Compost exchange - sharing your garbage for a healthier planet

Here's an interesting article I found this morning. Residents of Rye, New York have started a compost exchange that allows gardeners to exchange compost ingredients with one another!

You might share some eggs or a cup of flour with neighbors from time to time, but now two Rye organizations    want residents to start sharing items like bags of leaves, egg shells and banana peels. 

Sound strange? Not if you have a compost!  

The Rye Neighborhood Compost Exchange was started to help residents get in touch with one another so they can share composting ingredients and ideas, explained Melissa Grieco, co-president of the Environmental Advocacy Group of Rye (EAGR.) READ MORE

Compost is not only great for their gardens, but by sharing rather than tossing, they have the ability to help reduce what goes into the landfill. Click here to read the entire article, Compost Exchange Helps Eco-Friendly Residents Find Balance on RyePatch.

Tips for Choosing an eco-friendly lawn care company

If you are one of the many home-owners who are too busy or just not interested in toiling in the soil and digging in the dirt, there are now companies that offer various forms of environmentally friendly lawn care service. These companies will help reduce the eco-footprint of your home by eliminating inappropriate and polluting landscape practices.

Of course, if you are not a gardener, it may be difficult for you to know what to look for in such a company.

To help find a good “green” lawn care company, you can print out our eco-friendly landscaping quiz and see how prospective landscapers do in answering the questions. If they get all the answers correct, it’s a pretty good bet that they will make the correct choices for your landscape.

For more detailed information, I consulted Catherine Zimmerman, a Metro DC area certified horticulturist and landscape designer. Catherine is accredited in organic land care through the Northeast Organic Farmers Association and has designed and taught a course in organic landscaping for the USDA Graduate School Horticulture program. Catherine is also the author of the new book Urban & Suburban Meadows, Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces.

Below are some comments and suggestions Catherine provided for selecting an environmentally friendly landscape company:

“My approach to the lawn is to reduce it as much as possible in favor of native plants,” Catherine said:

“Where lawn is needed or desired, I take the organic approach. Key things for homeowners to know are:

1) Chemical lawn support such as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are harmful to the environment. We annually assault the earth with billions of pounds of these toxins and as a result we are losing native insect species, polluting waterways and putting our own, and especially, our children's health at risk.

2) Start with the soil. Any eco-friendly land care service will do a soil test to see what is needed, or not needed, on the site in terms of nutrients, pH adjustments and organic matter content. A healthy lawn will have high organic matter 5% or higher. High organic matter feeds critical soil organisms and helps hold moisture in the soil.

3) The lawn should be aerated. Grass performs poorly in compacted soil.

4) Mow high, 2 1/2-3" and leave the clippings to help raise soil organic matter. 

5) Pest control. Elimination of pesticides will help bring the site back into balance because we cannot target just one undesirable insect. We wipe out most insects with pesticide use. Unfortunately some insects, like aphids bounce back quicker because of their faster reproduction cycle than it's natural enemy the lady bug. 

So now we have a real problem. Best to let the bugs duke it out. Introduce biologic controls, like nematodes, if needed. 'If needed' is a very important concept. If a company is selling lots of applications, they are likely not eco-friendly."

A few more suggestions for choosing an eco-friendly lawn care or gardening service:

• Remember that each landscape is different and that your yard does not necessarily need the same treatment as your neighbor's. This is particularly true when it comes to eco-friendly lawn care, which strives to work with the current site conditions, rather than against them. Prospective lawn care companies should take a thorough look at your property and site conditions before giving you an estimate of what work they think your yard requires.
• Even the best lawns have weeds and pests. Ask what techniques the service provider intends to use to treat these problems. Eco-friendly companies should offer environmentally friendly options.
• The best eco-friendly companies will ONLY treat weeds and bugs on an as-needed basis, rather than indiscrimatley applying broad range weed killers, fertilizers or pesticides. If pesticides or weed killers are going to be used on your lawn, find out what specific problems are being addressed and what products will be used.
• Ask lawn mowing services whether they reset mower heights for different turfgrasses and at what height they will cut your lawn. They should know the correct height for your particular grass species. Also find out if they clean equipment between lawns. Mowers and other equipment can spread weed seeds and disease organisms if not cleaned properly.

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission has created a list of professional lawn care services in Northern Virginia who have signed the Water Quality Improvement Agreement with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). These companies offer their customers lawn care services to minimize pollution in order to protect our waterways while maintaining green and healthy lawns.

View the list of Green Lawn Care Companies in Northern Virginia.  

More Metro DC Area Eco-Friendly Landscape Companies
(these companies are listed to help in your selection of a lawn care company. Inclusion in this list does not indicate our endorsement)

• Richard Landscaping, LLC. Owner Richard Bajana told me that their guiding principle is “keeping things simple. Like Catherine Zimmerman, Richard is credited through the Northeast Organic Farmers Association
• My Organic Garden– provides organic vegetable gardens, fruit & berries to folks in lieu of lawns, so property owners can get a little more out of their yard. Vegetable gardens can produce food nine or more months a year in our area. A lawn can produce a lot of veggies or host a nice looking orchard of dwarf apple, peach, or pear fruit trees. To increase the eco-friendly aspect they focus on building great soil rather than pesticides, and utilize drip irrigation and mulching to minimize water usage.
• Solar Mowing - a small local company that uses solar (and wind) energy to power cordless battery-powered mowers. The mowers are quiet and emit NO pollutants!
• American Plant - a family-owned environmentally responsible garden center, provide superior plants, products, knowledge and services for our customers and community.
• Bay Country Lawns – An organic lawn care company that offers a wide array of natural and organic based programs.
• Green Harmony Design - strives to bring nature back into people's lives by creating memorable settings in private and public gardens
• Lawn-Right: Naturally healthy lawns – Professional organic lawn maintenance
• Matt's Habitats - Eco-friendly gardens, painting and more!

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For more information read, Selecting Professional Lawn and Landscape Services

How to Find local Farmer's Markets

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared August 1 - 7th, 2010 National Farmer's Market Week.

Farmers markets are an integral part of the urban/farm linkage and have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. Farmers markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide. As of mid-2009, there were 5,274 farmers markets operating throughout the U.S. ~ From USDA Website

For fresh, locally grown produce, here are several links to help you find a local Farmer's Market:

Farmer's Market Search - from USDA website

Find Farmer's Markets and Local Farms - Local Harvest website

More Inspiration and Perspiration from the garden

For me, gardening is usually as much about "inspiration" as "perspiration". Typically, I am inspired when I am gardening and think of all sorts of things I want to share. But lately when I'm outside, I'm kind of like the guy in the commercial with the shark on his arm and all he is thinking is "cigarette, cigarette, cigarette." My gardening experiences, which normally are filled with thoughts of "sweet, sweet, sweet" inspiration and beauty, are currently filled with nothing but "sweat, sweat, sweat".

But when I come inside and get away from the heat and do a little computer surfing, I find all sorts of gardening inspiration to share.

Today I found this wonderful article called How You Can Make A Green Difference For The World With A Garden, by Shawna Coronado. I mentioned Shawna in one of my previous posts called Nude Gardening to Beat the Heat. Or, to be more specific, I mentioned her book and website, both of which are called Gardening Nude.

But this new article deserves much more than just to be mentioned in passing.

It is a beautifully written essay about how Shawna changed her life, and the lives of many others, by planting a garden in the easement OUTSIDE of the fence around her property in Warrenville, Illinois. When Shawna decided to not only think outside the box, but to plant outside the box that the stockade fence around her property created, she found a whole new definition for the term "community garden". Shawna knows what kind of joy and pleasure can be found in a garden, and she wanted to share that joy with others. Not just with the friends and family that visit her garden, but the many passersby and neighbors that she previously had never even spoken to.

I won't give away all the details of this wonderful article, because it is definitely worth a read. It contains a beautiful inspirational message about how we all can make a tremendous difference in life if we just step outside of our comfort zone and the things that separate us and take the first step to spread some beauty out to the rest of the world.

Thanks, Shawna. I needed that! It was a perfect Sunday afternoon break for me. And once again, my thoughts during my gardening have returned to "sweet, sweet, sweet" inspiration and beauty.

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.