It is time to start thinking about taking a soil sample of your property. In general, it is better to take samples of both the front and back yards and any other areas that are used for different purposes, like a vegetable garden.
It a very simple process:
Use a small clean plastic bucket and a clean trowel or small shovel (very important)
Collect a small amount of soil from 5-6 spots in your yard on a random zig-zag pattern approximately 4″ deep
Place the soil from each spot in the bucket, removing any debris and blend together
Put the blended soil into a sandwich size baggie, filling about 2/3 of the bag. Mark the sample location on the bag
Yesterday I was able to volunteer a couple of hours to help Helen setup the Lynnhaven River Now Booth at the Mid-Atlantic Home and Flower Show. As a volunteer I had a chance to get a sneak preview of the landscape displays. Most were very impresses, especially this early in the year, seasonal color is definitely a challenge.
Be sure to stop by the booth to get information about soil sampling and rain barrels, both are important clean water practices.
According to the news headlines, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning and retreated to his hole. This supposedly mean another six weeks of winter. I’ll let you decide if a groundhog can predict the weather. See You Tube
But where did this custom begin? This custom owes its origin to Candlemas, February 2, the day between the first day of winter and the the first day of spring. A sunny Candlemas day would mean that winter would be extended six more weeks. February 2 is also the day that the Purification of the Virgin Mary is celebrated. Candles were blessed that day, thus Candlemas,
The custom was brought to America by German immigrants and gradually modified to use the groundhog as an indicator.
I was reading in the paper this morning about the Flower Show and I was disappointed that there was only one presentation related to green gardening, Making Your Own Compost and Tumblers. I really thought we were heading in the direction of more sustainable garden landscapes.
Please visit the Lynnhaven River Now booth and see all the green initiatives that are helping clean up our area waters.
We had about 7″of snow in our neighborhood and it made for a very pretty scene.
Our favorite past time the last two days is watching the cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpeckers and the many small visitors to the feeder.
I feel I have finally come up with an inexpensive way to thwart the squirrels from tipping over the feeder.
Try not to use harsh chemicals to melt the snow on impervious surfaces because as the snow melts it will wash on to your lawns, flower beds or down the the driveway to the sewer drains .
I just spent three days at the Mid-Atlantic Short Course in Virginia Beach. I attended many informative presentations but the most applicable was one concerning Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA. They are planning a building that is completely sustainable. Check out link to Phipps Green Heart The Landscape Architect is Andrpogon Associates
Another setback for a set of new stormwater regulations and the Chesapeake Bay
As reported in the Virginia Pilot on Wednesday January 20, 2010 the Virginia Board of Soil and Water Conservation has voted to put on hold the the new regulations that would improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay that then Governor Kaine had signed off on just prior to leaving office. Last weeks action will require the regulations to undergo another round of public comments prior to any approval by Governor McDonnell.
See Bay Bound Jan. 2010 for a more detail explanation. Follow the progress in future post.
