Permanent Continuation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Passed Years of work by the Garden Club of America and its member clubs, including the Dolley Madison Garden Club, and many partners have succeeded in helping achieve a bipartisan piece of legislation that permanently continues the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The fund was created in 1965 to set aside monies to be used to mitigate damages from Energy and Mining companies extracting resources from Federal publicly owned lands, seashores and National Parks, and to acquire new public lands. Its permanent continuation ensures that monies will continue to be put into the fund and those monies used for mitigation and acquisition. This bipartisan piece of legislation has been called " the biggest piece of conservation legislation since the 1970's." |
Garden revolution: Rethink your garden The take-away from this year's Shenandoah Valley Plant Symposium is to rethink how you garden. Claudia West, author of “Gardening in the Post Wild World” and Larry Weaner, celebrated landscape architect, encouraged every home gardener to consider wildlife and the insect world when designing a landscape. They urged gardeners to :reduce lawn size, leave fields natural for habitat; plant for low-maintenance, mostly native plants which require less water and no soil amendments or fertilizer; choose plants with similar needs for the same area, for example drought tolerant catmint and rudbeckia; plant densely to preserve moisture and suppress weeds, use ground cover plants instead of mulch; and plant native shrubs, berries and trees to provide food and cover for pollinators and wildlife. And you can learn more by reading Larry Weaner’s new book Garden Revolution available on Amazon. |
University of Florida research shows that landscape shrubs just need 1 gallon of water per week to establish strong roots and a healthy plant.
It takes about 28 weeks before a shrub or woody perennial is mature enough to survive without irrigation. The UF study concluded that no more than 1 gallon of water per week is necessary to establish strong roots and a healthy plant. Any more water simply becomes run-off and does not benefit the plant. Both native and non-native species were included in the study. Interestingly, native status made no difference in the amount of water needed for establishment. And the study showed that more frequent, lighter watering was actually better for the establishment phase then the deep infrequent watering traditionally recommended. |
A few simple steps each day can help you save energy. You can keep your exterior doors and windows closed when the AC or heat is on; change HVAC filters once a month; use a smart thermostat; use shades, blinds, and drapes in the summer to block the sun and to insulate in the winter; turn off lights in rooms you are not in; and unplug chargers when they are not in use. Outside, plant trees to shade the sunny side of your home to reduce solar heating. Deciduous trees will block the sun in the summer but allow the sun to warm your house in the winter. For more energy saving tips take a look at this U.S. Department of Energy website:
energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver-guide-tips-saving-money-and-energy-home |
Treat Water Like a Precious Resource
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Thomas Rainer and Claudia West “Planting in a Post-Wild World”
Planning guides, plant materials and tips for better maintenance to garden for sustainability and wildlife as we face the challenges of a changing climate and landscape. “Growing a Greener World”, Saturday mornings at 8:00 am on PBS. Host Joe Lampl visits great gardens and landscapes showcasing cutting edge green techniques like commercial rooftop gardens and public gardens reclaiming former industrial spaces. |
GCA National Affairs and Legislation 2018 Session
Each year Garden Club of America affiliate members from every state in the U.S. come to the Nation’s Capitol for a three day crash course in advocacy on conservation issues, followed by a strategic planning session. The session culminates in private meetings with Senators and Congressmen. This year's featured speakers included former Secretary of Treasury Hank Paulsen, author and entomologist Doug Tallamy, and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. A recurrent theme was the devastating effect of Climate Change on the Economy. Both Paulsen and British International Financier Robert Grantham (called “Advisor to the Crown”) warned of threats to global markets, an impending world-wide water crisis and mass migrations as a result of increasingly severe weather events and droughts. The 3 day event ended with a moving presentation by Audubon Societies’ Scott Weidensaul on migratory birds. |
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