Want the secret to happiness? Share the Wonder

Aristotle: “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”

My husband and I have a WONDER-full habit that adds a lot of pleasure to our lives. We seek out “wonders of nature” on our property and point them out to each other.

The “wonders”  don’t have to be much: A miniature rose bud covered with dew, a caterpillar getting ready to go to chrysalis, a mother bird feeding its young.

Sometimes we share a smell – something sweet and blooming drifting on the air. Or a sound – northern Parulas high up in the trees are some of our favorites. Depending on the time of day, we share sunrises and sunsets, “first stars”, and full moons.

Sharing the wonders of nature together has become a very special part of our relationship. It has made us more aware of our surroundings...more tuned in to the sights, sounds, smells and tactile sensations of the world around us.

Looking for these wonders has become a playful challenge.  It clears all of the other unnecessary crud from our thoughts and lets us just seek out ways to share joy with each other. No matter what else might have happened during our days, the shared “wonder” always seems to bring us back together.

And whenever one of us is feeling neglected or alone, all we have to do is say those three little magic words:

“Wonder of Nature! Wonder of Nature”

Those words are sure to make us push away from the computers, put down our cell phones, turn off our televisions and look, instead, at the things that matter the most in our lives – the fantastic wonders of nature all around us and the people that love us enough to want to share them with us.

June 9th is National Get Outdoors Day. It was created to “encourage healthy, outdoor fun”. It’s also a really wonderful opportunity to appreciate the Wonders of Nature with those you love. And a good reminder to appreciate the wonders OF those you love.

Whatever you do this weekend, I encourage you to spend some time appreciating the wonders.

Click here to find National Get Outdoors Day Activities in Your Area.

Soaking up more info about rain gardens

I still haven’t started my rain garden yet, even though it is definitely something that I would like to get done before it becomes too hot this year. Rain gardens are such a great way to help prevent stormwater runoff, which is a leading cause of flooding and local waterway pollution.

Since a picture is worth 1000 words, I’m hoping that some of you who do have rain gardens will enter photos in our Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo contest so I can gain a little inspiration from your success stories. You can help educate and inspire others and you have the chance to win some great prizes (top prize is $700 worth of garden goodies).

In the meantime, I found a great article about a rain garden success story and it also has some links for more information.

The article is in the Severna Park Patch and is entitled Rain Gardens ‘Spring’ Back to Life by John Dawson, who is currently taking training at the Watershed Stewards Academy to become a watershed steward.

I encourage you to check out the article.

And whether you have a rain garden or not, I encourage you to take a walk around your yard, with your camera, and take a photo to share in our Green Gardeners Make a Difference photo contest. A native plant, a rain barrel, a butterfly on a flower – any of these things help to illustrate the eco-friendly aspects of your garden and we would love to share them with our readers.

Urban Wood Utilization Workshop II

What: Urban Wood Utilization Workshop

When: June 29th, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Where: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments – 3rd Floor Board Room
777 North Capitol St. NE, Washington, DC 20002

The urban forests in the metropolitan region produce a great quantity of wood from tree removals, storms and routine tree maintenance. Previously, this material has been chipped for mulch at best. This forum will focus on the outcomes of the Washington Metropolitan Wood Recovery & Utilization Project and feature others working in the field developing technologies and programs to put urban timber to good use. A final agenda will be posted to COG’s Web Page: http://www.mwcog.org/calendar/default.asp

Register Online at: http://www.mwcog.org/urbantimber/

Doggy Dangers and Kitty Catastrophes – keeping pets safe in the garden

I’ve written a couple of blog posts about pet safety in the garden. I’ve mentioned the dangers that pesticides, fertilizer, compost and other garden items can cause to our pets. And although I mentioned poisonous plants, I hadn’t looked very closely at the list until this weekend.

When I did, I was surprised at how many common plants were on the list. Here are a few plants that are common to the mid-Atlantic region which can cause problems for our pets. You can view the full list on the ASPC website.

If your pet ingests any of these plants, call your local veterinarian or animal emergency center.

American bittersweet, Symptoms: weakness, convulsions, gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea)

Autumn crocus, Symptoms: oral irritation, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ damage, bone marrow suppression.

Azalea, Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, hyper salivation, weakness, coma, hypotension, CNS depression, cardiovascular collapse and death.

Cardinal flower, Symptoms: Depression, diarrhea, vomiting, excessive salivation, abdominal pain, heart rhythm disturbances.

Daffodils, Symptoms: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea; large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias. Bulbs are the most poisonous part.

Milkweed (this plant is a favorite in butterfly gardens), Symptoms: Vomiting, profound depression, weakness, anorexia, and diarrhea are common; may be followed by seizures, difficulty breathing, rapid, weak pulse, dilated pupils, kidney or liver failure, coma, respiratory paralysis and death

Periwinkle, symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, depression, tremors, seizures, coma, death.

Toxic and Non-Topic Plants – ASPCA website

Celebrate Maryland Outdoor Days – June 9th - 23rd

The Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature is launching Celebrate Maryland Outdoors Days, June 9-23 to help children, families and others get outdoors, exploring and enjoying nature across the state!

There are hundreds of great ideas and opportunities on their website for you to get outside in nature with your kids and help to grow future green gardeners and environmentalists. Here are a few:

6/9/2012 - Delmarva Dragonflies and Damselflies, Adkins Arboretum
Discover & Connect with your natural world. Join Hal White for a walk to discover dragonflies and damselflies. A professor of biochemistry at University of Delaware, Hal has been fascinated by insects, especially dragonflies, since high school. His hobby has taken him from Canada to Mexico and across the United States. Advance registration is required.

6/9/2012 - The Dangers of Pollution, Eden Mill Nature Center
Discover & connect with your natural world. Eden Mill Nature Center is proud to offer “Saturday Nature Series”. Do you know the effects you are having on the environment? Want to know ways you can help prevent pollution? Through fun activities, come learn about the ways pollution effects everyone and how you can stop it.

6/9/2012 - Wetlands Scavenger Hunt, Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
Discover & Connect with your natural world. Join a scavenger hunt along the marsh boardwalk to find plants and animals in the wetlands.

Visit the Celebrate Maryland Outdoors Days web pages for many, many more!

Family Fun Day – June 16th

What: Family Fun Day! at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture

When: Saturday, June 16th, 1pm – 5pm

Where: Arcadia Farm, part of the Woodlawn Estate, 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA

A spring celebration with healthy snacks, arts and crafts, and fun farm activities for the whole family!  

Planned activities include:

• Learn to make healthy farm-fresh snacks
• Meet the chickens!
• Check out Arcadia's Mobile Market
• Play farm-based games with your family
• Facepainting, arts and crafts, and more!

Just $5 per person (Children 2 & under are free)

Pay online or in cash at the door. 

Rain date: Sunday, June 17th

Bring your family for an unforgettable afternoon of fun on the farm!

Register today at: http://familyfundayatarcadia.eventbrite.com/

Hummingbirds – Jewels of the Garden – June 23rd

What: Hummingbirds, Jewels of the Garden

When: Saturday, June 23rd, 1:00 pm

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

Nothing captures a gardener’s eye quicker than the sparkle and aerial acrobatics of hummingbirds. Learn fascinating hummingbird facts and how to create a garden habitat for hummingbirds with Green Spring horticulturist, Nancy Olney. Invite a parade of these delicate winged beauties to your own garden with plants provided by Green Spring Gardens.

Click here to register: Register

Disconnect and redirect – Earn $50 and enter our photo contest

I often mention the problems that can be caused when rainfall from our roofs flows directly into storm drains. Even during short rainfalls, a huge volume of water rushing in from streets, parking lots, and other paved areas can contribute to flooding and sewer overflows in waterways such as Rock Creek, the Anacostia and the Potomac Rivers.

To help alleviate this problem, the District Department of the Environment and Rock Creek Conservancy are sponsoring The Downspout Initiative: a do-it-yourself rebate program to offer District residents $50, per downspout, for the disconnection and redirection of downspouts which are contributing to this problem.

If the downspouts on your home or garage are directly connected to a storm drain pipe, or if the water flow is  directed to hard surfaces, they may be contributing to stormwater problems.

By disconnecting downspouts and re-directing the rainfall to lawns, into gardens, mulched areas, or trees, District homeowners can help water sink into the ground, nourishing landscapes, and naturally infiltrate back into the earth.

The Downspout Initiative website provides step by step instructions for disconnecting your downspout and applying for your $50 rebate.

AND, since you have to provide before and after photos of your downspout disconnection and redirection process, keep in mind that the AFTER photo would be a great entry in our Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo contest, in which we are encouraging home gardeners to share photos of their “green” gardens.

For more information about the Downspout Initiative rebates, visit the Rock Creek Conservancy page: The Downspout Initiative

For more information about the Green Gardeners Make a Difference photo contest, visit the contest page on Facebook. 

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!