes on his blog, Grounded Design

Favorite Native Plants ~ Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine

Last month I started a little series of "Favorite Native Plant" posts, reaching out into the local gardening community to discover what native species are favorites. Since many of us are in the planning phase of our gardens for the coming season, I thought I would continue the series.

Today's favorites are from Kathy Jentz, editor, publisher and founder of Washington Gardener magazine.

My three favorite native plants  

It'd have to be Virginia Bluebells for sheer beauty. They are just stunning and photos never seem to really capture it. Worth the hike to see them in our local parks along stream bed valleys. En masse near Carderock Falls is my favorite Bluebell-peeping location.  

For all around best in show, my favorite is the Serviceberry. Whether you call it Shadbush or Saskatoon, this small tree hits on all top plant attributes. It has seasonal interest, glorious spring flowers, attracts wildlife, easy to grow, and the berries are not just edible - they are, in fact, downright yummy.  

Finally, I adore Beautyberry. It really comes into its own in late Fall when much of the rest of our gardens are growing weary and wan. Did you know it is also a mosquito repellent? If they are bugging you on a hot summer day, grab a few green leaves off the Beautyberry, crush them, and rub them on your wrists plus ankles.

Thanks Kathy. Beautyberry is one of my favorites, too, just because of the abundance of wildlife that it attracts.

New controversary about invasive species?

I was wondering why I was seeing so many articles about exotic and invasive species recently and then I discovered that last week was National Invasive Species Awareness Week.

The articles that I have seen floating around on local blogs and garden discussion groups seem to be slanted towards the opinion that exotic species might not be quite as bad as they were once thought.

A contributor to the WashingtonGardener Yahoo group mentioned Mark A. Davis's new book, Invasion Biology, in which he states that invasive species might actually be getting a bad rap.

Davis certainly doesn't say that ALL invasive species are okay. But he does say that if an exotic species is “not causing significant harm,” then “altering one’s perspective is certainly much less costly than any other sort of management program. ”

In my mind, Davis's highly controversial opinion does make sense. There seems to be a tendency to assume that all exotic, non-native species are bad and that all native species are better.

Much of this is, of course, a matter of semantics. Many people seem to interchange the words exotic and invasive and, of course, all exotic species are NOT invasive and some are even considered beneficial by many (did you know that many species of honeybees are non-native?)

According to the USDA National Invasive Species Information Center, an invasive species is defined as:

1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 

2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

By this definition, the fact that a plant or animal is alien (exotic) does not, by itself, make the organism invasive.

According to another website, over 85% of exotic species are NOT invasive.

Continuing the discussion on the Yahoo group, trumpet vine was mentioned as being both Native and Invasive. Again, this is a matter of semantics.

The NC State University website states that:

Native plants are never invasive. The term invasive applies only to exotic plants and not to native plants; invasive implies a negative effect on native plants and animals. On the other hand, native plants that establish quickly in your garden and spread readily are more appropriately termed “aggressive”.

The same website goes on to provide this statement:

There are many exotic plants that do not become invasive, and many can safely be planted in your landscape. However, it takes scientists many years or even decades to fully understand an exotic plant's potential invasiveness. New information is being gathered, and you should check with your local nature center, botanical garden, or Cooperative Extension agent to find out about a plant's invasiveness before introducing it to your property. 

We can easilly heed that advice by referring to these local lists of problematic invasive species in Maryland and Virginia.

Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland

Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia (pdf file)

Another term to add to the discussion is the word "noxious", which I found on a National Park Service website. 

Noxious Weeds.  The term noxious is a legal designation used specifically for plant species that have been determined to be major pests of agricultural ecosystems and are subject, by law, to certain restrictions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates noxious weeds. Plants can also be designated as "noxious weeds" by states and counties, usually through "noxious weed boards". Many noxious weeds are designated for their impacts to agriculture also threaten natural areas.

You can refer to this USDA page to find plants listed as Noxious Weeds in your state: State Noxious Weed Lists

Grants for gardening

Scott's Miracle-Gro, the World’s Largest Lawn and Garden Company, wants to help communities to Cultivate Green Thumbs

With that in mind, Scott's has launched their new GRO1000 Grant Program, offering $1,500 grants to deserving communities and organizations in the hopes it will get people involved in creating more community gardens and green spaces where they call home.

The goal: to plant 1,000 gardens and green spaces across the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018.

“Something happens when communities grow and learn together,” said Jim King, ScottsMiracle-Gro’s senior vice president of corporate affairs. “People develop a sense of pride and accomplishment when they get involved in cleaning up their neighborhoods, growing flowers, or cultivating their own healthy local food, and we want to help them get the job done.”

Communities interested in pursuing 2011 GRO1000 grassroots grants can apply online at http://thescottsmiraclegrocompany.com/GRO1000 by March 31, 2011. Projects should include the involvement of neighborhood residents and foster a sense of community spirit.

---

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting grant applications for $1.9 million in funding for environmental education projects and programs. The purpose of the grants is to promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers and citizens. EPA expects to award at least 20 grants nationwide ranging from a minimum of $15,000 to a maximum of $100,000 and will accept applications until May 2, 2011.

The grants provide financial support for innovative projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. Projects should involve environmental education activities that go beyond disseminating information.

The Environmental Education Grant Program provides funding to local education agencies, state education or environmental agencies, colleges or universities, not-for-profit organizations, or noncommercial educational broadcasting entities. Tribal education agencies, which are controlled by an Indian tribe, band or nation, may also apply, including a school or community college.

Since the program began, EPA has provided more than $50 million in funding to approximately 3,000 agencies and organizations.

More information on eligibility and application materials:
http://www.epa.gov/edcuation/grants.html

Encourage Kids to Weed Out Hate

I recently wrote a post called Zen and the Art of Landscape Maintenance which talked about how relaxing and rewarding the act of weeding by hand can be.

But fellow gardener Marc Daniels has taken the therapeutic value of weeding a step further. In his Weed Out Hate campaign, Marc suggests that we should teach young children the challenges of weeding by hand as a lesson in weeding out hatred in the world. Highlighted text is from the Weed out Hate website.

Give them a head start by moistening the soil and using a trowel to loosen the root structure. Allow them to tug on the weed. Show them how weed-extracting aids work and inspire them to try to duplicate the functionality with their fingers. In this manner, they not only learn how embedded the roots of prejudice really are, but how much concentration and stamina it requires to properly extract them. 

The kindergardening concept was created in in Germany by Pedagogue Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel in the 19th century as a means to an ends—a method for exercising a child’s spirit as well as the mind and body. Most of us are unaware that the word kindergarten means kindergardening and not just pre-school with recess. The Weed Out Hate Initiative works because it provides needed exercise for our children. Additionally, it enables them to root out weeds throughout the school landscape, and, in the process, teaches a valuable lesson about weeding out bias and prejudice.

Daniel's Weed Out Hate campaign encourages children to email President Obama and voice their support for a White House Peace Seed Planting on August 28, 2011 - the 48th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's famous "I have a dream speech."

Join the cause and help Weed Out Hate 

Some forty seven years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to the nation, much of his “promised land” vision has come to fruition. Unfortunately, there are still persistent weed seeds of hate that remain embedded in our collective consciousness, hindering our success as individuals and as a society. 

Let’s Finish with Our Hands what Dr. King Started with His Heart and Soul.

We, the kindergardeners of America, desire to complete the job that Dr. King started. Just as weeds compete for nutrients and water that cultivated garden plants require, our inner weed seeds, the germs of prejudice and hate, prevent us from experiencing our deepest root-connections to nature. With the right intention, removing weeds from our yards and gardens can serve as a paradigm for eradicating the inner weeds of hate and prejudice that many of us harbor and too often suppress. The physical act of weeding,therefore, enables us individually and collectively to realize Dr. King’s dream for a world free of hate and prejudice for one and all. 

Your Voices Can and Will Be Heard.

Just a few generations ago, teachers from all over the country asked their students to write President Nixon, asking him to remove phosphates from detergents. This grassroots campaign displayed the power of children’s voices in formulating policy. E-mail President Obama today and voice your support for a White House Peace Seed planting on August 28th, 2011, the 48th anniversary of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

For more information, visit: Weed Out Hate

This is such a clever campaign that I wanted to pass it on. I hope you will too!

Volunteers needed to help remove invasive species

Local reader Anne B. sent an email message after my post about local tree planting and asked if I knew of any plans to remove kudzu and ivy that are "choking" many of the trees in the area.

In response, here is a list of invasive weed removal activities which are planned. Volunteers are welcome to participate!  

Sunday, March 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Invasive Weed Removal at Scott’s Cove, 10964 Harding Road, Laurel  

Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to Noon - Invasive Weed Removal at Brighton Dam, 2 Brighton Dam Road, Brookeville  

Sunday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to Noon - Invasive Weed Removal and Tree Planting at Pigtail Recreation Area, 5400 Green Bridge Road, Dayton  

Saturday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Patuxent next to WSSC’s Office, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel  

Sunday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to Noon - Invasive Weed Removal at Brown’s Bridge Recreation, 2220 Ednor Road, Silver Spring  

Saturday, April 16 from 9 a.m. to Noon - Invasive Weed Removal at Scott’s Cove, 10964 Harding Road, Laurel, MD 

For more information, contact Kimberly Knox - 301-206-8233 or email kKnox@wsscwater.com  

More local groups that have invasive plant removal volunteer opportunities:

• Anacostia Watershed Society
• Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter
• Fairfax County, Virginia
• Virginia Master Naruralist - Invasive Plant Removal Day (May 7, 2011)
• Maryland Native Plant Society
• DC Woodlands