Watershed Friendly Home, Garden and Horse Farm Tour - June 19th

One of the best ways to get inspired about creating eco-friendly landscapes is to visit some of the other "green" gardens in the area to see just how beautiful and fun they can be!

On Sunday, June 19th, you will have that opportunity during the Watershed Friendly Home, Garden and Horse Farm Tour being held from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Visit gardens throughout Fairfax County featuring vegetated roofs, rain barrels, backyard wildlife habitat, composting, native plant species and more.

You can enjoy each garden at your own pace and visit as many or as few as you like. Gardens are grouped for ease of viewing.

This event is co-sponsored by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and the Fairfax Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists.

Highlights of the tour:

• Native plant landscapes
• Wildlife habitats (including NWF Certified habitats)
• Monarch Waystation Habitat
• Rain barrels and other rain collection systems
• Rain gardens
• Turf-free landscapes
• Chemical free landscapes
• Green roofs

For descriptions of the gardens on the tour, visit the Watershed Friendly Home, Garden and Horse Farm Tour page on the Fairfax County website.

Out of the mouths - and minds - of babes

My friend, Doug, and his grandson Jaden were out following a turtle around their yard this weekend.

"You know, grandpa, I'm not just an ordinary boy," Jaden said.

"You're not?" Doug, answered, as they knelt down to peer inside the shell of the hiding turtle.

"No, grandpa, I'm a nature boy."

It made my heart skip a little beat when I heard that story. Doug and Jaden are always out wandering around the yard or building bird houses or exploring the crawling critters in their gardens and it's interactions like that which give me hope for a future generation that cares about the planet.

Then, today, I read this article about 9-year old Mason Perez in Reno, Nevada who came up with an idea to help home owners and businesses save money and water. The idea?: turning down the pressure on the water intake valve on kitchen and bathroom sinks, especially in public bathrooms. I mean, how many times have you been in a public bathroom and tried to wash your hands and been just flooded with water? Makes as little sense as the motion sensor faucets that keep running long after you've finished washing your hands.

Yeah, the kids are all right. And if we keep encouraging them, I think the planet might just be all right, too.

Artistic Rain Barrels up for Auction

During our recent Rain Barrel survey, several people said that they think rain barrels are ugly. But Fairfax County, Virginia is hoping to change that opinion with their Artistic Rain Barrel Program.

Throughout April and May, 25 rain barrels decorated by local artists have been on display throughout Northern Virginia at local libraries, schools, community centers and businesses.

These one-of-a-kind works of art were created as a fun way to educate the community on the benefits of using rain barrels to improve water quality.

On Saturday, June 11, 5 - 7 p.m., these works of art will be auctioned at Green Spring Gardens with proceeds going to support the regional rain barrel program.

You can see photos of all of the decorated rain barrels here, as well as read artist biographies. Pick your favorite and then place a bid at the Rain Barrel Auction

Please RSVP for the silent auction event to Taylor Beach. Please include the number of people who will attend.

Directions to Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22312.

Passalong your Passion for the Planet - World Environment Day is June 5th

June 5th is World Environment Day (WED), a program established by the United Nations in 1972 to stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and encourage political attention and action.

In honor of World Environment Day, I'd like to share this post which I wrote in 2010 that was recently published on Jeff Corwin's Citizen blog entitled Passalong Your Passion for the Planet.

If you are from the south, or if you know someone who is a dedicated gardener, you have probably heard the phrase “passalong plants”.

This phrase describes the point in most gardeners’ lives when their hobby quietly changes from a pastime to a passion. When that happens, they want to share their joy. 

They give flowers to friends. They share homegrown produce and herbs with neighbors. They even begin collecting seeds and rooting their cuttings so they can encourage new gardeners. They’ve discovered the deep wonder of working the earth and they want to share it. And from the process, multitudes of new gardeners have been encouraged to get outside and to enjoy the pleasures of the earth.

Steve Bender and Felder Rushing explain this gardening custom is their book, Passalong Plants (© 2002, University of North Carolina Press). “The experience of husbanding a flower through sowing, germination, growth, and blossoming is so spiritually rewarding that it engenders a sort of botanical evangelism in its participants,” Bender and Rushing explain. “It simply reflects the belief that people don’t own the wonders of nature, they just take care of them for awhile. What brings joy to one should bring joy to all.” 

These words seem to exemplify the fact that gardeners don’t just passalong their plants. They passalong their passion. And as nature lovers, we should all take heed of those words. What brings joy to us can bring joy to others. We just need to quit being shy about passing along our passion. 

As naturalists, scientists, nature writers and photographers, we already understand the wonders of wildlife and the excitement of the environment, but there are many people out there who do not. And although we may be tempted to try to persuade them with lectures about environmental responsibility and the extinction of species, we will probably make a much bigger impact if we share our passion. 

We need to become PR people for the planet and evangelists for the earth. We need to get others to feel what we feel and to see what we see. We don’t need to explain the details of the whys and the hows of the natural world as much as we need to share the wonders. 

Amateur nature photographers capture incredible images of miraculous events that are occurring all around them but their photos sit unshared on their computers. Writers pen inspirational thoughts about the joys and miracles of their experiences in nature and then hide their journals away in desk drawers. Scientists and naturalists make new discoveries every day that they share with their colleagues but keep quiet about when in the company of family and friends. 

But now is not the time to be shy. The environment is suffering and we hold the key to its survival. The key is our passion. 

Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Peace Day encouraged humankind to “renew and strengthen their covenant between human beings and the environment.” The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. But environmental advocates such as Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), feel that we will make little progress unless we can get people outside to experience nature. 

“Human beings are becoming increasingly cut off from nature,” Djorghlaf said. “Without contact [with nature], people are not aware that their patterns of consumption lead to habitat loss, pollution and other drivers of biodiversity loss.”

And that’s where we come in. All of us feel a spark of excitement when we make a new discovery in nature. And we need to share that spark….share that joy….share that discovery. 

Whether you share your enthusiasm for nature quietly with your closest friends and family, on-line with blogs and wildlife forums or at weekly meetings of your favorite social get-togethers, don’t be reluctant to share. Teaching others about your passion for the planet can be a valuable gift for both them and the environment. 

Don’t ever feel like your photos are not good enough or your blog posts aren’t important. If you were excited by something in nature, than share that excitement. Passalong your passion for the planet so that we can all make sure we have a healthy planet to continue to passalong. 

“In the end, we conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum, Senegalese Poet

It's your planet. Don't blow it.

Ahhh. Springtime. You wake up with the light streaming through the window and the birds tweeting and twittering in the trees, thinking of all of the great things ahead of you for the weekend. And suddenly, your reverie is broken by the sound of a roaring leaf blower.

I'll never quite understand the appeal of these loud, debris-stirring devices. Gardening, to me, is a peaceful experience. My garden is where I do a lot of thinking and connecting with nature. And I can't hear nature talk to me if the growl of a leaf blower is roaring in the neighborhood. Plus, using a good old fashioned broom is a good way to burn some calories.

And leaf blowers can also be bad for the environment. A post on The Daily Green lists these 4 Reasons Not to Use a Leaf Blower:

 Why are gas leaf blowers so offensive? 

1. They pollute the air. 

A single gas-powered leaf blower can emit as much pollution in a year as 80 cars. 

2. They're noisy.  

A normal decibel level, considered acceptable in residential areas, is about 60 decibels (60dB). Every increase in decibels means noise that is 10 times louder. Leaf-blowers usually generate about 70-75 dB. According to the U.S. EPA this level of noise actually degrades quality of life by interfering with communication and sleep, leads to reduced accuracy of work and increased levels of aggravation, which can linger hours after exposure. 

3. They worsen allergies and asthma and irritate the lungs.

Because they operate at such high velocities, leaf blowers stir up the mold, allergens, and dust particles that otherwise have been tamped down with rain and decomposition. 

4. They waste gas. 

Rakes and even electric-lawn blowers offer a petroleum-free alternative.

But there is a fifth very big way that leaf blowers can be bad for the planet.

When used incorrectly, leaf blowers can help to cause polluted waterways. Why? Because if you blow your grass clippings and leaves into the street, rather than back into your yard, the next rain is going to wash them into the stormdrains whihc lead to our waterways. Once there, the nutrients in the grass, even if you don't use chemical fertilizers, can cause algae blooms which can kill plants and desirable animal life.

This document, entitled "Improper Mowing of Lawns Can Impact Water Quality" on the Virginia Cooperative Extension website describes this process:

Cutting turf and impacting water quality sound like completely unrelated topics. However, the improper handling of clippings is a very important way in which nutrients are inadvertently introduced into our water sources. What is the form of the nutrient? Well, it is not a standard chemical fertilizer, but for all intents and purposes it is ‘slow release fertilizer’: it’s your clippings. The leaf blades and stems that are discharged by your mower are comprised of all the nutrients required for plant growth and development. In general, your lawn clippings contain around 4% nitrogen, 0.5 to 1% phosphorus, and 1 to 2 % potassium by weight. And it is the nitrogen and phosphorus that are major concerns for water quality as they both can incite eutrophication of water sources. Eutrophication occurs when nutrient levels in the water become so large that prolific algal blooms occur; these algal blooms consume most of the oxygen in the water and other desirable plant and animal life dies. So, you now see the link between lawn clippings and eutrophication. But let me defend my turf… pun intended! The reason clippings can contribute to eutrophication is us, not the turfgrass. When you make those first few passes with the mower along the street, do you think to throw the clippings back into the lawn, or, as many seem to do, into the street? Or worse still, have you ever seen folks take their leaf blowers and blow piles of clippings into the street in order to clear their sidewalks, driveways, or lawns? The next time it rains, where is all this slow-release fertilizer headed? Straight to the nearest storm drain and eventually to a local water source. Lawn clippings on hardscapes ultimately end up in our water sources. Protect water quality by ensuring that clippings remain in your turf. Fortunately, the solution to this problem is pretty simple. Put the clippings to work for you by returning them to the lawn.               Read full document here.

So pick up a broom and sweep your clippings back into your lawn or add them to your compost. Remember, It's Your Planet. Don't Blow It!

Arlington Green Home and Garden Tour - June 5th

Sunday, June 5, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Featuring a variety of the best green homes and environmentally-friendly gardens in Arlington! The tour will include Arlington homes with green renovations, green roofs, solar panels, rain barrels, wildlife habitats, rain gardnes and more. A $5 per person donation is suggested to support ACE's conservation programs, payable online or at the first place you visit. The self-guided tour booklet is available at www.arlingtonenvironment.org/gardentour.htm

This year there is a new spin on the tour with a guided cycling option coordinated by several other local green organizations! The cycle tour costs a minimum $25 donation per rider with all proceeds benefiting Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia. Riders will meet at the Arlington Oaks Condominium, one of the stops on the tour itself, for registration, check-in, and viewing of the first green garden stops. There will be two comprehensive routes to choose from – each include green homes, green gardens, and homes for sale that are conducive to commuting to work by bike. Riders can register in advance online.
For more information, to view the tour guide and maps, to make your advanced donation or to register for the guided cycling option, visit www.arlingtonenvironment.org/gardentour.htm.

Experience Great Outdoors Month in one of U.S.'s Fittest Cities

Two stories in the news this week, which seem to go hand in hand:

First, DC again received one of the top rankings on the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) annual American Fitness Index™ (AFI) report. The report, “Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas” evaluates the most populous city areas to identify the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked number one this year, with the DC area (including parts of Virginia and Maryland) coming in second.

You can read the full report online, but some of the things that helped with the ranking are: higher percentage of people eating 5+ surveys of fruits/vegetables a day, higher percentage of city land used as park land, more farmer's markets per capita and higher percentage of people in excellent or very good health. In my mind, those things all point to the high number of gardeners in the area. Gardening is great exercise, and the trend towards organic gardening is teaching many gardeners the pleasure of eating what we grow or what is grown locally.

The other headline in the news: President Obama has proclaimed June Great Outdoors Month, to encourage American's to appreciate and preserve our Great Outdoors. Here are a few excerpts from the proclamation, but I encourage you to read the whole thing online:

As America's frontier diminished and our cities expanded, a few bold leaders and individuals had the foresight to protect our most precious natural and historic places. Today, we all share the responsibility to uphold their legacy of conservation, whether by protecting an iconic vast public land, or by creating a community garden or an urban park.... 

Our plan will restore and increase recreational access to public lands and waterways; bolster rural landscapes, including working farms and ranches; develop the next generation of urban parks and community green spaces; and create a new Conservation Service Corps so that young people can experience and restore the great outdoors.... 

As we commit to protecting our country's outdoor spaces, we also celebrate all they have to offer. Our public lands and other open areas provide myriad opportunities for families and friends to explore, play, and grow together -- from hiking and wildlife watching to canoeing, hunting, and fishing, and playing in a neighborhood park. These activities can help our kids stay healthy, active, and energized, while reconnecting with their natural heritage.

Yes, I know it's hot outside. But I encourage you to take a break and go outside and follow the advice in the Great Outdoors Proclamation:

This month, let each of us resolve to protect our great outdoors; discover their wonders; and share them with our friends, our neighbors, and our children.

Great gardening advice I didn't know

I love Thomas Rainer's writing style as much as I love his gardening advice. You may remember that Rainer was one of the people who contributed to our series of Favorite Native Plants of Local Gardeners.

Anyway, his blog post today, entitled The Best Planting Tip I Ever Received, taught me something that I didn't know.....that I've always WANTED to know, really, so I wanted to pass it along to you.

As gardeners, we have probably all had the experience of buying a potted plant and taking it home and unpotting it only to discover a huge tangled mass of roots. I usually just gently tug a few of the roots out and then drop the whole thing into the planting hole. But that was before I read Rainer's post.

Now, thanks to Thomas, I know better. Sure, I could tell you what he said, but then you would miss out on the fun of reading his blog.

So head on over to Thomas's blog, Grounded Design, and learn what just may be the Best Planting Tip I've ever received, too.

Answers to all of your gardening questions - a poem by Green Gardener

I've been receiving quite a few questions through the contact form on this website lately, so I thought that I would answer them all, in a poem.

Answers to your Gardening Questions                      A Poem, by Betsy. S. Franz (the Green Gardener) "Why won't it grow?"  Heck, I don't know "What can I plant?" Plant what you want "But will it grow?"  Heck, I don't know "What is this weed? What is this bug?"  Heck, I don't know. (And I'll add a shrug) "But I thought you were a garden pro?"  Well, here's all you really need to know. There's botanists, ecologist and  Lot's of horticulturists Of course, there're Master Gardeners too  And lots of other "Green" gurus Some know a little, some know a lot  But what you need to know is your own garden plot Learning to garden isn't hard  Just take the time to "Know" your yard And my best advice, for what it's worth Is do your best not to harm the earth.

To find answers to specific garden question, please use the Dig Here For Answers link on this website.

Garden Social - June 4th - 10am - 4pm

We all know that Gardeners are Just nicer people. So what better way to spend a Saturday than rubbing elbows, making friends and sharing garden secrets with other area gardeners?

Behnke Nurseries is providing the perfect opportunity to bring gardeners together at their Garden Clubs & Plant Societies Day on Saturday, June 4th beginning at 10:00 a.m. at 11300 Baltimore Ave  Beltsville MD  20705

Friends, Gardeners, Plant Lovers: join Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville Maryland on Saturday, June 4th for the first annual Garden Social to benefit the Friends of Brookside Gardens. This is an opportunity for interested people to see what garden clubs have to offer their members, meet plant enthusiasts, ask questions, and maybe even join a club. There will be representatives from many different organizations participating, including the Takoma Horticultural Club, the Azalea Society of America, the Beltsville Garden Club, Master Gardeners from Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, the Gesneriad Society (African Violets and their relatives), the Potomac Hosta Club and the Silver Spring Garden Club, just to name a few.

The idea is for members of different groups to share with each other and pass on their knowledge and enthusiasm to Behnke’s gardening customers. But there’s more to it than that: anyone who brings a garden plant from home can participate in the “plant swap” at 11:30. Also, there will be many wonderful items offered as raffle prizes. All money raised from the raffle goes to the Friends of Brookside Gardens, supporting the magnificent public garden in Wheaton, so dear to all of us in the Washington, DC area.

In addition, at 3:00PM, internationally renowned perennial expert David Culp of Sunny Border Nurseries will be giving a free lecture on perennials. David’s Pennsylvania garden has been profiled in Martha Stewart’s Living. He is currently writing a book about his garden for Timber Press.

We expect this to become an annual event, so why not attend the first one? Like Woodstock… you can tell your grandchildren: “I was there!” There is plenty of parking at Behnkes, and food will be available to purchase from Monte’s Barbeque.

We are open from 8 to 6, with the Garden Social running from 10 to 4.

For more information, contact Stephanie Fleming at 301-937-8150 or via email sfleming@behnkes.net