A cool Little Wave for a hot afternoon

Hubby and I worked in the yard this weekend. It was pretty brutal.  Today I worked on extending one of our gardens, which meant taking out quite a bit of grass and then moving the stone edging I have around the garden. It is one of our only gardens that gets full sun, so I was trying to extend this "prime real estate" area in our yard.

After half a day of working outside, I needed a break and came in and went through email, etc. Before I get out there and get in another hour's worth of work, I wanted to share this little video I found.

The things I love most about computers and social media websites are all of the neat people that I get to "meet" that have similar interests. I especially love "meeting" other writers, musicians and other creative types who are doing their part to help educate and encourage others to take care of the planet.

Since I just learned about it today, I haven't read this book. I just think it is a very cool idea and wanted to share it. Enjoy!

WSSC ISSUES MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS

WSSC ISSUES MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS  FOR ALL WSSC CUSTOMERS (Commercial & Residential) Severe Storms Cause Loss of Power to Plants and Other Facilities

Laurel –June 30, 2012: The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is issuing mandatory water restrictions for all Montgomery and Prince George’s County customers, residential and commercial. Last night’s severe storms knocked out power to WSSC’s two water filtration plants and other facilities. Crews from BG&E and PEPCO are working to restore power. The restrictions are mandatory to preserve fire fighting capabilities and to make the water supply last while repairs are underway. There is no estimated time for when the plants will be online and producing water again, but both power companies have assured us that WSSC is one of their highest priorities. Due to extremely high temperatures, water consumption has been at its highest this year. And, normally we would use the overnight hours to refill the system. But, last night’s storms prevented that from occurring. Until repairs are complete, it is imperative that all business and residential customers restrict their water use. If customers do not reduce their water use significantly, it may be necessary to issue a Boil Water Advisory that would affect all of our customers. Customers need to: Stop all outside water use – no watering lawns, shrubs, flowers; no washing cars, no topping off swimming pools Use water only as necessary – i.e., shorter showers and turn off faucets after washing hands Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use) Postpone using washing machines and dishwashers. These mandatory water restrictions apply to all WSSC customers, commercial and residential, in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. WSSC will provide updates through the local media and through www.wsscwater.com until mandatory restrictions are no longer necessary.

Maria Rodale's Five Truths About Gardening

My husband and I subscribe to a LOT of magazines and I usually don't have enough time to do much more than skim through them. But I almost always take the time to look at some of them, cover to cover.

I always love reading Maria's Page, written by Maria Rodale,  in the back of Organic Gardening magazine. In case you don't know who she is, Maria Rodale is "a  lifelong advocate on behalf of organic farming and gardening,  and  the author of five books, including most recently Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe (2011, Rodale Books)."

Her page this month is entitled "Five Truths about Gardening" and I know these truths are something that we all can relate to. Here are some excerpts:

1) You will lose tools: "A garden is like a clothes dryer, and tools are like socks. They are somewhere, but also they are nowhere......Let's face it: tools usually get lost before they wear out."

2) You body might feel stiff after gardening, but your mind and soul will feel more limber: "A good gardening session is accompanied by a combination of ouch and ahhhhh.....the ahhh is the sound of a peaceful mind, a spirit that has been literally grounded by the earth."

3) Something will surprise you: "Every interaction with your garden will surprise you with something."

4) You will confront your fears and gain confidence: "A few good books and a friend or neighbor who can answer your questions is the best solution."

5) Nature always wins: "This is the ultimate lesson of nature and gardening and perhaps life: If you can't beat her, join her! Then you, too, can be on the winning team."

Why Green Gardeners DO Make a Difference

We are enjoying all of the "buzz" that we have generated with our Green Gardeners Make a Difference photo contest.

Each of the 18 entrants that have made it into the voting round show one or more environmentally friendly principle that help to illustrate why Green Gardeners DO make a difference.

Some of the green elements are obvious, either by the caption, the description or the photo itself. Some of the elements aren't quite as obvious but they all still make a tremendous difference to the environmental health of the DC area.

Remember, you can vote once each day for your favorite photo.

And just as a reminder, here are some of the ways that green gardeners DO make a difference.

Generate a buzz - by attracting hummingbirds
Reduce storm water runoff – which can pollute local waterways
Enhance soil naturally - use organic fertilizers and soil additivesBar

Encourage beneficial insects – to reduce the need for pesticides
Nix the noxious products– by using eco-friendly optionsarde

ning in DC  

Get their soil tested. - to avoid unneeded fertilizer
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use - by choosing eco-friendly options
Raise their mower blades to 3 inches- to have  healthier lawns
Don't sweep clippings or fertilizer into storm drains- they pollute waterways
Eliminate weeds by hand pulling, hoeing and spot treating
Nurture local wildlife - provide food, shelter and safe conditions for local wildlife
Educate their neighbors - by sharing what they have learned
Re-cycle grass clippings – to the yard provides natural nutrients
Save the rain by installing rain barrels - rain barrels conserve water and prevent runoff

Mulch - to retain moisture while adding nutrients
A void overwatering - it's a waste of money and bad for the environment
Take a closer look at their landscape  - to  work with mother nature
Take out the trash - and create compost with it 

Enjoy the birds and bees - and other beneficial critters
Reduce lawn areas - to save water and other resources

My Beneficial Bug Buying Experiment

A few days ago, I wrote about the wasps that are eating many of the beautiful caterpillars that I have seen dining on my plants.

I mentioned that the wasps are seen as “good bugs” by many people, while the caterpillars are seen as “bad bugs.”

Since we don’t use any chemicals that we consider harmful to the environment, we are always looking for alternative means of getting rid of the pests we don’t want and encouraging the critters that we do want.

With that in mind, a few years ago I ordered several kinds of beneficial insects online. I had previously purchased a bag of ladybugs from my favorite local garden center, but they immediately flew away when I released them, so I decided to try a few more insects ….and to better follow the directions this time.

Here is what I learned:

Ladybugs - Both the adult and larval ladybugs help control aphids, scale, mealybugs, spidermites and whiteflies, as well as other insects. The adult female ladybug lays up to 50 eggs per day, usually on the upper side of leaves of infested plants. The eggs hatch into orange and black marked larvae which can consume 400 or so aphids during this 29 day stage of their life. Ladybugs live about 11 months as adults.

Live ladybugs can sometimes be purchased from local garden centers. In many instances, 90 to 95 percent of the ladybugs you release in your garden will immediately fly away. To increase the number of retainees, follow these suggestions: water the site before releasing the ladybugs or release after a rain; release the bugs in the evening, never in the heat of the day; have plenty of their favorite plants in your landscape. Another suggestion is to release only a few ladybugs at a time, over a period of about a week, instead of emptying the entire bag all at once. The rest can be stored in the refrigerator (NOT in an airtight container!) until their release.

The first time I purchased and released live ladybugs, I had the experience that many people do:  they all immediately flew away. But for the purpose of my “beneficial bug buying” experiment, I ordered some that were called Sta-Home Lady Beetles (900 for $13.95) from a popular online source for “Environmentally Responsible Products.” According to their advertisement, their ladybugs are ‘screened to remove parasitized bugs, they are ready to lay eggs, and they are hungry for pests.’

After releasing the ladybugs into my garden, I was quite impressed that many of them stayed around for weeks and even months. I did not do anything to retain them, but I did have a plant that was well infested with aphids. However, I rarely see ladybugs in our yard now so they haven’t seemed to stay around over the years.

Green Lacewings – Many sources cited lacewings as the most effective predators you can buy. They eat aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scale, moth eggs, whiteflies, small caterpillars and mites and are thought to stay around a little better than ladybugs. You can purchase lacewings as eggs, larvae and adults. The larvae are the most voracious form of this insect but it is suggested that they be purchased as eggs and allowed to hatch.    Unlike ladybugs, lacewings should be released during the day. Lacewings are less likely to fly away than ladybugs if you provide the adults with sources for food, such as pollen, nectar and honeydew.

I ordered my lacewings as eggs (1000 for $11.95) but some had already hatched by the time they arrived, I scattered them around my garden, as directed, and never saw them again. Nor did I see any adult lacewings.
However, I have plenty of ants in my gardens and ants eat lacewing eggs and defend aphids from these predators to protect the honeydew that aphids secrete. Therefore, lacewings may not be a good choice if you have too many ants in your plants.

Although I rarely see green lacewings now, I DO see their eggs all the time, so I know they are still around our property doing their job. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the ones we bought for my bug buying experiement, but I guess it could!

Praying Mantids – Although praying mantids are readily available for purchase, I read that they were of little use as effective pest control. When small, they are excellent soft-bodied insect predators. However, as they get bigger, they indiscriminately eat anything that passes in front of them including honeybees, butterflies and supposedly, hummingbirds. Because of their indiscriminate eating habits and their poor survival rate, I decided not to buy any.

Trichogramma Wasps -These tiny wasps are very popular and very effective Lepidopteron egg parasitoids, which means they are either loved or hated in the garden, depending on whether you like butterflies or not. These wasps reproduce by laying their eggs in the eggs of many Lepidopteron species (butterflies and moths). They are useful for controlling gypsy moths, codling moths, tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms and European corn borers. If you are a butterfly gardener, they will also kill many butterfly species.

The adult wasps lay up to 300 eggs each, into the eggs of 300 soon-to-be destructive caterpillars. Instead of pests hatching out, more tiny wasps hatch out from the pests’ eggs.

The life span of these parasitoids is roughly seven days in their immature stages, then up to 10 days as adults. To get the right species of Trichogramma wasps for your climate and pests, it is recommended that you discuss your needs with the supplier, which I didn’t do. The wasps arrive ready to emerge from host eggs, which are glued to a card. Timing is critical when introducing trichogramma wasps to your garden. Prey eggs have to be available since the wasps can’t parasitize the larvae.

The Trichogramma wasps I ordered came on a small card, which was supposed to have the wasp eggs on it (4000 for $5.75). I could not see them with the naked eye and since I did not have a caterpillar problem in my gardens, I couldn’t really tell whether the wasps emerged and did anything.

I have seen an increasing decline in my butterfly larvae population over the years, which I thought may be related to those wasps. However, the wasps I see are eating the caterpillars themselves and not the eggs, so I think they are a different type of wasp.

So before you spend your money buying beneficial insects, I suggest that you try to lure them to your yard. As with most things in the garden, all it takes is the right habitat.

Related post: Attracting Beneficial Insects for All Natural Pest Control 

Green Gardener Photo Contest - It's Time to Vote!

Is a picture worth 1000 words? Help us pick a winner

 

Here at the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog, we are always trying to spread the word about the many benefits of Green, eco-friendly gardening.

 

We’ve had some great photos entered into our Green Gardeners Make a Difference photo contest and now we would like your help in picking our winners.

 

There are 18 photos, of 18 yards, which have been advanced into the voting round of the contest. All of the photos meet the requirements of the contest, which were to show at least one of these eco-friendly principles:

 

• 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

If the eco-friendly principle doesn’t seem obvious in the photo, please be assured that the entrants did list the principles when they submitted their photos. We know all of the great benefits that these properties provide and we are thrilled that these gardeners have decided to share their “green” efforts with our readers.

 

We hope that you will help us encourage more Green Gardeners by adding your comments to the photos, sharing them with your friends and voting on your favorites.

 

Click on a photo Title to read more information, to add a comment, or to share it. There is a button to share the photos on Facebook, but you can also add the link to Twitter or to your Pinterest Board to help get more votes.

 

Remember, you only get ONE vote per day, through July 13th, so be sure to ask all of your family and friends to add their votes!

 

I love them all, but I’m not allowed to vote!!

Rain Barrel Workshop, July 28th

Rain barrels are a great benefit to any eco-friendly landscape. They not only help conserve water, but they also allow us to re-direct rain water, helping to cut down on stormwater runoff, which can cause flooding and water pollution. To learn more about the benefits of rain barrels, plan on attending the Rain Barrel Workshop, being hosted by University of Maryland Extension Prince George’s County.

What: Rain Barrel Workshop

When: Saturday, July 28, 2012, 9:30-11:30am

Where: University of Maryland Center for Educational Partnership,6200 Sheridan St., Riverdale, MD 20737

Connect with other concerned citizens for a workshop to learn how to recycle rainwater for use on your property while also combating stormwater pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay.

Information session with rain barrels provided at completion

Workshop Only: Free
Workshop plus 1 rain barrel: $70
Workshop plus 2 rain barrels: $140

Register at http://recycletherain.eventbrite.com

Contact Christie Balch at cbalch@umd.edu or at (301) 779-2806 x706 for more information.

Eco-Friendly Gardening Helps you Beat the Heat

Last year, I wrote a post entitled "Eco-Friendly Gardens are No Sweat". In it, I mentioned how many of the actions that make a garden eco-friendly, such as incorporating native plants or using mulch to conserve water,  also end up requiring less work. This means that when others are out dragging around hoses to keep their landscape alive, we can be relaxing in our hammocks, deciding what we want to plant next.

I recently saw an article on Consumer Reports .org entitled The Slackers Guide to Lawn Care which goes a step further. Not only does it list many of the same eco-friendly items that I had in my "No Sweat" post, but it also lists how many hours you can save, annually, by adopting these "green" landscaping practices.

I'm using their estimates for annual time saved to repeat some info I've had in previous posts.  Most of the info is from our post, 10 Tips for a Green, Eco-Friendly Lawn. Be sure and jump over to the Consumer Report website and read their great, information packed post:

• Save up to 12 hours annually by letting the lawn go brown during dry spells -  Water Efficiently – The amount of water that your lawn needs will depend on the grass species and weather conditions. But remember, overwatering can often do more damage than under watering, to both the grass itself and to the local environment. In general, applying one inch of water per week is the recommendation when there is insufficient rainfall during the spring and summer.The best rule is to water only when the lawn begins to wilt from dryness –– when the color dulls and compressed footprints stay visible when you walk across your grass.
• Save up to 8 hours annually by fertilizing less frequently - Fertilize in the Fall for a Healthy Lawn and Community - Before you fertilize, test your soil to learn what, if anything, it needs. Applying too much fertilizer can damage the lawn and is a major source of water pollution. Contrary to popular practice, spring is not the time to fertilize your lawn. Fertilizing in the spring forces energy into the blades rather than the developing roots. This can lead to disease and insect problems later in the season. It will also require more frequent mowing. Fall is the best time to fertilize, when the roots that will sustain the plants through the following summer are actively growing. Slow-acting, organic fertilizer products are available which are kinder to your landscape and to the surrounding environment.
• Save up to 10 hours annually by mowing less often - Follow the “1/3rd rule” of mowing – Lawn experts recommend that you shouldn’t remove more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade when you mow. Removing too much of the foliage while mowing shocks the grass, forcing it to redirect its food resources from roots and stems towards new leaves. That means that if you want to mow to a 3” height, you shouldn’t mow until your grass is 4.5” high.
• Save up to 5 hours annually by learning to live with certain pests and weeds - . Practice Integrated Pest management – One of the first rules of eco-friendly gardening is, not all insects are bad. If you see insects in your lawn, take them to one of the local extension service offices for proper identification. Then, always select the least harmful form of insect control. Here is a list of IPM Specialists from the University of Maryland Extension.
• Save up to 15 hours annually by leaving your grass clippings on the lawn rather than bagging -  Mulch lawn clippings for a healthy lawn – When you mow your grass, leave the grass clippings where they lay. Grass clippings provide free, natural nutrients for your lawn, reducing the need for supplemental fertilizers or the labor intensive chore of bagging and removing lawn waste. Many mowers are outfitted with mulching attachments that chop clippings into fine pieces for quick breakdown. But if you follow the 1/3rd rule, you should never produce enough clippings to cause problems with your lawn.
• Save up to 15 hours annually by choosing a low maintenance grass variety - Get to know your grass – As with everything in your landscape, it’s best to get to know as much as you can about the species that you are dealing with so that you can make the right choices in taking care of it. Whether you already have an established lawn or are putting in a new one, get to know your grass. Here’s a great document from the Virginia Cooperative Extension about Selecting Turfgrass.

The Slacker's Guide to a Great Lawn: Consumer Reports

10 Tips for a Green, Eco-Friendly Lawn: Metro DC Lawn and Garden

What acorns and invasive plants have to do with ticks and Lyme Disease

Several years ago, I wrote a post about the abundance of acorns in the area, entitled "Abundant Acorns a Harbinger of Good Things to Come?"

Well, apparently they were a harbinger of BAD things to come, in the form of ticks.

I’ve read comments on several local garden sites recently about people seeing a lot of ticks in their gardens and apparently acorns may be partly to blame for the problem.

An article in the Summer edition of Maryland Home and Garden blames part of the problem on the huge numbers of acorns that we have had over the last few years.

Here are a few excerpts that explain how the boom and bust in acorns have led to more ticks in our yards:
The article goes on to say that certain invasive PLANT species are known to attract and harbor these dangerous pests:

The article goes on to say that certain native plant species may be adding to the problem: 

According to a New York Times article on December 2, 2011, the boom and bust cycle in acorn production over the past two years will likely result in a very high incidence of Lyme Disease in areas with lots of oak trees in 2012. Richard S. Ostfeld, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., said, “We expect 2012 to be the worst year for Lyme disease risk ever.”

Bumper crops of acorns, like the one we saw in 2010, provide a huge source of food for many mammal species, including the field mouse. This surplus in food led to a population explosion in field mice in the summer of 2011. Because the 2011 acorn crop was very small and unable to support the bigger population, field mouse numbers are expected to crash this year.

This food boom and bust cycle trickles down to other species, like deer ticks—also known as blacklegged ticks or bear ticks. Just as more acorns mean more mice, more mice mean more ticks. When the mouse population crashes, ticks will be in search of other sources of a blood meal, including humans.

The number of tick bites on humans is therefore expected to increase, and the percentage of ticks infected with the Lyme disease bacteria is expected to be higher, leading to an overall increase in human cases of the disease.

The article goes on to say that certain invasive plants species can add to the problem:

One of the ways that humans help the disease thrive is through the spread of invasive species like Japanese barberry and bush—or Amur—honeysuckle. These plants create the perfect habitat for both ticks and their hosts by creating a thick layer of cool and moist undergrowth. Studies have shown that tick populations are 67% higher in barberry-infested areas, and that there are three times as many ticks infected with the Lyme disease bacteria than in areas with no barberry.

Lyme Disease is a serious health issue and the presence of ticks should not be taken lightly. For information about ticks and Lyme Disease, visit these resources:


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease: Montgomery County Website

Click here to download the Summer 2012 Edition of Maryland Home and Garden,

National Pollinator Week - June 18-24th

I guess it’s a little apropos that I was so absorbed with the butterflies in my yard (see my last two posts: #1, #2) that I forgot to mention that this week is National Pollinator Week. Or maybe it snuck up on me because it is typically the final week in June (which is next week instead of this week).

In any case, National Pollinator Week is a great time to learn more about the valuable benefits that pollinators play in our gardens and in world-wide food production.

Five years ago, the first Pollinator Week was celebrated with  the unanimous approval of the  U.S. Senate.  Pollinator Week is now an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles.

It is estimated that about 90% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollination (as opposed to wind pollination) and over 200,000 species of animals participate in the pollinating. Without pollinators, many plants would never produce fruit or set seed and many of the foods we eat would no longer be available. As if a world lacking chocolate and coffee wouldn’t be bad enough, wild creatures that rely on pollinated plants for food and shelter could also disappear.

Like so many other species, some pollinators are showing steady population declines. Although the declines in honeybee populations are mainly due to diseases, declines in wild pollinator populations are attributed to habitat loss, competition from invasive species and exposure to pesticides. This is a valuable reminder about why it is important for eco-friendly gardeners to eliminate pesticides.

There are several activities in the area to celebrate Pollinator Week, listed on the events page of the Pollinator Week website. But a visit to any of the local butterfly gardens or to a local beekeeper may be the best way to learn more about these important garden visitors.

And don’t forget that another great way to help protect pollinators is by supporting the Pollinator Plate project.

There are many posts on this blog related to butterflies and hummingbirds, two of my favorite pollinators. You can use the Topic Index at top to find them. Here are a few posts related specifically to pollinators:

• Attracting Pollinators
• 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Honey Bees
• First Rooftop Garden Built for Bees