Written by: Anna Aquino
How many monarch butterflies did you see last summer? When you turn on your porch light do moths flutter to and fro? Is night time illuminated with yellow lightning bug squiggles to the delight of children, and the child in all of us? When was the last time a bug splattered on your windshield (this one has a name it’s called the “windshield phenomenon”).(1) If you’re of a certain age you will have noticed these missing little creatures,
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Author: Lisa Trapp
Spring is officially here in Richmond and it seems like most of the chilly weather is behind us. The flowers are blooming and pollinators can be seen floating from plant to plant and humming through early garden blooms. With the gardens slowly waking up, there is also the undeniable pull and peer pressure from neighbors to get out the lawn mower and cut back the grass. For pollinator lovers though,
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Author: Lisa Trapp
Let’s talk a little bit about the history of Capital Trees! Beyond being a woman founded organization, Capital Trees has deep roots in the Garden Club of Virginia (GCV). Each of our original founders came from four area garden clubs, Boxwood, James River, Three Chopt, and Tuckahoe, all affiliated clubs of the GCV. Last week was Historic Garden Week and it always feels fitting to reflect on our foundation during this time.
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Author: Lisa Trapp
We have highlighted a number of showy native plants on our website, Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Aromatic Aster (Symphotrichum oblongifolium), and Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) just to name a few. But there are some wonderful species that do not have the immediate “wow factor” and are still well worth admiring.
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Author: Anna Aquino
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you are a bee, a messy mixed species lawn is your Mona Lisa.
Who doesn’t like the look of a finely trimmed lawn? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you are a bee, a messy mixed species lawn is your Mona Lisa. Lawn, whether a manicured monoculture or a “natural” one,
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Author: Shelly Barrick Parsons, Executive Director
Capital Trees is committed to the best practices in sustainable management of public landscapes. To strengthen our knowledge and practice, Lisa Trapp (Program and Outreach Manager) and I are seeking certification as Level 1 Chesapeake Bay Professional Landscape Professionals through the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Council (1)(2). This certification is for anyone working in conservation landscaping including private and public landscapes. The certification process includes two days of virtual classes,
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Author: Lisa Trapp
The conversation about invasive species isn’t new. In fact, it seems like every day we turn around and hear about a new invasive plant, insect, reptile, or even bacteria. According to the USGS Invasive Species Program there are more than 6,500 invasive species established in the United States. Though this number can feel really daunting, it’s important to remember that understanding invasive species, how they function, and how to best handle their removal,
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Written by: Mary Petres
Hello fellow garden lovers! During the cold dreary days of winter, it seems impossible that the lively days of spring are only weeks away. For the most part, the garden and its inhabitants (both flora and fauna) wait calmly in a place of dormancy. However, unbeknownst to many of us, winter weeds are happily growing amongst our dormant friends. I use the term “weed” loosely. Traditionally associated with unattractiveness,
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Author: Lisa Trapp
It’s easy to take our pollinator friends into consideration when the bright blooms of spring and fall are literally buzzing with activity, and when the lazy days of summer encourage nearby bees and butterflies to look for salt on sweaty arms. But we need to think of these helpful heroes in the winter too, creating a pollinator-friendly green space is a year-round endeavor.
Most bees and butterflies will be in a dormant period or state of “diapause” over the winter.
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Author: Mary Petres
Hello Gardeners! Though it may seem as if the garden has slipped into peaceful slumber and we should do the same, a gardener’s chores are never done. Spring and summer will creep up before you know it, and there is plenty that we can do now to have a more fruitful start to the growing season.
With that in mind, let’s talk tools! This is an excellent time to take stock of your tools and provide a bit of T.L.C.
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