Tag: gardening
Get free milkwood seeds at Hidden Oaks to help save monarch butterflies
A monarch on milkweed. Have you seen a lot of monarch butterflies this spring? Probably not, because the monarch population is in serious decline. Milkweed plants, the only food monarch caterpillars eat, is fast disappearing due to loss of habitat as vacant land is developed. To help save monarchs, the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in … Continued
Volunteers needed for meadow project at Americana Park
This grassy field at Americana Park will be transformed into a meadow. Annandale’s Americana Park is getting a facelift. A grassy field in the park that is subject to frequent flooding will be transformed into a meadow while invasive species will be replaced with native plants. Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) is spearheading a planting … Continued
Join a community supported agriculture group for fresh organic produce
Some of the produce from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. Who wants to receive a package of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits every week directly from a farm at a reasonable cost? That’s the idea behind Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Jennifer Auble of the Ravensworth Farm neighborhood in North Springfield has agreed to host a … Continued
Scene around A-Town: Crocuses!
As soon as the snow melted, this yard on Larchmont Drive in Annandale erupted with crocuses. Spring must be around the corner.
Beautify your yard with native plants
Silky dogwood The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is selling packs of seedlings in an effort to spread native plants throughout the region. Native plants use less water, attract wildlife, protect air and water quality, and bring beauty to your landscaping. They are also more disease resistant than imported plants. There are two … Continued
Order mulch, support schools’ graduating seniors
We’re still in the grips of winter, but it’s not too early to start thinking about spring and revitalizing your landscaping. The PTSAs at both Falls Church High School and JEB Stuart High School are selling mulch, with the proceeds supporting each school’s Class of 2015 all-night graduation party. Three cubic-foot bags of double-shredded hardwood … Continued
Extensive vandalism at community garden plots in Annandale
Fencing destroyed at the Bo White Community Gardens. There has been extensive vandalism at the Bo White Community Gardens in Pine Ridge Park in Annandale in recent days. One gardener reports that about 50 of the 160 garden plots were vandalized in two separate incidents – late on the night of Jan. 22 or in … Continued
Improvements to Green Spring Gardens proposed
Looking forward to spring at Green Spring. Several people who spoke at a meeting on improving Green Spring Gardens Jan. 29 urged the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) to keep the trees on a 2.5-acre piece of land that’s been added to the park. The meeting launched FCPA’s efforts to revise the Master Plan for … Continued
Free workshop on how faith communities can grow food for the needy
Members of Columbia Baptist Church raise food for the needy. The public is invited to a free workshop in Annandale on how faith communities can develop gardens to benefit local food pantries or members of their congregation. The “Community Garden Harvests that Make a Difference” workshop takes place Sunday, Sept. 28, 3-5 p.m., at the … Continued
Classes start next month at Green Spring for Master Gardener program
Green Spring Gardens Do you want to become an expert gardener and educate the public about environmentally sound horticultural practices? The Master Gardener program might be for you. A training course at Green Spring Gardens starts Sept. 9. The application deadline has been extended to Aug. 22. Applicants also need to pass an interview process … Continued
Belvedere Elementary School is a leader in outdoor learning
The information below is from an article published in the summer 2014 edition of Virginia Parks & Recreation magazine. Students at Belvedere Elementary School in Mason District maintain a garden on raised beds, an adopted trail, and decomposition and lifecycle gardens. They remove invasive plants and replace them with native plants. They share food they raise … Continued
Support volunteer’s work at Green Spring Gardens
Clint Fields at Green Spring Gardens. Clint Fields, a longtime volunteer at Green Spring Gardens, is one of three finalists in Virginia’s Cox Conserves Heroes, a program sponsored by Cox Communications and the Trust for Public Land that recognizes volunteers who are creating, preserving, or enhancing shared outdoor spaces. Each finalist has secured a $2,500 … Continued
Scene around A-Town: Spring means azaleas at their best
These photos of azaleas in bloom in the Columbia Pines neighborhood in Annandale were taken by Mary Ellen Dawley.
Effective, safe mosquito control requires more brains than brawn
Yard signs from mosquito control companies. [photo by Friends of Accotink Creek] By Elizabeth Kirchner A yard sign advertisement shows a muscular cartoon warrior wielding a backpack sprayer blasting a towering spear-stingered mosquito: Insecticide “fogging” to control mosquitoes in summertime backyards seems powerful and effective, but specialists—even representatives of insect-control industries, Fairfax County, and the … Continued
The Rongs of Spring: This season offers plenty to gripe about
A rabbit enjoys the tall grass in this Annandale backyard. By Annandale humorist Robert Schwaninger Now that Spring has sprung and pollen hangs in the air like a green fog that covers cars, cats, and nasal passages with dusty abandon, we can look forward to the blossoming of flowers, the buzz of bees, and our … Continued