Brighton Dam Azalea Garden Open

A sure sign of spring, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s (WSSC) Brighton Dam Azalea Garden is open and soon 20,000 gorgeous azaleas will be in full bloom.

The Brighton Dam Azaleas are renowned for their beauty. Visitors can enjoy five acres of flowers expected to be in full bloom in time for the traditional Mother’s Day visit, Sunday, May 8th.

Admission to the Azalea Garden is FREE and open to the public daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Elderly or disabled visitors can drive through the garden Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

After touring the garden, visitors can relax along the Triadelphia Reservoir picnic grounds. There’s even a play area for children! For more information, please call Brighton Dam at 301-774-9124.

WHAT: WSSC’s Brighton Dam Azalea Garden

WHERE: 2 Brighton Dam Road, Brookeville, MD

WHEN: 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily, including Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th

More congratulations are in order for our man of the year, Barry Louis Polisar

Just received this news from Barry Louis Polisar, Metro DC Lawn and Garden's Man of the Year for 2010, so I wanted to shout out my congrats.

One of his songs, "All I Want is You", is being featured in a series of Honda Civic Commercials.

To find out why Barry was chosen as our 2010 Man of the Year, read this post about his efforts to clean the watershed property near his home.

To read more about Barry's children's books and music, check out his website.

It's Earth Day - Pick a Cause, Any Cause

As a baby-boomer, ex-hippie, I've been celebrating Earth Day longer than some of my readers have probably been around. Like many, I am still over-whelmed by the questions that "being green" presents on a daily basis.

Is it better to rinse plastic bags and re-use them, or does it really make sense to waste that water? Are cfl's good now, or have we decided they are bad? Is it okay to turn my A/C down a few degrees in the heat of the summer if my middle-age hot flashes are making me downright miserable?

This year, I was inundated with emails about "new" green products and techniques that PR reps were clammering to draw a little attention to. For someone trying to make the right environmentally friendly decisions, the options can be overwhelming.

A study conducted in 2008 indicated that having too many choices can actually result in people not making any decision at all:

Having choices is typically thought of as a good thing. Maybe not, say researchers who found we are more fatigued and less productive when faced with a plethora of choices. 

Researchers from several universities have determined that even though humans’ ability to weigh choices is remarkably advantageous, it can also come with some serious liabilities. 

People faced with numerous choices, whether good or bad, find it difficult to stay focused enough to complete projects, handle daily tasks or even take their medicine.

So in order to help ease the burden of those who think that "being green" is too stressful, here are a few tips from a boomer who's been there:

1. Protecting the Planet is not a competition. Don't make it one: It's a little frustrating to me that there are so MANY organizations out there (each with their own website) that are trying to be the SINGLE number one source of info for protecting the planet. Wow! What power we would have if we all worked together instead of trying to compete! Let's try to look at it that way.
2. It's the Ecology, stupid. Not the economy: Keep a wary eye on the websites that claim to be trying to protect the planet when they are obviously just trying to sell a product.
3. Good green deeds deserve recognition: There are many people and organizations that devote countless hours of their lives trying to help others make the right decisions for the planet. If you can afford to make a donation to their cause or volunteer time for any of their projects, do it. Many of these organizations, including some great eco-friendly bloggers, allow you to make donations through their websites. Keep in mind that some of the smaller groups (and individuals) can really use your support more than the larger ones. Personally, I don't make a donation to groups that spend more money each year TRYING to get me to donate (by sending free wrapping paper, calendars and greeting cards) than I can afford to even give. If you can't afford to donate time or money, a few kind words sent in an email message in support of what they are doing can go a long way in keeping eco-activists energized. Even something as simple as liking their Facebook page and commenting every now and then or subscribing to their blog helps to show that you care.
4. We are all still in the learning stages when it comes to protecting the planet. Teach each other: I'm certainly not an expert on anything. Are you? If you are, then great. Share that knowledge with others. Instead of condemning an incorrect opinion or action, offer to share your knowledge or expertise. Environmental groups AND green bloggers are always looking for contributions from experts.
5. You can't do everything, but you can do something: The Earth Day network is running a campaign called A Billion Acts of Green in which they ask readers to post what action they Pledge to commit to for a greener planet. Pick one or add your own. You DON'T have to try to do all One Billion of them. Here's mine: 

By creating an eco-friendly landscape, I pledge to: eliminate chemicals,  conserve water,  create compost,   

choose plants compatible with my site conditions,   cut down on stormwater runoff and garden for wildlife.

Create an Eco-Friendly Garden

Favorite Native Plants - Alex Dencker picks Behnke Baysafes

It's a little like "preaching to the choir" to tout the praises of Behnke's Nurseries to DC area gardeners. After all, Behnkes has a long history in the area, with their first store having opened over 80 years ago in Beltsville, Maryland.

Behnkes also has a strong commitment to the environment, helping to educate their customers about plants and activites that are best practices for protecting the local eco-system.

To help make eco-friendly plant choices a little easier, Behnke's has even developed their own labeling system for BaySafe plants, affixing a bright blue " Behnke BaySafe" label to native perennials and woody plants.

Why should gardeners grow BaySafe plants?

Native plants are critical for the environment. Many serve as food sources for native insects, which in turn are food sources for birds and other animals. Most native insects are unable to feed on non-native plants; thus, food sources for our song birds are reduced when we plant non-native plants. Yes, you will have some feeding damage, holes in leaves from caterpillars, but it is critical for species diversity that gardeners include native plants in their landscapes. In addition, since native plants are well-adapted to our local climate and native soil, they will require less care than many non-natives.

I've been anxious to get a list of "Favorite Native Plants" from someone at Behnkes to add to my recent series on the topic, and Susan Harris, blogger for Behnkes (and Gardenrant, Lawn Reform Coalition and other great, fun sites) was able to help me out.

Here is a list of Favorite Native Plants from Alex Dencker, who has worked at Behnkes for over 20 years and is currently the manager of the Potomac store.

Alex Dencker is wild about native plants, and suggests them to customers at Behnkes Nurseries every chance he gets. Asked to choose his top "got-to-have" native plants for the garden, Alex gushed about these:  

Ferns: New York Fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) , Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea L.)  

Grasses and "grass-like stuff": Carex (sedges), River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), Panicum spp, and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).

Flowering Plants: Columbine, Milkweed, New York and New England Aster, Bugbane (Cimicifuga racemosa), Joe-Pye Weed, Heuchera villosa, Virginia bluebells, Penstemon digitalis, Mountain mint, Solidago ("goldenrod), and tiarella cordifolia.

Shrubs: Clethra alnifolia, Hydrangea arborescens, Itea virginica, Spicebush, Blueberries, and Viburnum nudum.

Trees: Serviceberry, River Birch, Cornus alternifolia, Redbud, American holly, Sweetbay Magnolia, Sourgum, and these oaks: White, Willow, Scarlet and Red.  

Vines: Crossvine, Wisteria frutescens, and Decumaria barbara. To find out more about Behnkes, visit their website. And while you are there, bookmark their events page for upcoming events.

Earth Day Tree Planting - April 22nd

Help plant trees on Earth Day to reforest ten acres of open grass at Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville. The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection owns the property, and they received a grant from Chesapeake Bay Trust to help restore 5 – 10 acres of open, mowed grass to native hardwood forest.

Volunteer with fellow students from local high schools to earn Student Service Learning hours and help restore your local environment. Wear old shoes or boots, gloves, and clothing appropriate for planting trees. For more information and to sign up for the project contact Karen Walker 301-590.2855.

When: April 22, 2011 - 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where: Oaks Landfill, 6011 Olney-Laytonsville Road, (entrance on Route 108 across from Fieldcrest Road, Laytonsville, MD)

You're putting those Easter eggs WHERE?

This weekend, children across the country will be crawling across lawns and poking in flower beds looking for colorful Easter eggs. But before you start hiding eggs on your own property or looking for a public Easter egg hunt to take your children to, consider what chemicals might be lurking in the landscape.

Because of their very nature, Easter egg hunts may provide one of the most direct routes for lawn chemicals to make their way into the mouths of children. Kids pick up hidden eggs or other "treasures" and place them in a basket along with candy and other edible goodies. Eventually, those tiny fingers are going to make their way INTO the mouths of babes.

The EPA website explains why children may be more vulnerable than adults when it comes to pesticides in landscapes:

Children are at a greater risk for some pesticides for a number of reasons. Children's internal organs are still developing and maturing and their enzymatic, metabolic, and immune systems may provide less natural protection than those of an adult. There are "critical periods" in human development when exposure to a toxin can permanently alter the way an individual's biological system operates.

Here are some other facts I found online about children and lawn chemicals.

CHILDREN & PESTICIDES - From Beyondpesticides.org 

• Children take in more pesticides relative to body weight than adults and have developing organ systems that make them more vulnerable and less able to detoxify toxins. (x) 
• The National Academy of Sciences estimates 50% of lifetime pesticide exposure occurs during the first 5 years of life. (xi) 
• A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute finds home and garden pesticide use can increase the risk of childhood leukemia by almost seven times. (xii) 
• Studies show low levels of exposure to actual lawn pesticide products are linked to increased rates of miscarriage, and suppression of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. (xiii) 
• Exposure to home and garden pesticides can increase a child’s likelihood of developing asthma. (xiv) 
• Studies link pesticides with hyperactivity, developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and motor dysfunction. (xv) 
• Children ages 6-11 have higher levels of lawn chemicals in their blood than all other age categories. Biomonitoring studies find that pesticides pass from mother to child through umbilical cord blood and breast milk. (xvi)

I have wonderful memories of the Easter egg hunts that my sisters and I shared as children and I definitely don't want to be the Grinch that steals Easter. Just follow these simple suggestions to help make sure that your Easter is eco-friendly.

1) Have your Easter egg hunt in a chemical free landscape - Whether its your own yard or the yard of a friend, chemical free is definitely a better choice for a healthy hunt.

2) Make a call - If you plan on taking your child to a public park or other location for an Easter egg hunt, give them a call and find out what kind of chemicals they use on their landscape.

3) Wash up after the hunt - Take sanitizing wipes with you and wash your children's hands and any wrapped products that they picked up off the ground before they start chowing down on their Easter goodies.

For more information about

Easter Egg Hunts in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia

For more information: Children and Lawn Chemicals Don't Mix (pdf file)

Effects of Lawn Pesticides on Children and Pets

Earth Day Party for the Planet - April 22

Here's another great Earth Day / Earth Week Activity!

April 22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the National Zoo

Special activities will take place in the "Zoo in Your Backyard" exhibit, just off Olmsted Walk near Asia Trail.

Eco-Craft Recycling is great, but reusing is even better! Find out how to turn newspaper into a plant pot and take home your own. You'll make a pot, fill it with soil and drop in some seeds—when you get home you can put it right into the ground.

Recycle at the Zoo FONZ has partnered with an outside company to collect and recycle Zoo visitors' cell phones, batteries, and accessories. For many working cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, calculators, Apple laptop computers, gaming devices, and external drives—FONZ will get money to support conservation! All other devices will be recycled under strict environmental guidelines, keeping hazardous materials from reaching landfills and harming human and environmental health.

Bring all materials to be recycled to the front desk in the Visitor Center.

Click here more information about Earth Day at the National Zoo.

It's Earth Week! Stamp out eco-apathy with the new Go Green Stamps

Once you start making eco-friendly changes in your life, its hard to not want to share your new found wisdom with others. Perhaps you are saving money, energy and water in your eco-friendly garden or enjoying the delicious bounty of home-grown organic produce.

It's easy to share what you learn with others. Ask your friends to subscribe to the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog or Like our Facebook fan page to learn the basics of green gardening and to keep informed of upcoming green events.

But now you can share your green tips with people even if you DON'T know their email address.

By using the new Go Green stamps from the United States Postal Service, you can send green tips along when mailing letters, notes, greeting cards, bills...even your taxes.

Have you seen a beautiful landscape in your neighborhood that you would like to compliment? Write down their address and send them an anonymous note, telling them you appreciate their efforts to Go Green.

Do you have a neighbor that is using too many chemicals or has invasive plants? Send them a photo of your beautiful eco-friendly landscape or print out one of your favorite posts from the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog and drop it in the mail.

Whatever you decide to send, add one of the Go Green stamps to help pass along some of these great green tips:

Plant trees - Besides producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide and contaminants from the air, trees and other plants provide a habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Compost - leaves you rake, the grass you mow, and the branches you trim are some of the ingredients you can use to make compost.

Buy Local Produce - Find locally grown organic produce or grow your own.

To order your Go Green stamps online, click here. And remember, These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

What is your "Act of Green"?

Are you planning anything special for Earth Day or Earth Week? Perhaps you are planning on attending Green DC Day on April 20th or  the Chevy Chase Citizen's Association Garden Club meeting on April 19th to learn how to save money and conserve water.

Maybe you are committing to finally getting a rain barrel or starting a compost pile .

Whatever you have planned for the week, I hope that you will squeeze at least one "Act of Green" into your week.

If you need any ideas for Green Actions you can take, you can visit the Billion Acts of Green  page on the Earthday Network website.

If you are doing something unique or special for Earth Day and would like me to spread the word, I'll be happy to do so! Just list it in the comment section below.

Or, you can join me in my pledge to keep working on my Eco-Friendly garden by clicking the Pledge Button below. My pledge is:

By creating an eco-friendly landscape, I pledge to: eliminate chemicals, conserve water, create compost, choose plants compatible with my site conditions,  cut down on stormwater runoff and garden for wildlife.

GardenGal

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Green DC Day - April 20th

The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) is excited to host GreenDC Day 2011 on Wednesday, April 20^th from 10am until 3pm on Freedom Plaza.

GreenDC Day is an Earth Day Celebration where DDOE seeks to increase public awareness about environmental protection, energy efficiency and natural resources. While there is an exciting agenda planned - which includes the Mayor’s Press Conference and various fantastic music performances - the purpose of this annual event is to expose DC residents to the wide range of programs and services available to them, and to provide exposure to area businesses offering eco friendly options for greening their lives, homes, offices, schools etc. Local and federal VIPs are expected to attend the festivities and there will be vendors and exhibit booths informing the public about environmental practices.

The event will be held at Freedom Plaza again this year - as this is a highly visible public location - situated on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC (between 13^th and 14^th Streets).  

The rain date is set for the following day - Thursday, April 21st.

For more information, please contact Robin Graham at robin.graham@dc.gov or 202.741.532.