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Feb 83 min read

Clean Water and Native Plants

If your property contains a stream, pond, or any sort of wetland, whether its flow is permanent or intermittent in nature, this article...

Jan 112 min read

Community associations and environmental leadership

Community associations are familiar local institutions. They serve residents by enacting and enforcing community rules, managing any...

Dec 3, 20243 min read

Let Dead Plant Material Lie

Our splendid native plants are going dormant for the winter and leaving behind their seed heads and dead stalks as a reminder of growing...

Nov 8, 20243 min read

Protect The Wildlife You Attract

Market demand for native plants in our region has clearly risen in the past ten years. This is a very positive trend, fueled by an...

Oct 5, 20244 min read

“Keystone” Plants for Fall Gardens

It’s fall, and most healthy plants are looking rather spent as they go dormant for the winter. But some natives are happily blooming away...

Aug 30, 20243 min read

Native vines for hummingbirds and beauty

Native vines can be terrific additions to your landscape. The most popular one, Coral Honeysuckle, is a hummingbird magnet! Unlike the...

Jul 25, 20243 min read

Supporting your garden through heat and drought

We all know the climate is getting hotter. The week of July 22 included the world’s two hottest days in recorded history. At the same...

Jun 22, 20242 min read

Good hedges make good neighbors

Dense plantings between properties are a valuable amenity, so much so that they are mandated for many building projects. A mixed hedge...

May 18, 20243 min read

Shrink the lawn

If you grew up in suburbia, a pristine lawn was a welcome herald of spring. Everyone enjoys the smell of freshly mowed grass and the look...

Apr 8, 20243 min read

Create a mini meadow

When they aren’t being bulldozed over, the natural state of most meadows in Northern Virginia is to gradually revert to forest, but that...

Mar 17, 20242 min read

Build a mini bird sanctuary

The best sanctuaries for birds are undisturbed expanses of forests and meadows. Anyone can see that those are rapidly disappearing in...

Jan 27, 20242 min read

The Magic of Winter Trees: Making a Deeper Connection

Winter is a lovely time to get to know your trees better. Many folks spend some of the colder days of January and February planning their...

Dec 26, 20233 min read

Help Trees Thrive: Tear Up Some Turf

By Elaine Kolish, Fairfax County Tree Commission It’s fairly common in residential neighborhoods to see trees surrounded by grass or by...

Nov 18, 20233 min read

Controlling English Ivy Saves Trees and Combats Climate Change

English Ivy is everywhere, in our neighborhoods, along our roads, and in our parks. It climbs over fences, covers sheds, and carpets...

Oct 12, 20233 min read

Fall cleanup in two easy steps

Here is an executive summary of eco-friendly yard maintenance recommendations for fall. 1. Watch the pretty leaves flutter down...

Sep 14, 20232 min read

Biodiversity starts at home - plant native plants!

Fall is for planting. When choosing what to plant, why not factor in the ecosystem while you are at it? Preserving biodiversity may sound...

Aug 10, 20232 min read

The corporate world embraces native plants

Most corporate properties have pretty “standard” landscaping, meaning the plants do very little if anything to support the local...

Jul 22, 20232 min read

Tree-of-Heaven is not heavenly!

In summer many folks travel to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond for recreational opportunities. Driving in any direction from Northern...

Jun 10, 20232 min read

Inviting fireflies to your yard

When fireflies start their early summer dance, will they pick your yard for their display? Like most insects (and like most vertebrate...

May 6, 20232 min read

Front yard landscaping, reimagined

Originality has not been what springs to mind when looking at most front yards, but now people are starting to tweak the conventions by...

May 3, 20232 min read

Help save our native trees!

It isn’t easy being a Flowering Dogwood, White Oak, or other native tree in Northern Virginia. There are many threats to trees in an...

Apr 7, 20232 min read

Shopping for the birds

Warm weather has many of us headed to the garden center, where lovely blooms await. Did you know that those shopping trips can double as...

Mar 24, 20232 min read

Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder!

Recently our social media feeds have been full of beautiful photos of flowering plants that signal spring is on the way, much to the joy...

Mar 12, 20233 min read

Want birds and butterflies? Plant native shrubs!

When it comes to the curb appeal of our houses and other buildings, the difference between starkly naked and softly clothed is the...

Feb 12, 20232 min read

Five myths about trees

It’s no myth that trees hold a special place in our collective psyche. Trees play a prominent role in myths, often symbolizing life and...

Jan 8, 20233 min read

Save a Sapling: Pull Invasives

By Laura Handley One of the most satisfying moments of invasive plant management comes when you pull the last vine off a struggling...

Dec 17, 20223 min read

Solar panels vs. trees - how to choose?

Residents who are interested in installing solar panels often face a dilemma. Which is better for the environment, solar panels or shade...

Nov 15, 20222 min read

Managing larger properties for birds, butterflies, and people

The outdoor space on larger properties in Northern Virginia, whether residential or commercial, is typically divided into formal...

Oct 25, 20222 min read

Keeping our wooded areas beautiful

If your community owns some wooded common land, or if you yourself own a wooded property, you may have noticed that the woods around here...

Sep 23, 20224 min read

Plant NOVA Trees – One Year On

September marks the first anniversary of the launch of Plant NOVA Trees, a regionwide effort by over a hundred local organizations and...

Aug 26, 20222 min read

Welcoming visitors with native plant landscaping

The big signs that welcome visitors to neighborhoods are usually framed by conventional ornamental shrubs, grasses, and annual flowers....

Jul 28, 20222 min read

Be nice to your trees

On a recent day, driving out of the sun into a wooded community resulted in a temperature drop from 91 to 86 degrees. We all try to stay...

Jun 17, 20222 min read

Free trees for communities

As community associations around Northern Virginia ramp up their native tree planting efforts, they are looking around to find ways to...

May 10, 20222 min read

Native groundcovers and trees: the perfect pairing!

Native groundcovers are becoming increasingly popular, for good reason: even if they have minimal time for gardening, people want to use...

Apr 11, 20222 min read

Do you have room for a shade tree?

If your yard sits in the blazing sun in the summer, it may have already occurred to you that a native shade tree would benefit you...

Mar 3, 20222 min read

Millions of Trees at Risk in Northern Virginia? Introducing Tree Rescuers!

Northern Virginia’s oldest and best-loved trees are in danger, and the threat is in plain sight – and yet there are few who can see it....

Feb 8, 20222 min read

Easy plant combinations for your yard

Are you ready to brighten up your yard but not to spend hours researching plant choices? You may be a candidate for a native plant...

Jan 8, 20223 min read

Landscaping with nature

In the winter, as you drive across the American Legion Bridge or across many of our creeks, you may be startled to see large numbers of...

Dec 9, 20212 min read

Party time on the disc golf course

We don’t usually associate the native plant movement or a tree campaign with sports, but players at the Giles Run Disc Golf Course see it...

Nov 15, 20213 min read

Alexandria neighbors bring trees to their community

Trees plant themselves and replace themselves – except in our lawns. Many Northern Virginia neighborhoods that are graced by magnificent...

Oct 14, 20213 min read

Celebrate Fall Color!

As Northern Virginia continues to celebrate trees to mark the start of the five year regional native tree campaign, autumn colors move to...

Sep 10, 20213 min read

Arlington National Cemetery Treasures its Trees

Arlington National Cemetery is a place to honor, remember, and explore. The beauty of the grounds and the comfort of its visitors is...

Aug 13, 20213 min read

Fewer inputs to your landscape, more butterflies and birds

As more and more people buy native plants to beautify their yards, control stormwater and attract birds and butterflies, they are...

Jul 2, 20212 min read

Mini Grants to Beautify Neighborhood Entrances with Native Plants

This spring, Audubon at Home partnered with Plant NOVA Natives to invite homeowners’ and civic associations to apply for funds to...

Jun 21, 20212 min read

Planting for the Picky Eaters

Many insects are picky eaters, only able to eat the plants with which they evolved, meaning the plants that are native to their region....

May 15, 20212 min read

Native plant sales are booming

Interest in using native plants in our yards has been growing over the past decade, gradually at first, and suddenly exponentially. It...

Apr 12, 20212 min read

Beat the summer heat with a native plant shade garden

They say shade gardens are the gardens of the future, since it will be too hot to spend much time in the sun. That’s pretty much the case...

Feb 10, 20212 min read

Native grasses for our yards

When we think of grass in our yards, the image that arises is likely to be that of turf grass. But there are many other places for...

Jan 9, 20212 min read

Spruce up your foundation plantings

When developers build a neighborhood, they almost always add some shrubs against the foundations of the houses to soften the lines of the...

Dec 2, 20202 min read

Bringing Dragonflies to Your Yard

For anyone who enjoys watching birds at a feeder, there is another pastime available that is just as entertaining but less well known:...