When it comes to this question, I quickly came to the conclusion that finding a clear cut answer would not be an easy task. The information that I initially read from the Maryland Christmas Tree Association concerning artificial trees was negative, which I expected since this is an association of Christmas tree growers and not manufacturers. Their main reasons for not buying an artificial tree are that most of the artificial trees sold in this country are manufactured in China, using less than eco-friendly PVC plastic and traveling a great distance before arriving at retail outlets in this …

Lately it seems that most every article I read about the health of the Chesapeake Bay deals with the ongoing problem of trying to restore the Bay and its tributaries. During the past week, two stories have come to my attention that deal with something positive concerning the health of the Bay. Last week the Baltimore CBS affiliate, WJZ, reported that underwater grasses on the Susquehanna Flats survived the horrific discharge of silt-laden flood water that flowed through the Conowingo Dam from the Susquehanna River after Tropical Storm Lee. It was initially feared that force of the water …

Stormwater runoff is a serious problem that negatively affects the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. All sorts of pollutants, such as excess nutrients, animal waste, oil and sediment are washed into our waterways with each precipitation event. As runoff is channeled into storm drains it gains speed and causes erosion of natural stream beds when it is discharged from storm drain pipes. This runoff problem has worsened in our area over the last several decades as land that was once woods or farms are developed for such projects as housing, shopping centers and businesses. …

I have been feeding wild birds for as long as I can remember. When I was a youngster my mom taught me how to identify different birds when they visited our feeders. Occasionally we would have some visitors that we did not recognize, and we would consult our bird guide to identify the birds. While feeding wild birds is an enjoyable pastime, it has also become an important activity due to the decline of natural food sources from suburban development. By providing food, shelter, and water for birds in our yards, we can help offset some of the losses of food and habitat caused by development.   …

When I was growing up here in the 60s, my mother taught me that local oysters were available during months that had the letter “R” in the name. I would look forward to the arrival of fall because it meant oysters would once again be featured in restaurants and available in grocery and seafood stores. I first tried eating these tasty bivalves as a youngster at a church-sponsored ham and oyster supper where they were coated in cornmeal and fried to a golden brown color. I have to admit I wasn’t sure I would like the taste of these creatures which come from shells that look like deformed rocks, …

There is an old saying that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. I would like to add leaves in the fall as a third item to that list. Every year most homeowners can count on some leaves accumulating on their lawns and in their gardens. All too often leaves are considered a nuisance which have to be picked up, bagged and disposed so the yard can appear tidy. Granted picking up leaves does involve some effort, but those leaves can be beneficial to our lawns and gardens if we choose to compost our leaves instead of bagging them for pick up by the county. According to Virginia Tech …

During the past week I made the final preparations for planting the two rain gardens in my front yard. With the excavation of the red clay soil finally accomplished, the dumpster used to collect the soil was removed from in front of my house.  With rain once again in the forecast for mid-week, arrangements were quickly made to have the bio-soil mix delivered to replace the clay that had been removed from the two garden sites. The bio-soil could not be mixed and delivered by the supplier if the materials became wet and would have meant a day’s delay had that happened. Fortunately the supplier …

Editor's Note: John Dawson is a Watershed Steward constructing a rain garden in his yard.  == Construction of my two rain gardens is on schedule in spite of losing two days of work due to rain. The prep work was covered in last week's column on Severna Park Patch. A dumpster was delivered to my house to help dispose of the clay soil that needed to be removed from the garden sites. I found it was far more efficient to dig the clay, load it in my wheelbarrow, and dump the soil in the dumpster instead of loading the soil in my truck and taking it to the landfill. The berms that surround each …

Native plants are generally defined as plants that grow naturally in a particular area or region. In previous articles I have frequently recommended using native plants when landscaping our yards since these plants are beneficial to the local environment. Native plants will often need less water, feeding, and pest management than non-native species and also provide habitat for local wildlife. When choosing native plants for use in the landscape it is important to be aware of the growing conditions in the area to be planted. Knowing how much sunlight or shade the area receives, the soil …

Preparing for Irene’s arrival took a lot of effort. Stocking up on batteries, water, non-perishable food, and securing water craft made for a couple of busy days. Now, after riding out the storm it is time to begin assessing the mess in our yards. The debris that Irene has left in its wake may not be quite as bad as what was left after Isabelle hit the area several years ago, but there are still plenty of leaves and branches littering our yards that need to be picked up. In case yard clean up bags become as scarce after the storm as “D” batteries and bottled water were before the storm, do …

For those of us living in the south county area we can count on a number of things to remind us that it is mid-summer: fresh local produce, sno-cones, and hot sunny days. Unfortunately, there is something else now associated with the summer and that is the “dead zone” in the Chesapeake Bay. How bad is the dead zone in the Bay this year? In the July 24 Washington Post article “Alarming Dead Zone Grows in the Chesapeake” Darryl Fears reported that “this year’s Chesapeake Bay dead zone covers a third of the bay, stretching from the Baltimore Harbor to the bay’s mid-channel region in the Potomac …

I am a lawn care nerd. As a teenager I spent a good deal of my time learning all that I could about how to best care for lawns since I used to mow grass to earn money. My interest in caring for lawns and doing yard work for neighbors eventually led me to pursue a degree in ornamental horticulture. Although I didn't choose to work in the lawn care business, upon graduating from college, my interest in lawns has remained a lifelong hobby. In the 34 years since I graduated, a lot of information about caring for lawns in this area has changed. For example, it is now considered better to use a …

In most suburban yards the paved surfaces are usually asphalt or concrete. Both materials provide a stable, durable, and low maintenance surface for parking vehicles. Unfortunately, these two common paving materials create an impervious surface which cannot absorb water and add to the problem of pollutant laden runoff flowing into streams and creeks. An impervious surface is any hard surface that prevents water from penetrating the soil. In an average yard these surfaces are usually driveways, sidewalks, and patios. In most instances these paved areas direct water away from the property, to …