Highlights: June 2008 Show

Diversity in the Home Landscape
Mark Ragland
Prince George County, Virginia

Mark is an avid home gardener who’s passion is herbs.

His suggestions for diversity in the landscape include; examining your yard and deciding which areas are best suited for the type of gardening you enjoy. He prefers full sun for herbs, a mix of sun and shade for vegetables, partial shade for turf, and shade for the tranquility of a water feature.

Mark’s garden includes raised beds with soil supplemented by compost.  The raised beds provide for drainage and allow for a deeper growing medium.

Mark also features many memories in his garden. He has one raised bed devoted to the plants his grandfather grew on his farm; corn, cotton and peanuts. He also has the first container plant he bought for himself over 30 years ago.

He encourages the use of natural pest control and resorts to pesticides only when absolutely necessary.

Commercial Fishing
Jason Anderson, USCG Licensed Captain
804.730.5610
EbbtideChartersLLC.com
Billy Haynie, Fisherman

New catch restrictions have been put in place on the Chesapeake Bay in an attempt to help the blue crab populations rebound.

Your gardening practices effect commercial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Consequently, good land stewardship is essential for the restoration of the Bay.

Contaminants such as manures, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are carried by local streams and creeks to the Chesapeake Bay.

Do your part to “Save the Bay” by using plants that are locally adapted and require less fertilizers and pesticides. Use rain barrels and rain gardens to keep water on site. This allows water to be filtered through the soil and cleaned before it enters our waterways.