Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
In 2008, I attended a lecture by Dr. Douglas Tallamy about how suburban gardeners can make a significant positive impact on our environment by using native plants. His talk was full of fascinating facts and examples. It spoke to my long-held concern for the problems facing the natural world , and gave me hope that I could actually make a difference just by how I gardened – something I loved doing.
What can we as gardeners do to adapt to climate change? While predictions about climate change and its impacts appear nothing short of apocalyptic, adapting to the changes to come will require a return to gardening fundamentals.
MGNV is on Social Media! - Have you seen our mystery plant posts on Facebook every Tuesday? This series, by Elaine Mills, Certified Extension Master Gardener, is now regularly posted in an expanded format on Instagram. Follow us at mgnvsocialmedia!
In 2018, local gardeners contacted the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia Help Desk, Plant Clinics and Demonstration Gardens with hundreds of weather-related plant questions. Are these signs of climate change? Probably.
Homeowners with small yards or apartment dwellers with balconies may wonder what role they can play in supporting pollinators. The good news is that by selecting smaller sizes of woody plants and making creative use of containers, gardeners with limited space can enjoy appealing landscapes that attract a wide variety of these creatures.
Mechanical damage is the most preventable of bark injuries because it is often due to impatience, inattention, or ignorance. Careless maintenance practices can damage trees that take decades, not weeks, to grow. While we cannot control the weather, which can cause irreparable bark injury, we can control what plants we purchase and where we choose to locate them—the right plant in the right place increases its chances of surviving weather extremes. Enjoy the amazing photographs in this article on preventing mechanical and weather damage to trees.
