Posts Categorized: Blog

The Birth of a Public Private Partnership…

The Birth of a Public Private Partnership to Transform Richmond’s Urban Landscape

Author: Meg Turner

In 2011, the City of Richmond and a consortium of four Richmond garden clubs formed a public/private partnership and transformed a city gateway paved in concrete into an inviting green passageway that cools the urban core, cleans the urban air, and reduces pollutants from the stormwater flowing into the James River. Capital Trees was born when these four Garden Club of Virginia-affiliated clubs assembled a team in 2009 to study the environmental benefits of urban landscapes and identify areas in which the clubs could enhance Richmond’s urban environment. 

... Read more »

Friend or Foe? 

Author: Mary Petres

A weed is a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth, especially one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants. (Missouri Botanical Garden)

In our quest to maintain the gardens at Great Shiplock Park, the Low Line Gardens, and the Low Line Green without the use of herbicides, we use two main strategies. The first is to reduce the seed bank in the soil.

... Read more »

To Weed or Not to Weed

Author:  Anna G. Aquino

Consider for a moment a world without weeds. We would be traipsing on bare dirt and mud as the ground erodes away underneath our feet. Thankfully weeds immediately colonize even the most inhospitable of soils, they cool the ground, keep soil microorganisms alive, and help prevent soil erosion. Their aggressive root systems, especially those with taproots, can mine minerals and moisture from deep layers of the earth, bringing them up the soil profile and making them accessible to other plants. 

... Read more »

Improving Soil with Sustainable Methods

Author:  Anna G. Aquino

Soil organic matter is vital to a healthy ecosystem and originates from decomposing remains of organic life. It has the unique ability to increase a sandy soil’s water-holding capacity while assisting a clayey soil to drain.  The subsequent improvement of soil structure reduces  erosion by increasing water infiltration.  Organic matter is the habitat for a vibrant soil food web whose inhabitants decompose it and provide nutrients for plants.  Fertility and nutrients reside in organic matter.

... Read more »

Understanding the Baseline

Author: Mary Petres

A recent blog post by our Sustainability Champion, Anna Aquino, presented a great explanation of why Capital Trees is committed to developing and practicing sustainable landscape management practices for its projects.  As Ms. Aquino addressed in her blog, the health of the soil determines the health of the planet.  Said another way,

“Be it deep or shallow, red or black, sand or clay,

... Read more »

Getting to Know the Humble Bumble – (Bombus spp.)

Author: Lisa Trapp

Perhaps one of the most iconic and identifiable of all the native bees, bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are not only easy to recognize and universally beloved, they are also incredibly valuable pollinators. Approximately 263 different bumble bee species can be found world wide with roughly 28 different species found in the eastern half of North America. Their larger body mass can make them easy to spot,

... Read more »

Soil Enrichment — The Other World Wide Web

Author: Anna G. Aquino

Soil is the heart of the matter. An understanding of soil informs most of the organic and sustainable tenets. If you want to use sustainable methods, you have to know dirt. Soil is the earth’s digestive system and may well be our most valuable natural resource. Plants are the only organisms with the remarkable ability to capture the sun’s energy and turn it into the food that nearly all life forms depend on for survival,

... Read more »

Introducing our Sustainable Management Focus

Author:  Anna G. Aquino

I cringe when I think of the many times I have promoted the value of a plant, star magnolia comes to mind, stating that “its leaves in August are pristine, not a bite taken out of them. I suggest we plant it!” It is easier to forgive myself when I read Doug Tallamy, the famous entomologist who many credit with igniting native plants awareness and author of Bringing Nature Home.

... Read more »

Introducing our Emphasis on Sustainability and Writer on Sustainability

Author:  Kevin Finto, Chair of Board of Trustees

Anna Aquino is a wonderfully creative landscape designer.  I knew that from her work around Richmond.  What I did not know before I joined Capital Trees with her a few years ago is that she is passionate about sustainable gardening.  Anna has committed a staggering amount of time and effort researching and cataloging techniques, experimenting with them, testing them, and educating others about what works and what does not work. 

... Read more »

NEW LOOK/NEW FORMAT/NEW TOPICS

Welcome!  

Capital Trees is launching a blog on the sustainable management of public landscapes.  The blog will include familiar topics previously found in our news section such as plant of the month. We will move all our news announcements including newsletter archives to a NEWS link.  There you will be able to keep up with our ongoing projects and programs. 

This new blog will provide regular posts highlighting different elements of sustainably managing public landscapes including:

  • Garden features (plants,
... Read more »