Colonial Heights Community Garden Park

02/27/2025

Next in the spotlight for National Invasive Species Awareness Week is Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis). Don't let the flowers distract you, this fast-growing vine can easily grow out of control, overtaking native plants and even strangling mature trees. 🚫👎

For an "alter-native," consider trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) for a fast-growing cover vine, or coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) as a less aggressive option. Both are favored by pollinators including the charming ruby-throated hummingbird. ✅👍

02/27/2025

Did you know Callery pear trees are invasive? National Invasive Species Awareness Week is a great time to recognize the impact of this invasive tree and its growing threat to our local ecosystems. 🌿🚫

This common ornamental tree goes by many names, but its beautiful early spring blooms hide an ugly truth. While not every cultivar emits a foul odor, these trees are rapidly spreading beyond urban landscapes, invading roadsides and forests.

Once valued for their fast growth and showy flowers, Callery pears now outcompete native species, reduce biodiversity, and form dense, thorny thickets that are difficult to control. They are also structurally weak and prone to splitting, posing a risk to homes and property.

02/22/2025

One of our favorites to eat right off the vine or throw into a salad or stir fry!

One of the best spring vegetables to grow is green peas. Because they're not always available in grocery stores, growing them yourself is the best way to be sure you'll get to enjoy these tasty tre...

02/22/2025

Want to keep pests at bay without relying only on pesticides? With a little planning and the right techniques, you can protect your garden without an over-abundance of chemical additions.

✅ Start with the soil - begin with well-prepared soil that supports beneficial organisms.
✅ Choose wisely - Select pest-resistant plant varieties and rotate crops to break pest cycles.
✅ Time it right - Plant strategically to avoid peak pest seasons.
✅ Keep it clean - Remove crop residue, weeds, and decaying plants that harbor pests.
✅ Use nature’s helpers - Encourage beneficial insects, birds, and natural predators.
✅ Try mechanical methods - Handpick pests, set traps, and use barriers to protect plants.

With these controls, you can reduce pesticide use and cultivate a productive garden. 🌱✨

Read our for more information ➡️ https://brnw.ch/vcemcg

02/22/2025

An important component to our developing site plan is of water useage and the collection and disbursement of rain water as our stormwater here in Colonial Heights flows into the Appomattox River, Swift Creek, and Old Town Creek as the water then makes its way to the James River and on to the Chesapeake Bay. Here is a great resource for learning more about that along with volunteer opportunities if you are interested.

02/22/2025

Have you ever seen a Bradford pear tree split in half? You probably have! These trees (which are a type of Callery pear tree) are notorious for splitting. They have very narrow crotch angles. If you examine the main branch where another large branches grows out, you will see how acute this angle is--that's a narrow crotch! They tend to get bark inclusions in this narrow crotch where the bark becomes trapped and grows inside the tree, making the branch union weak and prone to breaking during a storm or just as the branch gets bigger and heavier.

For this reason (and also because they are highly invasive...), you might consider replacing your split Callery pear with a different landscape tree.

More about the Callery pear: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3010/3010-1464/3010-1464.html

An interesting history of the Callery pear: https://arboretum.harvard.edu/stories/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-ornamental-callery-pear-tree/

Image text
Why do callery pear trees split?
Branch unions.
A branch union is the place where branches come together.

Callery pears have notoriously weak branch unions because they have “narrow crotches” and...

They are prone to bark inclusions, where bark grows trapped inside the union between branches, weakening this critical area of the tree.

02/22/2025

01/29/2025

Do you have a special place in your living environment for composting?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency just announced its new report about the environmental value of applying compost for a variety of purposes – from agriculture and landscaping to stormwater management and contaminated site remediation. Increasing food waste composting will present expanded opportunities for cities and states, along with businesses and institutions, to increase their use of compost.

The report can be downloaded here: https://www.epa.gov/land-research/environmental-value-applying-compost

The EPA also posted new information on our website about compost: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/benefits-using-compost

01/29/2025

While awaiting the arrival of our site plan from the Timmons Group, we attended an invasive species workshop yesterday presented by the folks from FOLAR - Friends of the Lower Appomattox River. It was very informative with plenty of actionable items if you'd like to get involved.
This educational program will fit well into the programming offered at the Commmunty Garden!

Send a message to learn more

12/21/2024

Are you familiar with gypsum as an organic fertilizer? Read on to learn more at

Use gypsum to add calcium to your soil without raising pH. Sufficient calcium helps prevent blossom end rot of tomatoes and zucchini. It also reduces plant uptake of polluting heavy metals.

12/18/2024

7.5 acres, 475 members and over 500 garden plots! Now that's a lofty goal for the rest of us!