Tag: gardening
Fines take effect for spreading bamboo
The Fairfax County ordinance that prohibits bamboo spreading to neighboring yards takes effect today, Jan. 1, 2023. The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance last March setting fines for homeowners who let running bamboo spread beyond their property line. The ordinance is enforced on a complaint basis. If a property owner finds bamboo encroached into … Continued
Resident curator program for the White Gardens is on hold
The resident curator application for the White Gardens is on hold, but cannot be considered dead, according to Park Authority officials. The White Gardens are located in the Falls Church area of Mason District. The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking a “resident curator” to live in Margaret and John White’s former house rent-free while … Continued
Moon gate in the works for Green Spring
A moon gate is coming to Green Spring Gardens. Plans for a new Moon Gate Garden began in 2020 when Green Spring celebrated its 50th anniversary. Moon gates originated in ancient Asian gardens. “Guests who passed through them were symbolically granted an auspicious welcome and good fortune,” The Fairfax County Park Authority explains. “In garden … Continued
Rotary Club honors best landscapes
The Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club on June 24 awarded businesses and other facilities with Blooming Best Awards for excellence in landscaping. The winners are: • City Diner — frontage and side landscaping, Route 7 and Rock Spring Avenue. • McDonald’s — entrance, Route 7 and Carlin Springs Road. • Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse — … Continued
Local inventor in national DIY contest
Bailey’s Crossroads inventor Carlos Villamar’s design for a sustainable greenhouse is in the running for a national competition hosted by Make magazine. Villamar has moved up to second place in his group in the DIY Hero contest. The public can vote for him here. Voting ends 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 14. Group winners will … Continued
More details emerge on the resident curator applicant for the White Gardens
Resident curator applicant Meg Stout revealed more details about her plans for the White Gardens at a March 29 meeting with the evaluation team. If selected as the resident curator, Stout and her husband Bryan would live in and restore the house built by Margaret and John C. (JC) White in 1939. The White Gardens … Continued
Explore a Park: Green Spring Gardens
This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece explored Eakin Park in Annandale. See other stories in the series on the Parks page. Green Spring Gardens is wonderful all year but is especially nice in spring when the flowers and trees come alive with colorful blossoms. … Continued
Supervisors set fines for invasive bamboo
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance March 22 by a 10-0 vote prohibiting property owners from allowing running bamboo to spread to adjacent yards. The supervisors approved one major change from the draft ordinance: They reduced the maximum yearly penalty from $3,000 to $2,000. Some members of the board, however, questioned whether … Continued
Annual seedling sale starts March 1
Every year, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District sells a collection of bare-root native seedlings. This year’s sale starts March 1 at 10 a.m. The 2022 seedling sale features shrubs and small trees that attract bees and produce colorful flowers and fruits.Seedlings packages must be purchased in advance online. The Tree-Mendous Flowers package … Continued
Board considers curbing bamboo
Bamboo might be beloved by pandas, but it’s an invasive species that spreads aggressively and creates a nuisance for homeowners. The Board of Supervisors agreed on Jan. 25 to consider an ordinance to require property owners to contain running bamboo and set civil penalties for the failure to do so. The board will consider adoption … Continued
Fairfax County to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers
Gas-powered leaf blowers [Quiet Clean NOVA] The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a measure to phase out the county’s use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The measure also calls for updating Fairfax County’s procurement process to incentivize electric leaf blowers by landscape contractors working for the county.
A spotted lanternfly, a dangerous invasive, spotted in Annandale
An adult spotted lanternfly. [Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture] If you see a spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that has made its way to Virginia, the Fairfax County government wants you to kill it immediately. A “hitchhiker” adult spotted lanternfly was recently found in a shipment of produce at a grocery store in Annandale. There have … Continued
An open house at the White Gardens reveals how much work a resident curator would have to take on
The foyer in the White House. Potential resident curators and curious neighbors got a chance to look inside the house at the Margaret White Gardens at an open house on Aug. 7. The Park Authority is seeking a resident curator to fix up the house. The curator would pay for the needed repairs and maintenance … Continued
Margaret White wouldn’t have wanted a ‘resident curator’ for the park that bears her name, her son says
The flowering plants at the White Gardens are being overtaken by invasives. The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking a “resident curator” to live in and restore the house at the Margaret White Gardens, but that’s not what Margaret would have wanted, says her son Doug White. “She didn’t care whether the house was torn … Continued
Sheep offer a quieter, natural alternative to lawn mowing
Sunflower (left) and her daughters Sunday and Zirafa took care of Beverley Rivera’s lawn. Cousin Rudy was part of the lamb crew, too. [Beverley Rivera] Lawn mowing usually doesn’t draw a crowd – except when the “mowing” is done by sheep. Curious neighbors flocked to the home of Beverley Rivera in North Springfield last week … Continued