Virginia GoGreen Garden Festival

BIG PLANT SALE, GREEN ROOFS, URBAN MEADOWS AND ANSWERS TO YOUR GARDENING QUESTIONS ALL PART OF THE VIRGINIA GOGREEN GARDEN FESTIVAL.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announces the sixth annual Virginia GoGreen Garden Festival Saturday, September 24, 2011, at the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street in Richmond, VA. Activities take place in the Gardener Pavilion rain or shine. The multi-faceted event, sponsored by the Virginia Green Industry Council, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, free for children 12 and under. Parking is free on the museum lot.

This year’s Festival features plants for display and sale by Virginia growers, plant raffles every half hour, gardening products that can help make your yard the envy of the neighborhood, landscaping services that give your yard that wow factor, information on creating rain gardens using native plants, presentations by Sandy of Sandy’s Plants about fall gardening and perennials that thrive in Central Virginia and much more. Other attractions include Richard Nunnally of WCVE-TV’s Virginia Home Grown answering your plant and gardening questions and Catherine Zimmerman of The Meadow Project with a presentation on urban and suburban meadows. She will sign her book Urban & Suburban Meadows, Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces.

Food is available for purchase and Triad from Glen Allen will perform blue grass and popular music. The Silly Bus with entertain children with interactive music, and the sales area includes crafts, garden products, the Countryside Bakery, fall decorations and more. Exhibits will focus on garden and landscape design, green roofs and environmental stewardship for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This annual family event is produced by the Virginia Green Industry Council to promote the Virginia horticulture industry, encourage interest in gardening and promote environmental stewardship.

Make plans now to attend the Garden Festival Saturday, September 24. Enjoy a few hours of fun and information for the entire family and go home with plants, decorations and ideas to make your garden the best it can be. For more information on the Festival, contact Rick Baker at rick.baker@vdacs.virginia.gov or 301.275.2077.

Eco-Friendly Resources for the Metro DC Area

September 19th - 25th, 2011 is National Pollution Prevention Week, a week that highlights the efforts of the EPA, its partners, and the public in making pollution prevention a cornerstone of sustainability.

There are a lot of great resources on the EPA's website to educate the public about ways to prevent pollution. For gardeners, they have topics such as:

• How can I save water in my garden?
• How can I landscape to reduce polluted run-off?
• How can I practice green landscaping and gardening?
• How do I reduce waste in my yard?

But rather than just sharing the national information on the EPA website, I wanted to bring you information specific to the Metro DC Area. With that in mind, I have created a new page called:

Eco-Friendly Resources for the Metro DC Area.

Here, you will find lots of great resources for ways to be eco-friendly in the DC area.

Bookmark the list. Link to it from your blog or website. Share it with your kids. Thumb through it on your lunch hour. Or bring it up instead of that game of solitaire that you usually jump too when you need a break from your regular routine.

As it says on the EPA Website:

You Can Change the World — Get Started Now!

How to Grow Your Own Environmentalist

Recently, the Nature Conservancy conducted a survey of 602 young people to get their attitudes about the environment. The good news from the survey is that spending time in nature helps encourage kids to want to protect it. The bad news is, they don’t seem to realize that “nature” and the environment start right in their own backyards.

The poll was conducted from July 28 through August 4, and asked kids between the ages of 13 and 18 about their attitudes toward nature, outdoor activity and environmental issues.

Topics included: why kids don’t spend more time in nature, how spending time in nature makes them feel and their attitudes toward preserving nature and the environment.

The data suggests that if American youth are given more opportunities to have a meaningful experience outdoors, they will be more likely to value nature, engage with it, and feel empowered to do something about it.

However, only about 10% of those surveyed say that they spend time outdoors every day.

There was a wide range of reasons kids gave for not spending time outside. Discomfort from heat and bugs were at the top of the list. But many of the other reasons given seem to indicate that kids don’t seem to connect time in their OWN yards and gardens as time spent in nature. 62 percent said they did not have transportation to natural areas !!! 61 percent said there were not natural areas near their homes !!! Others cited fear of crime and other safety issues in nature areas.
 

Clearly, either those who conducted the survey or the kids themselves don’t realize the incredible opportunity to connect with nature in a green, eco-friendly landscape.

This is especially discouraging because, among the outdoor activities that the kids expressed an interest in, 78% of them said “seeing something beautiful or amazing in nature” which of course, is something that all of them could experience outside in their own eco-friendly yard.

66 percent of those surveyed said that they "have had a personal experience in nature," that made them appreciate it more. Those who DID have such an experience were almost twice as likely to say that they prefer spending time outdoors over being indoors and more than twice as likely to agree that protecting the environment is cool. Clearly, getting kids to see the beautiful and amazing things in nature is key to getting them to care about the environmental issues of our day.

Here is an excerpt from the report, Connecting America’s Youth With Nature:

Kids who have experienced something “beautiful or amazing in nature” are:

• Almost twice as likely to say they prefer spending time outdoors;
• Significantly more likely to express concern about water pollution, air pollution, global warming,and the condition of the environment;
• Ten points more likely to agree that we can solve climate change by acting now;
• 13 points more likely to say environmental protection should be prioritized over economic growth;
• More than twice as likely to “strongly agree” that protecting the environment is “cool;”
• More than twice as likely to consider themselves a “strong environmentalist,” and
• Substantially more likely to express interest in studying the environment

Other findings of the survey:

• 76% of youth today strongly believe that issues like climate change can be solved if action is taken right now. This means that there is great potential to mobilize members of this generation to get involved and make a difference.

• Nearly three-quarters of youth surveyed associate being in nature with being peaceful, free, calm, and happy. Just being outside can help them to cope with stress and anxiety. This makes for happier kids, and happier parents.

What does this survey mean to us, as green gardeners? It means that we have the opportunity to not only protect the environment NOW, with our own environmental efforts. But we also have the opportunity to help educate the next generation of environmental stewards by taking the time to share our gardens with our own children, our friend's children or children in our neighborhood.

There are many lessons to be learned through green gardening. If kids like to go fishing, you can teach them the importance of preservering and protecting water around the home. If they like birds and hummingbirds, you can teach them why native plants are better at attracting them. If they like butterflies and insects , you can teach them the importance of eliminating chemical pesticides.

The findings of the report definitely show that American youth are concerned about the environment and want it to be protected. In fact, 86 percent go so far as to say that it is “cool” to do things to protect the environment. What they lack are opportunities to engage more meaningfully with nature. The more youth are given the chance to get involved with nature, the more their instinctive concern about the environment can be solidified and cemented into long-term commitment to protecting it.

There are many articles on this blog that contain lessons that can be learned in an eco-friendly garden. Some of them are listed below.

But here are a few ideas that I like to share with the kids that visit my yard and habitat:

1) Have a scavenger hunt in your yard (can also be carried out at a local park): Wake up early and take a quiet walk around your yard with a notebook in hand. Look for at least ten wonderful, curiosities of nature that aren’t easily noticed and make a list of them. Perhaps you will see some caterpillars dining on a host plant or a beautiful spider web stretched across two tree limbs or a tiny little tree frog hidden in the leaves of a flower. Make a list of your finds (but not their locations). Give a copy of the list to each of your children or other participants and have a scavenger hunt in your yard. Whoever finds all the items first wins!

2) Play Got W.O.N.!: Similar to the scavenger hunt above, in this activity, each participant is sent out into the yard to see how many Wonders of Nature (W.O.N) that they can find in an allotted time. At the signal of the timekeeper, each participant heads out looking for wonders. When they find something of interest, they yell “Got W.O.N.”, and the name of the Wonder of Nature that they have discovered. An example would be “Got W.O.N. – Hawk feather!” or “Got W.O.N. – monarch chrysalis.” At the end of the allotted time, the person with the most Wonders is the Winner!

3) Get sensitive: Encourage children to use all of their senses to explore your yard and gardens. Start with eyesight and have each participant mention several things that they see in their surroundings. Then have them close their eyes and mention things that they hear. Do they hear birds, bees, hummingbirds? Next, try smell. If you grow flowers or herbs, be sure and share those wonderful aromas with them. For touch, have them close their eyes and guide them to touch various textures, such as tree bark or grass. Can they guess what they are touching? If you grow your own fruit or vegetables, include whatever is ripe (and clean) in your sensory explorations

4) Be a Detective: Take your digital cameras out into the yard and take photos of as many different plants and critters as you can find. Challenge your kids to use the computer to help ID them.

Whatever you do, however you do it, take the time to notice some of the wonders of your garden each time that you spend time there. Sharing them with others is a great way to help ensure that those wonders will still be there, for generations to come.

More articles of interest:

You May Already Be a Nature Nerd

Every Time You Garden Green a Butterfly Gets Its Wings

Does Eco-Friendly Gardening Help Local Wildlife Populations

Wildlife Moves Me

10 Tips for Creating an Eco-Friendly Landscape

10 Reasons that Eco-Friendly Gardening is Good for Babies

Angelina Jolie - My New Favorite Nature Nerd

For several years, I have been on the look-out for celebrity nature nerds. Nature Nerds, by my definition, are people that don't just give money to environmental causes. They are the ones that actually get out there and play with bugs and get eye-to-eye with the critters in their yards.

So I LOVE this short little article that I read about Angelie Jolie this morning on showbizspy.com

Angelina Jolie is Bugging Out 

The actress — who is a mother of six — says she is such a fan of veteran anthropologist and ape expert Jane Goodall that she and partner Brad Pitt make a point of encouraging their children to be hands-on with nature. 

“I remember the stories about how Jane used to keep worms in jars when she was little and bring them into the house and I look for that in my children,” says Jolie who appears on a TV biography of the 77-year-old animal lover. 

“If ever my children want to take care of a bug I know it’s very important to help them do that because it’s symbolic of love and nature. Maybe then you’ll have a little Jane Goodall on your hands!”

Way to go Angelina! We need more celebrities like you who encourage their kids to go outside and get eye-to-eye with nature so that they can learn, firsthand, about the wonders that we are all trying to protect!

If you want to know more about my great search for nature nerds, here is a blog post that I originally wrote back in 2007!

You May Already be a Nature Nerd

© 2007 Betsy S. Franz

When I was growing up, there were two distinct types of people: the cool people and the nerds. The cool people were the football players, the cheerleaders, and anyone in a rock band. The nerds were the ones who got good grades, wore black rimmed glasses and were much more likely to have a microscope or a telescope at home than they were to have a date on Friday night. 

Generally speaking, the birdwatchers and the backyard botanists fell into the nerd category. Cool kids didn’t even know what a chrysalis was much less have one in a jar in their bedroom. 

But times have changed. Protecting the planet and all of its creepy crawly inhabitants is not only sociably responsible AND socially acceptable but it is also suddenly cool. 

Sure, there are many different shades of ‘green’, and environmental responsibility takes many forms. Every day citizens and celebrities alike are proud to proclaim their passion for solar energy and hybrid automobiles. But how many of them are ready to come out of the closet when it comes to the more nerdish pastimes such as bird watching and butterfly gardening? How many of them are ready to admit that they not only hug trees, but they also fondle flowers and even caress critters from time to time? 

Certainly we can imagine animal activist celebs such as Mary Tyler Moore and Ellen DeGeneres getting eye-to-eye with the bunnies and squirrels in their yard. And Martha Stewart must surely appreciate the serenade of songbirds in her flower filled gardens. 

But what about other well-known environmental celebrities? Do nature lover Darryl Hannah and inner-city gardener Bette Midler welcome the wonders of wildlife to their backyard landscapes? Has Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Bacon or Ed Begley Jr. ever marveled at the metamorphous of a butterfly? Do Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pierce Brosnan hang nectar feeders to attract hovering hummingbirds? Has Ted Danson, Willie Nelson or Robert Kennedy, Jr. ever pulled out a magnifying glass to help identify an unknown insect? 

If they haven’t, then perhaps they should. It’s a wonderful cause to want to save the planet but it isn’t a planet of asphalt and steel and carbon spewing monolithic factories that we are trying to save. It’s the miniscule miracles. The sights that, in the past, only the nerds have taken the time to notice. And it is there, perhaps, when one gets eye-to-eye with the birds and the butterflies and the creatures that visit our gardens and wander through our yards, that we realize what it is we are working so hard to protect. 

So whether you are a star studded celebrity, a prima ballerina or a single parent , it’s time to admit your nerdiness to the world. Go ahead and get excited about the tadpoles in your garden pond and the butterflies eating your herb garden! Grab the magnifying glass and a good nature guide and share the great outdoors with the ones you love. 

And if you still aren’t sure whether you want to admit that you are a nerd or not, here are a few questions to help you decide: 

You may be a nature nerd if:

* You monthly bill for birdseed is greater than your TV cable bill.
* You feel bad for the bugs that splatter on your windshield.
* You have ever stopped traffic and played crossing guard for turtles, squirrels, ducks or other critters who   are trying to cross the road.
* You have a birding Life List.
* You don’t mind when caterpillars eat all of your plants and are even happy to buy them more.
* You have funerals for the critters that die in your yard.
* Your neighbors have ever reported you for having an overgrown yard because you have let your landscape “go native”.
* You have ever reported your neighbors for cutting down trees that are protected.
* You have visited at least one of the stops on the Great American Birding trail.
* You know the difference between a lepidopterist and an ornithologist AND you know how to spell them both. 

* You have suddenly become the “eccentric” neighbor who wants everyone to keep their cat out of your yard.
* The binoculars you keep by your back window are for bird watching, not people watching.
* You have given first names to all of the various critters that come to your property and you recognize them by name. 

* You are one of the 70,000+ people who has had your yard certified as a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
* You’d rather capture a bug or spider and take it outside than squish it.

And the number one way to tell whether you may be a Nature Nerd…..

* You not only know what a chrysalis is but you have one in a jar in your bedroom. 

According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associate Recreation, there are over 71 million bird and wildlife watchers in the United States. Rumors among various birding groups on the internet hint that Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Carrie Fisher and Paul McCartney may be among the many celebrities that dabble in this nerdish pastime.

For more information about how to become a nerd for birds and other backyard wildlife, visit these sites:

National Audubon Society - http://www.audubon.org/ - - For over 100 years, Audubon has been working to protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.

National Wildlife Federation - http://www.nwf.org/ - Founded in 1936, It’s purpose has always been to bring together individuals, organizations and agencies interested in the restoration and conservation of wildlife resources.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/LabPrograms/citSci/index.html - The Lab is a nonprofit membership institution whose mission is to interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. They believe that bird enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels can and do make a difference.

And if you are already a proud nature nerd, please leave a comment below to proclaim your nerdiness to the world!!

Greening the Gridiron - NFL teams go green

Ahhhh. It’s that time of year again. Big, brawny men in form fitting clothes, flexing and straining their muscles as they take to the turf with only one thing in mind. Scoring!!! That’s right. I’m talking about FOOTBALL!!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that the 2011 NFL Season officially began on Thursday, September 8th, and for the next few months, football will be the only thing on the minds and out of the mouths of many men, women AND children.

If you are more into gardening than the gridiron, but still want to be able to join in the football season conversations, here are some fun “green” facts about eco-friendly stadiums and teams to toss around:

 Washington Redskins and FedEx Field 
FedEX Field is the site for a game on Sunday, September 18^th at 1pm(ET) between the Washington Redskins (go Redskins!) and the Arizona Cardinals, so you can share this fact over your chicken wings and pitchers of beers. See official NFL Schedule for more dates.

FedEx field is installing 8,000 translucent solar panels to cover 850 parking spaces in one of their parking lots. In addition to generating enough energy to run the entire stadium on non-game days, the panels will help protect tail-gaiting fans on those rainy game days. The project will also bring in 10 electric vehicle charging stations. Even the art will generate electricity, with several sculptures featuring thin solar film technology. And, of course, there will be a plaza featuring renewable energy and clean energy technologies for those fans interested in joining the Redskins as they move toward a clean energy future. (Source)

 Another game for this Sunday’s lineup is at MetLife Stadium, which has “set a new industry precedent for green initiatives". Check ‘em out this Sunday at 1pm(ET) as the Jacksonville Jaguars meet the New York Jets

MetLife Stadium, (Formerly New Meadowlands Stadium), Shared by the New York Giants and Jets
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consulted on this stadium, and the EPA and the teams committed to cutting the stadium’s annual water use by 25% and increasing total recycling by 25%. There are seats made of partially recycled plastic and scrap iron and public transit options for fans. The Stadium’s actions have resulted in the reduction of energy, water and solid waste production across its entire operations, including the use of aggressive recycling programs, low flow faucets, toilets and urinals in rest rooms, food composting, and mass transit alternatives. Most notable of their efforts, due to their collective, widespread efforts, the Stadium has reduced its carbon footprint by 268,828 MTCO2e (Metric Ton Carbon Dioxide Equivalent), the largest carbon footprint reduction to date, an amount equivalent to almost 53,000 automobiles. (Source)
 

 Next weekend, you can check out Lincoln Financial Field and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, September 25^th at 1pm(ET) when the NY Giants take on the Eagles

Lincoln Financial Field, Home of the Philadelphia Eagles 
The SportsBusiness Journal called the Philadelphia Eagles Go Green initiative "the most comprehensive greening effort of any major sports team." Since launching Go Green in 2003, the Eagles have recycled thousands of tons of waste; greened their entire supply chain; and created Eagles Forest, a 6.5 acre area in Neshaminy State Park, PA where the Eagles have funded the purchase of more than 4,000 trees and shrubs.

The Eagles’ GO GREEN campaign includes tickets and programs that are printed on recycled paper and beverage cups that are made from a corn-based material and disintegrate entirely in just fifty days. The same material is used for the plastic dishes the players are served on, and the facility uses clean energy in the team area. This NFL Season, the Eagles are installing an array of systems to deliver 100 percent of the stadium's energy—2,500 solar panels, 80 vertical wind turbines, and a generation plant that can run on biodiesel or natural gas. The resources are expected to generate more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity over 20 years, with enough excess to spare to sell back to the local utility. SolarBlue estimates that the savings from this energy are comparable to the emissions of 41,000 cars per year. (Source)

 Catch the game Sunday, September 25^th – 4:15pm – Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals at Century Link Field  

Century Link Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks
The CenturyLink Event Center solar array takes advantage of the facility’s new white “cool roof” which conserves energy by reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the roof surface and lowering the need for building cooling. The system covers over 2.5 acres, or approximately 80% of the Event Center roof. CenturyLink Event Center's solar panels are projected to generate over 830,000 kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of powering 95 Seattle area homes for a year.


 On Monday, September 26^th at 8:30pm(ET), you can check out the buns (on the hotdogs, of course) as the Dallas Cowboy players and cheerleaders battle the Washington Redskins at the stadium that has been called one of the most beautiful eco-friendly stadiums in the world.

Cowboys Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. When building the stadium, they restored a flood-prone creek outside the stadium, complete with native grasses, trees and trails, designed in part to help create an atmosphere where fans were less tied to their cars. Other features of Cowboys Stadium include: Reduction of solid waste by 25%; Energy use reduction of 20%; Recycled plastic seats; Reduction of water use by 1 million gallons ; 90% of the old stadium construction waste recycled; 30 acres of grass parking to reduce toxic runoff into nearby waterways; Highly efficient LED display (world's largest); Use of native plants and trees (Source – Our Daily Green)

 You’ll have to wait until October 2 at 4:05pm(ET) to see how the University of Phoenix tries to offset 100% of their energy during game days.  

University of Phoenix, home of the Cardinals

In 2010, the Arizona Cardinals’s University of Phoenix Stadium used EarthWise Energy program to provide more than 1 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy during eight regular season home games and two pre-season ones.The renewable energy will offset electricity used in University of Phoenix Stadium -- from the concession stands to the parking lot lighting to the scoreboards. This amount of electricity, 1,135,000 kilowatt-hours over the course of 10 games, is comparable to what 60 average homes in the Valley will use annually.

I could keep going. There are 32 teams in the NFL and I was able to find green initiatives for many of them. Including:

San Diego Chargers, Qualcomm Stadium
The team has been recycling for eighteen years and regularly donates its sod to local YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Tailgating? No problem. There are 350 ninety-four gallon recycling bins in the tailgating area so there’s no excuse to not use them!  

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The Patriots installed 2,800 solar panels at Gillette Stadium in December to help power the stadium, and they put in solar-powered compactors to collect and recycle cans and bottles around the stadium.

DENVER BRONCOS: The Broncos have purchased renewable energy to offset 100 percent of the electricity used at Sports Authority Field for the 2011 season. And after implementing an energy management program, the team cut energy use at the stadium by 11 percent.  

HOUSTON TEXANS: The Texans introduced the NFL’s first interactive media guide in 2009, putting the guide on USB sticks instead of printing books. The change saved an estimated 2.6 million printed pages that year, and the team has continued this practice.

Source
 

But there are too many teams and everyone has a favorite. To find out what green efforts your team is making, visit: NFL Green and Green Sports Alliance

   

Today is Protect the Groundwater Day

Every day, Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of fresh groundwater for public and private use, including for drinking water, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, and more. On September 13^th, “Protect Your Groundwater Day,” the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) reminds all Marylanders about the value of clean groundwater and what citizens can do to protect this essential and valuable resource.

“Half of the water in Maryland’s rivers, streams, and reservoirs originates as groundwater, and all Marylanders get their drinking water from these sources,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Robert M. Summers. “Protecting Maryland’s groundwater is a critical component to restoring our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, our work to reduce polluted runoff form urban and agricultural sources, to properly dispose of and clean up hazardous waste, and to proceed cautiously as we study potential drilling in the Marcellus Shale all protect Maryland’s groundwater as well as our streams, rivers, and reservoirs. We encourage citizens to also do their part to protect our fresh water, including groundwater, today and every day.”

Groundwater is created from rain that falls on the land, running into waterways or soaking into the ground. Water that soaks into the ground is filtered as it passes through various layers of sand, clay, or rock. However, man-made chemicals such as gasoline, fertilizers, and pesticides may not get filtered and can contaminate groundwater.

Below are just a few of the ways citizens can help keep Maryland’s groundwater clean:

• Support Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration effort and all of Maryland’s critical clean water initiatives to reduce pollution from wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, urban/suburban runoff, agricultural runoff and even air pollution controls, which reduce the nitrogen falling on our land and water from power plants, cars, and trucks.
• Seventeen million gallons of gas are spilled each year in America during the re-fueling of lawn mowers — fuel your lawn mower over impervious surfaces and be careful to not to overfill your tank.
• Ensure your septic system was installed per current code standards and consider installing nitrogen reducing technology, which protects your drinking water and is good for the Bay.
• Apply fertilizers and pesticides sparingly to reduce polluted runoff that can contaminate groundwater and water wells. 
• Use water wisely: Don’t pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it, such as watering your indoor plants or a garden, and don’t run a faucet when you’re not using water while brushing your teeth.Learn more about groundwater and Protect Your Groundwater Day here.

Information for this post supplied by Maryland Department of the Environment

Today is a Beautiful Day - Make Sure that you See It

I know it is human nature to complain about the rain/wind/snow/cold/heat and yet to ignore the days when we don't have any of those things bearing down on us. And when I read the paper in the morning, it seems like it is also human nature to want to dwell on the negative aspects of life and people. No matter what is happening with the weather or the world, my morning walks in the garden generally help me forget all the negative aspects of life and dwell on only the beautiful.

It is just gorgeous out there this morning! A light dew sparkling on all the leaves. Tiny little mushrooms popping up in the yard, looking like miniature umbrellas for the critters that crawl through the grass. Butterflies! Birds! It's going to be a beautiful day! I encourage you to take the time to notice it!

A Hero and His Habitat - 20 Days in a Garden

This post was written by Jeff Smith, the gentleman that I introduced a few days ago in my article entitled Planting Peace – Finding Wonder in a Warzone, about people in military conditions who go to extra efforts to create gardens. In last night's post, From Ground Zero to A Garden, I spoke of Jeff's role on September 11, 2001, as he helped to search for survivors.

I asked Jeff if he would like to provide one more guest post, and this is what he sent. As you read it, I hope you will take the time to remember all of the heroes that this country has, both civilian and military, and to give your thanks to them either silently or in person.

Please keep in mind that this blog and these posts are not meant to take sides on any political issues. They are just meant to encourage you to think a little more deeply about the heroes of our country.

From Jeff Smith:

I'm so busy trying to get everything done that needs doing on a short 20 day break. I have several fronts that need attention, so it's easy for the days to slip between my fingers. Hope it's not too late … had a few thoughts for you.  

In the light of how little time I have home from Afghanistan this year, it's difficult to explain to some people why I'm spending so much time on yard work. After living like a prisoner in Afghanistan for months, shouldn't you be out kicking up your heels, whooping it up? Why in the world do you spend all your time doing YARD work? If I have to explain, they're not going to understand. Maybe I can share with some like-minded individuals who can help me come up with a sound bite that satisfies the vast unwashed, the non-gardening masses. 

What's so difficult to explain is that, every night as I fell asleep to the sounds of war, I was building this garden in my mind for months. I remember a couple of years ago at a FOB near the Tangi valley, as four and six inch guns fired overhead into the night, sucking the air from the tent with the round's sonic boom, I was thinking about my next group of nectar and host plants for certain species of butterfly. A worried new arrival asked me if that was OK. Is it incoming or outgoing? We had nearly 100 RPGs and mortars come over the Hesco at us that month, in the less favored direction. "That's the sound of freedom, buddy. Go back to sleep." I planted a few more vines in my head, arranging them around a horse fencing trellis supported by agricultural timbers. Beautiful. Rocked to sleep by the comforting lullaby of the Howitzer. 

We have long days there. Rise at 0230, shower, stuff something in the flight suit pocket for breakfast, check the flight plan, weather, preflight, airborne at sunrise. Will today be The Day? No. Stow that. 

It's a helicopter pilot's question. One can not stifle it. If you think of every possible thing that can go wrong in a helicopter, amplify that flying low over a fluid, motivated and capable threat, you can be paralyzed. One is empowered and fueled by a wave of positivity in the rotary wing world. It's not bravery or courage – just positive energy supported by confidence, competence and planning. 

After several hours of flying missions, plan for tomorrow, try to get the one hot meal for the day, wind down, prepare equipment for tomorrow. 

So now I'm home again, cutting weeds, trimming shrubs and trees, re-arranging irrigation, spreading mulch for winter. I'm setting aside the areas for spring plantings of nectar plants. A gopher tortoise has moved in and established a few giant burrows, so I'm working around those. I'll have to build some natural barriers to keep him from munching my tender new butterfly plantings and maybe plant a little tortoise food plot with prickly pear cactus and some other favorites. Any endangered species is welcome in this little backyard habitat. 

I go back over next week. I think I'll plan a pond.

From Ground Zero to A Garden

A few days ago, I posted an article called Planting Peace – Finding Wonder in a War Zone that talked about people in the military going to extra efforts to plant gardens. In that post, I introduced you to Jeff Smith, a young man that I “met” through email.

Today I would like to tell you a little bit more about Jeff and his role on September 11, 2001. And about his gardens. Highlighted text is from Jeff.

I worked at ground zero for the first couple of weeks searching for survivors with teams from the NYPD Emergency Services Unit until they called off the rescue effort. One of my buddies was lost in the towers, working as an ESU policeman. He was the brother of a fellow Coast Guard pilot. My job was to search with the team all day and then come back to the police station where the families were holding their vigil and speak to them about what I saw in each location. None of the family members were allowed on the site at that time, and the police chief wanted somebody who was not NYPD or FD to ease them into the reality of the outcome. Even though it was a service for others who had suffered great personal loss, it was also a life-altering experience for me.”

Yes, I was in the Coast Guard during 9/11, but I worked at the World Trade Center while on leave – the family briefing responsibility was an unusual and unique role there, requested by the chief of police at the behest of a family member. After a career of flying helicopters in the Air Force and Coast Guard, I retired in '03. I fly helicopters now as a civilian contractor in support of military logistics and combat missions, another unusual role in a war zone.

I have seen military members growing small gardens in front of their tents in various locations around Afghanistan. Often, the struggling plants, even a lone sunflower, would be surviving against all odds next to a sign pointing west displaying the distance to the gardener's home town. The simple please of growing a plant from seed is never taken for granted in such a place.

Amazingly, in this arid and austere environment, the Afghans are able to conjure up water by hand digging to grow their crops. Although every effort comes with great cost in such a severe environment, the joy of a beautiful garden is not lost on the Afghan culture. The construction of a cool, inviting home oasis seems to be the goal of many farmers even as they toil to make a meager living.

Obviously, I'm far from my garden when I'm working overseas. When I get to enjoy the luxury of an internet connection, I stay in touch with my Eden via a blog Florida Habitat Gardening I’m attaching a photo from my most recent visit home. Through these rare and treasured recollections, I am able to stay in contact with the most peaceful place on the planet. If I sit there long enough, a visitor will happen by … perhaps a gopher tortoise, a rabbit, throngs of songbirds, displaying chameleons or a lone black racer. There is nothing so rewarding as watching critters arrive that would not be there without strategic habitat gardening, but the real pleasure is basking in the peace of this moment.

Those quiet moments in my backyard seem a million miles away in the Helmand Province, but a quick visit to my garden blog site transports me to a true place of peace 

Jeff Smith

I’ve read his entire garden blog since he contacted me. He definitely has the same “fondness” for critters that I do. But I got a real kick out of this post that he had about orchard mason bees.

Here’s a cool thing to do for all of your pollinating needs. If honeybees are having a hard time in your area, then the Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia lignaria) might be your answer. “But, how do I get some, Jeff?” Glad you asked! Just drill a bunch of 1/4″ holes in just about anything and set it outside. If you build it, they will come. These things cannot reSIST a 1/4″ hole. They just HAVE to fill it with pollen, lay an egg in it and seal it up with mud. Note that the smooth edge holes (drilled at high speed with a brad point bit) were preferable to the rough edged holes drilled with a regular bit at medium speed. Some people build these hives with soda straws, which might be useful if you don’t have a drill. Check out this site to learn more: http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse006/inse006.htm 

Note to fellow pilots out there: they LOVE pilot tubes. If they discover yours, you’ll have to keep it covered 24/7 until next year, or move to another location. This is a persistent (and now disappointed) OMB trying to find a way around my homemade pitot tube cover on the bottom of an EC-130 helicopter. This little girl grounded the medevac helo more than once by clogging the pitot tube. With no airspeed indication, the pilot has to turn it back to maintenance for repairs. As emergency use helicopters rarely stand ready for service with the tubes covered, this little bee can be a nuisance.

Thanks again, Jeff.

Tips for your yard and garden after heavy rains or flooding

Here are some tips for your lawn and garden after heavy rains or flooding from Louisiana State University Ag Center and other sources:.

Hurricanes and heavy rains can create excessively wet soil. If combined with high temperatures it can create stressful, and potentially deadly, conditions for bedding plants, perennials, vegetables, shrubs and even trees. 

When the soil is saturated with water, pore spaces in the soil that normally hold air are filled with water. Since the roots of plants get the oxygen they need from the air in those spaces, the roots can literally drown when soils stay waterlogged for an extended period. A sick root system leads to a sick plant. 

Wet conditions also encourage fungus organisms in the soil to attack the roots or crown of a plant and cause rot. The crown is the area where the stem of a plant enters the soil. These disease organisms can cause dieback or severe damage or even kill plants. Once infection occurs, little can be done to help a plant. Plants with succulent stems, those that like lower temperatures and those that prefer drier, well-drained soils are particularly susceptible.

Here are some tips for gardens affected by heavy rains:

1) Under saturated conditions, mulch should be pulled back from around plants or removed from beds entirely. This will allow evaporation to help the soil dry faster.

2) You can help plants that were affected by wet soils or root rot by aerating the soil in the root zone. Using a garden fork, drive the tines straight down into the soil about 8 inches and pull straight out in numerous places around the shrubs. Do not dig with the fork, but make as many holes as seems practical. This technique provides air to the roots and encourages the soil to dry faster. A metal rod or wooden dowel could also be used to make the holes.

3) Pests such as snails and slugs, which chew holes in leaves and flowers of many plants, thrive and reproduce rapidly during rainy weather. Try not to let their populations get out of control. If you have toads in your garden, that's great because they feed on slugs. You can place a bowl up to its rim in the ground and fill it half full of beer to attract and drown many snails and slugs or remove them by hand and dispose of them humanely.

4) Heavy rains over an extended period will leach available nutrients from the soil in the landscape. This is especially true of nitrogen and potassium but not so much for phosphorous. Give your plants a chance to recover from the saturated soils, and fertilize if needed if they do not improve. Do not fertilize hardy trees, shrubs and lawns after August, even after heavy rains. Late fertilization can make them less winter hardy. Do consider fertilizing bedding plants and vegetable gardens, if needed. Dried blood meal can add nitrogen to soil while rock potash can supply potassium.

5) Do not consume any vegetables that may have been touched by floodwater. There may be contaminants in the water. In general, fruits and vegetables which were immature at the time of flooding should be safe to eat by the time they are ready to harvest.

6) Some fruits and vegetables are more susceptible than others to bacterial contamination.

1. Leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, mustard, kale, collards, spinach, swiss chard, celery, and fleshy vegetables and berry fruits such as tomatoes, summer squash, strawberries and peppers are highly susceptible to bacterial contamination. Silt and other contaminants may be imbedded in the leaves, petioles, stems or other natural openings of fleshy structures and can be difficult to remove.
2. Root, bulb and tuber crops such as beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, onions and potatoes are less susceptible to bacterial contamination. Disinfect these vegetables, peel and cook them thoroughly before eating.
3. Produce with a protected fruit or impervious outer skin such as peas, melons, eggplant, sweet corn or winter squash should be washed and disinfected before the outer shell, skin or husk is removed. Then shell, peel or husk the produce and cook it if possible.

7) For additional safety, disinfect produce and cook it before eating.

8) Gardeners should take extra precautions to use good personal-hygiene when working in gardens that may have been flooded. Wash hands before and after gardening. Leave garden shoes at the door, and change clothing after working in a flooded garden. Avoid direct contact with flood waters, including the soil, as much as possible. Young children can be at a high risk for flood related contaminants. If a garden plot has been flooded, consider either not having young children in the garden with you or take precautions to utilize good personal hygienic practices.

9) Newly planted seeds and transplants may not survive even short-term flooding, and seeds may have washed away. Resist the urge to replant immediately; give the soil a chance to dry out first. Working wet soil will have long-lasting effects of soil compaction.

10) Many snakes are left homeless after a flood. They may seek food and shelter in debris caused by the flood or yard cleanup. Watch where you put your hands and feet when removing or cleaning debris. More information about local snakes.

11) Heavy rains can result in excessive breeding of mosquitoes, resulting in the possibility of disease being carried by the insects. Remove excess water from birdbaths, flowerpots, tires, buckets and other containers to minimize the breeding of mosquitoes.

12) Bees, wasps, and hornets may have had their nests disturbed by excessive wind and rain. The insects can become very aggressive. Before beginning clean up, survey the site to see if bees, wasps, or hornets are hovering in the area. Take necessary precautions to avoid these insects.

In addition to the obvious damage to plants, there are more long-term effects to soils, which have been flooded for extended periods. Soil microorganisms that require oxygen may be killed and those that survive without oxygen take over, which in turn affects availability of nutrients for plant use. The soil structure itself may be physically harmed due to compaction of soil particles.

It will be difficult to know the full effect of the heavy rains in the area until things begin to dry out. And then, of course, a lot will depend on what future stresses the weather may bring to our landscapes.

For more information contact your local Extension office:  

Cooperative Extension Services

• Virginia Cooperative Extension
• Home and Garden Information Center - Maryland Cooperative Extension
• Cooperative Extension Service – Washington, DC

or these sources, which I used in this articles:

Sources: Flooded Lawns and Gardens, LSU Ag Center

Flooded Gardens, (pdf file) South Dakota Cooperative Extension

After the Flood: Garden and Landscape Plants, Purdue Extension

Preventing Disease and Illness in a Flood – Fairfax County