by Kathy Sykes Fall provides a great opportunity to suppress weeds and provide essential nutrients for next year’s yard and garden. But there is no need to spend money on mulch and fertilizer. Mother Nature is about to provide both. Fallen leaves are a free resource with many benefits. They create an organic layer, providing […]
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Backyard Nature: A golden prize for bumblebees and butterflies
by Marlene Berlin Bees, flies, and an occasional butterfly come to partake of my goldenrod in the backyard. I planted it at the suggestion of the late Marge Rachlin, my friend, my neighbor, and my garden consultant. I turned to her for advice when my backyard, shaded since we moved here in 1989, had lots […]
UDC’s urban farming and gardening resource program hosting a Sept. 16 listening session
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]