2nd Place Winner in the Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo Contest

The second place winner of the Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog’s Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo contest is Gemma Evans of College Park, Maryland.

Gemma’s photo made it into the voting round because it illustrated several eco-friendly principles. Gemma won second place in the contest because her photo received 186 total votes - the second highest number of all entries in the contest.

Here is the information Gemma submitted on her entry form, illustrating how she helps to make a positive difference to the local environment by creating an eco-friendly landscape.

Which eco-friendly practices are represented in this picture?: Eco-friendly plant choices, Water conservation techniques, Elimination of chemicals, Creation of wildlife habitat , Reduction or replacement of lawn areas

How does this photograph illustrate eco-friendly lawn and garden practices?: This photo of my shade garden shows many eco-friendly practices! You can see a wide range of native & shade-loving plants; use of mulch to reduce weeds & the amount of watering needed; plants that attract wildlife (birds, rabbits and insects); and replacement of lawn area (an on-going project).

Plants include ferns, bleeding heart, wood poppy, coral bells, redbud saplings, dwarf crested iris, rudbeckia, turtlehead (white and pink), lambs ear and hostas.

You also can see the base of a beautiful & massive Willow Oak, which provides a great deal of habitat for wildlife of all sorts, as well as plenty of leaves for my compost pile.

What you can’t see in the picture, that I am happy about, is any English ivy – an ongoing project is hand-pulling the darn stuff. You also can’t see the compost that has been included in the bed. I compost at home, and also purchase locally-made compost (and mulch) from the City of College Park.

I feel good using it, knowing that it didn’t travel more than a mile to get to my garden!

Thanks so much to Gemma, Nancy and to all of our other entrants!

1st Place Winner – Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo Contest

The Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog sponsors would like to congratulate Nancy Striniste of Arlington, Virginia – our first place winner in the Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo Contest.

Participants were asked to submit photos reflecting eco-friendly landscaping practices. Qualifying photos were then moved into the voting round, where site visitors could vote for their favorite photo.

Nancy Striniste was the first place winner, receiving a total of 261 votes for her photo entitled Living Roof and Front Yard Habitat Garden.

Here is the information Nancy submitted on her entry form, illustrating how Nancy helps to make a positive difference to the local environment by creating an eco-friendly landscape.

Which eco-friendly practices are represented in this picture?: Eco-friendly plant choices, Water conservation techniques, Reduction of stormwater runoff , Elimination of chemicals, Creation of wildlife habitat , Reduction or replacement of lawn areas

How does this photograph illustrate eco-friendly lawn and garden practices?: When we added our front porch in 2006, we couldn’t resist trying a living roof which would capture and clean stormwater, keep the porch below cool and comfy, and be soft and beautiful. This month there are iceplants, sedum and talinum in beautiful bloom on the roof. We’ve replaced our front lawn with a certified wildlife habitat—including North American natives such as Inkberry, Winterberry, Clethra, Itea, Oakleaf Hydrangea and a big patch of Echinacea which you can see in front of the fence— teaming with butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects—and later with flocks of goldfinches. Just to the left of the porch is a rain chain, and behind that is a rainbarrel and a new two-bin composter where we’re making rich mulch for the gardens. To the right of the driveway is a raingarden planted with natives, which captures about 50% of our roof water. The most recent addition, right in the center, sitting on the wall, is a tongue drum with a sign that says “PLAY ME”. It has become a favorite stop for neighborhood kids and it’s really fun to hear their music.

Congratulations Nancy, and thanks for doing such a great job creating an eco-friendly landscape. We know that your actions benefit us all.

We’ll have a post about our second place winner, Gemma Evans, tomorrow.

Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions

This is a topic that I haven’t written about for awhile but its another way that you can make a really positive change in your home landscape – choosing eco-friendly paving solutions.

One of the goals of a good, eco-friendly landscape is to allow water to percolate down and stay ON the property, rather than running off into storm drains. When water runs into storm drains, it can not only take chemicals and pollutants with it, but it can also cause flooding during times of heavy rains.

Here’s a great article that I found online recently entitled Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions.

The article says, “A host of paving products let water percolate through to the ground underneath, limiting water runoff, preventing erosion, filtering out pollutants, and improving the health of soil and vegetation. If you are planning a driveway, patio, sidewalk, or garden path project, consider permeable pavers or concrete to allow for natural drainage while providing a solid surface strong enough to handle vehicles and people.”

The article goes on to list several products, with great photos and more details, for porous pavement, open concrete grids, and permeable pavers.

It’s a great article if you are planning any major landscape design changes in the near future.

Read the full article here: Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions.

Previous post on similar subject: The benefits of permeable surfaces are finally starting to soak in!

Trees – will you be replanting?

Residents of Metro DC and surrounding areas may not be thinking very kind thoughts about trees right now. When Mother Nature blew through town a few weeks ago, she huffed and puffed and blew down many of the areas trees, leaving millions of people without electricity and facing weeks worth of cleanup and landscape maintenance.

Many people will soon face the decision of whether they want to replant trees in their yards at all. Personally, I love my trees. I mourn the big ones when they fall and I celebrate the new ones that sprout up in their place. I spend as much time as I can surrounded by trees.

I’ve done many posts about the benefits of trees. Some of those benefits are:

1. Trees decrease heating bills up to 15 percent and cooling bills up to 50 percent. (DDOE)
2. Trees Reduce Noise Pollution - Trees act as buffers against roadways and other noise producing sources by absorbing unpleasant sounds from the urban environment. PT
3. Tree roots protect groundwater - Tree roots help stabilize soil which, if loose and prone to erosion, might be carried away by stormwater runoff. MC
4. Trees provide Healthy Air - The trees of Washington filter 540 tons of harmful, health-threatening pollutants from the air each year. CT One acre of trees absorbs enough carbon dioxide every year to offset 26,000 miles of automobile exhaust! dc.gov
5. Trees provide habitat for wildlife

You can read some of my previous blog posts to see some of my favorite reasons to plant trees. But what are yours? This month’s poll asks the question “What would be your favorite motivator to plant a tree in your yard?” You can answer it here or on our facebook page.

Previous posts about trees:

• 20 More Benefits of Trees
• Hummingbirds Love Trees
• 10 Very Human Benefits of Trees
• More posts about trees

Just a few days left to vote in the Green Gardeners Make a Difference Contest!

There are just a few days left to vote in the Green Gardeners Make a Difference Photo contest and right now, it’s a close race to the finish!

We love to encourage gardeners who make a positive difference to the environment and our 18 entrants have all shared great photos showing how they do that by using native plants, compost, mulch, rain barrels and other green, eco-friendly elements.

You can vote ONCE per day through Friday, July 13th.

If you are one of those with an entry in the contest, don’t forget to ask your friends and family to vote for you each day, too. It’s easy to share your photo on Facebook and ask friends and family to keep on sharing it with their friends, too. There’s even a great Invite Friends button on the front page of the contest.

http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/211893

At this point, every vote counts!

Good luck!

Animal-free fertilizers for the garden

  As an eco-friendly gardener, I have often mentioned substances to add to garden soil that I believe are less toxic to the environment. Many of them are animal by-products, such as animal waste and fish byproducts.

But there’s a blog post on Mother Nature Network which suggests ANIMAL-free choices, stating that,

“these days, a lot of people are choosing to grow their gardens without the addition of animal products, and for many reasons: They may be vegan or have an ethical objection, they may have religious limitations or they may have allergies, just to name a few.”

Here’s a synopsis of what they have listed as animal-free fertilizers. Head on over to the full article for more details.

1. Compost - It’s incredibly rich in myriad minerals, and it also provides important beneficial bacteria and other essential micro fauna. These organisms help to colonize the soil, keeping it “clean” and within a desirable pH range.
2. Liquid herbal infusions - Many of the most common plants, even some that are considered pests, can be full of important minerals such as nitrogen, iron, calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
3. Seaweed - Sea vegetables are an excellent source of trace minerals, like sodium, copper, zinc and more.
4. Mulch with straw - The benefit of mulching with straw is that the organic matter slowly breaks down and “feeds” the soil.
5. Nitrogen-fixing crops - Also called “green manure,” this is another technique that uses actual plants to create an organic fertilizer.

For all the details, visit: Animal-free fertilizers for your healthy home garden

Clean up and green up the National Mall – July 12th

What: Clean up and green up
When: July 12th, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: National Mall

US Airways in partnership with Keep America Beautiful and Keep Washington DC Beautiful will host a clean up event on the National Mall between the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument on Thursday, July 12th.

Volunteers will be weeding around benches, mulching and picking up litter following the 4th of July weekend. The event will take place from 9:00am to 12:00pm and breakfast, snacks, water and t-shirts will be provided. There will be a tent set up adjacent to the Smithsonian Metro Station where volunteers should assemble and receive their assignments at 9:00am on the morning of the event.

Please contact Emily Bond at ebond@kab.org or 203-659-3004 for more information or if you would like to sign up to volunteer at this impactful event!

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