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 […]
Dry conditions make trees thirsty too (Please water them!)
It’s not supposed to be 98 degrees in October. But that was the official high on Tuesday, October 2nd. Official highs for today:DC: 98, monthly and daily recordDulles: 96, monthly and daily recordBaltimore: 98, monthly and daily record — Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) October 2, 2019 When we spend time outdoors in this kind of […]
Our shade trees are under threat, but we can protect them and add to their numbers
by Marlene Berlin Summer in DC is not for the faint of heart. Especially in the relatively treeless heart of our city. Citizen scientists fanned out across DC and Baltimore over three days in August 2018 to measure temperatures throughout the city. Portland State University researchers then used their data to map out the “urban […]
Honey, I’m home: Backyard beekeeping in Forest Hills DC
by Ian Stevenson Several years ago, my father, Andrew Stevenson, ordered three colonies of three-banded Italian bees, three white hive bodies, two protective suits, and various tools. Getting bees was his project, but it soon became a family undertaking, and while my mother has certainly been the most helpful to him, when I am home […]
Backyard Nature: Weed or wildflower?
by Marjorie Rachlin Wildflower or weed? It can be in the eye of the beholder. Take a look at some of the interesting summer wildflowers you can see on roadsides and meadows nearby. Rock Creek Park and the Broad Branch stream restoration are good places to start. Swamp milkweed In early August this lovely native […]
Sometimes, the farmers at the Van Ness farmers market are UDC researchers
by Mamatha Hanumappa If you are a regular visitor to the Van Ness farmers market, it is very likely that you do not need an introduction to the University of the District of Columbia. But did you know that UDC is a land-grant university in the heart of DC? Yes, UDC is the only urban […]
The perfect tomato at New Morning Farm market
by Marlene Berlin Compari and Kumato tomatoes get me through the winter. At least, they try. But there is nothing like biting into that first big, bright red perfect tomato from the farmers market…. one that not so long ago was straight off the vine. It looks like all those beautiful but tasteless ones you […]
DC leaf collection has begun. Someone tell the trees?
“Ready to rake, DC?” asks DPW’s 2018 leaf collection brochure. Someone needs to ask the trees. Some are giving up their leaves, but for the most part they are showing us their brilliant fall colors. Ready or not, the District began its first round of leaf collection this week. Homeowners who got the brochure in […]