Friday Fun - Create a #natureverse

I was standing outside, feeling my morning dose of awe and wonder that nature always seems to provide, and I decided I would come in and try to stir up some shared awe.

So I came up with a short free form poem about what I felt outside, came up with an unused twitter hashtag for it, (#natureverse) and decided to see if I can encourage others to write their own natureverse.

Go outside. Stand still and look around until you become inspired. Then come tweet what you felt. Make it short enough to include the hashtag #natureverse and save room for your twitter name and an @RT if you want others to be able to share it.

Here is mine:

As I stood, silently watching the morning unfold, I saw the sun glisten off a single strand of spider silk and I felt peace. #natureverse

Have fun!

Research Shows: Getting Down and Dirty Makes You Happy

As gardeners, we all KNOW that gardening makes us happy. But new research helps to explain why. Apparently, digging in the dirt actually releases “happy chemicals” in our brains.

Here are some excerpts from an article entitled Why Gardening Makes You Happy and Cures Depression by Robyn Francis on the Permaculture College Australia website which provides scientific evidence that getting down and dirty is good for the soul….and the immune system.

Getting down and dirty is the best ‘upper’ – Serotonin : Getting your hands dirty in the garden can increase your serotonin levels – contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain according to research. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant and strengthens the immune system. Lack of serotonin in the brain causes depression. 

Harvest 'High' – Dopamine: Another interesting bit of research relates to the release of dopamine in the brain when we harvest products from the garden. The researchers hypothesize that this response evolved over nearly 200,000 years of hunter gathering, that when food was found (gathered or hunted) a flush of dopamine released in the reward centre of brain triggered a state of bliss or mild euphoria. The dopamine release can be triggered by sight (seeing a fruit or berry) and smell as well as by the action of actually plucking the fruit.

Francis goes on to say that using glyphosate herbicides can take away all of those happy feelings.

Glyphosate residues deplete your Serotonin and Dopamine levels

Of course, for all of the above to work effectively and maintain those happy levels of serotonin and dopamine, there’s another prerequisite according to another interesting bit of research I found.  It appears it will all work much better with organic soil and crops that haven’t been contaminated with Glyphosate-based herbicides. A recent study in 2008 discovered that glyphosate depletes serotonin and dopamine levels in mammals. 

I guess all of this explains why seeing my husband work in his organic garden was such a turn-on for me when we first met. And why I still think working side by side with someone in a garden can be such a fun, pleasurable experience.

So next time you are feeling a little bit down, I encourage you to go outside and get dirty with a friend. But to keep those brain chemicals pumping, keep things chemical free.

You can read the full article by Robin Francis here: Why Gardening Makes You Happy and Cures Depression

You might also enjoy reading: The Psychology of Green Gardening

Think Outside the box and Plant This, Not That

Native plants are very popular in eco-friendly landscapes. Some people like them because of their drought tolerance and low-maintenance requirements. Others like them because of their wildlife value or their pure, unadulterated beauty.

I recently ran across a list entitled Plant This, Not That on the Garden Club of Virginia website that was created for their 2011 annual meeting. A paragraph at the top of the list explained how the list was compiled.

Garden club members from around the state were asked for suggestions for native plants that had wildlife value, but not in the traditional sense of providing seeds or berries for wildlife. Instead, they were asked to list plants that attract butterflies, which in turn, produce caterpillars which are used as food for many native bird species.

For our GCV Annual Meeting we are focusing on good garden practices that encourage the growth cycle of our native birds and butterflies. Many of you may know that our native birds are in decline because of loss of native habitat for the specific caterpillars that feed our young birds. Non-native plants do not offer breeding ground for any native butterflies, and 97% of our birds require insects-not seeds-to feed their young. Therefore we are asking each club to bring in a cutting or small plant that is native and attracts butterflies, and a picture of a non-native landscape plant that may be replaced by your specimen in a backyard landscape. The display will be titled "Plant this, not that!"

It’s a great list, because it helps us “think outside the box” when recognizing the wildlife value of native plants. I mentioned many of the plants on the list, including paw paw, sweet bay, milkweed and passion vine, in a post that I did on butterfly gardening. But from now on, I’ll remember to mention their value for attracting birds, as well.

Plant This, Not That – complete list (pdf format)

Here are some Favorite Native Plant Lists from our archives:

• Favorite Native Plants ~ Nature Friendly Gardener Marlene A. Condon
• Favorite Native Plants ~ Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine
• Favorite Native Plants ~ Thomas Rainer
• Favorite Native Plants ~  Alex Dencker
• Favorite Native Plants ~ Steve Bates
• Favorite Native Plants ~ Alison Gillespie

And don’t forget to take our native plant poll and check out the other lists of native plants listed under Our Most Popular Pages, both of which can be found in the blog’s sidebar.

Award-winning documentary Bag It comes to Wheaton

Bag It Intro from Suzan Beraza on Vimeo.
WHEATON, MD—GreenWheaton is partnering with Brookside Gardens, Silver Spring Green and Safeway to present a free screening of the award-winning documentary, Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?

Bag It follows ‘everyman’ Jeb Berrier as he tries to make sense of our dependency on,  and single-use mentality towards, plastic bags. Although his quest starts out small, Jeb soon finds our ‘plastic problem’ extends beyond landfills to oceans, rivers and ultimately human health.

Visit Brookside Gardens Visitor Center on January 9, 2012 at 7 PM to watch this engaging film and learn about the simple steps we can take to reverse this alarming trend. You will never look at plastics in the same way again.

The event is free, but seating is limited. Safeway will be providing free recyclable grocery bags on a first come first served basis.

Please register at Bag It Registration. For more information contact Al Carr of Green Wheaton at alfred.carr@gmail.com

Information provided by Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine

Butterflies LIVE! – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Friday, May 25 - Monday, Oct. 14, 2012
Hundreds of butterflies will take flight in Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden's glass Conservatory in 2012. The Butterflies LIVE! exhibit is back by popular demand and will feature showy tropical species from May 25 - October 14, 2012. 
The exhibit will also feature special plantings to provide food for the butterflies, allowing visitors to get an "up-close" and personal view of these fascinating creatures.
This exhibit is presented by the Robins Foundation.

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.

Garden Trends for 2012 bode well for the Planet

Susan McCoy and the team at Garden Media Group have come up with a list of Garden Trends for 2012 that may just indicate that eco-friendly gardening has reached the tipping point to becoming the new norm.

Their 2012 Garden Trends Report predicts a generation of environmentally conscious Gen X & Y’s, driven by a desire to preserve and protect the earth’s resources, planting drought tolerant, low-maintenance gardens as food for their bodies as well as their souls.

“Plants are no longer a luxury, but a necessity for our lives,” says McCoy, trendspotter and outdoor living expert. “Plants can live without us, but we can’t live without plants.”

Here are some excerpts of what McCoy and her team of Garden Media Group trend spotters see for gardening in 2012.

Urban-Knights. A growing army of ‘urban-knights’ are creating oases wherever they can find a patch of earth. They’re planting shrubs, flowers, edibles and pop-up gardens on balconies, in alley ways, and on street parklets – even in abandoned buildings and walk-in shipping containers. From yard sharing and raising chickens to ‘step gardening’ and harvesting rain water, urban knights are finding a ‘new good life’ by getting grounded with the earth.

Eco-scaping. Beauty and sustainability are key. People want the “beauty and romance” of a garden with less work. “Gardeners want easy, low maintenance plants that give plenty of color.”

Occupy Local. People are “occupying” local farmers markets and joining CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) for fresh produce, plants and products. “Farmers markets are our new backyard veggie gardens and are becoming our local grocery store,” says McCoy. According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, sales of “locally produced food” reached $4.8 billion in 2008.They project that locally grown foods will generate $7 billion in sales dominated by fruit and veggies this year.

Mindful Consumption. According to the 2010 Cone Survey, 83% of consumers still want to see more brands, products, and companies that support worthy causes. “We’ve finally moved from “me” to “we” and consider our earth and each other when we purchase,” says McCoy.

Water-Watchers. “There is no single issue greater than water,” says Dr.Hall. Recent drought and regional water restrictions are causing us to grow plants, flowers and vegetables with less water.

Seedlings. From the White House to the neighborhood schools, kids are learning how to grow their own food and take care of the planet. McCoy says we’ve ignored two generations of gardeners and need to get kids back to having fun growing things.

There is much more in the 2012 Garden Trends Report , which you can download from their website (in pdf format).

But the statement that stands out the most to me is this: A generation of gardeners that thinks of “we” instead of “me” when they garden has to bode very well for the future of our planet.

Garden Gnome Lays Eggs - It's a New Years Miracle

My husband and I have a habit of pointing out “wonders of nature” to each other. But the wonder he showed me last night was the best, and most mysterious wonder that we have ever seen! It appears our garden gnome has laid eggs – and they have already hatched!

Most gardeners know that garden gnomes are supposed to bring good luck in the home and garden.

Some of the many myths that abound about garden gnomes that I found on the phenomegnome.com website are:

They guard the underground riches of the Earth, specifically precious metals and jewels

In the old days, before most gnomes elected to move above ground, they developed the ability to swim through soil as easily as you and I can walk through air. (sounds like they are probably as beneficial as earthworms).

If the local gnomes find you of suitable temperament, they will begin to let themselves be seen; and if they come to approve of you, they may be willing to move into your garden or even your home, provided you offer the proper enticements. But if gnomes do move in, expect them to do more than just party (which they'll do anyway). They'll repay your kindness with horticultural largesse in the garden, and good luck in the home.

Anyway, none of those myths have anything to do with why we have a garden gnome on our fireplace mantel. The gnome I have was made by a local artist and was given to me for a birthday over 15 years ago. The gnome is firmly affixed to a stump of an oak tree, with a small space in between the gnome and the base.

Well, last night when my husband was taking down Christmas decorations and rearranging things on the mantel, he noticed several small eggs under the gnome – and it looks like they all have hatched!

We have no idea what the eggs are. Probably something that came in with some firewood. But they are so large, we don’t know how any creature got under the gnome and laid them.

In any case, since gnomes are supposed to mean good luck, we are going to take it as a very good sign that our gnome "laid eggs" right on our fireplace mantle. Looks like 2012 is going to be a VERY fruitful, lucky, prosperous year.

What Hangovers and Eco-Friendly Gardening Have in Common

Raise your hand if you think you will wake up bright and early on Sunday morning without a hangover. Uh huh. That’s what I thought.

On January 1st, a very large percentage of the people in this country will wake up with a pounding headache, queasy stomach and a brain that just isn’t working very well. Ahhh, but the night before was worth it all…..wasn’t it? The memory may be a little blurry.

Now come the cures. You are desperate to feel good again. To be able to stand up without feeling dizzy. You want your head to quit pounding . You want to be able to remember where you left your car. So what steps do you take? What remedies will help?

I wanted to write a post about how drinking and gardening have a lot in common, but I didn't want it to sound like a lecture. Nobody needs that as we prepare to say goodbye to the old year and ring in the new. Still, the similarities are pretty strong, and this is a gardening blog, so here is a list of a few things that hangovers and gardening have in common.

I will say that I’ve done a lot of damage to my body and to my garden by overindulging over the years, and now I don’t. But it took me a long time to learn these lessons, even though I knew them to be true.

What hangovers and eco-friendly gardening have in common

1) A hangover is your body’s response to being poisoned by a bunch of unhealthy toxins being ingested. Once they are in there, it takes awhile to reverse the damage. In gardening, a lot of damage can be done by adding unhealthy toxins. And it takes awhile to reverse the damage.

2) In gardening and in socializing, we think we need to add the toxins to achieve the desired result. We can usually achieve what we want without the toxins.

3) Even if we know what is right for ourselves and our gardens, it’s very hard to avoid peer pressure.

4) In gardening and in socializing, we think that the cure to our ailments is to add more toxins. Hair of the dog doesn’t work well for hangovers or for gardens.

5) Adding healthy nutrients to a body and a garden will help fight the effects of toxins. Keeping your soil and landscape healthy by adding natural compost and other nutrients will help them make it through added stress.

6) Listening to your body – and your garden - helps. The first time we have a hangover, we SWEAR we will never do it again. And then we do. We know what our bodies can handle, we eventually figure out how many drinks are too many and which foods help or hurt the whole situation. But for some of us, it takes a good many mornings leaning over the porcelain throne for the lessons to sink in. Listen to your body. The same is true of your garden. If you just quit pouring things into it for awhile, it will tell you what it needs to be at its best.

7) Overindulgence of alcohol or chemicals in the garden can have a far reaching affect. You stand the risk of not just hurting yourself, but of hurting others.

8) The one thing that gardening and hangovers DON’T have in common is that adding lots and lots of water before during and after your drinking can help eliminate a hangover. Adding too much water to a garden is always a bad thing.

Okay. End of lecture. Now, here are some:

Ways to prevent and ease hangovers

1) Before you drink, eat. Having food in your stomach will help decrease the affect of the alcohol. Good choices are something with Vitamin B and Vitamin C, such as fresh fruit, and fatty foods such as steak or pizza (natural sugars and fat both help absorb alcohol.)
2) The gentlest choices of alcohol are beer and clear liquors such as gin and vodka.

3) Fruit juice is a better mixer than diet colas. Research suggests that consumption of fruits, fruit juices, or other sugar-containing liquids can decrease hangover intensity.

4) Many of the symptoms of hangover are caused by dehydration so keeping hydrated will help. Drink plenty of water, before during and after drinking. While you drink, always order a glass of water to go along with it.

5) Eat while you drink – food will help absorb the alcohol.

6) Take vitamin B and C before you go to bed. Vitamin B complex almost always makes me feel better when I overindulge.

7) Take aspirin if you need it but DON’T take acetaminophen. Alcohol disrupts how the liver processes acetaminophen, possibly leading to liver inflammation and permanent damage.

8) Make yourself throw up if you feel sick but remember that vomiting can add to your dehydration

9) Coffee is NOT good for a hangover, since it leads to more dehydration. After a night of drinking, it’s best to avoid anything with caffeine. Instead, sip water and sports drinks to counter dehydration and replace lost electrolytes.

10) Bouillon soup is good for replacing salt and potassium depleted by drinking alcohol.

And all kidding aside, never, never drink and drive.

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program has again relaunched the SoberRide program in an effort to curb would-be drunk drivers.

D.C.-area residents who find themselves unable to drive after a night of drinking can call for a free cab between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Anyone over the age of 21 can call 1-800-200-TAXI or #8294 on your AT&T Wireless phone.

WRAP's SoberRide provides a free cab ride home up to a $30 fare.

Callers are financially responsible for anything over $30.

You must be 21 or older to use the SoberRide service. All calls must originate in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland; the Cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt and Takoma Park in Maryland; the District of Columbia; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Eastern Loudoun Counties in Virginia; and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia.

You cannot reserve a SoberRide or schedule a pickup in advance. Since 1993, WRAP's SoberRide program has helped more than 49,000 people get a safe trip home after drinking.

Have a safe and happy New Year's celebration. 2012 is going to be a GREAT year!

Avoiding Hangovers - WebMD

Dog Poop Ain’t Sexy, but picking it up can be

When someone first asked me if they could add dog poop to their compost pile, my immediate response was a firm NO! No Way! NADA!

But just to make sure, I decided to consult an expert. And who better to consult than the self-professed Queen of Dog S*%t, Susan McCullough, author of HouseTraining for Dummies and blogger at the Metro DC Dog Blog.

Susan and I are on similar missions. We both blog about what we love (gardening for me, dogs for Susan) but we also try to encourage people to take care of the planet while they are diggin’ and doggin’. We both know that things like chemicals and dog poop should NOT go into the groundwater.

Anyway, Susan did recommend that people not put pet poop in their compost piles. But since Susan always has the latest scoop on poop, she also went on to tell me about how Cambridge, Massachusetts uses dog poop to power lights in their park and how Ithaca, NY was collecting dog poop for possible future composting.

She also showed me this hilarious video that I just wanted to pass along to my readers, since I know there are a lot of you out there who love dogs as much as I do. I’m hoping this dance will catch on and be the new rage in 2012!