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 providing both. Fallen leaves are a free resource with many benefits. They create an organic layer, providing not only […]
Backyard Nature: Slime mold brings people together
by Marlene Berlin On my many hikes in Rock Creek Park, I often get to meet wonderful and interesting people who teach me wonderful and interesting things. That’s what happened one day in July. I happened upon a trio of hikers who had stepped off the trail a bit. They were examining something – yellow […]
Backyard Nature: A new and unwelcome bug
by Marlene Berlin In late June, I spotted a bug I had never seen before. I was hiking in Rock Creek Park on the Western Ridge Trail. The insect was red, with white dots on its wings. It flew away before I could get a photo. But hiking in Soapstone a few days later, I […]
In the garden: Researching mulch “volcanoes”
Our friends at Casey Trees are doing research on volcanoes. These volcanoes have nothing to do with lava, or super-heated ash. But they can be harmful to trees. Casey has partnered with Bartlett Trees Research Laboratories to study the dangers of volcano mulching, so-called for the shape the mulch takes when piled up against the […]
It’s time to start giving your young trees some extra TLC
by Marlene Berlin Summer, officially, is still a couple of months away. Summer temperatures, on the other hand, will be here soon. Hot and dry are not a good combination for young trees, especially street trees. So it’s time to get into the habit of giving them some extra care. Casey Trees, from April through […]
Plant this, not that: A guide to plants that attract and sustain wildlife as well as beautify your garden
by Kathy Sykes Each Earth Day, we reflect on what we can do for Mother Earth, and meet the challenges that come from the changing climate and landscapes. Fortunately, there is a simple action we can take to respond: plant native plants. A plant is considered native if it occurred naturally in a particular region, […]
Backyard Nature: A showstopping autumn
by Marlene Berlin Fall has wowed us this year, with colors that stand out both in their brilliance and their longevity. The yellows, oranges and reds emerged with a vengeance within a day or two of our late October article on why the leaves change color. Splashes of color continue to impress, from the bright […]
Backyard Nature: Autumn is in bloom. Is that strange?
by Marlene Berlin The changing fall leaves aren’t the only ways nature is adding more color to the fall months. On November 7th, I spotted these irises. I was amazed to find them blooming this late in the year. I have also been finding azaleas, roses, and white and pink camelias in partial or full […]
Got young trees? They need to be watered even when temperatures are cooling
by Marlene Berlin We often remind you during the hot summer months that new trees need water – gallons of it. Young trees, whether they’ve been recently planted or have been in the ground for a couple of years, require 25 gallons of water every week to survive. That is no less true in the […]
Backyard Nature: What causes trees to change their colors and shed their leaves in the fall
by Marlene Berlin Almost as soon as trees start to wear their fall colors, they begin to slough them off. Around the neighborhood and on Rock Creek Park trails, flashes of yellow, orange and red are appearing. And the leaves – some brilliantly colored, some not – are also dropping from trees at a steadier […]