Hyattsville Elementary PTA Native Plant Sale

I saw this post on a local gardening message board and noticed that it had different dates than what I had listed in my list of Upcoming Native Plant Sales

I’ve corrected my post, but please verify dates and times of sales before you make a trip out to visit one!

3rd Annual Native Plant Sale
Hyattsville Elementary PTA

Planning your spring garden?
Looking for plants that will attract butterflies, honey bees, and cool friends?
Who needs grass? Boring! Do you wait for your grass to bloom? Or do you dread its growing? Replace that grass with a beautiful perennial cardinal flower!
Discover the joy, beauty, and wonder of native plants.

Two Days!
Saturday May 19, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and
Sunday May 20, 8:00 a.m. to Noon
(or until supplies last; please call or check our website for updates on availability)

Sale Location: Hyattsville ES, 5311 43rd Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781

For pictures and information on available plants, visit our website at www.nativeplantsale.org

For more information, please contact hesptanativeplantsale@gmail.com or call 301-312-9170.

All proceeds go to supporting the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA and its efforts to improve the academic achievements of all our students.

Nearly 40 Plant Varieties!—
Butterfly Milkweed (Monarch butterflies? Special stuff!)
Smooth Blue Aster
New England Aster (beautiful and hearty!)
Blue False Indigo
Lance-Leaved Coreopsis
Blue Flag Iris
Dense Blazing Star (insane!)
Spotted Joe-Pye
Cardinal Flower (red red red red!)
Blue Vervain
Purple Coneflower
Orange Coneflower
Wild Bergamot
Black-eyed Susan
Ironweed (William Kennedy anyone?)
Canadian Serviceberry
Eastern Redbud
Witchhazel
Winterberry (berries in the winter?)
Inkberry
American Holly
Chokecherry
Sweetbay Magnolia
Black Cherry
Allegheny Blackberry
Highbush Blueberry (pancakes!)
Arrowwood Viburnum
Blackhaw Viburnum
And more!Plugs & 1 Gallon pots Available
Prices $3—$15 per plant
(Plant list subject to change)

Searchable Database of Plant for Sale http://www.wildflower.org/collections/collection.php?collection=pta

Related Links -
Chesapeake Natives (http://www.chesapeakenatives.org/Chesapeake_Natives/HOME.html)
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (http://www.wildflower.org/)
Maryland Native Plant Society (http://mdflora.org/aboutnatives.html)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—BayScapes (http://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/Bayscapes.htm)
U.S. National Park Service—Natives page (http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/nativesmd/info.htm)
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve (http://www.bhwp.org/index.htm)
U.S. National Arboretum—Fern Valley (http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/collections/VirtualTours/fernvalleythumbnails.html)

Searchable Database of Plant for Sale http://www.wildflower.org/collections/collection.php?collection=pta

Information for post from Bart Lawrence, Hyattsville, MD

Patuxent River Cleanup – March 31st

Take the plunge and help clean up the Patuxent River, Maryland's longest and deepest river. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), the Patuxent Riverkeeper, friends, neighbors and patrons of clean water are all part of the Annual Patuxent Trash Clean-Up being held on Saturday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to Noon.  And you can join too.

Volunteers can sign up at seven sites located at the recreation areas around WSSC’s two reservoirs, Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge. These include:

· Supplee Lane Recreation Area, 16904 Supplee Lane, Laurel;

· Scott’s Cove Recreation Area, 10904 Harding Rd. Laurel;

· Pig Tail Recreation Area, 5600 Green Bridge Road, Dayton;

· Big Branch Recreation Area, 14801 Triadelphia Mill Rd. Dayton; and

· Greenbridge Recreation Area, Greenbridge Road at New Hampshire, Brookeville.

To register to help at one of these sites, go to https://eservices.wsscwater.com/wps/portal/EarthMonth.

For more information about WSSC’s sites, contact Sandy August at 301-206-8240. To get more information about the overall Patuxent River Clean-Up, contact the Patuxent Riverkeeper at 301-249-8200, info@paxriverkeeper.org.

Building a Compost Screener

Here is the latest project that my sweet hubby and I built for our eco-friendly, “green” garden. It is a compost sifter and we got the idea from plans that we found in Organic Gardening Magazine.

It’s very easy to make. The only materials required are a few pieces of 2 x 4 lumber, some hardware cloth with 1/2 inch square mesh, a staple gun and some galvanized deck screws.

Of course, we love compost because it provides eco-friendly, chemical free nutrients for our garden.

I hope you enjoy the video! The link to the article is below.

Build a Compost Screener (Organic Gardening Magazine)

10 Tips for Rain Barrel Maintenance and Safety

I know I’ve written a lot of posts about rain barrels, but that’s because I think they are a real no-brainer for an eco-friendly garden.

Rain barrels are easy to make, easy to install and they help the planet in two ways: by both conserving and protecting our planet’s water supplies.

Rain barrels capture and store the rainwater running off a rooftop. The harvested rainwater can be stored for later use, or used immediately for watering lawns and landscaped areas, filling ponds or fountains, or washing cars. This stored water helps to save money and it really comes in handy during times of mandatory water restrictions.

By collecting runoff from rooftops, rain barrels can also prevent stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is caused when heavy rains  run directly into streets and storm sewers, carrying it (and the pollutants it collects) directly to the local waterways.

Rain barrels require very little maintenance. However, to make sure that they remain problem free, here are:

10 Tips for Rain Barrel Maintenance and Safety

1. Rain barrels can weigh about 400 pounds when full, but they need to be elevated for good water flow. Make sure that they are placed on a sturdy, level base to avoid all possibility of toppling over.
2. Make sure that all overflow pipes or hoses are directed to pervious (landscaped) surfaces so that overflow water soaks into the ground instead of pooling where it can create slippery puddles.
3. Don’t drink the water from your rain barrel. There is no telling what substances the rain has collected from your roof or gutters.
4. Use the water in your rain barrel before using other water sources to help prevent standing water in the barrel.
5. Clean your gutters regularly to reduce debris.
6. Once a year, tip your rain barrel over during a dry spell and rinse it out with a hose. You can also put a capful of chlorine bleach into the water to help prevent algae growth.
7. Check your rain barrel on a regular basis to make sure all openings are clean, free of debris and flowing freely.
8. During severe rain storms, check your rain barrel to make sure the overflows are working properly.
9. If your rainbarrel springs a small leak, most can be repaired with aquarium caulk, a clear sealant available at most hardware stores
10. Rain barrels should be drained and removed for the winter months to prevent ice damage.

Related post about rain barrels: The Rain Barrel Response

Patuxent River Cleanup

Volunteer Opportunity with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Saturday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to Noon Patuxent River Cleanup

Sign up for a number of sites to pick up trash throughout the Patuxent River watershed and help the Chesapeake Bay.  Email saugust@wsscwater.com.

For more information, visit the WSSC website.

Are these products REALLY environmentally friendly?

Here’s another product that doesn’t really seem to be “environmentally friendly” to me: those motion activated water repellent systems that are supposed to scare away nuisance animals from your yard.

You set the devices up in your yard, attach them to a garden hose, and turn on the hose. The motion detecting devices say that they protect over 1900 square feet, work day and night and even squirrels will activate them. The way that they "protect" your property is by squirting large blasts of water to deter the creatures that dare to set foot on your land.

One website describes their product this way: it “provides an environmentally-friendly and safe alternative to chemical repellents and electric fences, so it’s safe for use around your family and pets.”

I have to admit, I would love to find a product that would help keep the birds from eating the fish out of my garden pond and keep the neighborhood cats and dogs from pooping in my yard. But it just doesn’t make sense to me to waste a lot of water to do it. PLUS, if you had a few nights of really active critter activity, I would think that you would run the risk of overwatering you lawn, which really isn’t healthy for it.

What do you think?

Win a Prius by Saving Water? Contact Your Mayor

  How would you like a new Prius? I have to say, I wouldn’t say “No”, if someone wanted to give me a new car, especially if it was one that was more eco-friendly than my current ride. So I was intrigued when I saw the press blurbs about the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, sponsored by the Wyland Foundation.

According to their website, the Wyland Foundation, along with a whole slew of other organizations, are giving away $50,000 in prizes to people who take an online water challenge between March 30 – April 30th, top prize being a Toyota Prius Hybrid. 

But here’s the thing: in order to win, you have to live in the city with the highest number of residents who take the challenge….and this is a NATIONWIDE contest. So the first step to get anywhere near winning the Prius, or any of the other great prizes, is to contact your mayor and ask them to challenge their citizens. The website provides a letter that you can download and use to contact your mayor.

Sure, the chances of winning the Prius are a long shot, but what have you got to loose? Getting people in your city to pledge to conserve water and other valuable resources is a good thing, and a cleaner environment for your city is a great prize, in itself.

More information from the Wyland Foundation website:

Mayors are encouraged to challenge their residents to visit mywaterpledge.com from March 30 to April 30. Visitors to the website enter their zip code and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water, save energy and reduce pollution.

Participants in cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge will be eligible to win more than 1,000 prizes, including a Toyota Prius and water-saving home products from Waterpik, Sterling Plumbing, Rainbird, and Lowe's.

“The mayor’s challenge gives communities a way to come together for one very important reason—the future of our planet,” said famed marine artist Wyland. “We see mayors making gentlemen’s bets over who will win college football games. Here’s a way for them to take on an even more important challenge in a friendly, competitive way.”

Raingarden Workshop – March 31st

Raingardens for Homeowners. Saturday, March 31^st.  9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. 

Rain gardens, also known as bioretention areas, are attractive landscape features that allow rain water and snow melt to infiltrate into the ground.  A layer of mulch and plants intercept water running off streets, driveways, and rooftops, slowing its flow and removing pollutants before the water reaches local streams, the Occoquan River and the Potomac River, drinking water supplies for the region. 

The workshop will be held at Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St.  Arlington, VA.  

To register, please email Aileen Winquist at awinquist@arlingtonva.us     More information:  http://www.novaregion.org/raingardens

March 22 is World Water Day – Adopt a Waterwise Diet

Since 1993, March 22nd has been observed as World Water Day to focus attention on the importance of preserving and protecting our planet’s fresh water resources.

World Water Day has a theme each year, and this year’s theme is “Water and Food Security” and deals with the planet’s supply of clean, healthy, abundant water and its relationship to providing food to the people of the world.

As eco-friendly gardeners, we often talk about waterwise landscaping. We know that by utilizing rain barrels, choosing waterwise plants, and using mulch, we all can help conserve water in our landscapes. But for World Water Day, this year’s theme seems to focus on "waterwise eating". "Waterwise eating" means following a healthy, sustainable diet; consuming a less water-intensive diet; and reducing food waste.

Of course, we all realize that we need water to grow food for people to eat. But the “Water and Food Security” theme also wants to encourage everyone to consider the water required in the production of the food that they eat, and to adopt a diet that is less water “hungry”.

Each food has its own “water footprint”, which accounts for the amount of water used to grow and/or produce that food. By learning a little about the water footprint of your foods, you can choose to make a choice for a more “waterwise” diet.

Here are some quotes, and a short video, from the World Water Day Website:

The world is thirsty because of our needs for food. Today, there are over 7 billion people to feed on the planet and this number is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. To be able to feed everybody, we first need to secure water, in sufficient quantity and adequate quality. We will also need to produce more food using less water, reduce food wastage and losses, and move towards more sustainable diets.

Here are some additional links for information about the “water footprint” of various foods:

Water Footprint of animal products

Water Footprint – Product Gallery

No more plastic mulch bags

Here’s a neat idea I saw online and its so simple, it really makes you wonder why no one thought of it before.

The product is called Weed Recede and it is mulch that comes in its own, self-mulching paper bags. You just lay the bag on the ground, pull a couple of strings to open the bag, and spread out the mulch right on top of the paper bag. The video for the product says that “the landscape industry in the United States uses over 700 million and one billion plastic mulch bags each year”, most of which end up in our landfills.

Anyway, if you like this product, you can vote for it in the Walmart on the shelf contest (which will make the product available at Walmart stores).