FEATURE STORY

from Prince William Living April 2020

YOUR FINANCES

GARDENING Good for You, Good for the Environment

By Amy Falkofske

If you’re a seasoned gardener, you’ve probably already planted some seedlings indoors. The Farmer’s Almanac says you should start your plants indoors six weeks before the last spring frost, which in this area, is historically about April 25. If you’re new to gardening, spring is a great time to get started, and the benefits are plentiful.

Current Trends in Gardening The popularity of cooking shows and celebrity chefs has led to more people wanting to grow their own food, according to David Yost, plant specialist with Merrifield Garden Center. “We have seen a resurgence in interest in people growing their own vegetables and herbs because they want to play a role in the production of food and have fresh food available,” he said.

Nancy Berlin, natural resource specialist and master gardener coordinator with the Virginia Cooperative Extension of Prince William, has seen the same trend. “We see more people wanting to grow their own vegetables or edibles,” she said.

Another trend, according to Yost, is young people wanting to grow indoor plants or tropical plants, and similarly, Berlin said that she has seen a trend in people interested in small-space gardening for apartments and townhomes. “We find that people want to have a garden even if they don’t have a large area to garden in, so we try to offer classes that give them alternatives on container gardening, how to have a habitat on a balcony, how to grow in smaller, more contained spaces that will accommodate maybe a more particular homeowners’ association, and how to work within the limits of what a small space provides,” she said.

Yost also attributes the younger generation’s interest in gardening partly to social media. “Many, many people who are new to gardening are being enticed by social media where they start exchanging pictures and stories and information with each other online,” he said.

Probably most importantly, there’s a renewed interest in planting native plants that are good for the ecosystem. “We’re more sensitive to the necessity of having native Northern Virginia plants in our landscapes because of the need for pollinators, beneficial insects and habitats,” said Berlin. “Native plants fill a niche that nothing else can fill, so we’ve seen a resurgence, thankfully in native Virginia plants,” she said.

Examples of native plants are mountain mint, native asters, redbud trees and witch hazel, which is a shrub.

Gardening 101 What if you’re completely new to gardening and you don’t know where to start? Yost suggests starting with what you’re interested in; for example, if you’re interested in cooking, maybe start with herbs. “Gardening is something you sort of learn by doing, and you follow where your interests lie and what you have available,” he said. Photo courtesy Plant NOVA Natives

Scarlet beebalm-native to eastern North America

Yost also said it’s important to start small. “I always like to try and meet people where they are and start small. I think it’s important to build on success,” he said.

He also pointed out that he gets concerned when someone jumps into gardening with unrealistic expectations or the proper knowledge, meets with failure and then completely loses interest. He advises starting with something easy, like a plant that is durable and reliable.

You should consider your environment and what kind of lighting you have, too. Some plants need to be in a more humid environment, and some need a lot of sunlight. Your nearest garden center can help you pick out a good plant, or plants, to start with.

The Master Gardeners of Prince William are a great resource for learning about gardening. Check out their website at mgpw.org. The Virginia Cooperative Extension offices in Prince William, Fairfax and other localities, staff horticulture helpdesks. You can call the Extension Horticulture Help Desk at 703-792-7747 or send an email to master_gardener@pwcgov.org, or 703-324- 8556 and mgfairfax@vt.edu for Fairfax.

What to Plant Both Yost and Berlin recommend considering ecology when deciding what to put in your garden. “Look at your garden not just as a place with beautiful flowers and a place to enjoy yourself

but look at your garden in its place in our natural ecology,” Yost said, referring to the role that gardens play in the food chain.

For example, insects, birds and wildlife feed on the things in our garden. He also pointed out that there’s been a “loss of habitat” and a “loss of native species.”

“There’s a big move toward planting of native species, species that support pollinators, and these are all things that can be beautiful and add to your enjoyment of gardening, but let’s take it a step beyond the beauty of the flowers and look at what its role is going to be in the ecology and try and restore native vegetation,” said Yost.

Native plants are the key to restoring native vegetation. You can learn all about native plants at plantnovanatives.org and even find out where to buy native plants.

“In my little garden, I’m trying to create interest year-round. For example, I have witch hazel. It gives me fantastic color in the fall. It’s got nice form to it,” said Yost.

“Stick with native varieties that are accustomed to [our] soil and climatic conditions. Vegetables should be disease-resistant cultivators,” said Berlin.

Tools Needed for Gardening If you’re new to gardening, you’re going to need to invest in a few tools. “Assuming that you’re outside, there are two or three tools that you’re pretty much going to have to have, a round point shovel used for digging holes, probably a hand spade, or hand trowel that you use for digging smaller holes. Those are going to be absolute necessities. You’ll probably want a pair of hand pruners used for cutting branches,” said Yost.

Yost also said a pickaxe may be necessary due to all the rocks in the soil in this area. He recounted the story of taking three days to dig a hole to plant tomatoes because of all the rocks.

Berlin said you should start with good soil and in addition to a pruner, you need a weeder. “Everybody that I know who gardens has a favorite weeder,” said Berlin. She suggests getting one that will protect your hands.

Finally, she says you need determination “because there are disappointments in gardening, but you can turn it around,” and that it’s important “keeping the dream going all winter and thinking about how this year is going to be the best yet.”

Benefits of Gardening Whether you’re gardening indoors or outdoors, the benefits to your physical and mental health are priceless. Photo courtesy Plant NOVA Natives

Butterfly weed-native to eastern North America

“For me personally, getting outside is such a mood lifter. It keeps me moving as I get older. It’s emotionally very fulfilling to see what I’ve grown and to be able to share that with other people,” said Berlin.

Yost pointed out that gardening is a way to get people away from electronics. “My understanding is right now the average person spends 11 hours per day in front of a screen interacting with digital media, and people in our society are moving further and further away from the natural world. Gardening allows you a way to reconnect with the natural world that I think is important to our well-being,” he said.

Yost also shared how gardening benefits the environment. “Look at your garden not just as a place for flowers, but a place to create a habitat for insects and wildlife,” he said.

He also spoke about the disruptive influences in our world today such as road construction and development. He pointed out that gardening can restore some of the natural habitat that’s been lost. “Gardening may not be a solution, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he said.

Berlin pointed out that gardening benefits your mental health and physical health and gives you wonderful products. And Yost added the monetary benefits, since a garden can add value to your home.

Witch hazel

“But I think most of all, we do it because it’s this nurturing experience, a way that we can give and nurture back to our gardens and they in turn, they’re going to reward you when you start seeing the results,” said Yost.

Gardening With Children If you’re looking for a way to spend quality time with your children, consider gardening. The lessons it will teach them are invaluable.

“I think getting kids away from a screen and outside is the first step,” said Berlin. She also said that adults who love to garden were likely introduced to it as a child. “Most people I know who garden, somebody took the time when they were young to bring them outside or let them pick a plant, let them plant the seed or water it,” she said.

Gardening is a great learning experience for children. Berlin told a story of a time she was working with a teenager and showed her the inside of a marigold. The teenager was so surprised to find seeds inside of the plant and to learn that plants make their own seeds.

Yost agrees that getting kids outside and away from screens is always a good idea. “Anything you can do to get the kids outside and involved in the natural world, is going to be a big, big step in the right direction,” he said. He also gave advice for gardening with kids. “One of the things I would say when you’re working with children is build on success. One of the things we’ve learned here, if you give a child a little small seedling that’s in a little small pot, there’s a pretty good likelihood that that pot is going to dry out or that seedling may die before they actually have the benefit of seeing something come from there,” he said.

Yost said that with children, you should start with something they’ll be successful at. “Start with a slightly larger plant that’s easier for them to handle going into a little bit larger pot that can hold a little more moisture and something that they’re going to have a better chance of success with,” he said.

Yost also pointed out that if you’re growing fruits or vegetables with kids, make sure it’s a fruit or vegetable that they like. You can go from seed to serving green beans for dinner in 8 to 10 weeks, but it’s doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t like green beans. You have to meet them where they are.

For the Experienced Gardner The Master Gardner program (mgpw.org and fairfaxgardening. org) is a great way to take your gardening experience and knowledge to the next level. The program includes about 75 hours in the classroom and a 50-hour internship. There is a fee, but scholarships are available. The program differs in each county. The Fairfax program is a two-year program. They also require an interview and a background check.

“I think volunteering and giving back to the community while you’re able to beautify and educate people is the best thing. The Master Gardener program is great learning, great fun and a great community,” said Berlin.

“Even though I’ve been gardening all my life and I’ve got a degree in it and tons of experience, my real gardening learning has come through the Cooperative Extension (Master Gardener) program,” said Yost.

Yost also talked about how there is always something new to learn about gardening and recited his favorite quote from Thomas Jefferson: “Though I am an old man, I’m but a young gardener.”

Amy Falkfoske is a freelance writer and photographer. She has a Master’s degree in Film-TV with a concentration in screenwriting. She lives in Bristow with her husband, two boys and two Beagle dogs.

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