Wildlife Habitat Workshop – Family Fun - June 2nd

What: Wildlife Habitat Workshop

When: Saturday, June 2nd, 2:00 pm

Where: Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia

Children learn the requirements for creating a certified wildlife habitat. See how Green Spring Gardens attracts birds, bees, and butterflies.Learn to use recycled materials to attract birds and receive seeds from butterfly friendly plants. Teachers and other adults welcome.

Click here to register: Register

Help show the world – Green Gardeners DO Make a Difference

Metro DC is often earning accolades for everything from green buildings, green roofs, green energy and even green college campuses.  But we, of the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog,  think it’s time to recognize the individuals who are doing their part to help protect the planet from their own homes and yards – the area’s “green” gardeners.

Beginning  May 25^th, 2012, the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog is launching the Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo Contest for residents of the Metro DC area.

Participants can take a photo of a “green”, eco-friendly aspect of their home landscape, and enter it online. Judges will advance all qualified entrants into a final round, where website visitors get to vote for their favorites. Winners of the contest will win one of two great prize packages.

If you want to join in the fun (and help show the world that Green Gardeners DO Make a Difference), take a photo of your home landscape depicting as many of the following eco-friendly gardening practices as you can, in one photo:

• Eco-friendly plant choices (ie: Right plant/right place, waterwise plants, native plant species)
• Water conservation techniques – ( Rain gardens, rain barrels, mulch to retain water, drip irrigation, etc.)
• Reduction of stormwater runoff – (rain gardens, rain barrels, downspout redirection, permeable surfaces)
• Elimination of chemicals – (hand weeding, beneficial insects, compost)
• Creation of wildlife habitat – (such as butterfly garden, berry laden plants, etc.)
• Reduction or replacement of lawn areas

Write a short description explaining which of the six eco-friendly practices your photo represents. Keep in mind that some things can represent more than one principle.

Enter your photo and you’ll be on your way to a chance at winning some great garden goodies!

Only one photo per person is allowed, so make sure you read the full rules before uploading your image.

Good luck!

Green Gardener Photo Contest Kicks Off May 25th

“Every garden has a story to tell, and every time you enter that garden with your camera you have an opportunity to tell a beautiful, compelling story.” ~ Matthew Benson, author of The Photographic Garden

There are so many great reasons to take our cameras into our gardens with us.

First, photography often encourages us to look at things a little deeper…to truly examine the colors and textures of a flower, leaf or bug. To open our eyes to a part of the world we may never have seen before.

Cameras allow us to capture those perfect yet fleeting moments, when blooms and bees and butterflies all converge.

By sharing photos of flowers, weeds or bugs, we can take them to the local Extension Service or our favorite nursery for help with identification. We can share photos of our entire gardens for landscape design help or just to show off our handiwork or our success at growing difficult plants.

But we, of the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog, want to give you one more reason to take your camera into the garden – an opportunity to win great prizes by sharing photos of your “Green” garden.

On May 25^th, 2012, the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog is launching the Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo Contest for residents of the Metro DC area.

To enter the contest, you can take a photo of the “green”, eco-friendly aspects of your landscape, and enter it online. Judges will advance all qualified entrants into a final round, where website visitors get to vote for their favorites.

Winners of the contest will win one of two great prize packages. The grand prize package has a cash value of $700 and the second place package has a cash value of $400! That’s a lot of “green”.

Stop by either the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog, or our Facebook fanpage starting May 25th, for complete contest rules.

Plants for Rain Gardens

I mentioned yesterday that I’m in the process of planning a rain garden. I’ve been doing a little bit of research, trying to find plants that might work for the areas we have, which are all fairly shady. As a personal preference, I also don’t want plants that are going to grow too tall and block my view of the rest of the yard.

Here’s a list I found in the Rain Garden Design and Construction Handbook which I mentioned in my previous post. The complete list (in the booklet) provides a lot more information about each specific plant. There are quite a few that look like they will work in our shady locations and not get too tall, including swamp milkweed, blue mistflower, and blue flag iris.

Here is a list of suitable Native Plants from the Rain Garden Design and Construction Handbook which I found on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission website.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Light	Size
Flowering Perennials
Swamp milkweed	Asclepias incarnata	Sun-pt. shade	2-4’
New England Aster	Symphotrichum novae-angliae	Sun	2-4’
Turtlehead	Chelone glabra	Sun-shade	3-6’
Blue mistflower	Conoclinium coelestinum	Sun-shade	1-3’
Joe-Pye weed	Eupatorium fistulosum	Sun-pt. shade	3-8’
Ox-eye sunflower	Heliopsis helianthoides	Sun-pt. shade	3-5’
Marsh mallow	Hibiscus moscheutos	Sun	3-5’
Blue flag	Iris versicolor	Sun-pt. shade	2-3’
Blazingstar	Liatris spicata	Sun-pt. shade	3-4’
Cardinal flower	Lobelia cardinalis	Sun-shade	3-6’
Beardtongue	Penstemon digitalis	Sun-pt. shade	2-5’
Obedient plant	Physostegia virginiana	Sun-shade	3-5’
Wild bergamot	Monarda fistulosa	Sun-pt. shade	2-4’
Beebalm	Monarda didyma	Sun-pt. shade	3-4’
Black-eyed susan	Rudbeckia hirta	Sun-pt. shade	1-3’
Rough-stemmed goldenrod	Solidago rugosa	Sun-pt. shade	3-5’
Blue vervain	Verbena hastata	Sun-pt. shade	2-5’
Ironweed	Vernonia noveboracensis	Sun-pt. shade	5-8’
		Light
Grasses, Grass-like Plants & Ferns
Broomsedge	Andropogon virginicus	Sun-pt. shade	1-3’
Sea oats	Chasmanthium latifolium	Sun-pt. shade	2-4’
Soft rush	Juncus effusus	Sun-pt. shade	1-3’
Cinnamon fern	Osmunda cinnamonea	Sun-shade	3-5’
Royal fern	Osmunda regalis	Sun-shade	2-6’
Switchgrass	Panicum virgatum	Sun-pt. shade	3-6’
Indian grass	Sorghastrum nutans	Sun-pt. shade	3-6’
Shrubs & Trees
Serviceberry	Amelanchier canadensis	Sun-shade	15-25’
Red chokeberry	Aronia arbutifolia	Sun-pt. shade	6-12’
Black chokeberry	Aronia melanocarpa	Sun-pt. shade	3-6’
Buttonbush	Cephalanthus occidentalis	Sun-shade	6-12’
Silky dogwood	Cornus amomum	Sun-shade	6-12’
Winterberry	Ilex verticillata	Sun-shade	6-12’
Virginia sweetspire	Itea virginica	Sun-shade	4-8’
Spicebush	Lindera benzoin	Pt. shade-shade	6-12’
Ninebark	Physocarpus opulifolius	Sun-pt. shade	6-12’
Elderberry	Sambucus canadensis	Sun-shade	6-12’
Highbush blueberry	Vaccinium corymbosum	Sun-shade	6-12’
Arrowwood viburnum	Viburnum dentatum	Sun-shade	6-8’

Planning for (another) rainy day

I was wandering around our yard the other day thinking that the next project we should undertake is creating some sort of rain garden.

We know the importance of keeping as much of the rainwater ON our property as possible, rather than letting it run off. This slows down the runoff, helping to filter pollutants before the water reaches local water supplies. Helping to do our part to slow down pollution is one of the reasons that we  have rain barrels on several of our downspouts and why adding more to the other downspouts is on our ever-growing to-do list.

We also have very long drainage tubes attached to the overflow pipes of our rain barrels, which allows us to direct the water away from our house and into whatever area we choose. But so far, we haven’t taken advantage of that runoff by planting gardens of water loving plants.

Right now I’m still in the planning stage, doing a little research on what plants will work well in a rain garden and also survive on our shady property.

I’ve found a lot of great information on planning and designing rain gardens, and wanted to share some of it with you if the rainy days also have you seeking solutions for your soggy spots.

Rain Gardens – Arlington, VA website

Rain Garden Design and Construction Manual (pdf)

Beautifying Your Yard for Healthy Streams - Residential Rain Gardens – Many links on this page for more info (Northern Virginia Regional Commission)

Meadow Ecology Tour at Bristoe Station Battlefield Park

What: Meadow Ecology Tour

When: Saturday, May 26th, 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Where: Bristoe Station Battlefield Park, Iron Brigade Avenue and 10th Alabama Way, Bristow, Virginia

Bristoe Station Battlefield is home to a complex meadow ecosystem.  Join naturalist Charles Smith from the Prince William Wildflower Society (VNPS) for a walking tour of the 133-acre battlefield and learn about the beneficial wildlife especially the birds and butterflies that call this ecosystem home.  Learn to identify the plants that these birds and butterflies need for food and shelter.  Bring binoculars.  Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather.  No pets please.  Advance reservation recommended. 

The walking tour departs from the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park kiosk in the parking lot located at Iron Brigade Unit Ave and 10th Alabama Way at 9:00 am and will end at 11:00am.  The cost for the tour is $5 per person, free for children under six.

Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park includes 133 acres of fields and woodlands.  The Park interprets two Civil War battles and its natural resources.  Prince William County Historic Preservation owns and operates the Park.

For more information, please call (703) 366-3049 or email rorrison@pwcgov.org.

Backyard Habitat Workshop – May 24th

What: Backyard Habitat Workshop

When: May 2th, 4-7 pm

Where: Fort DuPont Community Garden

The District Department of the Environment is continuing its backyard habitat workshop program through 2012. 

The next workshop will be held in partnership with the National Park Service at the Fort DuPont community garden on May 24, 2012.  They will be discussing how to attract pollinators, beneficial insects, and birds to your yard or garden, and will be planting a pollinator border around the community garden.  Attendees will receive a book (Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy) and other literature on gardening for wildlife, a birdhouse kit and live plants.  The workshop is free and open to all District residents.

To register, send an email to backyardhabitat@dc.gov with “Fort DuPont Workshop” in the subject line and the names of the attendees in the body of the email.

FREE Water Quality Monitoring Training Workshop

For those who want to learn a little bit more about how substances effect our waterways:

What: FREE Water Quality Monitoring Training Workshop

When: Saturday, 5/19, 9-11am

Where: Springhill Lake Recreation Center, 6101 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770

A collaborative event brought to you by Citizens to Conserve and Restore Indian Creek (CCRIC), Camp Fire USA, and CHEARS - Chesapeake Education, Arts, and Research Society, Greenbelt Food Forest project.  Support by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Please register to attend - Click here or visit the CHEARS website at www.chears.org

Learn how to check the health of Indian Creek by using basic test for water quality.No prior knowledge of chemistry or biology is needed- just curiosity about the Creek!

Ocean Friendly Gardens

I’ve mentioned Bay Friendly Gardens before and Wildlife Friendly Gardens, but today I found out about Ocean Friendly Gardens.

All of these programs are really very similar. They all encourage and recognize property owner’s efforts to create landscapes while considering the effects that their actions have on the surrounding environment.
Ocean Friendly Gardens is a program by the Surfrider Foundation, a charitable organization which was started in 1984 by a group of surfers intent on protecting their favorite surf break in Malibu, California. The organization now has over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide, all focused on protecting the world’s oceans, waves and beaches.

Surfrider Foundation members understand that runoff from gardens and hard surfaces is one of the primary sources of water pollution, which means  that home gardeners play an important role in  protecting the world’s water bodies. They developed the Ocean Friendly Gardens program to educate and encourage property owners to follow the three principles of CPR – Conservation, Permeability and Retention.

The Ocean Friendly Gardens website describes steps that gardeners can take to apply these principles:

• Conservation of water, energy and habitat through native plants (add allow some climate adapted plants), spaced for mature growth.
• Permeability through healthy, biologically active soil, and utilizing materials for - or making a cut in - driveways, walkways and patios that allow water to percolate into the soil.
• Retention devices like rain chains, rain barrels and rain gardens retain water in the soil for the dry seasons or save it to water veggies, preventing it from running off the property.

For more information about the Surfrider Foundation and the Ocean Friendly Gardens program, you can visit the DC Surfrider website.

Ocean Friendly Gardens

The David Stemper Memorial Rain Garden was created using the principles of Ocean Friendly Gardens

Nibbles from an Article on Feeding the Soil

   I found a great article online recently that I would like to share. It is called Feeding the Soil Builds Sustainable Lawns and it was written by Karen Fitzgerald.
The article is chock full of great “green” gardening information, from start to finish, so I encourage you to devour the whole thing. Here are a few nibbles from the article to whet your appetite for more:

“Spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides on lawns is like giving kids junk food, says landscape designer Cathy Bilow. They’ll be invigorated for a while, but eventually they’ll crash and burn….

A sustainable lawn is one that thrives with as little inputs and labor as possible. It is better for the environment, not only because it lessens chemicals going in the ground, but it also reduces carbon emissions from mowing and supports bees, butterflies and other wildlife….

… the key to a sustainable lawn is cultivating healthy soil. “When soil is healthy, plants will thrive, and thriving plants are more tolerant of disease and drought,” she said. Instead of killing soil bacteria, insects and earthworms, we should be nourishing them with compost….

One cup of soil contains as many bacteria as people on the planet, she said….

One of the easiest ways to feed microbes is to leave mowed grass on the lawn, preferably mulched by your lawnmower to decompose faster….
A cubic yard of compost applied annually is all that is needed to fertilize a thousand square feet of soil….

Weeds will begin to move out on their own once the soil is vibrant enough to support lush growth…
Grass should be mowed at the highest setting to discourage weeds, and there should be enough room in the soil to permit the flow of air and water.

In designing a sustainable landscape, the goal is to replace as much lawn as possible with native plantings…
Bilow suggests adding a rain garden to the landscape to manage water flow and prevent soil erosion…”

As I said, those are little nibbles from a great, worthwhile article. I encourage you to read the whole thing.
And visit our new Topic Index page to find more posts about these topics on this blog.