Gardening for the Environment - Quad Cities

01/07/2022

Are you ready to dig in the dirt?
There's a class coming up at Nahant Marsh to learn how worms can work for you! Check out the details below.

Interested in a natural, home-made fertilizer for your lawns and gardens in the Spring? Then learn how your food scraps into a valuable resource for your garden. Participants will learn how to house, feed, and care for your worms and go home with a complete, ready-to-use vermiculture system.

Sign up: https://nahantmarsh.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=eb72289b366a99870f320f033&id=65f72969bb&e=7d36df3f5b

12/18/2021

Having a green lawn doesn’t make sense in many parts of the country. But that doesn’t mean kids have to sacrifice their backyard adventures.

12/14/2021

A great way to shrink your lawn is to plant around the edges.
Birds love native shrubs that provide berries and cover! Some native shrubs, like American hazelnut, spicebush & currants can also provide food for humans. Planting them in layers, with a row in front that blocks the hole left from the previous row will also provide you with some privacy. Make curving lines and shrink your lawn replacing it with useful wildlife cover or food instead. 🐦

Elizabeth Waddington breaks down what it means when to use edge or maximize edge.

12/04/2021

Pruning your fruit trees after leaves have fallen. 🍃🍁🍂 Growing little fruit trees in your backyard is a much better use of space than grass! They can be grown close together and are pruned so you can reach everything while standing on the ground without a ladder.
For more on fruit trees grown in the backyard, see the book "Grow a Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph, or anything by Dave Wilson regarding backyard orchard culture. 🍐🍎🍑

We are growing fruit trees in our orchard and there is yearly chores to do. We are winter pruning our trees. Hope you enjoy!

11/27/2021

Very clear explanation in this short article. 🌍

The U.S. has a big problem with non-native plants escaping from home gardens, yet many are still being sold at retail nurseries.

11/26/2021

A new show coming soon!

The Wild Gardener, a brand new four-part series for BBC One Northern Ireland presented by Colin Stafford-Johnson, will show how anyone can turn their garden –vast or tiny – into a haven for wildlife.

11/25/2021

Forget mowing grass, there are so many other fun things to do in your yard!
🍊 🍎 🍏 🍐 🍑

Hussam Saraf propagates and sells a variety of rare fruit trees and edible plants from his back garden at the southern fringe of Greater Shepparton. Among his collection is one tree that bears 10 different types of fruit.

11/23/2021

Check out the Dec event and the Wild Ones Quad Cities Chapter!

Learn about how native plants and phytoremediation can be used to improve soil, air and water quality by removing or transforming common environmental contaminants found in urban, suburban and rural settings. The concepts and species discussed in this presentation aren’t limited to green infrast...

11/20/2021

Great article with wonderful resources ...

Alternatives to Pesticides. Need some assistance to learn effective ways to manage your landscape without the use of chemicals? Consult this fact sheet for a quick overview: https://xerces.org/publications/fact-sheets/smarter-pest-management-protecting-pollinators-at-home. For a deeper dive, browse through the many resources available here: https://xerces.org/pesticides/pesticides-your-garden

Plants attractive to Pollinators: Recommendations for highly attractive pollinator plants for our area can be reviewed at the Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center https://www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center.

Pollinator Pledge: https://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-protection-pledgePollinator Habitat Sign: This beautiful sign will help others see that your garden is more than just a pretty spot – it’s a home for pollinators! https://gifts.xerces.org/products/pollinator-habitat-sign-2020

By Sharon Selvaggio, Pesticide Program Specialist, The Xerces Society In your Bee City USA or Bee Campus USA community, protecting and expanding habitat for pollinators has become a community priority. That means that we can

11/19/2021

Some more interesting ideas for yard management but more about ditching the lawn mower rather than the lawn. 🌱

A permaculture expert explains how to care for grass without a lawnmower, through handcutting, grazing livestock, planting wildflowers, and more.

11/13/2021

Please spread the word! Leaves can be used as free garden mulch by gently moving into most of it into your garden and leaving a lighter layer on any remaining lawn area. Many critters camouflage themselves as dry leaves so be as careful as possible when handling leaves in the fall and avoid chopping, blowing, composting or raking all your leaves. 🍂🍁🍃