Blooming flowers and growing plants are magnets pulling us outside to the garden. The new growth inspires us to get out there, clear away the dead stems, pull those pesky winter weeds and dig into the fresh spring earth.
We are lucky to have a great local resource, Earth Sangha, for advice and information about our Northern Virginia native plants. The local cultivars provide just the right habitat for our pollinators, songbirds and butterflies, and they are well-suited to our environment, needing little added water or fertilization. They are a bit different from the mass-produced offerings found in retail outlets but are more likely to establish themselves and return to beautify our landscapes and nourish our wildlife for years.
Earth Sangha is a non-profit whose mission is ecological restoration in the greater Washington, D.C. area. They cultivate plants grown from seeds and spores collected right here in our area. Earth Sangha sells to individuals at the nursery and supplies stock to area governments, schools, businesses and conservation non-profits.
Take a look at the Earth Sangha website, https://www.earthsangha.org, and visit their nursery in Springfield. The webpage is a wealth of information including a comprehensive list of local native plants available at the nursery, what a plant community looks like, and descriptions of the growing conditions for each plant type. They offer trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and ground covers. Using the website, you can plan for rejuvenating your existing planting areas and get advice for planting a new area or restoring a space where invasives have taken over. Be sure to check out the Current Inventory page before you get your heart set on those wild columbines only to find them unavailable.
If you take the time to read the detailed articles, you will be rewarded with knowledge to help make choices that will live and grow with you for many years.
Seasonal Note: Air conditioning season is upon us! Be sure to change your HVAC air filter. A clean filter will help the system run effectively and save money!
We are lucky to have a great local resource, Earth Sangha, for advice and information about our Northern Virginia native plants. The local cultivars provide just the right habitat for our pollinators, songbirds and butterflies, and they are well-suited to our environment, needing little added water or fertilization. They are a bit different from the mass-produced offerings found in retail outlets but are more likely to establish themselves and return to beautify our landscapes and nourish our wildlife for years.
Earth Sangha is a non-profit whose mission is ecological restoration in the greater Washington, D.C. area. They cultivate plants grown from seeds and spores collected right here in our area. Earth Sangha sells to individuals at the nursery and supplies stock to area governments, schools, businesses and conservation non-profits.
Take a look at the Earth Sangha website, https://www.earthsangha.org, and visit their nursery in Springfield. The webpage is a wealth of information including a comprehensive list of local native plants available at the nursery, what a plant community looks like, and descriptions of the growing conditions for each plant type. They offer trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and ground covers. Using the website, you can plan for rejuvenating your existing planting areas and get advice for planting a new area or restoring a space where invasives have taken over. Be sure to check out the Current Inventory page before you get your heart set on those wild columbines only to find them unavailable.
If you take the time to read the detailed articles, you will be rewarded with knowledge to help make choices that will live and grow with you for many years.
Seasonal Note: Air conditioning season is upon us! Be sure to change your HVAC air filter. A clean filter will help the system run effectively and save money!