Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22 and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has five easy "earth-friendly" gardening tips:
Leave perimeter areas unmown. Large immaculate green lawns are not the best choice environmentally. In a dramatic departure from its usual landscape maintenance plan, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is now leaving selected perimeter areas unmown to provide important wildlife habitat and to slow rainwater run-off.
Compost. In many cities, nearly a third of the volume hauled to the landfill is landscape refuse, such as lawn clippings, leaves, branches and wood chips. Homeowners who compost at home remove some burden off our landfills. Best of all, the composted clippings are "free fertilizer"!
Know Your Bugs. Identify bugs before you spray, squash or stomp - most bugs are good bugs, not pests. In place of pesticides, consider using insecticidal soap, diluted alcohol or predator insects such as lady bugs to manage populations. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden practices Integrated Pest Management and its Conservatory has been pesticide-free for more than one year now as the Garden prepares for the Butterflies LIVE! exhibit opening May 22.
Go Native. Consider planting native trees and plants, especially ones with berries, fruits and flowers to invite birds, butterflies, and other wildlife into your yard.
Practice best-watering techniques. Water early in the morning just before dawn to minimize evaporation. Allow water to drip from the hose right into the root system. And remember, the best approach is to water deeply and less frequently.
Earth "Week" Spring Fling in the Children's Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is April 26 from 1 - 4 p.m. The event will have "Green" activities promoting environmental stewardship and a concert by the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra.
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