Eco-friendly gardens are "no-sweat"

Every summer at about this time, I sit back, relax with an ice-cold drink, and think about some of the added benefits of eco-friendly gardening. In many ways, eco-friendly landscapes require less work, meaning that I can have more of a “no-sweat” summer than some of my friends and neighbors with more labor-intensive landscapes.

Below are some great reasons to think about turning your traditional landscape into an eco-friendly, “no-sweat” one:

1. Eco-friendly gardeners work WITH Mother Nature, not against her: choosing plants that fit the site means plants are better adapted to survive with minimal care, which means Mother Nature takes care of the plants, not you.
2. Eco-friendly gardeners leave part of their landscape natural: Why tear out existing, native species only to replace them with more labor-intensive exotics? Native plants, which are present on a property, will require less work and will provide an immediate benefit to local wildlifespan>
3. Eco-friendly gardeners plant trees with energy conservation in mind: Shade trees can significantly reduce air temperatures in and outdoors in the summer, as trees intercept and absorb the sun’s heat while transpiring cooling moisture into the air.
4. Eco-friendly gardeners incorporate drought tolerant species, which means less work watering. Drought tolerant trees drought tolerant perennials
5. Eco-friendly gardeners group plants by their care requirements : plants that do require extra water or fertilizer are all in one place, rather than scattered throughout the property.
6. Eco friendly gardeners include beneficial plants: beneficial plants attract bugs and birds that help cut down on insect pest populations, eliminating the need to apply pesticides.
7. Eco friendly gardeners have their soil tested to determine the right mix of fertilizer for their lawn rather than applying fertilizers that aren’t needed.
8. Eco-friendly gardeners identify weeds and pests rather than spending time indiscriminately killing them all. Some bugs are good bugs. And a weed-free lawn is not necessarily a healthy one.
9. Eco friendly gardeners replace lawn with ground covers : Most ground covers need little or no maintenance once they’re established.
10. Eco friendly gardeners use plenty of mulch : adding mulch helps cut down on both weeding and watering
11. If they do have lawn, eco-friendly gardeners mow less oftenMowing grass to the proper height is the single-most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn.
12. Eco-friendly gardeners don’t rake their grass clippings : Leaving grass where it falls adds nutrients back to the soil. However, be sure to sweep up your sidewalk, driveway or street so clippings don't pollute nearby lakes or streams.
13. Eco-friendly gardeners create compost : why lug bags of trash to the curb and bags of purchased soil enhancers to your landscape? Composting your yard and kitchen scraps saves time and money.
14. Eco-friendly gardeners water less: Plants should be watered only when they begin to droop and in the early morning hours before 10 a.m. Grasses naturally grow slower in the summer, so brown grass usually means your lawn is just dormant, not dead.
15. Eco-friendly gardeners use hardscapes creatively: Hardscapes, the landscaper’s term for paving and built features in a garden (think patios and walkways) reduce garden work and extend your home’s living space. Using permeable surfaces also allows water to percolate into the ground, rather than

Louv's Love of Nature Took Root in a Garden, Grew to International Influence

Reading is one of my greatest pleasures. It has been ever since my mother first introduced me to our small local library in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, where I grew up. Since that time, there has rarely been a time in my life when I haven’t been reading one or more books, a week.

Lately, I’ve been immersed in Richard Louv’s new book, The Nature Principle. In case you have never heard of Richard Louv, I urge you to go to your local bookstore, library, or to his website to get to know him. Start with his bestselling book, Last Child in the Woods, which sparked a national debate and an international movement to reconnect kids with nature. He coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder, influenced national policy, and helped inspire campaigns in over eighty cities, states and provinces throughout North America.

I am completely enthralled with his new book, The Nature Principle. Yes, his books contain all sorts of data, quotes, and studies to help encourage people to get outside and get back in touch with nature. (Including almost a whole chapter about Doug Tallamy's book, Bringing Nature Home). However, it is Louv’s writing style that keeps me mesmerized and has earned him the spot as one of my favorite non-fiction writers.

Here is an excerpt from the book, The Nature Principle. To me, this passage helps show the strong influence that gardening can have on all of us. I hope it will inspire you to read more of Louv’s work. And I hope it will inspire you to spend more time in your garden.

Chapter 3, The Garden 

Memories are seeds. When I was a boy, the good times in my family were, more often than not, associated with nature—with fishing trips, discovered snakes and captured frogs, with dark water touched by stars. 

We lived at the edge of the suburbs in Raytown, Missouri. At the end of our backyard, cornfields began, and then came the woods and then more farms that seemed to go on forever. Every summer I ran through the fields with my collie, elbowing the forest of whipping stalks and leaves, to dig my underground forts and climb into the arms of an oak that had outlived Jesse James. When the corn harvest was over, my father and I would walk through the stubble and search for the ground nests and speckled eggs of killdeer. Together, we watched with admiration as the parents attempted, with tragic cries and faked broken wings, to lead us away from their nests. 

I recall my father’s dark tanned neck, creased with lines of dust, as he tilled our garden. I ran ahead of him, pulling rocks and bones and toys from his path. My father, mother, little brother, and I planted strawberry starts and buried seeds for butternut squash and our own sweet corn. One year, my father read about the productivity of Swiss chard and, as was his way, became fully committed. That summer, we bagged Swiss chard for weeks. Our kitchen and part of our basement overflowed with it. My mother canned it. I carried brown shopping bags full of chard to the neighbors. My mother loved to tell the story about the summer the Swiss Chard Ate the Neighborhood. 

Controlled by no community association, our yard was humbled by locusts and heat and other natural covenants. With all my senses, I recall a late afternoon when my father and mother and my brother and I raced the weather to complete the construction of a retaining wall for sod and garden. We placed limestone slabs into a line to hold back erosion. We felt the wind quicken and the air change, and stood up together near the end; we wiped sweat from our foreheads and stared at the quilted pea-green sky, felt a queasy stillness and sudden burst of wind, and then we saw the hail advancing yard to yard like an invading army. We rushed to the basement door.

Such moments became part of the family lore, because our time in the garden and on the water and in the woods held our family together...

…Perhaps these childhood experiences are why, as an adult, I am compelled to believe in the restorative power of nature, in a human/nature reunion. And that because of this reunion, life will be better.

Ahhhh, see what I mean? I admit that I usually don’t buy books. I visit the local library several times a week and see my contributions in over-due book fees as money well spent. But I need this book in my own personal library. It is the perfect reminder of the deep connection between gardening, nature and protecting our planet.

Composting workshop - July 30th

What: Let's Compost – Standard and Worm Composting 101

When: Saturday, July 30th, 10:30am – 12:30 pm

Where:  Common Good City Farm

Saturday, July 30: Let's Compost!  10:30am-12:30pm.  Standard and Worm Composting 101. Learn to use your garden, yard and kitchen waste to create rich soil. We will focus on methods easy and suitable for small yards and apartments and include bin composting and vermiculture methods.  Teacher: Niko Welch has a background in microbiology and experience with various types of compost systems and brings his knowledge to Common Good City Farm. We are grateful to have him on staff.  
Register Now!

Freaks of nature and what causes them

Some freaks of nature are fun and interesting. Take 4-leaf clovers, for example. It is estimated that there are 10,000 3-leaf clovers to every 4-leaf clover, making the 4-leafers a bit of a stand-our freak in the clover field. Clovers can also have 5, 6 and even more leaves. The record, in fact, appears to be 21 leaves on one clover (I recently found a 6-leaf clover while visiting Michigan and have added it to my collection of 4 and 5 leaf specimens.) It is debated whether extra leaflets on clovers are  caused genetically or environmentally. Their relative rarity suggests a possible recessive gene, a somatic mutation or a developmental error of environmental causes.

Variegated plants are another form of nature freak. In layman’s terms, variegations in plants are created when chlorophyll (the substance that makes leaves green) is absent in part of the leaf. The variations in color are caused by whatever pigments are present in the leaf where chlorophyll is absent. White areas in foliage means no chlorophyll and nothing to replace it. Yellow patches means no chlorophyll but the presence of xanthophyll. Other colors are created by the presence of a substance called anthocyanins in combination with either chlorophyll or xanthophyll.

Of course, scientists, horticulturists and others out to make a buck have learned to imitate these natural mutations so that four-leaf clovers and variegated cultivars of almost every plant species are readily available.

But did you know that the chemicals you use in your garden could also be creating freaks of nature? But they aren’t the kind of freaks that add fun or beauty to the world. Scientific studies have shown that landscape chemicals which find their way into local waterways may be causing deformities in fish, frogs and other animal species.

One way that these deformities show up is by creating intersex fish. Intersex is a condition in which fish may exhibit characteristics of both sexes, such as male fish producing eggs. Intersex specimens of smallmouth bass and other fish have been found inmany states, including  both Virginia and Maryland.

Frogs and other amphibians also seem to be suffering the effects of pollutants. Frogs with deformed limbs have been found in almost every state and many amphibian populations are suffering. The problem is so extensive that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 2008 the Year of the Frog to help emphasize what everyday citizens can do to help correct the problem.

Here are some steps you can take, excerpted from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Document Homeowner’s Guide to Protecting Frogs: Lawn and Garden Care

You may not think that you can make a difference, but caring for your lawn in an environmentally sensible way can have a bigger impact than you might think.  

You can help keep the environment clean and the frogs healthy by following these simple tips. If everyone does their part to protect the environment, all types of fish and wildlife, including frogs, will enjoy a cleaner, healthier environment. 

Choose non-chemical weed controls whenever possible: 

Mulching, spading, hoeing and pulling up weeds are good ways to avoid weed growth rather than applying weed killer.  

Minimize fertilizer use: 

Overfertilization is a common problem. Fertilizing more than the recommended rate does not help plants grow better and often harms them. In addition, excess fertilizer will likely wash into streams and rivers and may lead to amphibian deformities and deaths. Researchers at Oregon State University recently discovered that even low levels of nitrates (a compound found in fertilizers) are enough to kill some species of amphibians. Help prevent pollution from fertilizer by taking these actions: 

* Leave the grass clippings from mowing to decompose on your lawn (feeding your lawn this way is equal to fertilizing it once or twice a year).

* Use compost in your garden to develop healthy soils and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. 

* Have your soil tested to find out exactly what nutrients it needs in order to avoid applying unnecessary fertilizers. Your County Agricultural Extension Service will test your soil for a reasonable fee.

* Use organic fertilizers rather than synthetic ones. Organic fertilizers release more slowly into the environment and create healthier soils.

* Apply fertilizer when the soil is moist and then lightly water. This will help the fertilizer move into the root zone instead of blowing or washing away. However, be sure to check the weather forecast in order to avoid applying fertilizers immediately before a heavy rain which may wash the fertilizers into the nearby streams.

* Calibrate your applicator to make sure you apply the correct amount of fertilizer.  

Reduce your dependence on pesticides: 

* Minimize the attraction of pests such as rats, therefore reducing the need for pesticides, by moving wood piles away from the house and clearing away litter and garbage.

* Plant native grasses, shrubs, and trees. Native plants are often hardier than non-native plants and less susceptible to pests and disease.

* Put an assortment of plants in your yard to increase biological diversity and encourage a variety of beneficial organisms that provide natural pest control.

* Rotate the plants in your annual garden. Changing the type of plants you grow each year makes it harder for pests dependent on a certain type of plant to become established, and therefore, eliminates the need for pesticides.

* Grow plants that are natural insect repellents, such as lemon balm, among your flowers and vegetables to help keep unwanted insects away.  

Other Suggestions: 

* Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and debris out of street gutters and storm drains. These outlets drain directly into lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. Pet wastes contain bacteria and viruses that can threaten fish, wildlife, and people.

* Never dump oil, antifreeze, or other household chemicals into storm drains or sewers, down the drain of your sink, or into the toilet. Contact your local Solid Waste Management Office to find out how to dispose of these materials properly.

One thing that was not mentioned in the article is the benefit of using rain barrels, permeable surfaces, rain gardens and other methods to help cut down on stormwater runoff which is what washes all of these chemicals into the waterways in the first place.

Taking any of these steps will help you do your part to keep the planet a little less freaky!

Monster Plant Could be Moving this Way

An article I read online in the Pocono Record this morning had this headline:

'Monster Plant' Could be Moving this Way

Excerpts from the article, which talks about a plant that is "so nasty, it will make your skin boil --- literally", note that this plant has already become established in Maryland and Virginia.

Look, but don't touch 

"Giant hogweed exudes a clear, watery sap that causes the skin to become photosensitive to ultraviolet radiation," said Don R. Robbins, weed control administrator for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. "Contact with the sap can result in severe burns, blisters and dermatitis, possibly leading to future complications, namely skin cancer."

The Michigan Department of Agriculture states: "This tall, majestic plant is a public health hazard because of its potential to cause severe skin irritation in susceptible people. Plant sap produces painful, burning blisters within 24 to 48 hours after contact. Plant juices also can produce painless red blotches that later develop into purplish or brownish scars that may persist for several years. For an adverse reaction to occur, the skin, contaminated with plant juices, must be moist (perspiration) and then exposed to sunlight. Some other plants are capable of causing this reaction, known as phytophotodermatitis."

Giant hogweed grows in a variety of habitats such as river bottomlands, roadsides, disturbed areas, lawns and gardens.

There are two large native plants that look like hogweed — purple angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) and cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum); and one introduced species, poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). All these grow in the same habitats as giant hogweed.

Although this plant isn't new to the area (it was listed as the Invasive Species of the Month in Maryland back in 2003 and an Exotic Invasive of the Quarter in Virginia in the Winter 2011 issue of the Virginia Forest Landowner), the article is a good reminder that we should all become familiar with the problem plants and critters that live in our area.

What's wrong with this picture? Using paintball guns to kill weeds

I first saw this post a few days ago on the weather channel. (www.weather.com) It is about a new idea to use paintball guns to "shoot" herbicides with "sub-meter accuracy". Take a look (and listen) at this short video and see if your reaction is the same as mine.

Do you see and hear the wind, catching and carrying all of those dangerous herbicides into the air?

I tried to do a little online search to see if I could find out more information about this topic and strangley enough, the only discussions I found about it were on Paintball Forums, where at least one user (on pbnation.com) was astute enough to provide this comment:

Hopefully the herbicide in the ball isn't harmful to humans. Or am I the only one that sees a problem with being able to shoot poison from a paintball gun? It's bound to fall into some kid's hands at some point if it's released.

Permaculture Skills Workshops

Permaculture is all about learning to work WITH Mother Nature, not against her. This, of course, is the basis of all “green” gardening.

The Heathcote Community website defines permaculture as:

the conscious design of sustainable human habitats. The design process of permaculture offers practical ways to increase the abundance of natural systems and improve the efficiency of human activities. Rooted in the careful observation of the natural patterns characteristic of a particular site, permaculture applies techniques and principles from ecology, cooperative economics, appropriate technology, and sustainable agriculture with the wisdom of indigenous people to heal the earth and our selves. Permaculture is a powerful tool for redesigning our lives as well as our landscapes!

Permaculture is a system of designing ecologically inspired landscapes that integrate food production, water management, renewable energy and shelter which can help people live more sustainably and protect the Chesapeake Bay!

Heathcote Community offers workshops on many topics related to sustainability, cooperative living, and social justice. Several courses on permaculture are available on their summer schedule:

Sunday, July 31, 9 am – 12 pm

Soil and Water Management:  A Permaculture Perspective

This workshop will include a summary of the basics of soils–composition, texture, structure, and a few soil science basics–but will focus primarily on the practical aspects of soil management with a view to establishing and maintaining healthy, living soils as the basis for all life in our environment and as the medium for healthy plant growth and healthy human beings. This will connect directly with a discussion of proper water management for efficient, sustainable water use and enjoyment. The format will include brief lecture, a tour and discussion of relevant aspects of the gardens and other parts of the property, and a considerable hands-on component. This is about dirt, so come prepared to get dirty!

 Saturday, Aug 6, 9 am – 12 pm

Sustainable Plant Health Maintenance:  A Permaculture Perspective
 
This workshop will focus on strategies for enhancing and maintaining healthy crops of all kinds, including a review of relevant aspects of soil and water management, crop rotation, companion planting (including "guilds"), species and variety selection, foliar feeding, botanical and mineral sprays, sanitation, pruning, and more. Healthy plants for a healthy you!

 Saturday, Aug 13, 9 am – 12 pm

The Fall and Winter Garden:  A Permaculture Perspective
 
We will discuss and demonstrate selection of crops and various modes of crop protection for fall and winter gardening. We will discuss and where possible demonstrate the types of task and projects that can best be carried out during the cold seasons. We will show how preparation for next year's main growing season begins in late summer the previous year, followed directly by a discussion of multi-year crop planning. You should be able to get those delicious, healthy greens all through the year, and watch how your health improves!

Hosted by Heathcote Community and School of Living
21300 Heathcote Rd, Freeland, MD  21053

Tuition:  Sliding scale $20-$50 for each individual class. Or take all 3 classes for $50-$120!!

Registration is required. Register online by the Wednesday before each class by clicking this link:  http://www.heathcote.org/cms/content/registration-form-permaculture-skills-workshops

Heathcote will be having  more extensive, 72 hour permaculture training, beginning on September 10th.

Extreme heat makes garden chemicals more dangerous

Hot enough for you?

I always get a kick out of it when I go to a doctor and she asks me if I get hot flashes. Hello!! It's over 100 degrees outside. Who in the heck could tell if they were having a hot flash in this temperature!!

Anyway, it shouldn't be news to anyone that it's unbearbly hot outside. And yet, the heat is BIG news. Newspapers and news site around the globe (not just the U.S.) are talking about the heat in D.C.

This article on Forbes blog entitled Mr. Heat Comes to Washington seems to sum it up the best. No matter how hot it is across the rest of the country,  "Any weather anomaly in our nation’s capital acquires cosmic significance."

It's a good article with all sorts of interesting facts about heat records in the country, including tidbits about a scorcher in the 1930's that caused things like : "30 rattlesnakes ravaged a farm in Michigan, attacking turkeys for their blood."

I did learn a few things from these various articles, though, about how heat affects us, our gardens and the planet.

First, I read a post the other day about how 76-year-old Loretta Lynn had to be taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion because she was gardening in 100 degree heat. Loretta's quote was: "There ain't a tomato worth it." It reminded me of my mom, who used to garden well into her 80's. And it also reminded me of the importance of NOT overdoing it outside in this heat.

I also learned something new from an article called The Heat Dome Continues on NBC Washington. The article states that the heat combined with the air quality in the area, is making the air unhealthy to breathe, which can be made worse by applying lawn chemicals or lawn mowing. Although I can't imagine ANYONE trying to mow their lawn in this heat, there may be some people who might think applying lawn chemicals is a fairly non-strenuous garden activity.

Along with the heat and humidity, the region also has to deal with poor air quality. The breeze helped out Thursday, but it will not hang around for Friday, meteorologist Chuck Bell reported. A Code Red air quality alert will be in effect Friday. Everyone should limit strenuous outdoor activity because the air is unhealthy to breathe. Turn off as many lights and appliances as possible, don't drive if you don't have to, do not apply chemicals to your lawn or garden, and avoid mowing. 

The heat can affect lawn chemicals in other ways, too. A document on the Virginia Cooperative Extension website says that: "Temperature extremes can cause physical or chemical changes to pesticide products. Such changes may make the product ineffective and/or cause plant injury. Heat makes chemicals more volatile and unstable."

Just more good reasons to ditch the lawn chemicals and go green in your garden.

The only other new thing I learned from my heat-reading this morning was that potted plants and raised beds get hotter than plants in the ground. I found that info on the Virginia Cooperative Extension site. That sounds like something I should have already known but just in case you didn't know it either, I'll pass it on. Maybe the heat is affecting your brain the same way it is affecting mine!

More info: How to properly dispose of lawn chemicals.

Drop It While It’s Hot

During the summer, you might use four times the amount of water we use during other months. Your water bill likely reflects the demand for the extra water you need for your lawn and garden. There’s an inexpensive way to capture the free rainwater for when you need it most -- during periods of drought -- to water your lawn and garden.

You can cut your water bill by installing a rain barrel in your yard. It’s a consistent supply of clean and free water for outdoor use. Rain barrels can be purchased at your local hardware or garden supply store.

Better yet, many local government programs offer them at reduced prices.

For more information read, The Rain Barrel Response.

I’m sorry Steve, but you just can’t have a sheep

I’m starting to think that my friend Steve REALLY likes sheep. Every now and then he sends me an idea for something to write about on my blog and it seems like a lot of the topics lately have pertained to sheep. Hmmmmm.

Mostly the articles talk about using sheep to maintain your lawn. Not only will these fluffy critters keep your lawn chewed down to a well-trimmed height, but they also provide instant fertilizer in the process.

The latest article he sent called Mow Your Lawn With Mother Nature’s Hungry Critters goes on to talk about the benefits of also using geese, cows and goats to keep things sheep shape…I mean ship shape…in the landscape.

A few weeks ago, he sent me an article about a school in Carlisle Pennsylvania that is using leased sheep to help keep the grass around their solar panels trimmed down. They are estimating that the sheep will save the school $15,000 a year in mowing costs, as well as cut down on air pollution.

Dan Ludwig a “grazing specialist” with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service based in Lebanon County, said that leasing animals for grazing on swaths of government and private land is a growing business.

“It’s gaining popularity, especially in orchards,” Ludwig said.

An old 2009 article in USA Today mentions that sheep have been used in many states (including Maryland) to help keep grass at manageable levels along roadways:

Carroll County, Md. This summer the Maryland State Highway Administration is renting a herd of goats and sheep to control invasive weeds in a wetland area. Spokesman Charlie Gischlar says using a 7,500-pound lawn mower in the area would embed ruts that could destroy the area’s hydrology and endanger the habitat of the Bog Turtle, a four-inch turtle that is listed as a threatened species.

So how does one go about renting a sheep? Or a goat? Or a chicken or goose or cow?

The articles Steve sent me listed several companies that rent sheep and goats. None of them listed any ruminants for hire in the DC, Virginia or Maryland areas. I even emailed the department of agriculture for both states asking if they knew where I could rent a sheep. I never received a reply from either department.

But Steve seemed to have his heart set on a sheep, so I kept looking.

My search led me to the Maryland Small Ruminant Page. They just happened to have a link to a page about Targeted Grazing which DOES list a company in Maryland where you can’t rent a sheep, but you can rent a goat, for targeted grazing.

From The Eco-Goats website:

It is easy to see that our roadsides, open fields, woodlands and backyards are becoming overrun with invasive species and other unwanted vegetation. Machines often can't get to problem areas, humans hands are very labor intensive, and herbicides are dangerous to our waterways, soil, and desired vegetation, not to mention animals and humans. 

Enter Eco-Goats! This sustainable alternative is fast, easy, effective, environmentally sound and just plan fun.

"This use of goats for targeted grazing serves as a role model for other parks and sends a strong conservation message to the community. Goats provide a unique opportunity to move toward economical, sustainable and ecological weed control and away from methods relying on the use of heavy equipment or herbicides... In this tight budget time, it is always helpful to find creative solutions and leverage partnerships. The goats are a welcome sight to help us out and also give area children a chance to come enjoy them along with the park." 

-- John R. Leopold, Anne Arundel County Executive 

If left alone, invasive plants take over our woodlands, strangling valuable trees and threatening important diversity. Open grasslands and neighborhood backyards become overrun, creating a loss in farming productivity, habitat for birds and other wildlife, and enjoyment of outdoor space. 

Enter Eco-Goats! 

When it comes to clearing unwanted vegetation, goats can provide an ideal alternative to machines and herbicides. They graze in places that mowers can't reach and humans don't want to go (yes, they love Poison Ivy). In fact, goats eat a wide range of unwanted vegetation, which on the East Cost include Kudzu, Oriental Bittersweet, Ailanthus, Multiflora Rose, Japanese Honeysuckle, Mile-A-Minute and more.?

Wow! They eat invasive plant species (eliminating the need for chemical weed control) , provide their own fertilizer (eliminating the need for chemical fertilizer) and mow lawns without the fumes and other problems created by lawn mowers. NOW I see why Steve likes sheep. And goats, too. What eco-friendly gardener wouldn't!