Latin for Gardeners: May 2019

May’s Native Maryland Plant
Asclepias incarnata
(uh-SKLEE-pee-us in-kar-NAY-tuh)
Common Name: Swamp Milkweed

It’s May and so much is blooming – it’s a great time to be outside! Like some of you, I’m remembering the rains from last May and wondering what this May could hold in terms of weather. My plan is to plant more natives that can tolerate wet areas - this beautiful pink milkweed is one of them. If you have a moist sunny spot, I’d suggest you try swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata. I planted mine directly outside my sunporch window allowing me to see the ‘magic’ as it happens.

As Master Gardeners and Watershed Stewards, we know that by planting any Asclepias sp. we’re supporting the lifecycle of the amazing Danaus plexippus, better known as the Monarch butterfly. The monarch caterpillar relies exclusively on milkweed species to develop, without it the life cycle of the butterfly is broken – no more Monarchs. Rosalie Barrow Edge helped save our iconic Bald Eagle from extinction, each of us can help save the iconic Monarch – just by planting milkweed.

To fully appreciate milkweed’s beauty be sure to take a careful look at its complex flower structure.

Visit the https://monarchjointventure.org/ to learn more about saving the Monarchs.

Alison Milligan

aligmilligan@gmail.com

Mstr. Gardener/Mstr. Naturalist/Mstr. Watershed Steward

Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)

Stormwater Solutions: April 2019

Watershed Steward Recommendations for Residential Stormwater Runoff Problems

Watershed Steward assessment requests are increasingly listing ‘flooding’, ‘saturated lawns’ or general ‘water issues’ as the problem homeowners would like help solving.  Some of the problems can be daunting and out of our realm of expertise – that’s when our Consortium Members¹ are called in. However, while we’re on site, it’s important that Stewards be prepared with basic information to provide some level of guidance and general best-practice advice to these homeowners.  Many residents are simply interested in just getting the stormwater off their property – we know that’s not the solution, but not everyone may know this. With some education we can help them to slow down, spread out, capture and filter runoff before sending it to our waterways.

The health of the Chesapeake Bay report² was released in January 2019; the Bay was downgraded from a C- to a D+.  Stormwater pollution (containing increased amounts of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous) was listed as the main contributing factor. This is significant because the health of the Bay had been improving, albeit ever so slightly. Runoff continues to be the one contributor to the degradation of our waterways that is not slowing down – it is increasing.  Plants, specifically native plants, are included in all stormwater best-management practices (bmps) that are recommended by the Watershed Stewards Academy and other stormwater management organizations.

Some basic advice to give homeowners:

Disconnect Downspouts: direct them away from the home onto a vegetated area or rain garden. Use a splash block or fist-sized rocks to spread out the water and to dissipate energy. Do not direct them to impervious areas such as driveways, sidewalk or the street where they go directly into a storm drain without any treatment (cooling, slowing down, filtering).

Capture the Water: Install a rain barrel or cistern to capture the rain.  A 55-gallon rain barrel will capture the first flush of rain which is the most polluted. Drain the barrel to your tall fescue lawn, rain garden, or native plant area; plants prefer rain water that is softer and free of chlorine and other chemicals.  Do not water your vegetable garden with roof runoff.

Install a Rain Garden: Rain gardens can be powerful and attractive solutions. Siting is the most important rain garden consideration. Don’t site: Within 10 feet of a building, over a septic drain field, near the edge of a steep slope, into low spots that don’t drain well.  Seek professional advice for best siting and size.

Plant Groundcovers: On thinly vegetated areas, slopes or under trees, groundcovers can be very effective at preventing erosion and slowing down runoff.

Conservation Landscaping: Reduce your lawn and impervious surfaces; add native plants that are adapted to our local climate. Native plants are low-maintenance, they have deeper roots than lawn and will help prevent erosion, soak up and filter runoff while adding value to your property. Mature trees intercept rainwater which slows it down; much of it stays on the leaves to be transpired.  They also sequester carbon, clean the air, cool the planet and provide much-needed habitat for birds.

Steep Slope: Consider terracing.  Keep each terraced area flat and plant densely. This solution often requires professional advice or an engineered design.

Swale: A swale is a shallow, broad depression in a landscape that follows the contour of the land and can be very effective at capturing and filtering water.   A swale can be created if a natural one doesn’t exist.

Install a Bioretention Basin: Sited underground with the ability to capture large amounts of water these basins are best designed by professionals who will size them and insure they function as designed.

Regulatory Jurisdictions: Be aware of local covenants, right-of-way/easements, critical areas, and grading permit requirements before taking on a serious stormwater runoff or drainage project. Visit the Watershed Stewards Academy site for a list of landscaping professionals familiar with these problems.

¹ http://aawsa.org/consortium

² https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/tag/report_card

Native Plants for Wet Areas

Trees: River Birch (Betula nigra), Atlantic White Cedar, (Chamaecyparis thyoides),

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)

Shrubs: Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Winterberry (Ilex verticillata),

Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)

Herbaceous Plants: Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), Turtlehead (Chelone glabra),

Blueflag (Iris versicolor), Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustis), Monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens)

~ Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Master Watershed Steward Class 7
aligmilligan@gmail.com

Congregations Unite for Creation Care

Written by WSA Program Coordinator Noelle Chao.

Our RiverWise Congregations Dinner last Thursday was a big success! Over 40 partners representing 16 local congregations attended Uniting Congregations for Creation Care. Hosted by WSA at Mt. Olive in Annapolis with representatives from Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and Our Creeks and Conservancy, clergy and lay stewards joined us for an evening of fellowship and inspiration. There were so many powerful moments, as clergy and lay stewards raised their voices in song and shared stories about how their faith has inspired them to take action in Anne Arundel County.

All guests participated in one of three interactive workshops, and I was lucky enough to attend Pastor K’s session on “Preaching a Green Message from Your Pulpit.” The conversation she led started with a challenge to the idea that the pulpit is the most effective place to share a message of creation care. (Guess what—pastors know that when they’re preaching from the pulpit, not everyone in the room is always listening!) After reminding the assembled Stewards and clergy that God has given us a responsibility to care for the Earth, she asked them, “How have you done this? How do we bring it about?” What followed was a lively, frank discussion about the challenge of leading a congregation to take action on an issue that might not be foremost on their minds, but which is nevertheless a clear mandate from God. Given that reality, there was a general consensus that the most effective leading happens from pastors taking an active, hands-on role by attending Green Team meetings, learning for themselves the various paths that stormwater takes on their congregations’ grounds, and participating in restoration projects and planting days. At the end, guests were reminded to be intentional, get the kids to reach the adults, and to include a prayer for their local waters during services.

A full recap of the event is below.

Reverend Veronica Wells delivered the opening prayer and led assembled guests in the hymn “What a Mighty God We Serve.” Afterwards, guests attended one of three interactive workshops. Pastor Karen Johnson of First Christian Community Church led “Preaching a Green Message from Your Pulpit,” about the best strategies for church leaders and clergy to share an environmental message with their congregations. During “Beautifying Your Green Spaces for Easter,” Suzanne Etgen and Rev. Johnny Calhoun discussed best practices for maintenance of rainscaping projects and shared information about the READY (Restoring the Environment and Developing Youth) Program, which improves the health of the Bay while creating green jobs for young adults. Bonnie Sorak, Outreach Coordinator for Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, shared environmental literacy resources for children’s programming that promote a message of creation care and responsible stewardship of the environment during “Sharing a Green Lesson with Your Children.”

After a vibrant discussion about the guests’ concerns about the environment and their suggestions for taking action, Bonnie and Suzanne shared information about One Water Partnership.

In the closing ceremony, a prayer for clean waters was paired with the spiritual “Wade in the Water,” with singing led by Rev. Calhoun.  Each guest was given a small, glass vial of blessed, clear water to commemorate the event.

We look forward to these congregations turning knowledge into collective action for healing the Earth!

Latin for Gardeners: March 2019

March’s Native Maryland Plant
Mertensia virginica (L.) Pers. ex Link
(mur-TEN-see-uh vur-JIN-ih-kuh)

Common Name: Virginia bluebells

March is optimism month – how appropriate. Nothing makes me feel more hopeful than seeing the emergence of spring flowers pushing through the ground in my garden – especially the Mertensia virginica! I was introduced to this ephemeral in May 2013 by my friend and fellow gardener, Aylene Gard. Early on as a Mstr. Gardener I volunteered to help Aylene pull garlic mustard from Middle Patuxent. After pulling buckets of spectacularly deep-rooted invasive plants we passed through a colony of Virginia bluebells, a glorious field of blue – how quickly it changed our mood.

I determined at that moment that I wanted to experience that feeling and that native blue flower in my garden every spring – I sought it out at native plant sales and planted it the following year. It has been a spectacular success, colonizing in both locations where I planted it. I have since learned that because of its ability to colonize quickly, it is a crucial spring pollinator plant, especially for female bumble bees.

Mertensia sp.  flower buds are pink, the funnel shaped flowers are usually blue, but pink and white are also seen. They thrive in bright sun in spring where they are eventually shaded out by deciduous canopy.  They’ll bloom for weeks, each fertilized flower producing four flat seeds within wrinkled nuts; soon after they go dormant until the following spring.

Research tells us that optimistic people are better at doing one thing then those with a different outlook on life. They are problem-solvers, moving quickly from problem identification to problem-solving. I’ve already made plans to celebrate optimism every month, I’ll need to if I’m going to succeed at my next project: tackling my wet clay garden once and for all. April rains will be here soon!

~ Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Master Watershed Steward Class 7
aligmilligan@gmail.com