By Adreon Hubbard of Idlewydle One of the things I appreciate about Idlewylde is the many yards filled with trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in addition to the more traditional mowed grassy areas. The 3rd annual Idlewylde Fall Yard Tree Program through Blue Water Baltimore saw 19 native trees planted in October, including Bald Cypress, Black Gum, Fringetree, Willow and Northern Red Oak, Redbud, River Birch, Sweetbay Magnolia, Sycamore, and Tuiliptree. Yay! Most people seem to agree that trees provide many benefits, including shade, cooling, cleaner air, stormwater and erosion control, pollutant filtering, habitat, and […]
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Saving the planet can begin in your own backyard
Searing heat waves, recurring downpours, and the news that insect and bird populations are declining precipitously all indicate that the climate crisis has already crossed our doorstep. While our government works out local, national, and global solutions, there are many proactive things we can do in our own yards. Growing native plants and trees is a relatively simple act that could have a significant positive impact on our environment. Many people don’t realize that 90% of the insects that live in our neighborhoods can only digest the plants that they have co-evolved with for thousands […]
Continue readingAn Open Letter to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden: Please Grow Native Plants in the White House Gardens
Dear Dr. Biden: Like many Americans, we were thrilled to watch President Biden’s inauguration last week. We applaud the President’s recommitment to the Paris Climate accord and his pledge to take immediate actions to address the serious problem of climate change and its effects on the people of our country and the world. We are writing to suggest that you initiate a project to create a native plant garden at the White House and to expand any native plantings that are there already. As you probably know, Dr. Doug Tallamy, an entomologist at University of […]
Continue readingHow Dangerous Are Lawn Care Chemicals?
Notice the yellow warning signs placed on a lawn after a professional lawn care treatment. Ask your lawn care provider for a list of all chemicals put on your lawn during the entire year. Look the chemicals up on the Internet searching for effects on children and pets. The commonly used lawn herbicides like 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T are essentially plant-growth hormones. They cause the plant to “grow itself to death.” That is why you see the dandelions turn upside down after being sprayed with 2-4-D or other similar chemicals. 2-4-D is one of the two […]
Continue readingMid-Atlantic Native Trees
Canopy Trees AMERICAN HOLLY 40-50’ high, 18-40’ spread, Pyramidal shape This evergreen has captivated plant lovers since the days of the Pilgrims with its lovely red berries. It is a slow grower with spiky leaves and creamy grey bark. It has a low to medium growth rate adding less than 12-24 inches per year. Full sun or partial shade is best for this tree and it is drought tolerant. Birds love to eat the red berries in winter, but multiple plants are needed to produce the berries. This tree is great planted in your yard. […]
Continue readingDon’t Mulch That Tree! And Other Tips
Shade Trees Help Make Towson A Desirable Neighborhood Trees increase property values, clean air pollution, control water run-off, provide shade which cools the whole neighborhood, and help create a lovely, vibrant community. So why do people hurt trees? Sometimes people are trying to do the right thing but do not know they are actually causing disease, die-back, and early death of trees. Tree Health Damaged By Mulch Please stop mulching around trees. That is the advice of horticulturalists who are observing many young trees’ failure to thrive, with infections at the base of trees where […]
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