Eco-Friendly Landscaping Quiz

Whether you do your own landscaping or hire a professional, having a basic understanding of environmentally friendly principles will help you make the right choices for an eco-friendly landscape.

©2010 Metro DC Lawn &Garden Blog, Created by Betsy S. Franz 

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1) The best plant choices for your landscape are:

A. All native plants

B. Selected for your particular site conditions

C. Drought tolerant

D. Beautiful and exotic

2) You can save water in a landscape by:

A. Using rainbarrels

B. Adding mulch

C. Grouping plants by their maintenace needs

D. All of the above

3) At what height should you mow your lawn?

A. It depends on the grass species

B. 1"-2"

C. 3" -4"

D. As short as possible

E. I do not mow my lawn

4) If plants or lawn look yellow, you should always add fertilizer:

A. True

B. False

5) How should you clean up fertilizer spills in your driveway?

A. Rinse it off with a hose

B. Sweep it back into the landscape

C. Blow it into the street

D. Leave it for the next rain

6) Which of the following is a benefit of using mulch?

A. Keeps soil temperature uniform

B. Inhibits weed growth

C. Retains moisture in soil

D. All of the above

7) Which of the following help create a wildlife friendly landscape?

A. Plants that provide seeds and berries

B. A water source

C. Elimination of pesticides

D. All of the above

8 ) You should apply pesticides at the first sign of insect damage.

A. True

B. False

9) Which of the following help control pest insects?

A. Keeping plants healthy to better withstand attack

B. Insectidical soap

C. Handpicking

D. Beneficial insects

E. All of the above

10) Gutter downspouts should NOT be directed to:

A. Rain barrels

B. Lawns

C. Your driveway

D. Plant beds

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Wildlife Wednesday - What's In Your Garden

Welcome to our second Wildlife Wednesday. This is how it works.

• Every Wednesday, I encourage all bloggers to wander through their property and take a photo of whatever critter is visiting at the time. Birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, snakes, deer - think of this as the Noah's Ark of the Internet. Every critter is welcome.
• Next, create a post on your own blog, including a little bit about where and when you saw the critter. Include photos, of course!
• Now, visit the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog Wildlife Wednesday post and add your name and url on the Mr. Linky widget. Then leave a comment to tell us what wonderful wildlife you saw so we can pay you a virtual visit!

If you don't have your own blog, the National Wildlife Federation has a Facebook Page for posting Wildlife Wednesday photos.

If you don't HAVE any wildlife in your landscape, then your gardens might need a little eco-tweaking. Environmentally friendly landscapes that incorporate native plants and eliminate chemicals just naturally attract more birds and butterflies and other little critters. So keep visiting the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog and we'll help you create an environmentally friendly landscape that rolls out the welcome mat for wildlife!

Have fun! I can't wait to share your wildlife wonders with the world!

Mandatory water restrictions lifted

Laurel, MD July 26, 2010: General Manager Jerry N. Johnson has announced the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is lifting the Mandatory Water Use Restrictions, effective immediately.

WSSC’s Potomac Water Filtration Plant on River Road lost electrical power Sunday afternoon when a storm moved through the region. PEPCO restored power to the plant about 5:00 a.m. today. The plant returned to full production late this morning and storage capacity throughout the system has been replenished to an acceptable level.

“We appreciate the patience of our customers, many of whom are dealing with a loss of power and storm damage,” said General Manager Johnson. “Maintaining an adequate supply of water pressure to fight fires and handle other emergencies is a critical responsibility for WSSC and we needed to take immediate action to ensure those needs could be met.”

The Potomac Plant provides about 70 percent of the water for all WSSC customers.  The Commission’s Patuxent Water Filtration Plant in Laurel never lost power and remained fully functional.

WSSC worked closely with PEPCO through the night as the utility restored power to the Potomac Plant. “I thank PEPCO for their swift repair efforts which allowed WSSC to quickly resume our mission,” said Johnson.

Mandatory water restrictions still in place

Laurel, MD July 26, 2010 – Mandatory Water Use Restrictions remain in place for all customers, both residential and commercial while the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s (WSSC) distribution system continues to replenish.

The storm that passed through the region on Sunday caused the Potomac Water Filtration Plant on River Road to lose electrical power. PEPCO restored power to the plant about 5:00 a.m. today. The plant is now at full production, however until the storage capacity throughout the system returns to normal, the mandatory water restrictions remain in place. It is imperative that WSSC maintain an adequate supply of water pressure to fight fires and right now the system is not at full capacity.

WSSC is constantly monitoring the distribution system and will continue to provide updates.

The Potomac Plant provides about 70 percent of the water for all WSSC customers. The Commission’s Patuxent Water Filtration Plant in Laurel never lost power and remained fully functional.

WSSC serves approximately 1.8 million residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Water reduction steps include:

Stop all outside water use – no watering lawns, no washing cars, no topping off swimming pools

Use water only as necessary Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use)

Limit using washing machines and dishwashers (wash full loads only)

Mandatory water restrictions for WSSC customers

The storm that passed through the region on Sunday caused the Potomac Water Filtration Plant on River Road to lose electrical power. PEPCO restored power to the plant about 5:00 a.m. today. It will take about three hours for the plant to return to full production. Once that occurs a decision will then be made as to when the mandatory water restrictions can be lifted.

The Potomac Plant provides about 70 percent of the water for all WSSC customers. The Commission’s Patuxent Water Filtration Plant in Laurel never lost power and remained fully functional.

WSSC serves approximately 1.8 million residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

WSSC wants to ensure that there is adequate water pressure to fight fires and therefore the restrictions must remain in place.

Water reduction steps include:

• Stop all outside water use – no watering lawns, no washing cars, no topping off swimming pools
• Use water only as necessary
• Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use)
• Limit using washing machines and dishwashers (wash full loads only)

Tips for eco-friendly landscaping. Just remember C-P-R

Eco-friendly? Organic Gardening? Waterwise? Xeriscape? Native Landscape? What do they all mean? And what’s the difference between them all?

When the National Gardening Association conducted its 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey, they asked participants, "How knowledgeable would you say you are about how to maintain your home lawn, garden, and landscape in an environmentally friendly way?" 22% of the respondents said that they aren't very knowledgeable and 8% said that they are “not at all knowledgeable”.

The problem may be that, when it comes to landscapes, most people just don’t know what “environmentally friendly” means.

There are just too many terms that are used to describe “environmentally friendly” landscaping. The terms “green” gardening, eco-friendly landscaping, organic gardening, Waterwise, Xeriscape, native landscaping, wildlife friendly and greenscaping are just a few of the terms you will run across in your search for environmentally friendly answers. A beginning eco-gardener may not know where to start.

But other than the term Xeriscape, (which is a registered trademark), most of the terms do not have any “official” definition. And for the most part, the practices that they encourage are all very similar and even overlap.

When you dig down into the details of these programs, in fact, you will find that they all grow from the same strong roots of Conservation, Preservation and Restoration or C-P-R.  

Conservation – Conserving water is the basic concept behind Xeriscaping, also known as Waterwise and drought tolerant landscaping, and is an important consideration in every kind of environmentally friendly gardening. Many techniques branch off of this root, including using mulch and micro-irrigation, capturing and re-using rainwater, eliminating water hogging lawns, etc.  

Preservation – Preserving the natural eco-system and our natural resources is another concept important to all eco-friendly gardening. Your goal should be to create a landscape that works with Mother Nature, not against her. To do this, you need to get to know your site; choose plants and utilize techniques that don’t disrupt the current site conditions; eliminate chemicals which could harm natural water supplies and prevent runoff which can wash healthy nutrients out of the soil.  

Restoration – When your home was built, the characteristics of the property were changed. You, and all of the homeowners that lived there before you, have probably added chemicals and other elements to the soil. Your house is also taking up space that was once wildlife habitat. Restoring your site to a more natural condition will benefit local wildlife and the local eco-system.

That’s it. Those are the three basic concepts. It doesn’t really matter whether a program is called Waterwise or eco-friendly. As long as it keeps one or more of those concepts in mind, it’s going to provide some much needed CPR for your landscape.

So next time you are trying to determine if something you are doing is environmentally friendly, just give it the CPR test. If it helps to Conserve, Preserve or Restore the local environment, then you are on the right track.

(*The term CPR for the planet was adopted from the work of David Brower, famed conservationist and author.)

For more information about eco-friendly landscaping, visit these sites:

The National Gardening Assocation - Plant finder, weed library, articles and other tools for your garden

Creating a Water-wise landscape - Virginia Cooperative Extension document outlines many of the concepts utilized in Xeriscape

Greenscaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard - EPA website on creating environmentally friendly landscapes.

Wildlife Wednesday – What's in Your Garden?

I love being able to work from home. Our property (two acres worth) is a wonderful wildlife habitat and I can look out the windows and see all sorts of things like rabbits and butterflies and birds and turtles and bees and many, many other little critters. I feel incredibly lucky to have this garden view but I do sometimes find the critters a bit distracting.

Take this morning, for example. There are so many birds on my feeders and butterflies on my flowers that I almost thought about pulling down the blinds and turning on the radio so that I wouldn't be distracted by the wonderful sights and sounds. Hah! Not likely.

But then I thought of something much more fun. I'll start my own Wildlife Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I will post a photo of whatever wildlife I see in my yard that day, and encourage other bloggers and gardeners around the internet to join me.

I know this isn't an original idea. I got the idea for Wildlife Wednesday from fellow garden blogger, Carol and her blog May Dreams Garden. Way back in February of 2007, Carol decided to start keeping track of what was blooming in her garden from year to year by posting photos of flowers on the 15th of each month. It was kind of interesting that she decided to start her Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in the middle of the winter, but that didn't stop fellow gardeners from stopping by and adding their lists.

Since then, the popularity of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day has grown! To participate, garden bloggers post photos of what is blooming in their yard that day and then list their blogs on the list on the May Dreams Garden blog. This past week, on July 15th, 2010, 136 people listed their blogs on her site. And anyone who wants to wander through the flowers in other gardener's landscapes can just click on the links listed on the post.

So with credit to Carol, I would like to officially launch Wildlife Wednesdays. Here's how it works.

• Every Wednesday, I encourage all bloggers to wander through their gardens and take a photo of whatever critter is visiting at the time. Birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, snakes, deer - think of this as the Noah's Ark of the Internet. Every critter is welcome.
• Next, create a post on your own blog, including a little bit about where and when you saw the critter. Include photos, of course!
• Now, visit the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog Wildlife Wednesday post and add your name and url on the Mr. Linky widget. Then leave a comment to tell us what wonderful wildlife you saw so we can pay you a virtual visit!

If you don't have your own blog, the National Wildlife Federation has a Facebook Page for posting Wildlife Wednesday photos.

If you don't HAVE any wildlife in your landscape, then your gardens might need a little eco-tweaking. Environmentally friendly landscapes that incorporate native plants and eliminate chemicals just naturally attract more birds and butterflies and other little critters. So keep visiting the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog and we'll help you create an environmentally friendly landscape that rolls out the welcome mat for wildlife!

Have fun! I can't wait to share your wildlife wonders with the world!

Central Virginia Organic Gardener

I recently came across another great local blog which I'd like to share. It's called Central Virginia Organic Gardener and is written by Judy Thomas. Judy calls herself "a domestic goddess, obsessed gardener and teacher."

I love her blog. It's fun and informative AND Judy does her best to keep everything organic and eco-friendly.

Check out her recent post on straw-bale gardening. This is something I had never heard of before but something that I definitely want to try.

Also, take a listen to her podcasts.

Thanks for dropping over to say "Hi", Judy. And thanks for joining in the conversations here on the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog.

Study shows that deep conversation leads to happiness – Talk to me!

A single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study. ~Chinese Proverb

Although I thoroughly enjoy talking to my tansies and trilliums, I sometimes enjoy a conversation with a little more depth and meaning. In fact, when I recently read this short article in USA Weekend entitled “Want to be Happy? Have a Conversation”, my first thought was about how much I miss some of my old friends that I used to have nice long talks with.

Since I work from home, there can be entire weeks when I don’t talk to anyone other than the sales clerks at the grocery store and the employees of the local library.

Thankfully, being a writer often provides an opportunity to discuss great topics with great minds, such as professors, scientists and other deep thinkers out here on the worldwide web.

Take, for example, my original post to this blog on the Psychology of Green Gardening. I had the opportunity to contact both Dr. Richard Ryan, a Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry and Education at the University of Rochester and Dr. Michael Steger, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Counseling Psychology and Applied Social Psychology programs at Colorado State University. We discussed ideas about the relationship of gardening and doing good and whether they thought that environmentally friendly gardening could be good for the soul. How fun!

I love that sort of conversation, even when it is held online or through email. An intelligent exchange of ideas with inspired and educated people just energizes me. I swear, if Albert Einstein was still alive and had email or twitter or a Facebook page, I’d track him down!

Which leads to the study mentioned above, in the USA Today article.

Dr. Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona, conducted the original study on conversation and happiness. In Dr. Mehl’s study, they found that “higher well-being was robustly related to having less small talk and more substantive conversation.” In other words, deep thoughtful conversations make people happier than idle chitchat.

Collectively, the studies of Ryan and Steger and Mehl can mean only one thing: you need to invite people to your garden to sit around and have deep, interesting conversations! 

However, there are SOOOOOoo many people out there on the worldwide web that we want to discuss ideas with, and we can’t invite them all to our gardens! But we can share conversations with them online. Even Dr. Mehl, in our brief email conversation, admitted that he thinks “there are probably ways to have substantive conversations and really connect to other people on the internet.”

So talk to me! Add your comments to this blog, follow us on Twitter, join or start a conversation on our Facebook Fan page, or use the Contact link to send an email. Share your thoughts, ideas, suggestions or even your criticism. I'd love to know what you are thinking!

No lawn is a good lawn – Why Dr. Stabler challenges the poll

From time to time, I run poll questions on this blog about various topics related to gardens and landscapes. The current poll asked how high your mower blades are set: 1, 2 or 3 inches. There was also a selection for "Not sure/don't know".

The purpose of these questions is to encourage people to think a little bit about their gardening and landscaping practices.

The height of our mower blades has a direct effect on the health of our lawns and on the planet. Experts recommend that you mow your lawn at a height of 2 to 3 inches. Longer blades of grass provide for a more vigorous lawn with a thicker turf and fewer pests. There is a very in-depth resource and podcast entitled Mow Like a Pro on the Virginia Cooperative Extension Center website.

A blog reader, Dr. L. Brooke Stabler, an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Central Oklahoma contacted me with this comment:

I don't have any lawn, so I'm not sure how to answer your poll. There are just too many eco-friendly reasons not to have a lawn. Something like 60% of domestic freshwater use goes to water lawns, which of course then leads to the need to mow. Gas powered lawn equipment puts out more CO2 and other pollutants (plus noise) per hour run time than a Hummer. Fertilizers and pesticides run off or percolate into the soil and end up in water, polluting it. The good old American meticulous lawn is one of the biggest environmental disasters there is. Doing away with a lawn and instead installing native vegetation is one of the most eco-friendly things a person can do. Ironically, many cities have ordinances that would consider such a practice "letting weeds grow" and would fine home owners for doing it. 

Although I generally love a good debate with Dr. "Brooke" (she's my sister), I have to admit that this time, she's right. Less lawn (or no lawn) can be much better for the environment. Plus, even more than a good debate, I love having a sister that takes time away from her busy career to visit my blog. 

So in deference to Dr. Stabler's comments, I have changed my poll to reflect a new option: "My eco-friendly lawn does not require mowing."

Here is a link for more information about the Benefits of Reducing Your Lawn