UDC’s urban farming programs include a research farm in Beltsville, Maryland, a rooftop farm at its Van Ness campus – and training a small army of “Master Gardeners.” It also puts on workshops and provides resources for DC residents who wish to learn more about growing food in their own gardens, whether it’s a community […]
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Our outdoor plants are parched in this heat, but we are free of drought
by Marlene Berlin Trees are looking parched, with curled up leaves. Plants are wilting. But we are not in a drought, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). COG’s July 15th report on the region’s water supply declared it so. The report acknowledges below normal precipitation in the preceding 30 days, and that […]
The keys to a healthy, chemical-free lawn
After Kathy Sykes, a certified Master Gardener, submitted her opinion piece calling for a pesticides ban in DC, we had some questions for her, including: Are weeds in a grass lawn the main target of herbicides? Is lawn fertilizer harmful to humans? And what are some alternatives? Here are her answers. Herbicides are a type of […]
Opinion: Let’s call for a DC ban on chemicals in lawns and landscaping
by Kathy Sykes “Mommy, what does this sign say?” asked a 3-year-old child who was sitting on our lawn, taking a break from gardening with me in the treebox on Appleton Street. Her mother immediately picked her up, whisking her away from the hazardous grass as she read the sign: “Caution, pesticide application. Keep off.” […]
Got a green thumb? It can be a gift to your community. The DC Master Gardener training program is accepting applications through July 18.
UDC’s popular Master Gardener program will be welcoming its next group of trainees on September 1st, and it’s accepting applications from June 14th to July 18th. What is a Master Gardener? Someone who has been trained in sustainable urban gardening practices and goes on to volunteer in their communities on garden-based projects. In this neighborhood, […]
Don’t forget to prepare for this summer’s other insect invasion
by Paul Harrison We may all be focused on cicadas, but there’s one insect that we all know is coming and we actually can do something to prepare for – mosquitoes! I moved to the 3000 block of Albemarle with my wife, seven-year-old son, and my in-laws last August. We were previously Shaw residents for […]
Tour Connecticut Ave. street gardens with Master Gardener Kathy Sykes on April 25 and 26
Connecticut Avenue’s “Flower Lady,” Kathy Sykes, is a UDC-trained Master Gardener and a driving force behind Van Main Street’s efforts to beautify the tree boxes between Van Ness Street and Nebraska Avenue. (And it’s not too late to join the pollinator-friendly planting efforts or donate to the cause!) Sykes has a wealth of knowledge about […]
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Meet Your Neighbors: She’s helping DC become more welcoming to butterflies and bees and other pollinators
Meet Thorne Rankin. She has lived in Forest Hills for 16 years. She is a landscape designer who has worked in the DC area for 40 years. And in 2017, Rankin started a nonprofit called DC Natives to create pollinator gardens across the city. Why did you decide to start this organization? DC Natives was […]
Our young trees are hot and thirsty. Help them survive the summer by offering them a drink
by Marlene Berlin July 4th weekend was a scorcher. Forecast highs for the coming days are in the 90s. And young yard and street trees are desperate for a drink of water. The trees need to watered every week throughout the summer and into the fall. Downpours don’t count – only a good soaking rain […]
Neighborhood oak trees are suffering. Check yours for the signs
by Marjorie Rachlin Bad news. Forest Hills is about to lose some of its big oaks, the pride and glory of our neighborhood. Look around your block (wherever you live), and you might spot a big oak where all the leaves at one side, or at the top, are already brown and dry. That’s a […]