Green New Years Resolution - More Bare Naked Gardening

I always make a LOT of resolutions each year. It's a great practice for me, and although I don't always keep every single resolution, I do find that having a list helps keep me on track. I make resolutions about money, health, relationships and, of course, about how I want to take care of the planet.


For the coming year, I resolve to practice more BARE NAKED GARDENING!

Be kind to the planet - everything you do in your garden affects all others  
A void overwatering - it's a waste of money and bad for the environment  
Reduce storm water runoff - it pollutes local waterways
Enhance your soil naturally - use organic fertilizers and soil additives Bare naked gardening in DC  
Nix the noxious products- choose eco-friendly options  
Add some mulch - mulch retains moisture while adding nutrients  
Keep a compost pile - it's a valuable and free source of fertilizer  
Encourage beneficials - worms and pollinating insects are good  
Determine your site conditions - work with mother nature, not against her Bare Naked Gardening in DC  
Get outside! - gardening is good for the body and good for the soul.  
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use - choose eco-friendly options  
Raise your mower blade to 3 inches- you'll have a healthier lawn  
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  
Install rain barrels - rain barrels conserve water and prevent runoff  
Naturalize your landscape - choose native plants  
Grass-cycle - mulch your grass clippings and return them to your yard

Beware of second-hand herbicides

Everyone knows the effects of second-hand smoke, but not every gardener is aware of the potential dangers of second-hand herbicides.

Eco-friendly gardeners make extra efforts to maintain the weeds in their yards with non-chemical methods such as spot treating, hand-pulling and hoeing. But an article in a recent edition of Maryland Home and Garden, a newsletter from the Home and Garden Information Center of the University of Maryland explains how even gardeners who are making the right choices around their yards by eliminating chemical weed and pesticide products may be unwittingly adding poison to the planet.

The article, entitled Gardener Alert! Beware of Herbicide- Contaminated Compost and Manure reports that unsuspecting farmers and gardeners have applied compost, manure, and grass clippings contaminated with herbicides.

Here are the steps they advise to make sure that you aren't inadvertently using second-hand herbicides.

What’s a gardener to do? 

* Grass clippings can make a wonderful organic mulch and addition to the compost pile. Just be certain that the clippings you use were not sprayed with any herbicides. Don’t use neighborhood yard waste unless you’re sure it’s free of herbicides.

* Herbicide-contaminated compost and manure do not look or smell unusual. Most farmers who sell or give manure away may or may not know if their animals grazed on grasses or ate hay sprayed with aminopyralid or clopyralid. Ask commercial compost suppliers if their products are free of herbicide contaminants. Maryland Environmental Service (MES) is the producer of Leafgro, a very popular yardwaste compost available at garden centers throughout Maryland. MES has Leafgro tested regularly by an independent lab and have not detected aminopyralid or clopyralid. 

*  Bioassay test- this is the best way to test for possible contamination. You just mix some of the suspect material (hay, grass clippings, manure, compost) with a soil-less growing mix, dump it in a nursery pot, plant pea or bean seeds and observe what happens. Contamination is indicated if the seeds don’t germinate or seedlings emerge that are twisted and deformed. 

You can read the whole article along with other great information for local gardeners by downloading the Maryland Home and Garden newsletter here (pdf format).

This grant money is for the birds

If you've followed this blog, you know that I feel that eco-friendly gardening goes hand-in-hand with appreciating the birds and the bees . When you "garden green", you eliminate chemicals and use more native plants, and both of these steps have a natural tendency to attract more birds, bees and butterflies.

But it works both ways. Sometimes the love of birding and wildlife comes first, encouraging a homeowner to create an eco-friendly garden to attract wildlife. And sometimes the eco-friendly garden comes first, and the visiting wildlife is just a welcome and wonderful surprise.

In any case, organizations such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology understand the importance of encouraging people to appreciate birds. With that in mind, they are offering mini-grants to help fund neighborhood bird appreciation events in urban areas.

The grants can be used for any creative program using the arts, science, community service and greening to encourage an understanding of birds and to get people to become involved in conservation.

In 2010, Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen in Washington, D.C., used a grant for a month-long program for their homeless clients, which included: bird yoga, origami, poetry, art, as well as learning about 16 bird species and collecting data.

In 2009, Garland Hayward Youth Center in Princess Anne, MD used a mini-grant to plant raised beds and install bird houses and bird feeding stations to enhance wildlife habitat around their Center.

Also in 2009, Queen City Creamery in Cumberland, MD had a community greening and bird program with the local public libraries.

What is a Celebrate Urban Birds event? These are neighborhood events featuring activities involving birds, community service, art, greening, and science. Celebrate Urban Birds mini-grants could be used to support a bird-activity day at a local museum, after school program, library, or community center, or fund art and gardening activities at your club, business, school, senior center, or neighborhood. 

Organizations working with underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information on the grants, go to celebrateurbanbirds.org.

Also from their website, Urban Gardening for Birds

Why Does Santa Love DC? Ask Rudolph

According to estimates on abcnews.com, Santa and his reindeer have to cover approximately 178 million miles on Christmas Eve hauling a sleigh filled with about 660 million pounds of toys. Even the most magical of reindeer appreciate a good resting spot during that arduous journey.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Washington DC area, which currently rates second in the nation for square footage of green roofs, is one of their favorite hangouts.

Green roofs, which are partially or completely covered with vegetation planted in a growing medium, provide excellent resting spots for Santa’s weary reindeer.

In the wild, reindeer live in the cold arctic tundra, where food is hard to come by. During the winter, there is often no plant life at all, and the reindeer must sustain themselves solely on lichen.

Green roofs, however, are often covered with sedums and other plants that survive through the winter, presenting a wonderful dining spot for ravenous reindeer.

The District Department of the Environment has a great webpage entitled Green Roofs in the District: RiverSmart Rooftops . Although it fails to mention the fact that they are reindeer magnets, the site does describe some of the other benefits of green roofs:

Benefits of Green Roofs 

Green, or vegetated, roofs help to manage stormwater. Stormwater runoff is rainwater that flows off impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, roads, sidewalks and sometimes even lawns. Stormwater runoff travels from these surfaces to our streams, picking up pollutants such as oil and grease from our roadways and driveways as it goes. Nutrients from lawn fertilizers and bacteria from pet waste may also be picked up by stormwater and carried to our streams. Once in the stream, stormwater causes erosion, poor water quality and destruction to habitat for fish and other wildlife. 

Green roofs hold and delay rainfall, effectively preventing rainwater from becoming stormwater and reducing combined sewer overflow events. In addition, green roofs filter air pollutants from the rainwater and save energy in buildings. 

Green roofs are especially effective in cities such as the District, where so much surface area is taken up by rooftops. Green roofs are most appropriate for flat rooftops of commercial and residential buildings; modern systems are lightweight but roof structures must be checked for adequacy.

Other environmental benefits of green roofs include reduced heating and cooling loads, the filtering of pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air, and the creation of agricultural space. And of course, they provide natural habitat areas for any type of flying wildlife, including (ahem) reindeer.

There are many government and private buildings in DC with green roofs including the US Department of Transportation Headquarters, the American Society of Landscape Architects Headquarters Building, and the Franklin D. Reeves Center.

But if I were a reindeer, I think I’d head right over to the new green roof on the World Wildlife Fund Headquarters that is touted as being the third largest green roof in the city. After all, every young child may know that cookies and milk are the favorite snacks of Santa Claus. But the World Wildlife Fund would certainly be one of the best sources to know what snacks are favorites of reindeer.

And it’s not just the reindeer that appreciate the green roofs. Santa loves anything that helps to keep his aerial view as beautiful and as pristine as possible, and green roofs go a long way in helping to reduce stormwater pollution that could affect some of his favorite water bodies such as the Anacostia River and its watersheds.

But don’t worry, as a homeowner, there are plenty of ways for you to stay on Santa’s “nice” list when it comes to protecting local water supplies, such as staying away from “naughty” landscape products like harsh chemical fertilizers and weed products and installing rain barrels to help reduce storm water runoff.

And if you aren’t quite certain whether something falls into the naughty or nice category in your garden, just stop on back at the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog and we’ll help you figure it out. After all, we like to do our best to keep Santa happy.

For more information about Green Roofs in DC,visit : Green Roofs– Anacostia Watershed Society and Green Roofs in the District


Happy and Safe Holiday Wishes from the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog

"Gardening" isn't just a spring thing in Washington, D.C.

I noticed that we were mentioned in DC Blogs Noted this morning. Here is what was said:

I don’t usually associate the holiday season with gardening; that seems like sort of a spring thing to me. But Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog proves me wrong with a Christmas chestnut from a green-thumb point of view.

Of course, I appreciate the mention, especially since it gives me the opportunity to pass along one of my mottoes in life: That "Life is a Garden" and we each have the opportuntiy, every day, to "Plant something good." With that in mind, I would like to play Johnny Appleseed by re-sowing another great story that I read today on Green Celebrity Network .

Last December, Washington, D.C. resident Reed Sandridge was unemployed and looking for work. As bad as it was for him, he knew there were others in D.C. who needed money more than he did. He decided to use his newly found free time focusing on helping others. One of the ways he did that was by giving $10 a day to a stranger, everyday for a year and keeping a blog about it.

I went over to Sandridge's Year of Giving blog and all I could think was "wow". I was humbled by his generosity and his altruism. Sandridge says:

My goal is not to change the lives of those with whom I come in contact. Let’s face it, $10 dollars is not going to change someone’s life in and of itself. I do believe, however, that the act of giving will hopefully inspire others to pursue the ideals that the French philosopher Auguste Comte envisioned when he coined the term “altruism.” Whether that comes in the form of someone who reads this blog and wants to embark on their own Year of Giving or someone who uses the $10 to help someone else out, the specific results are less important than the overall good that we can achieve together.

If "Life is a Garden", then Reed Sandridge has definitely "planted something good" in Washington, D.C. this past year. Proving my point, of course, that "gardening" isn't just a spring thing, but something that each of us can do all year through.

The Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog is about gardening ... and more. It's about what we can do throughout the year to make our gardens, and our cities and our planet a little bit better place. From an ecological standpoint, a lot of that change can happen in our gardens.

The Night Before Christmas (a gardener's point of view)

Here's another cute Christmas poem for gardeners, reprinted in full with permission of the author, Marianne Binetti  

The night before Christmas (a gardener's point of view)

’Twas the week before Christmas,
and all through the yard,
not a gift had been given,
not even a card.

The tools were all hung,
in the carport with care,
with hopes that St. Nicholas
soon would repair.

The shovel with blade
all rusty and cracked,
the pitchfork still shiny,
but handle it lacked.

When out on my lawn,
(it’s brown and abused)
I could see poor old Santa,
looking confused.

No list had been left
for Santa to see,
no gardening gifts
were under the tree.

But wait there’s still time,
it’s not Christmas yet,
and gardening gifts
are the quickest to get.

You can forget the silk tie,
the fluffy new sweater,
give something to make
the garden grow better.

If she wants a gift shiny,
then don’t be a fool,
it’s not a dumb diamond,
but a sparkling new tool.

If fragrance is listed
you can forget French perfume,
it’s a pile of manure
that’ll make gardeners swoon.

Give night crawlers, not nightgowns,
the type of hose that gives water.
(Anything for the kitchen
is not worth the bother.)

Give a great gift
that digs in the dirt,
it’s better than any
designer-brand shirt.

Now look quick at Santa,
this guy’s not so dumb,
Under his glove,
he hides a green thumb.

His knees are so dirty,
his back how it aches,
his boots stomp on slugs,
(he gives them no breaks).

Santa only works winter,
you can surely see why,
The rest of the year
it’s a gardening high.

Elves plant in the spring,
pull weeds merrily all summer,
in fall they all harvest,
but winter’s a bummer

And so Christmas gives Santa
a part-time employment,
till spring when the blooms
are his real life enjoyment.

So ask the big guy
for garden gifts this year,
Seeds, plants and tools,
Santa holds them all dear.

You see malls may be crowded,
vendors hawking their ware,
but visit a nursery,
stress-free shopping is there.

Now Santa’s flown off,
to the nursery he goes,
and his voice fills the night
with loud Hoe! Hoe! Hoes!**

Merry Christmas from Marianne Binetti

** And speaking of hoe, hoe, hoes. Don't forget that they make great eco-friendly gardening gifts by allowing gardeners an environmentally safe way to remove weeds from the garden.

Eco-Santa’s Favorite Garden Gift? A hoe, hoe, hoe

Weeds, of course, are a challenge for any gardener. For eco-minded gardeners, who try to abstain from using chemicals, the challenges are even greater.

It is important to try to eliminate chemicals when possible, however, to help cut down on non-point source pollution which is a leading cause of pollution for local water supplies. Sure, you can take the path of least resistence and choose to see the weeds as welcome wildflowers. Or you can spot treat weeds with eco-friendly products or pull them by hand. But if you would like a quicker way to control what gets to stay and what has to go in your garden, then a hoe, hoe, hoe is the perfect solution.

 Controlling weeds with a hoe is a lot quicker and easier than hand pulling. Hoes allow you to get the entire root, without the disruption to nearby plants that a rotary tiller would cause. Long handled hoes allow you to do the dirty work from a standing position, causing less strain on your knees and back. Since they dig down into the dirt, hoes can allow you to remove the weeds before they even reach the surface.

 Hoes are also useful for loosening soil and creating troughs to plant seeds. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, in their document Weeds in the Home Vegetable Garden, says this about the benefits of hoes:

There are several ways to rid the garden of most problem plants. Since mature weeds extract large quantities of moisture and nutrients from the soil, removing the weeds when they are young is beneficial. Hand-pulling suffices for small gardens and raised beds, but a hoe is critical for larger gardens. Manual-powered rotary cultivators do a good job on long rows and pathways, provided the soil is not too wet or dry and the weeds are small. In large gardens with widely spaced rows, a rotary tiller of appropriate size makes the work easy and fast. Manual and powered rotary cultivators are usually unable to turn under weeds close to vegetable plants without damaging the vegetables. Hand-pulling or hoeing are best for removing weeds near vegetable plants. Deep cultivation with any instrument is likely to damage roots or stems of crop plants.

There are many different types of hoes and long-time gardeners generally have their favorite. They come with flat heads, pointed heads, curved heads and even swivel heads. Whatever style is preferred, it is important to keep the hoe sharpened. Just surf on over to your favorite garden center website and do a quick search to see all of the different types of hoes available.

Here is a cute blog post that has photos of many different types.

 And for more information about environmentally friendly weed control, check out these guidelines from Montgomery County and Fairfax County. Pesticide Alternatives, Montgomery County Watershed A Corny Solution for Weeds (pdf file) about corn gluten Going Solar to Set Your Soil Straight (pdf file) Weed Control – Fairfax County

Eco-friendly gardening: It's a Wonderful Life

Taking care of the planet, by practicing eco-friendly gardening techniques, is a great way to help local birds, butterflies and other garden wildlife. It is also a way to create a WONDER-full life.

Every time you garden green, you are helping to protect and preserve habitat for local wildlife. The process is so magical and mystical that it reminds me of the classic line from one of my favorite Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life. At the end of this happily-ever-after movie, George Bailey and his friends and family are singing Christmas carols when a bell on their Christmas tree rings, reminding young daughter Zuzu that "every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings."

In widlife gardens, the surprises are just as magical. Eliminating chemicals, using native plants and conserving water are all great for the planet and for local wildlife.

So to give your family a gift that lasts a lifetime, make plans to start (or continue) an eco-friendly garden this spring. You will soon feel the same way that I do: that being a green gardener IS a Wonderful Life. And every time you garden green, a butterfly gets its wings. 

Four tips for an eco-friendly garden:

1) Eliminate chemicals - spot treat weeds or pull them by hand

2) Choose native plants - they adapt better to local conditions

3) Conserve water- waterwise landscapes are a great start

4) Garden for wildlife - turn everyday gardening into a WONDER-FULL way of life

I hope you will join us on the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog as we learn to create environmentally friendly landscapes together. You can subscribe (at right) and follow us on Facebook to join in the conversation. Be sure to add any suggestions or questions you'd like to learn more about!

Think Twice before Choosing a Living Christmas Tree

I have a neighbor who has a couple of HUGE pine trees in his yard. They take up way too much of his yard and look completely out of place. But because of their size, it would be very costly to have them removed. They are the result of good intentions gone awry - living trees which were purchased for Christmas trees and then planted in his yard, without enough thought given to the size that the trees would some day reach.

Many gardeners like the idea of choosing a Christmas tree that can later be planted in their landscape. It seems so environmentally friendly and provides more bang for the buck by allowing you to enjoy the tree year after year rather than just tossing it away after the season.

But before you decide to choose a living tree, keep these things in mind:

1) Make sure you choose a tree which is appropriate for the area. Many living trees which are available through mail-order will not survive in northern climates. Virginia Pines, Eastern White Pines and several cypress and cedar species are suitable options for the Washington, DC metro area.

2) Decide where you will plant the tree. Virginia Pines and White pines can reach heights of up to 80'. Red Cedars can reach heights of 50'. This makes them impractical choices for many home landscapes. Another option would be to find a park or public area that would accept the tree as a donation after the season. If you know of any Arlington, Rockville, DC or other local organizations that would like a donated tree, please let us know by adding a comment at the end of this post.

3) Living trees are much heavier than cut trees. Whether they are in a pot or balled and burlapped, a living tree can weigh well over 100 pounds.

4) If you are going to plant the tree in your yard, you should dig the hole for the tree before the ground freezes. The hole should be 3 times the diameter of the root ball and as deep.

5) Living trees may be more likely to have bugs and other critters living in them. Check closely for insects and insect egg masses before bringing the tree indoors.

6) Ideally, trees should be slowly acclimated to the indoor climate. Gradually introduce your living tree from outside to inside over three or four days via the garage or enclosed porch. A tree that is dormant and exposed to immediate warmth will start to grow. Locate your tree in the coolest part of the room and away from heating ducts.

7) You should limit the time that you have a living tree indoors. Although cut trees can be kept indoors for three weeks or more, the shorter the time a living tree is kept indoors the better. A maximum of 7 to 10 days is recommened. The survival of a living tree is dependent on its winter hardiness. Keeping it indoors for too long will make it less winter hardy.

8) It is important that you water the plant regularly to keep the soil moist. This will add even more weight to the tree.

9) Christmas tree lights may put out heat which will damage the needles of the tree.

10) Planting a tree in winter will require extra care for its survival. Make sure you are ready for that commitment before you purchase the tree.

For more information:
Choose a locally grown Christmas Tree
Selecting and Caring for a Live Christmas Tree (pdf) - MD Cooperative Extension
Marylanders Plant Trees - Recommened tree list and planting suggestions
Care for Living Trees - Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association
Selection and Care of Christmas Trees - Virginia Cooperative Extension
How to Care for a Live Christmas Tree
Living Christmas Trees (Clemson University)

Recycle Garden Trimmings to Create Holiday Wreath

My husband, Tom, LOVES everything about Christmas.

But one of his favorite holiday activities is using some of the Christmas tree branches and whatever he can find in the yard and garden to create our holiday wreath.

He starts with a wire wreath frame which can be purchased online or at local craft stores. He then weaves in branches that were cut off of the bottom of our Christmas tree. If we need extra greenery, local Christmas tree lots are usually more than happy to let us have as many branches as we need.

After the wreath is full of greenery, he walks around the yard snipping berries, flowers and other items to add to the wreath. Sometimes he even snips a blossom from an indoor flower or two.

I was too busy baking holiday goodies to get photos of the whole process this year, but I've included a few shots to show you how much fun it is and how much nicer the result is than a store-bought wreath.

If you want to try creating one of your own, here is a blog post I found called How to Make a Fresh Wreath that helps illustrate the whole process.