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Tag Archives: pollinators
Five Things You Didn’t Know About . . . Annuals
by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener Unlike perennials, which live for more than two years, annual plants sprout, bloom, produce seeds, and die in a single growing season. If the garden was a stage, perennials would be the leads and … Continue reading
For Your Pollinator Garden
Written (and Photographed) by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener Do you want to create or add to a pollinator garden? Do you look at lists of plants that claim to be superior at attracting pollinators, then wonder which ones really … Continue reading
Posted in MG in the Garden, Pollinators, Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Tagged black and gold bumble bee, brown-belted bumble bee, European honey bee, glance, green sweat bee, Mary Free, Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot), pollinators, syrphid fly, two-spotted bumble bee, Video
On the Echinacea – What’s that Insect? Answers!
Written (and Photographed) by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener We wrap up pollinator week with one last challenge: can you identify the insects in the video? These hairy pollinators were buzzing around the Echinacea at Green Spring Gardens on Wednesday. One characteristic … Continue reading
Posted in MG in the Garden, Pollinators, Public Education
Tagged insects, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, Native plants, pollinators
On the Echinacea – What’s that Insect?
Written (and Photographed) by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener [Note: This is an updated and revised version of an article originally posted on June 13, 2012.] This year, June 2oth is not only the summer solstice, but the beginning of … Continue reading
Posted in Demonstration Gardens, Pollinators, Public Education
Tagged Echinacea, insects, Native plants, pollinator week, pollinators
The Master Gardeners’ Bookshelf – American Botanical Paintings: Native Plants of the Mid-Atlantic
American Botanical Paintings: Native Plants of the Mid Atlantic, a recently published book intended for both artists and gardeners, was created by a local nonprofit group, Botanical Artists for Education & the Environment. This group is composed of botanical artists who participated in painting classes offered by Anne-Marie Evans in Falls Church, VA. The BAEE undertook the publication project with the intention of stimulating an appreciation of native plants and encouraging their use in home landscaping. The introductory text includes a contribution from the renowned entomologist Dr. Douglas Tallamy on the vital role of native plants in local ecosystems. Continue reading
Posted in The Master Gardeners' Bookshelf
Tagged Books about gardening, Botany, habitats, Native plants, pollinators
The Long View – Meditations on Gardening (A Venture in Guerrilla Gardening)
Not all gardeners have big plots. So sometimes we just exploit what’s nearby. It’s a bit iffy, but taking a little risk and adding a dollop of luck and patience, some digging and weeding and a mix of bought and donated plants can pay off. Witness the former parking lot island near my town house. It used to be a dog- and sun-seared plot of weedy grass that never looked good after the first green flush of spring. Continue reading
Posted in MG in the Garden, The Long View – Meditations on Gardening
Tagged allium bulbs, bees, butterflies, cleome, daffodils, Echinacea, lavender, Master Gardener, MGNV, pollinators, redbud, rosemary, Shasta daisies, tulips, zinnia
How to Celebrate National Pollinator Week – 15-21 June: Go Native!
National Pollinator Week – See how MGNV can help you “Go Native!” with pollinators. Continue reading
Posted in MG in the Garden, Pollinators
Tagged animal pollinators, bee bountiful, bee showy, bee-friendly flowers, Best Bets to Attract Polllinators, birds, butterflies, climate, environment, Eupatorium, flowering plants, genetic diversity, Hyssopleaf Thoroughwort, insects, Joe-Pye Weed, Landscape, MGNV, National Pollinator Week, native habitat, native landscaping, Native plants, native pollinators, pesticides, pollinators, predation, Science magazine, Solidago rugosa, Sunny Garden, tried and true plants, U.S. Forest Service, VCE, Verbene hastata, Virginia, Virginia Cooperative Extension, wildlife, wildlife habitat
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Photographing the Tried and True Sheets: Part 2 – Capturing Flowers and Fruits
Written by Mary Free, Certified Master Gardener Part One of Photographing the Tried and True Sheets explored how best to capture the forms of plants and trees in photographs. You can read part one here! This week, a closer look at capturing … Continue reading
Posted in Community Gardens, Demonstration Gardens, Glencarlyn, MG in the Garden, Public Education
Tagged A. tuberosa, Alexandria, Arlington, Asclepias tuberosa, bumble bee, bumble bees, Echinacea, Echinacea purpurea, Euonymus, Euonymus americanus, Flower, fruits, Glencarlyn Community Library Garden, Glencarlyn Library, Heart's-a-Bustin', insect, insects, liatris, liatris spicata, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, MGNV, MGNV Sunny Garden, milkweed bug nymphs, milkweed bugs, milkweed nymphs, monarch butterflies, monarch butterfly, Monarch caterpillars, Native plants, non-natives, perennials, photographing plants, pollinators, skippers, Sunny Garden, Tried and True
New Monarch Waystation at Bluemont Park
Written by Maraea Harris, Master Gardener Intern The Bluemont Bird and Butterfly Garden began around 2004. The space, which had been just another parking lot island, was filled with various flowering perennials and shrubs and was used and maintained by … Continue reading
Posted in Demonstration Gardens, MG in the Garden, Pollinators
Tagged Amsonia hubrichtii, Asclepias tuberosa, Beautyberry, Bluemont Bird and Butterfly Garden, hoary mountain mint, Lonicera sempervirens, Master Gardener, Monarch Waystation, Monarch Waystation Certification from Monarch Watch, National Pollinator Week, Parks and Recreation, plant of the year, pollinator week, pollinators, purple coneflower, serviceberry tree, Verbena bonariensis, Virginia Native Plant Society, Winterberry
Happy Pollinator Week! Happy 25th Anniversary!
Celebrate National Pollinator Week and the first day of summer at Bon Air Park. On June 21, 2014, the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) in cooperation with the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) and Arlington County will celebrate the 25th anniversary of … Continue reading
Posted in Demonstration Gardens, Event
Tagged 850 North Lexington Street, Arlington 4-H/Junior Master Gardeners, Arlington Regional Master Naturalists, Arlington Rose Foundation, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, Beekeepers Association of Northern Virginia, Bluemont Park, Bon Air Park, environmental stewardship, Memorial Rose Garden, MGNV, MonarchWatch, pollinators, sustainable gardening, VCE
