Tag: gardening
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
Annandale Farmers Market opens tomorrow
The Annandale Farmers Market, at Mason District Park, opens for the season tomorrow morning. About a dozen vendors will be on hand offering homemade bread, pies, herbs, flowers, meat, and Greek pastries, as well as all kinds of seasonal vegetables and fruits. The Annandale market will be open every Thursday, 8 a.m.-noon, through Nov. 7. … Continued
Community garden project planned for site owned by Dar Al-Hijrah mosque
Left to right: Ipsita Salim, Safiya Taoufix, and Hauwa Santuraki in the site of the future Green Eden Community Garden. The Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Seven Corners owns a large vacant lot across the street, and a group of young women are hoping to transform it into the Green Eden Community Garden. They have … Continued
Beautify your yard with organic gardening
A garden created by Prior Unity Garden. By Marie Reinsdorf If you are not yet growing some of your own food in your backyard, you can do it—and in such a way that your food plants are part of beautiful landscaping. Debby Ward offered lots of advice on how to do that in a presentation … Continued
Native seedling sale under way
Winterberry Using native plants in your landscaping protects water and air quality, helps attract wildlife, conserve energy, reduces carbon emissions, and can even help you save time and money. Native plants use less water and are more resistant to damage and disease than imported plants and protect water quality through better drainage. The Northern Virginia … Continued
Mulch sales support JEB Stuart HS All-Night Graduation Party
Start planning your spring garden while supporting local high school students at the same time. The JEB Stuart High School PTSA is selling mulch to support the Class of 2014 All-Night Graduation Celebration and other projects. A three cubic-foot bag of mulch is $5.50. Orders must be placed by March 12. Orders may be placed … Continued
Mulch ado about something – support the Falls Church HS Class of 2014
We might be still in the thick of winter, but it’s time to start thinking about your yard and garden—and that means stocking up on big bags of mulch. Avoid the crowds at Home Depot by getting your mulch from Falls Church High School, while supporting by the Class of 2104 All Night Graduation Celebration, … Continued
Volunteers decorate veterans’ homes
Jessica Sutherland got a nice surprise Saturday morning. A team of over 50 volunteers showed up at her house on Dodson Drive in Annandale to do yard work, including mulching and bulb planting, and put up holiday decorations. The volunteers were with the Decorate a Vet program, which was started in 2010 by Jeff Jones, … Continued
Green Spring Gardens, Hidden Oaks volunteers honored
From the left: Park Authority Board Chair Bill Bouie,; Mason District Park Authority Board Member Frank Vajda, FROGS President Susan Voss, FROGS Treasurer Ivy Sinaiko, FROGS Secretary Elizabeth Promen, and FROGS Vice President Clinton Fields. The Fairfax County Park Authority Board recognized the 20th anniversary of Friends of Green Spring (FROGS) at its Nov. 13 … Continued
Farmers markets offer meat, pies, honey, even ‘nicecream,’ as well as produce
Summer’s over but the local farmers’ markets are going strong for several more weeks, so you’ve got plenty of time to stock up on fall produce. At the market in Wakefield Park (open Wednesdays, 2-6 p.m., through Oct. 30) and the Annandale market in Mason District Park (Thursdays, 8 a.m.-noon, through Nov. 7)—the farmers have … Continued
Overuse of pesticides is killing off bees essential for pollination
Dead bees under trees sprayed in a mall in Wilsonville, Ore. [Photo by Rich Hatfield of the Xerces Society.] By Deanna Crumbling In Wilsonville, Ore., on June 17, it was discovered that a chemical weapon of mass destruction had left over 25,000 carcasses in the parking lot of a shopping center, and the bodies were … Continued
What’s wrong with moss?
This is the third piece in a three-part series on lawns by Jim McGlone, an urban forest conservationist in the Virginia Department of Forestry. The first piece, published April 9, explored the forces at play in the popularization of the “great American lawn.” The second article, published April 23, described how to keep your lawn … Continued
Annandale schools get grants for environmental projects
Belvedere Elementary School’s outdoor classroom. Two elementary schools in the Annandale area have been awardedgrants for environmental projects from Dominion Power’s foundation. Canterbury Woods Elementary School was awarded $3,500 to create an outdoor classroom and science lab, where students will study the life cycles of seeds and monarch butterflies, learn about the interaction of animals … Continued
Natural, outdoor Discovery Area takes shape at Westlawn Elementary School
Chldren help with the digging and planting. Parents, kids, and school staff have been making lots of progress on a new Discovery Area, a natural, outdoor play area on the grounds of Westlawn Elementary School. The school received a $2,500 grant last fall from the Dominion K-12 Educational Partnership to get the project started. It’s … Continued