Beat Winter Blahs; attend flower garden shows and more

Are you tired of bleak gray wintry days? Why not break out of the blahs by walking through green-space displays, hearing well-known speakers and talking to Industry experts and vendors?

During the month of January, the Industry itself schedules events which include sideline non-professional events. So, check with governmental Extension Agents and/or public gardens for events specific to your community. On the other hand, for year 2016, state of Virginia residents begin their opportunities with the Virginia Home & Garden Show. This event starts on 30^th  January and ends on 31^st and is held at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, VA. Immediately following, the Virginia Flower and Garden Expo is an event starting on February 5^th and ending on February 7^th and held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Produced by the Virginia Horticultural Foundation and Pilot Targeted Media, the Expo promotes horticultural education for everyone from professionals to the weekend enthusiast.

Held at the Richmond Raceway Complex from March 4^th – 6^th, the Richmond Home & Garden Show 2016 offers everything you need to make your home more beautiful, energy efficient, safe and comfortable. Whether you want to remodel a kitchen or bath, add or rebuild a deck, or replace that old electricity-eating heat pump you can find it all in just three days. For those who reside in the Tidewater area, on February 19^th- 21^st join the Tidewater Builders Association for a fantastic event the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Home & Garden Show which features an exciting line-up of celebrities and home and garden experts. This event offers gardening activities for everyone in the family.

During February, specific to central Virginia, the MAC Events Richmond Home Show occurs on Feb 5^th – 7^th at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond. And, for northern Virginia residents, the Capital Home & Garden Show is held at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly on February 26th  – 28^th.

Opportunities are also offered in the Valley of Virginia area. For example, the annual Shenandoah Valley Plant Symposium sponsored by Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department provides an array of educational opportunities featuring well-known Industry experts. This Symposium held March 18^th 8:00am – 4:00pm occupies the Best Western Inn & Suites Conference Center, Waynesboro, VA.

 

By March, home and garden event opportunities nation-wide are in full swing. The Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on March 5^th and closes March 13^th is and remains the premier show of shows. So, if at all possible, make it a priority choice. On the other hand, there are other nation-wide events such as the Hartford Flower and Garden Show, too.

 

In later spring, events shift to specialized themes or are held out-doors. For example, The Garden Club of Virginia hosts its annual flower events, the daffodil, lily and rose shows. These shows encourage interest in artistic flower arranging and the horticulture knowledge of growing and caring for flowers.

Virginia’s historic garden week kicks off April 23^rd further providing access to more than 250 of Virginia’s finest gardens, homes and historic landmarks. Next, the area of Leesburg hosts its Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival. Held April 16^th -17^th, this festival offers award winning landscape displays, fresh cut flowers, trees and shrubs, garden sculptures, arts and crafts, fountain displays and much more.

While by now, you could be weary of hearing about home and garden opportunities to explore, to ensure you have beaten the blahs, don’t forget to visit the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The Nation’s Capital festival is an opportunity to experience city-wide events. So, be sure to relax in a park-like atmosphere and celebrate the coming of spring!

How do you or I beat the blahs of a winter season? Identify and participate in events which provide the opportunity to be intrigued by plant introductions, newly discovered artists and craftspeople, and cutting-edge products, techniques and designs. Experience home and garden festivals, shows and more - become a home and garden event explorer!

Eco-legacy, the 21st century challenge

“The next die-off is now,” says science matters columnist Jeff Cox. In fact, recently released study statistics predict more than half of all species could be extinct by year 2050. So, the next time you walk the landscape, take a mental snapshot. Cherish the experience because neither you nor anyone else will again experience the same landscape.  

Somewhat overwhelm by the eco impact of year 2015, I scan other ‘end of year’ columns to identify nation-wide writers who equally struggle but seek to ‘believe in a viable sustainable future’. For, after year 2015 late seasonal warm wet climates, by mid-April established trees, shrubs and perennials lay heavy with blooms; but rapidly, because of delayed soil warmth and continued gray days, experienced severe impact on regional ‘living’ annual green.

On the other hand, my central Virginia garden established roses supplied by David Austin - Jubilee Celebration, Gentle Hermione, Lichfield Angel, Benjamin Britten, Windermere and The Dark Lady- proposer and head into a bountiful year of healthy bloom.

 

 

Plants supplied by the Southern Living Plant research and development line likewise prosper in spite of severe cold or drought. And, regardless of cool or warm seasonal impact, veggie, flower or herb seeds supplied by vendor Renee Seeds encountered almost 100% seed germination as well as a bountiful harvest results.

In fact, overall, the state of Virginia experienced a relatively good agriculture harvest; but areas such the Greater Richmond Area were plagued by late spring soil warmth and late-summer drought and excessive high heat-index. Still, similar to others, I remain optimistic.

Since the beginning of time, mankind has looked to the sky for guidance – sought a means to believe in the future. So, whether seasonal or spiritual or nautical or aeronautical, it is said wise people follow the stars. The Epiphany which occurs on January 6th celebrates a gift from those who chose to follow a star, the Magi. In a more general format, epiphany is defined as a sudden recognition of or insight into meaning, reality or significance of something. So, the question is based on the outcome of year 2015 experiences, have you identified an epiphany – a 2016 star to follow?

Now, it is time to identify a 2016 epiphany – wisely chose a star to follow. Because my family resides on generational property which consists of extended wet-land areas, our focus is eco – tied to identification and implementation of land maintenance activities which contribute to an eco-healthy habitat. For as a family, it is the blend of a Quaker heritage with other Christian based faiths along with non-faith activities which influence present-day lifestyle choices.

While historically eco - earth-friendly strategies - is defined in terms of reduce, reuse and recycle, based on the influence of our heritage, eco is a perspective of CARE - conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency. Individually and collectively, we have identified eco-sustainable spaces are not simply a result of lifestyle choices but reflect how we feel about the environment. While keeping it simple (as in simple living) is the name of the game, there is a more important underlying factor – a commitment to an eco-legacy of ultimate greening: providing for the present without sacrificing the future.

Within our family complex, we encourage the use of green scaping concepts: build and maintain healthy soil, install right plant for site requirements; and during seasonal appropriate cycles, be water wise, adopt earth-friendly pest and weed management, and implement natural lawn care. In other words, we are trying to ‘enable green’ back into the surrounding urban/suburban community by nurturing existing or replacement of ‘living green’. For, if eco-healthy urban suburban landscapes are to exist, we – individually and collectively - must become people who CARE – have a perspective of conservation, advocacy, recovery and eco-efficiency.

 

In the spirit of this expanded celebration season - the Epiphany, why not make your ‘new year resolutions’ commitment to creating an earth-healthy eco-legacy: ‘put on your green glasses, focus of eco literacy, identify eco education for yourself and others, select activities, products and services that sustain eco stability; and, subscribe yourself and/or others to ongoing tips and strategies such as my blog.

Whether in the spirit of a holiday tradition Epiphany or New Year resolution or ongoing life-style eco-commitments, join a quest that believes in the future - greens life’s garden one scoop at a time. For, we not only have opportunities to make a difference but through personal choice, can influence others to create an eco-legacy of healthy green space, both rural and urban.

Eco-legacy, a millennium woman's heritage

Published by LuLu.com Press Eco-legacy, a millennium woman’s heritage by Sylvia Hoehns Wright is a memoir-style writing that becomes a format for showing kinship between family/community caretaking and environmental caretaking.

The Quaker perspective of “caretaker, not owner, of property” is the foundation for this small book. The local author is a founder of the Plants of CARE plant recognition program, which recommends those that are ecologically sustainable and can create a legacy of healthy communities. The community of Laurel, a historical district in Henrico County, VA, is explored with photographs and verbal descriptions. Love for a rural community and celebration of its legacy is maintained here through visionary planning and historical designation.

 

Caretaking continues into the family: The author chronicles the histories of three local estates from their arrivals originally from England and Germany, passing through the Civil War, and ending with herself in the present day. By dedications to the memories of several family members and other individuals, a commitment called, “Eco Caretaker for Generational Property” is defined. Mentoring groups or individuals opens doors of opportunity for others to be exposed to professional communities that have Eco Legacy as their consciousness and vitality. Family heirlooms should always be sorted through to identify which can become generational heirlooms. Finally, being a caretaker for an elderly parent requires strategies for identifying community services and for support within the family and oneself, and engaging in stress-reduction activities for oneself.

Browsing through family history will let nostalgia for places creep into the experience. Reminiscing about Grandmother’s garden will bring memories of favorite blooming flowers. Family/community heirlooms segue into plants as generational heirlooms. A legacy of plant renewal—Eco legacy—will create a legacy of healthy communities.

Landscape gardening with CARE — conservation, accountability, recovery, eco-efficiency — takes the next step beyond the xeriscape of several decades ago. Conservation means go native (the CARE landscape pertains in this book to Virginia), using Virginia-native canopy trees, under-story trees, and shrubs. Accountability means planting lawn substitutes, limiting the size of turf areas. Recovery emphasizes placement of areas requiring higher use of water near the house and drought-tolerant plants further away. Eco-efficiency involves watering at the optimal time of day and insulating with mulch and compost. Finally, after carefully arranging the yard according to CARE principles, maintain it properly to withstand drought, freezing, and pests.



Reprinted from Washington Gardener reviewer Camilla Clocker is on the board of directors of Friends of Green Spring Gardens and of Del Ray Artisans, teaches using imagination in creative writing at a senior center in Fairfax County, and writes indexes for books and periodicals. To read other reviews or tips/strategies, link to Washington Gardener - www.washingtongardener.com. To review details or order a copy of Wright's book, link to web site http://www.lulu.com/shop/sylvia-hoehns-wright/eco-legacy-a-millennium-wo...