Help work off those holiday feasts! Volunteer!

If you are looking for a way to burn off some of those extra pounds that start piling on after the holiday feasts begin, here's a way to burn a few calories and help beautify the area at the same time. Volunteers are wanted to help clean-up the Supplee Lane Recreation Area on Saturday and Sunday, December 3rd and 4th WHAT: Stream and culvert clean-up WHEN: 9 a.m. to Noon, Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4, 2011 WHERE: Supplee Lane Recreation Area, 16904 Supplee Lane, Laurel WSSC is looking for volunteers to help them clean out streams and culverts along its access road at Supplee Lane Recreation Area, 16904 Supplee Lane, Laurel on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. Both cleanups will be from 9 a.m. to Noon. WSSC will provide gloves and tools, but volunteers are asked to bring shovels if they have them. The Supplee Lane Recreation Area is one of the recreation areas that WSSC has on its Rocky Gorge (aka T. Howard Duckett) drinking water reservoir. The purpose of the cleanup is to reduce the amount of erosion into the reservoir. Note to high school students: This event is approved for service-learning hours. For more information, contact Kim Knox at (301) 206-8233 or kknox@wsscwater.com

My Bucket List for the Planet

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” G.K. Chesterton

That was one of my favorite quotes when I was a young, romantic teenager. I’m still a romantic, although not quite as young as I used to be. And I still believe that one of the best ways to really appreciate anything is to think about how empty your life would be without it. It certainly works with age and time.

When you are young, you think that your time on earth is endless, and you waste an awful lot of it. As you get older, your time is much more valuable to you, and you really don’t want to waste any. Since you can’t do a lot about the quantity of time you have left, you start making an effort to put more Quality into your time. You start making Bucket Lists of all of the things you want to do before you die. You realize you want to squeeze everything you can out of life, and not waste a drop. 

The problem with getting people to learn to appreciate and save things like natural resources…wildlife… the environment…and the planet in general, is that everyone thinks that there is an endless supply of those things. I just can’t imagine the day when there are no more lions or tigers or bears because of habitat loss or human predation, but it certainly could happen. Their numbers are dwindling because of stresses brought about by hunting, habitat destruction and introduced predators and diseases.

 Water, though, is another story. The planet will probably NEVER run out of water. That's because the amount of water is always the same -- it just changes in form. Water from oceans, lakes and rivers evaporates into the atmosphere where it becomes clouds and returns to Earth as rain or snow.

 However, we COULD run out of clean water. Almost all of the water on the Earth is salt water, and 77 percent of the fresh water is frozen at the Earth's poles. That leaves only a small amount for drinking, washing and growing things.

As the Earth's population increases, more people need water and the earth’s supply of clean water gets even smaller. And a further problem, of course, is that a lot of the things that human beings do pollute water which means that we have to spend lots and lots of money to have water cleaned to make it usable again.

 As logical as this all is, people waste a heckuva lot of water. According to the EPA website, the average family of four can use 400 gallons of water every day. Let’s see. The current population of the United States is 312,625,280, divided by 4, times 400 gallons =……. Sorry, my calculator doesn’t go that high. But it’s a LOT. Still, I drive down the road and see people idly running sprinklers in the rain, or letting their hose run down the driveway while they are soaping their car or dog.

 Its hard to get people to understand the importance of conserving water. Around our house, one of the ways that we save water is with our Bucket List. We have a whole slew of buckets and watering cans, and we keep them filled up with water from our rain barrels, leftover water from steaming veggies, graywater from when we clean the hummingbird feeders, etc. We try to restrict ourselves to using JUST that water on our plants and gardens. And like the hours and minutes of our lives, we try not to waste a drop.

 I encourage you to start your own Bucket List for the planet. Put up a couple of rain barrels around your yard. They not only help collect water but are great at cutting down on stormwater runoff, which is one of the main things that pollutes clean water. And then start collecting watering cans and buckets. You can find them at garage sales and thrift stores for less than a dollar. And when you have enough of them, you rarely have to waste any clean water to keep your garden growing.

 'Cause life is short. And we've got a lot more fun things to do with our time than worry about water. Betsy's Bucket List: #34 - Try to encourage a few people to take better care of the planet

Help Get the Chesapeake Bay Off Her Diet

In case you haven't heard, the Chesapeake Bay, whose watershed includes six states and covers 65,000 square miles, is failing to meet federal water quality standards and is being put on what essentially amounts to a “pollution diet” by the EPA.

Both the cause and the effect of the Bay's pollution problem impact every resident of the area.

America Recycles Day is November 15th

As a green gardener, my favorite things to recycle are vegetable scraps, plant waste, grass clippings and leaves, which all make excellent additions to my compost pile. But for almost everything else you need to get rid of around your home, recycling of it properly helps reduce our impact on the local landfills.

Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day.  America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. One day to educate and motivate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year. Get involved!

There are plenty of ways to participate in America Recycles Day in the Washington DC area. Check out the list and find something fun and GREEN to recognize the importance of recycling.

Montgomery College thinks the World of Water

As an eco-friendly gardener, I think the world of water. I know that fresh water is a limited resource and so, on my own property, I don't use chemicals and I utilize rain barrels to help keep harmful stormwater runoff from entering local water supplies.

The Montgomery College campus is having their two-million gallon "Earthoid" water storage tank repainted, which can help remind all of us that water means the world to us.

The 100-foot tall tank was built for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission in 1978 and was painted to resemble the world in 1980, based on a National Geographic globe.

The “Earthoid” has since won the "Steel Tank of the Year" award from the Steel Plate Fabricators Association and pictures of the tank have been exhibited in numerous magazines.

The re-painting is expected to be finished by the end of November, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission officials said in a press release Thursday.

The tank is located at 20150 Observation Drive.

Deer Talk & Plant Swap

What: Deer Talk and Plant Swap

When: November 16, 7:15p.m.

Where: Chevy Chase Community Center

The next meeting of the Chevy Chase Citizens Association Garden Club is this Wednesday,Nov 16, and features Bob McDowell, a Maryland Master Gardener, talking about deer proofing methods for urban gardeners. Everyone is welcome, the meeting is at 7:15 pm; there is a plant swap afterward so bring one to share. The location is 5600 Conn Ave, NW in the Chevy Chase Community Center. The rain garden on the north side of the building and the Library garden both look great, check them out before the meeting. Questions? Email Barbara Baldwin: bbaldwing@yahoo.com

How to Have an Organic, All Natural Veteran’s Day

How to Have an Organic, All Natural Veteran’s Day

Step #1 – Go outside. Take a 360 degree look around you. Consider how lucky you are to live in the United States of America. Now, go find a veteran. A veteran, of course, is someone who has served, or is serving in the military.

That step shouldn’t be hard. You may have a veteran in your family, or work with a veteran. Perhaps your mailman or the elderly worker in the local hardware store is a veteran. If you aren’t sure, all you have to do is ask.

Now, depending on your personality and temperament, the next step may be a little harder.

Step #2 –  Say thank you. Don’t worry. You don’t have to get all mushy about it. Depending on how well you know the veteran, you can add a pat on the back, a hug or a handshake. Just let them know that you are thanking them for their service.

That’s it. That’s all you need to do to thank a veteran. And there really isn’t anything more organic and natural then a good, in person, heartfelt thank you.

 But for a few  more ideas, here is another post called “8 Ways to Say Thank You to Our Veterans.”

 And here are some other great ideas I found online: Veteran’s Day: Ways to Say Thank You

Native Azaleas Program

What: America’s Treasure: Our Native Azaleas (Silver Spring Garden Club's November 2011 meeting)

WHEN: Monday, November 21
Doors open at 7:30pm
Talk starts at 8:00pm

WHERE: Brookside Gardens Visitors Center,
1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, Maryland

The rich flora of North America boasts 17 species of native azaleas. Don Hyatt, a noted authority on these plants, will first introduce the various species showing the range of flower color and form he has observed in the wild. Don will then shift to a series of visual tours to the scenic places where these native azaleas often grow. Join him in the Southern Appalachians when rare native azaleas and wildflowers herald the arrival of spring. Experience breath-taking vistas along the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain in high season when the flame azaleas and rhododendrons turn entire mountaintops ablaze with color. Climb to the top of Gregory Bald in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to see one of the most impressive floral displays of them all. Share his appreciation of gorgeous scenery, native azaleas, and wildflower companions as Don “chases the bloom” from coast to coast throughout the season. As is Don’s typical presentation style, expect an entertaining and fast-paced program filled with many beautiful photographs, lots of information, occasional touches of humor, and a few digital tricks in this multi-media presentation.

Don Hyatt holds a Bachelors degree in Horticulture with a double major in Biochemistry, and a Masters degree in Computer Science. lthough professionally a mathematics and computer science teacher for 33 years, Don has maintained a life-long interest in plants of all kinds. He started gardening as a toddler, and continues to maintain his garden, now in its 60th year, at the family home where he grew up. After retiring from teaching in 2002, Don has devoted most of his time to horticultural interests, especially the study of native azaleas, rhododendrons, and wildflowers in their natural habitats. He has served on the national boards of both the Azalea Society of America and the American Rhododendron Society, and has received numerous awards. Don is an accomplished botanical illustrator and photographer, and has authored many articles on azaleas and rhododendrons. He has become a popular speaker at national and international conferences on a variety of horticultural topics.

Open to the public and free to attend.
Silver Spring Garden Club dues are just $10 a year per household.

Information provide by Kathy Jentz
Editor/Publisher
Washington Gardener Magazine
www.WashingtonGardener.com

8 Ways to Say "Thank You" to our Veterans, Memorial Day and Every Day

I grew up in the 70's, back in the days of tie-dye and hemp clothing and peace signs. It's funny to me now that so many of those things have come back into vogue. I was really too young to be a "hippie", but I did dress the part. I never attended a "sit-in" or a peace rally but I vehemently opposed the idea of war, in all of its forms. I held onto that belief throughout my life ... up until September 11, 2001.

That date, of course, changed all of us. I still can't bring myself to say that I think war is the answer to anything, but I do understand the necessity of it now. And I do have a whole new level of respect, appreciation and admiration for the men and women who serve to protect our country, as well as the families who love them.

One very positive change that has occurred in our country since my childhood is the respect that we show our military. When soldiers returned from Vietnam, they were sometimes met with icy stares, verbal abuse and even spit upon. Now, it is not unusual to see members of the military receiving applause or pats on the back as they walk through a crowded airport. I know that I always feel a tremendous rush of feelings when I see a man or woman in uniform. It's a combination of respect and admiration mixed with a gut-wrenching awareness of how I would feel if that was my son or daughter, brother or friend.

Whether it is Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, or no special day at all, here are some suggested ways to Thank a Vet:

1) Say thank you - If you know a veteran, or the family of a veteran, give them a call or send an email and tell them that you appreciate what they have done, or are doing, for our country.
2) Listen- If they want to talk about their service, let them. I don't care if you have heard your father's or grandfather's war stories before. Ask them to tell you about them again. And listen this time!
3) Send some love - Even if you don't know any veterans, personally, it is still easy to express your thanks. Get out your phone book and find the closet VA hospital or nursing home and send a big, patriotic bouquet of flowers or a colorful collection of cookies. Add a note explaining that they are for the resident veterans, with your heartfelt thanks for their service.
4) Attend a parade - If there is a parade close by, go to it. Take your kids, buy them some flags to wave, and really hoot and holler at the members of the military, young and old, who are marching in the parade.
5) Visit a Veterans Day Services to pay your respects - In you can't find a parade, there are plenty of memorials that you can visit to pay your respects.
6) Fly a flag - Flying the American Flag is a great way to show pride and respect for our country. If you don't have a flagpole, you can purchase small brackets that easily fit on the front of your home or your mailbox.
7) Give time or money to veteran's groups - It's a tough year for everyone and you may not be able to afford to make cash donations to as many charities as you would like. But many groups will benefit from your time as much as they would from your cash donations. One of our favorite organizations is Home for Our Troops (HFOT), a non-profit organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans. HFOT is currently looking for volunteers to work on several projects in Maryland and Virginia.
8 ) Plant a tree in memory of a veteran - Planting a tree is always a great way to honor someone and will give you a permanent place to return to year after year to spend time and appreciate your freedom.

By the way, if you are wondering what the dedication and sacrifices of our veterans has to do with a gardening blog, the answer is "everything".

Gardeners might enjoy reading: A Hero and His Habitat : 20 Days in the Garden

It's National Pursuit of Happiness Week

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” -Abraham Lincoln.  

Apparently, the second week of November is National Pursuit of Happiness Week. I found several articles about it online, none of which provided any explanation for how or why the week was designated.

But as far as I’m concerned, no explanation is needed. Some people believe that you can never be too rich or too thin. I believe that you can never be too happy. There is always room for MORE!

So if you feel you need to add a little more happiness to your life, here are some suggestions:

1) Go outside. Aristotle is credited as saying “In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous”. No matter what the weather is like outside, there is always something beautiful and amazing if you take the time to look close enough. If you need a happiness boost, take a closer look at nature.

2) Take time to smell the flowers. If you don’t have anything blooming in your own yard, spend a few dollars and buy yourself a bouquet to put on your desk today. It will help you to visualize the beautiful eco-friendly garden you plan to work on next Spring.

3) When it comes to conversation, DIG DEEP. Did you know that deep conversation can bring happiness? I’m not talking about the short quips and tweets people exchange on twitter and Facebook these days. I’m talking about deep, heart to heart talks. So open up and share!

4) If you aren’t already a “green” gardener, pick up the trowel and dig in. Science seems to point to the fact that being eco-friendly and taking care of the planet helps make people happier.

5) Try some Bare Naked Gardening. No explanation needed.

6) Think happy thoughts. As obvious as it sounds, it is pretty easy to “think yourself happy.” Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, conducted a mass-participation experiment online, with more than 26,000 people joining to try recognize mood-boosting techniques. Participants were given several different techniques that they were supposed to practice for a week, to determine which one made people the happiest. The result: participants who were asked to recall a pleasant event from the previous day were given an immediate 15 per cent boost in happiness

7) And remember, Happiness is contagious. New research shows that in a social network, happiness spreads among people up to three degrees removed from one another. That means when you feel happy, a friend of a friend of a friend has a slightly higher likelihood of feeling happy too.

So what makes you happy? Do you have any quick happiness tips to share with our readers?