April 2025 Update
- 1margaretefisher
- Apr 4
- 6 min read
There are many great reasons why native plant gardening is good for the planet, and good for our hearts. Please see the article at the bottom of this update and share as widely as possible.
Lunchtime Zoom for Community and Property Managers - Please spread the word!
Tuesday, April 22, 12-1pm. This webinar will outline the many opportunities to solve landscaping problems and potentially even save money using native plants and natural landscaping techniques. The session is aimed at professionals, but others are also welcome to attend. Please be sure to invite the decision-makers in your community or workplace. Register here for the Zoom link.
Big tree rescue event in Springfield April 24 - May 3
Three kinds of volunteers are needed - no experience necessary
Neighborhood outreach
Remove invasive vines from trees in Loisdale Park
Rescue trees on residential properties in Loisdale Estates
Even more garden center volunteers needed!
Please consider volunteering to put labels on the native plants. We have a particular need at these participating garden centers in Northern Virginia.
Leesburg Meadows Farms
Chantilly Meadows Farms
Pots and Plants (Great Falls)
DePaul’s (Vienna)
Herndon Meadows Farms
Merrifield Fair Oaks
Front yard signs - who would like to sell them?
Would your organization or business like to sell signs for people to put in their front yards to encourage the use of native plants? We will be putting in a bulk order soon, so let us know how many you would like. The wholesale price will depend on how many we order but should be under $10 for the 12x9 signs including wire stands.
The signs will have the green background design one one side and the orange border design on the other. Once we know who is selling them, we will direct potential customers to you. Email plantnovanativies@gmail.com.
Research shows that such signage is very effective at stimulating community conversations around the need for natives in our landscapes. They were very popular last time but the sign quality was poor, so this time we’ll be ordering ones with a longer potential lifespan.
BTW, anyone can order their own sign by uploading these or other designs to a retail print shop. See this page for details.
Volunteer at tabling events:
We hope to have volunteers to talk to people about native events at various events. Please sign up here. No experience necessary!
4/14 Chantilly
4/19 Annandale
4/27 Alexandria
5/10 Mason Neck
5/17 Burke
Upcoming events:
April 5 and April 12 - Scrape for the Grape - Help scrape Spotted Lantern Fly egg masses - and be rewarded by Loudoun’s wineries or by a special cookie for the kids. Sign up here.
April 10, 7 pm - online - Building Resilient Soil for a Changing Climate. Register here.
April 16, 11:30-1:00 - online - Restoration after Invasive Plant Removal. Maddie Bright. Register here.
April 22, noon - online - Zoom for community and property managers (see above) Register here for the Zoom link.
April 26, 11 am - in person - Native plant seminar part 1. Beatley Library, Alexandria. Details here.
April 22, 7 pm - online - The Inner Workings of a Pollinator Garden - Steph Johnson of Green Steeze. Register here.
April 25-28 - City Nature Challenge - Everyone is invited, from wherever you are, to help document life on Earth using the iNaturalist app.
April 30, 7-8:30 pm - in person - Solar, HVAC, and energy efficiency event for homeowners and faith communities. Details here.
May 1, 6 pm - in person - Designing with Native Plants. Beatley Library, Alexandria. Details here.
May 4 - Wetlands Awareness Day at Huntley Meadows Park
May 8, 7 pm - online - Butterfly Gardening. Register here.
May 8, 7 pm - online - Pollination. Register here.
Need free or discounted plants?
There are a few potential options out there. We list the ones we know about on our Grants and Discounts page. If you know of others we can add to this page, please let us know. Of course, grants funded by the federal government are in jeopardy.
Partner of the month: The Friends of Dyke Marsh (FODM) was incorporated in 1976 by a group of locals who wanted to stop plans to use the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve as a dumping ground for river dredging. FODM’s continuing mission is to preserve, protect and restore Dyke Marsh as a vital wildlife habitat through education, science, advocacy, and stewardship. Since its founding, FODM has greatly expanded the scope of its volunteer work to include raising money for scientific studies, conducting nature walks, performing wildlife surveys including the annual breeding bird survey, hosting cleanups, removing invasives, and planting native plants. FODM also advocates for conservation and restoration of Dyke Marsh’s natural habitat.
Report your native tree and shrub plantings
Please help Northern Virginia meet its tree-planting obligations by reporting your tree and shrub plantings here. So far 18,007 have been reported!
Report your tree rescues
Millions of trees in Northern Virginia are at risk from invasive non-native vines. You can help by saving them on your own land or by volunteering on public land. (Plant NOVA Natives/Plant NOVA Trees only does educational outreach, so all this work is done under the auspices of our partnering organizations or other landowners.). So far, 17,516 tree rescues have been reported in Northern Virginia. Please add your report here.
Next Steering Committee meeting – April 24, 10am-noon via videoconferencing. All are welcome. Check our Event Calendar for future meetings.
This month’s newsletter articles to share. For social media, please use this link.
Five Great Reasons to Garden with Natives
Gardening enthusiasts everywhere are gearing up for spring with renewed passion and anticipation. There are garden beds to expand, turf grass to shrink, new natives to add, non-natives to remove, and an urgency to finish the work before the warm weather arrives.
It’s a lot of physical labor, but we know it’s worth it. Gardening not only creates beauty. It is a moving meditation that helps calm our minds and make us more present to the moment. As Margaret Atwood once said, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you SHOULD smell like dirt.” It’s very good for us on so many levels.
Not surprisingly, there are many more native plant gardeners today in Northern Virginia than there were ten years ago, evidenced by the increase in commercial demand for native plants. This is not just a trend. It is a permanent shift in behavior driven by a deeper understanding of the interdependence of native plants, insects, birds, humans, and many other creatures. We have become ever more aware of the impact of our choices on the biodiversity of the region. There is no going back.
If you’re still on the fence about natives, here are five great reasons why native plant gardening is good for what ails our planet - and our hearts.
When you garden with native plants, you learn to name and recognize them in the wild as well. That knowledge is nice to acquire, of course, but it also helps foster a deep sense of appreciation for the natural world. Simply stated, when we know more, we care more about the environment and the collective human efforts to nurture it.
Native plant gardening is even more enjoyable when shared with others. Your newly acquired knowledge will undoubtedly lead to connections with other like-minded native plant lovers. New friends and acquaintances appear, sharing tips, experiences, and a collective love of gardening. An expanded network contributes to a sense of belonging as we act in concert with others instead of alone.
There is no denying that climate change is a daunting global issue. But native plant gardening nevertheless encourages and empowers us as individuals. Property owners of all stripes can do something significant to benefit the soil, the climate, and the entire ecosystem. Don’t fall into the trap of believing we are too small to make a difference. Together we can help heal the planet.
Native plant gardeners love the beauty of the blooms as much as the insects. There is no need to sacrifice aesthetics. Native plants not only attract pollinators and nurture their life cycles, they also offer stunning displays of color and texture that never fail to please.
Many native plants bloom later in the season. When non-native cultivars are starting to fade in the mid-summer heat, many natives are just beginning to show up and show off, ensuring a lively view that both delights the viewer and sustains local wildlife well into the fall. The stalks, seedheads, and berries continue to beautify the garden through winter.
Gardening has always been fun, but gardening with natives is also meaningful. It serves a healing purpose and adds our name to the group effort. At the end of the day, native plant gardeners create beautiful spaces where humans and plants not only meet but conspire to collaborate. We are collectively honored to “smell like dirt” after creating such powerful things.
It all starts with planting your first native plant. To learn the how-to’s, visit the Plant NOVA Natives website.
