Storm Weary Gardeners Take Storm Damage in Stride

To many gardeners, landscapes are much more than inanimate plants and trees.

Gardeners can become attached to their gardens in ways that are not always understood by the non-gardener. They have carefully selected their plants, lovingly placed them in the ground, nurtured them and watched them grow. Plants feed their bodies, feed their souls and allow a rather intimate relationship with the birds, butterflies and other wildlife that reside among them.

So when any severe weather phenomenon comes through and destroys what they have created, a gardener can feel a great sense of loss. And in some cases, severe weather may be enough to make plant hobbyists “throw in the trowel”. But for dedicated gardeners and nature lovers, acts of nature are all just taken in stride.

For some, it is the love of wildlife that motivates them. Even the sight of broken trees and damaged plants are quickly forgotten when they see butterflies and hummingbirds feeding on the plants that are still standing.

For others, gardening is a hobby that is just in their blood.

“It’s almost like our gardens were the victim of a violent crime,” my friend Kathy once said when walking through her garden after a violent storm. ”Except you can't catch Mother Nature and put her in jail. You have to be philosophic – even if you don't feel like being philosophic. Gardening and collecting plants is our passion and will always be a part of our lives.

While listening to the stories of fellow gardeners this week, one trait always seemed to shine through. In the midst of all the work and the cleanup, they were all still delighted when they uncovered hidden new growth. And they all still took time to stop and smell the flowers.

Well into another day of cleanup, Maryland resident Barry Louis Polisar summed up a true gardener’s feelings pretty well when he said: “It’s just the price we pay for living in Paradise.”

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your photo, Barry. (You can see lots more of Barry’s photos, as well as learn about his great musical endeavors, on his Facebook page).

America the Beautiful – Native plant species add to the beauty of our country

I love using native plants whenever I can because I think they have many benefits to the environment. Native plants, when selected to work with your particular site conditions, usually require less water, less chemicals and less labor while providing food and habitat for native wildlife. Because of my love of native plants, my ears perked up when I heard this particular comment while watching The Victory Garden on PBS the other morning. During a short clip on native plants, Jamie Durie, a horticulturalist and international award-winning landscape designer, said “Over 30 of America’s state flowers and trees have been pushed out of their state natural habitat through urban sprawl and climate change.” Wow. That seemed like a pretty dramatic statement so I did some searching on the internet to see if I could find anything that verified that statement and I couldn’t. I also asked for more info about the statement on the Victory Garden website but have not, as yet, received a reply. I did, however, find some information on the U.S. National Arboretum website that seems to indicate that many state flowers aren’t actually native to the states that designated them as such, but “were chosen because of their beauty or importance, not because they represent the natural flora of the state they represent.” So, I think this just might be another example of “you can’t believe everything you hear.” In any case, it’s always a great idea to use native plants when you can. Here are some of the great native plants lists we have featured on the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog:

• Beneficial Drought Tolerant Plants for the DC Area – Trees and shrubs
• Beneficial Drought Tolerant Plants for the DC Area – Perennials, grasses, etc
• Favorite Native Plants – Alex Dencker
• Favorite Native Plants – Thomas Rainer
• Favorite Native Plants – Kathy Jentz
• Favorite Native Plants – Alison Gillespie
• Favorite Native Plants – Steve Bates
• Favorite Native Plants – Marlene Condon

Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July, enjoying the beauty of the world around you.

Sun Safety Tips

   Since several people in my family have had skin cancers, you would think that I wouldn’t need to be reminded to put on sunscreen and wear my hat. But like many anxious gardeners, I am sometimes so eager to get outside and play in the dirt, that protecting my skin isn’t my first thought. Thankfully, my husband (who has had several skin cancers removed himself) does the reminding for me.

As a reminder to everyone, here are some sun safety tips from the EPA website:

• Do Not Burn -Sunburns significantly increase one's lifetime risk of developing skin cancer, especially for children.
• Avoid Sun Tanning and Tanning Beds - UV radiation from tanning beds and the sun causes skin cancer and wrinkling.
• Generously Apply Sunscreen - Generously apply about one ounce of sunscreen to cover all exposed skin 15 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 and provide broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.
• Wear Protective Clothing - Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, when possible.
• Seek Shade - Seek shade when possible, and remember that the sun’s UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Use Extra Caution Near Water, Snow and Sand - Water, snow and sand reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.
• Check the UV Index - The UV Index provides important information to help you plan your outdoor activities in ways that prevent sun overexposure. The UV Index forecast is issued daily by the National Weather Service and EPA.
• Get Vitamin D Safely - Get Vitamin D safely through a diet that includes vitamin supplements and foods fortified with Vitamin D. Don't seek the sun.

The EPA also has this neat tool that allows you to check the UV index for any area in the United States. Just plug in a zip code and it will tell you the strength of solar UV radiation on a scale of 1 (very low) to 12 (very high). The tool says that it shows the index for the next day, not the current day.

EPA: Action Steps for Sun Safety

EPA UV Index

Mulch Calculator

I'm almost done increasing the size of my front garden. During one of my rest breaks, I came in and did a quick internet search to find an online mulch calculator. Plenty of them showed up in my search, but I decided to share the one that I found on 1-800-Mulch-Pro, just because they have a lot of other great information about mulch on their website.

For instance, this is what their website says about the benefits of mulch:

What is Mulch used for?

• Mulch prevents weeds from growing.
• Mulch will maintain an even temperature in the soil. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Mulch protects the soil from soil erosion.
• Mulch will conserve moisture.
• Mulch provides a clean surface for accessing the garden.
• Mulch can make a garden look neat and finished.

They have some good photos of the different types of mulch and the mulch calculator page has some nice diagrams of how to measure your garden.

I've never purchased anything from mulch pro (and, in fact, I never heard of them before this morning's search). But their website looks like a great resource!

While writing this post, I realized that I forgot to add "Use Mulch" as one of the options in this month's survey about ways to conserve water. (Whoops!) But why not take a moment and answer the survey anyway! It's in the right hand column of this blog. I promise I'll add that option in future surveys.

A cool Little Wave for a hot afternoon

Hubby and I worked in the yard this weekend. It was pretty brutal.  Today I worked on extending one of our gardens, which meant taking out quite a bit of grass and then moving the stone edging I have around the garden. It is one of our only gardens that gets full sun, so I was trying to extend this "prime real estate" area in our yard.

After half a day of working outside, I needed a break and came in and went through email, etc. Before I get out there and get in another hour's worth of work, I wanted to share this little video I found.

The things I love most about computers and social media websites are all of the neat people that I get to "meet" that have similar interests. I especially love "meeting" other writers, musicians and other creative types who are doing their part to help educate and encourage others to take care of the planet.

Since I just learned about it today, I haven't read this book. I just think it is a very cool idea and wanted to share it. Enjoy!

WSSC ISSUES MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS

WSSC ISSUES MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS  FOR ALL WSSC CUSTOMERS (Commercial & Residential) Severe Storms Cause Loss of Power to Plants and Other Facilities

Laurel –June 30, 2012: The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is issuing mandatory water restrictions for all Montgomery and Prince George’s County customers, residential and commercial. Last night’s severe storms knocked out power to WSSC’s two water filtration plants and other facilities. Crews from BG&E and PEPCO are working to restore power. The restrictions are mandatory to preserve fire fighting capabilities and to make the water supply last while repairs are underway. There is no estimated time for when the plants will be online and producing water again, but both power companies have assured us that WSSC is one of their highest priorities. Due to extremely high temperatures, water consumption has been at its highest this year. And, normally we would use the overnight hours to refill the system. But, last night’s storms prevented that from occurring. Until repairs are complete, it is imperative that all business and residential customers restrict their water use. If customers do not reduce their water use significantly, it may be necessary to issue a Boil Water Advisory that would affect all of our customers. Customers need to: Stop all outside water use – no watering lawns, shrubs, flowers; no washing cars, no topping off swimming pools Use water only as necessary – i.e., shorter showers and turn off faucets after washing hands Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use) Postpone using washing machines and dishwashers. These mandatory water restrictions apply to all WSSC customers, commercial and residential, in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. WSSC will provide updates through the local media and through www.wsscwater.com until mandatory restrictions are no longer necessary.

Maria Rodale's Five Truths About Gardening

My husband and I subscribe to a LOT of magazines and I usually don't have enough time to do much more than skim through them. But I almost always take the time to look at some of them, cover to cover.

I always love reading Maria's Page, written by Maria Rodale,  in the back of Organic Gardening magazine. In case you don't know who she is, Maria Rodale is "a  lifelong advocate on behalf of organic farming and gardening,  and  the author of five books, including most recently Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe (2011, Rodale Books)."

Her page this month is entitled "Five Truths about Gardening" and I know these truths are something that we all can relate to. Here are some excerpts:

1) You will lose tools: "A garden is like a clothes dryer, and tools are like socks. They are somewhere, but also they are nowhere......Let's face it: tools usually get lost before they wear out."

2) You body might feel stiff after gardening, but your mind and soul will feel more limber: "A good gardening session is accompanied by a combination of ouch and ahhhhh.....the ahhh is the sound of a peaceful mind, a spirit that has been literally grounded by the earth."

3) Something will surprise you: "Every interaction with your garden will surprise you with something."

4) You will confront your fears and gain confidence: "A few good books and a friend or neighbor who can answer your questions is the best solution."

5) Nature always wins: "This is the ultimate lesson of nature and gardening and perhaps life: If you can't beat her, join her! Then you, too, can be on the winning team."

Why Green Gardeners DO Make a Difference

We are enjoying all of the "buzz" that we have generated with our Green Gardeners Make a Difference photo contest.

Each of the 18 entrants that have made it into the voting round show one or more environmentally friendly principle that help to illustrate why Green Gardeners DO make a difference.

Some of the green elements are obvious, either by the caption, the description or the photo itself. Some of the elements aren't quite as obvious but they all still make a tremendous difference to the environmental health of the DC area.

Remember, you can vote once each day for your favorite photo.

And just as a reminder, here are some of the ways that green gardeners DO make a difference.

Generate a buzz - by attracting hummingbirds
Reduce storm water runoff – which can pollute local waterways
Enhance soil naturally - use organic fertilizers and soil additivesBar

Encourage beneficial insects – to reduce the need for pesticides
Nix the noxious products– by using eco-friendly optionsarde

ning in DC  

Get their soil tested. - to avoid unneeded fertilizer
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use - by choosing eco-friendly options
Raise their mower blades to 3 inches- to have  healthier lawns
Don't sweep clippings or fertilizer into storm drains- they pollute waterways
Eliminate weeds by hand pulling, hoeing and spot treating
Nurture local wildlife - provide food, shelter and safe conditions for local wildlife
Educate their neighbors - by sharing what they have learned
Re-cycle grass clippings – to the yard provides natural nutrients
Save the rain by installing rain barrels - rain barrels conserve water and prevent runoff

Mulch - to retain moisture while adding nutrients
A void overwatering - it's a waste of money and bad for the environment
Take a closer look at their landscape  - to  work with mother nature
Take out the trash - and create compost with it 

Enjoy the birds and bees - and other beneficial critters
Reduce lawn areas - to save water and other resources

My Beneficial Bug Buying Experiment

A few days ago, I wrote about the wasps that are eating many of the beautiful caterpillars that I have seen dining on my plants.

I mentioned that the wasps are seen as “good bugs” by many people, while the caterpillars are seen as “bad bugs.”

Since we don’t use any chemicals that we consider harmful to the environment, we are always looking for alternative means of getting rid of the pests we don’t want and encouraging the critters that we do want.

With that in mind, a few years ago I ordered several kinds of beneficial insects online. I had previously purchased a bag of ladybugs from my favorite local garden center, but they immediately flew away when I released them, so I decided to try a few more insects ….and to better follow the directions this time.

Here is what I learned:

Ladybugs - Both the adult and larval ladybugs help control aphids, scale, mealybugs, spidermites and whiteflies, as well as other insects. The adult female ladybug lays up to 50 eggs per day, usually on the upper side of leaves of infested plants. The eggs hatch into orange and black marked larvae which can consume 400 or so aphids during this 29 day stage of their life. Ladybugs live about 11 months as adults.

Live ladybugs can sometimes be purchased from local garden centers. In many instances, 90 to 95 percent of the ladybugs you release in your garden will immediately fly away. To increase the number of retainees, follow these suggestions: water the site before releasing the ladybugs or release after a rain; release the bugs in the evening, never in the heat of the day; have plenty of their favorite plants in your landscape. Another suggestion is to release only a few ladybugs at a time, over a period of about a week, instead of emptying the entire bag all at once. The rest can be stored in the refrigerator (NOT in an airtight container!) until their release.

The first time I purchased and released live ladybugs, I had the experience that many people do:  they all immediately flew away. But for the purpose of my “beneficial bug buying” experiment, I ordered some that were called Sta-Home Lady Beetles (900 for $13.95) from a popular online source for “Environmentally Responsible Products.” According to their advertisement, their ladybugs are ‘screened to remove parasitized bugs, they are ready to lay eggs, and they are hungry for pests.’

After releasing the ladybugs into my garden, I was quite impressed that many of them stayed around for weeks and even months. I did not do anything to retain them, but I did have a plant that was well infested with aphids. However, I rarely see ladybugs in our yard now so they haven’t seemed to stay around over the years.

Green Lacewings – Many sources cited lacewings as the most effective predators you can buy. They eat aphids, thrips, mealybugs, scale, moth eggs, whiteflies, small caterpillars and mites and are thought to stay around a little better than ladybugs. You can purchase lacewings as eggs, larvae and adults. The larvae are the most voracious form of this insect but it is suggested that they be purchased as eggs and allowed to hatch.    Unlike ladybugs, lacewings should be released during the day. Lacewings are less likely to fly away than ladybugs if you provide the adults with sources for food, such as pollen, nectar and honeydew.

I ordered my lacewings as eggs (1000 for $11.95) but some had already hatched by the time they arrived, I scattered them around my garden, as directed, and never saw them again. Nor did I see any adult lacewings.
However, I have plenty of ants in my gardens and ants eat lacewing eggs and defend aphids from these predators to protect the honeydew that aphids secrete. Therefore, lacewings may not be a good choice if you have too many ants in your plants.

Although I rarely see green lacewings now, I DO see their eggs all the time, so I know they are still around our property doing their job. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the ones we bought for my bug buying experiement, but I guess it could!

Praying Mantids – Although praying mantids are readily available for purchase, I read that they were of little use as effective pest control. When small, they are excellent soft-bodied insect predators. However, as they get bigger, they indiscriminately eat anything that passes in front of them including honeybees, butterflies and supposedly, hummingbirds. Because of their indiscriminate eating habits and their poor survival rate, I decided not to buy any.

Trichogramma Wasps -These tiny wasps are very popular and very effective Lepidopteron egg parasitoids, which means they are either loved or hated in the garden, depending on whether you like butterflies or not. These wasps reproduce by laying their eggs in the eggs of many Lepidopteron species (butterflies and moths). They are useful for controlling gypsy moths, codling moths, tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms and European corn borers. If you are a butterfly gardener, they will also kill many butterfly species.

The adult wasps lay up to 300 eggs each, into the eggs of 300 soon-to-be destructive caterpillars. Instead of pests hatching out, more tiny wasps hatch out from the pests’ eggs.

The life span of these parasitoids is roughly seven days in their immature stages, then up to 10 days as adults. To get the right species of Trichogramma wasps for your climate and pests, it is recommended that you discuss your needs with the supplier, which I didn’t do. The wasps arrive ready to emerge from host eggs, which are glued to a card. Timing is critical when introducing trichogramma wasps to your garden. Prey eggs have to be available since the wasps can’t parasitize the larvae.

The Trichogramma wasps I ordered came on a small card, which was supposed to have the wasp eggs on it (4000 for $5.75). I could not see them with the naked eye and since I did not have a caterpillar problem in my gardens, I couldn’t really tell whether the wasps emerged and did anything.

I have seen an increasing decline in my butterfly larvae population over the years, which I thought may be related to those wasps. However, the wasps I see are eating the caterpillars themselves and not the eggs, so I think they are a different type of wasp.

So before you spend your money buying beneficial insects, I suggest that you try to lure them to your yard. As with most things in the garden, all it takes is the right habitat.

Related post: Attracting Beneficial Insects for All Natural Pest Control 

Green Gardener Photo Contest - It's Time to Vote!

Is a picture worth 1000 words? Help us pick a winner

 

Here at the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog, we are always trying to spread the word about the many benefits of Green, eco-friendly gardening.

 

We’ve had some great photos entered into our Green Gardeners Make a Difference photo contest and now we would like your help in picking our winners.

 

There are 18 photos, of 18 yards, which have been advanced into the voting round of the contest. All of the photos meet the requirements of the contest, which were to show at least one of these eco-friendly principles:

 

• Eco-friendly plant choices (ie: Right plant/right place, waterwise plants, native plant species)
•  Water conservation techniques – ( Rain gardens, rain barrels, mulch to retain water, drip irrigation, etc.)
•  Reduction of stormwater runoff – (rain gardens, rain barrels, downspout redirection, permeable surfaces)
•  Elimination of chemicals – (hand weeding, beneficial insects, compost)
•  Creation of wildlife habitat – (such as butterfly garden, berry laden plants, etc.)
•  Reduction or replacement of lawn areas

If the eco-friendly principle doesn’t seem obvious in the photo, please be assured that the entrants did list the principles when they submitted their photos. We know all of the great benefits that these properties provide and we are thrilled that these gardeners have decided to share their “green” efforts with our readers.

 

We hope that you will help us encourage more Green Gardeners by adding your comments to the photos, sharing them with your friends and voting on your favorites.

 

Click on a photo Title to read more information, to add a comment, or to share it. There is a button to share the photos on Facebook, but you can also add the link to Twitter or to your Pinterest Board to help get more votes.

 

Remember, you only get ONE vote per day, through July 13th, so be sure to ask all of your family and friends to add their votes!

 

I love them all, but I’m not allowed to vote!!