Author:Anahi – Maryland Grows

Invasive Ornamentals and Sterile Varieties

August 21, 2026Maryland Grows4 Comments

When it comes to landscaping, a huge decision-making point is what we find visually pleasing… and often what pleases us visually ends up being something we are not very used to seeing, meaning that we pick plants that seem more exotic to us so we can marvel at their surprising (to us) beauty. This is all good and nice, but the problem appears when we realize that many of those plants appear exotic to us because they are exotic to the region we live in! This means that if we select them to plant in our landscapes, we are actually adding to our environment species that are not necessarily native to where we live… which can have pretty drastic consequences. In today’s post, I want to talk about a potential solution that has fairly recently been proposed to the use of such plants: sterile varieties.

What’s the deal with exotic plants?

Although not all exotic plants will have negative effects on our environment, some of them do. Those that do are considered invasive species, and they can create a lot of trouble in our local ecosystems. Invasive plants tend to grow faster than other native plants, often overrunning the spaces they grow in, spreading very quickly, and eventually “choking” or outcompeting local species, which end up dying out and/or becoming unable to survive in the presence of the invasive plant. Some good examples of this behavior of invasive plants in Maryland are the Chinese and Japanese Wisteria vines and the English Ivy, all of which effectively cover trees and can eventually choke and pull them down to their death.

View of a forest with vines covering the tree trunks up into the canopy. — *In the Eastern USA, English Ivy does effectively take over forests. Photo: L. J. Mehrhoff.*

In Maryland, this issue has been recognized not just by ecologists, but also by lawmakers, who have started to regulate the selling of specific species to properly support the protection (and recovery) of our local plant communities. Among the most recent additions to these regulations are the ban on selling several bamboo species, English Ivy, exotic Wisterias, and several very invasive grasses (among other species). You can check the most up-to-date list of these species at the Maryland Dept. of Ag. website: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources also hosts a website with a lot of information about exotic species (plants and others): Invasive and Exotic Species in Maryland

So what to do if we love the plants but do not want them to spread?

Ideally, if we do not want to harm local habitats, the best decision is to refrain from planting invasive species, because they are REALLY hard to properly control and prevent their spread (especially when there is bird-mediated fruit dispersal or stolon-mediated dispersal).

The forest in spring with many mature trees and Barberry invading the understory and dominating as the ground cover — *Barrberry dominating the understory in a wooded setting. Photo*: *Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org*

Bright red berries the shape of water drops hang along barberry branch. — *Barberry shrubs produce many berries that birds and wildlife eat then distrubute. Photo:* *Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org*

An alternative, however, is the selection of varieties that are unable to spread because they are sterile or do not have proper structures to do so. These are varieties that exist for some ornamentals/exotics, and that are in some cases exempted from the regulations that I was mentioning above. Some examples are non-invasive bamboo varieties, some Berberis cultivars (e.g., varieties “Lemon Glow”, “Crimson Cutie”), and even some almost-sterile Buddleja cultivars (e.g., “Flutterby”, “Lo and Behold” varieties developed by several University programs). A note on some of these cultivars is that although some of them are labeled “sterile”, they may or may not be fully sterile. Some of them have indeed been shown to, in some cases, produce some fertile offspring (although way fewer than their fertile counterparts!).

A green field with a forest line in the background. Purple wisteria vines are growing up many trees and shrubs, toppling one over. — *Invasive Wisteria invades forests, vining themselves onto trees, pulling them down and eventually outcompeting and often killing them. Photo: M. Bakacs.*

How to go about these decisions?

Generally, when considering exotic ornamentals for our green spaces, it is worth making it a practice of first informing ourselves about their potential for invasiveness. Then, if the potential is there, another good practice is to look for potential alternatives (e.g., do we really need to plant that specific plant?, are there less-harmful varieties?, are there native alternatives that can be planted instead?, can we properly contain the plant if it spreads?).

To make these decisions, a good tool to consider is the NC Extension Gardener toolkit, where species and varieties are listed and can be filtered out by (among other traits) their potential for invasiveness/weediness. The Maryland Invasive Species Council has also put together a list of species that have invasiveness potential (independently of regulations) and are thus of concern. A new tool from the University of Maryland Extension Maryland Native Plants Project can help you search and filter for native plants, so you can potentially choose a native plant which will suit your needs and benefit our eco-system: Maryland Native Plant Finder tool.

By Anahí Espíndola, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park. See more posts by Anahí.

Anahí also writes an Extension Blog in Spanish! Check it out here, extensionesp.umd.edu, and please share and spread the word to your Spanish-speaking friends and colleagues in Maryland. ¡Bienvenidos a Extensión en Español!

Why don’t I see pollinators on my plants?

July 17, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

One of the most widespread actions implemented to support pollinators and other beneficial organisms is the planting of (native) flowering plants. The idea is that if we offer food to pollinators, they will come. However, we may have planted the plants, but the pollinators still aren’t coming. What could be happening? In this post, I will cover some biological reasons why this may be happening, and some solutions to consider.

Not all flowers are made equal

To a pollinator’s eye, not all flowers are the same. As we mentioned in other posts, each pollinator group (e.g., butterflies, birds, bees, flies…) has a different shape and different sensorial and physical abilities. While a butterfly may be able to reach the nectar at the bottom of a very tubular and long flower, a fly may not. Likewise, a large pollinator that is physically stronger than a small pollinator may be able to enter a very closed flower. Further, a night pollinator can obtain nectar from plants that offer it at night, while it will not get anything from those that offer it during the day…. I guess you see my point. Essentially, pollinators prefer flowers that make it easiest to locate and harvest resources like nectar and pollen. These differences mean that unless those flowers are present in a landscape, certain groups of pollinators may not be seen at all.

A grid of 9 flowers in various shapes and colors and different pollinators from bees and wasps, to moths and birds. — *Different floral shapes and colors make floral rewards more easily accessible to different pollinators. Photos: J. of Pollination Ecology.*

Not all flowers necessarily offer what a pollinator is after

Pollinators visit flowers to obtain something they need. That something may be food (e.g., nectar, pollen, parts of the flower), materials for reproduction (e.g., perfumes), materials for nest building (e.g., resins, floral oils), or simply a place to overnight, stay warm, and/or mate. As a matter of fact, not every single flower serves all those needs, making the pollinators end up “sorting themselves” among the plants that offer what they need.

A yellow blooming flower cluster with a bee climbing inside one of the blooms. — *A bee of the genus Chalepogenus visiting a flower of Calceolaria dentata (native to Chile and Argentina) to collect floral oils and pollen. Photo: A. Espíndola.*

Let me give you an example. In my research life, I work on a specialized pollination system that involves flowers that do not offer nectar at all, but instead offer floral oils (and pollen) in exchange for pollination (you can read more about this from the blog post: Why Do Pollinators Visit Flowers?, May ’20). These flowers are called lady slippers and belong to the Pan-American genus Calceolaria. When we observe which pollinators visit the flowers, we see that it is mostly bees who specialize in collecting floral oils (in our case, bees of the genera Centris and Chalepogenus), and basically nothing else. In landscaping, filling our yards with only one specialized flower type drastically limits pollinator diversity. For instance, if we only planted oil-producing flowers, we would not see many diverse pollinators. This highlights a key rule: the rewards a plant offers dictate the visitors it attracts. Just as varied flower shapes are crucial, providing a diverse mix of nutritional rewards—like nectar, pollen, and oils—is the best way to boost the number and variety of pollinators in our green spaces. As for the floral shape I was referring to, planting species that offer different types of rewards is a very good way to increase the number and types of pollinators we see in our green spaces.

The flowers do not necessarily want to share too much

Plants attract pollinators because they can get pollination from them, which allows the plant to reproduce. From a biological point of view, a pollinator will be a good one if it carries pollen from the stamens of a flower and makes it land on the stigma, so it can germinate and then fertilize the ovules. This is all good and nice; the problem, however, is that many pollinators use pollen as food. This creates a conflict between the plant’s and the pollinator’s interests: a plant needs the pollen (that contains its sperm) to not be eaten but to fertilize its ovules, but many pollinators just want to eat the pollen (and they have good reason for this, since a pollen grain is extremely rich in nutrients!).

A black and white microscope image of pollen grains. Some are spikey, some round, and some beanshaped with cantelope rind-looking texture. — *Pollen grains have different structures and shapes. Photo: Dartmouth College Electron Microscope Facility.*

As a response to this conflict, some strategies have evolved that somewhat “control” the feeding on pollen that pollinators may do. In fact, plants protect their pollen with physical structures that make it hard to be broken by pollinators. Some of these pollen grains feature spikes and thickened walls, which force pollinators to use specialized tools to break through them. Along with this physical “shield”, pollen grains often contain what are called **secondary metabolites.** These are chemical compounds that make the pollen indigestible or toxic, unless the organism trying to eat it has evolved ways to tolerate those compounds themselves. Closely related plants produce similar chemical compounds; the unique chemistry of a plant family dictates which pollinators can digest its pollen. This leads to different levels of floral specialization on the side of the pollinators. Pollinators will only try to visit plants that offer pollen they can digest, which again, restricts the flowers they visit. As for the previous points, increasing the different types of plants by having representatives of different plant families can increase the variety in the chemical quality of the pollen offered, attracting and supporting different types of more or less specialized pollinators.

By Anahí Espíndola, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park. See more posts by Anahí.

Small but mighty. The amazing ground-nesting bee!

June 19, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

The summer is almost here, and if you are like me, you have already been outside and seen a bunch of tiny bees digging, digging, digging, and buzzing around flowers. Who are these little ladies? And what on earth (pun intended) are they doing? In today’s blog, I want to explain a bit about these super powerhouses, how they do what they do, and point to some of these cool bees that we can find right here in Maryland and our general region.

What are ground-nesting bees?

As its name indicates, ground-nesting bees are bees that nest in the ground, mostly by digging their nests. Ground-nesting bees are found in several families of bees, and being a soil nester/digger is actually one of the most common nesting strategies among solitary bees. In these bees, once the female finds a good nesting site, she starts excavating it to create an underground nest, which often has several brood cells, in which the larvae develop. These nests are usually found in spaces where the vegetation is sparse or the soil bare, and can sometimes be built along with other nests of the same species, leading to communal nesting areas. It is because of this preference for relatively open ground that it is often recommended that at least some uncovered ground is left in our green spaces, which helps provide habitat for their establishment.

A tiny bee is seen crawling out of a mound of soil on the ground. — *Ground-nesting bee coming out of her nest. Photo: Colleen (CC0).*

How do ground nesters build their nests?

As good miners or soil diggers, ground-nesting bees also have specific behavioral and morphological traits that make them good at what they do. Bees that excavate have modified leg structures that allow them to easily move within tunnels, strong mandibles that they use to actually dig the cavity, and modified extremities of the abdomen (the pygidial plate) that function as sorts of trowels and allow them to pack soil on the walls of the cavity they are digging.

Along with having the right tools of the trade, these bees are also selective of the type of soil they use to build their nests. Most ground-nesting bees prefer soils that are not too compacted, with at least some sand content, which makes them easier to dig through. This means that it is more likely that we will find these bees in rockier/sandier soils than in super clay-y ones. As a matter of fact, many ground-nesting bees are associated with dune nesting, and because dunes are often endangered habitats (because they are often disturbed/destroyed by human activities), many sand-nesting specialists end up becoming endangered as well. And as a fun fact about soil choice, bee experts think that because finding “good soil” is so important for the survival of these bees, bees tend to become associated with specific spots for nesting, with the nesting site becoming a sort of “family place”, where several generations of females from the same family line come back to nest over the years/generations.

A close up of the pygidial plant which is a small darker triangular structure at the tip of the bee's abdomen. — *The pygidial plate is a structure present at the tip of the abdomen of ground-nesting bees that functions as a trowel. Photo: MN Native Bees.*

Because digging through the soil with their mandibles (and sometimes their legs) is hard work, bees usually tend to choose the best timing to start their digging. In fact, the hardest part of the soil to dig through for a bee is the surface, which is often the most compacted. For this reason, bees tend to start digging after the soil has become moist (e.g., after rains). Incredibly, some ground-digging bees are even able to add, if needed, secretions or even nectar to humidify and loosen the soil! Once the bee has started her excavation, she continues digging deeper and bringing soil out of the construction area, which leads to all sorts of “mounts” being built around the nest entrance and sometimes chimney-looking structures.

What are some ground nesters from Maryland?

Andrena vicina – The neighborly mining bee

a close up of a bee gathering pollen from white flowers — *Andrena vicina.* *Photo: K. P. McFarland (CC0).*

This Andreniid is relatively large (about 1- 1.5 cm), present in North America and common in the Eastern USA. This species received that cute name because it is one of those that builds communal nesting areas (“neighborhoods”). In Maryland, the species is active right now (~June/July) and is generally seen visiting many native plants and crops. In particular, this is one of the known visitors of, among other plants, Rhododendron and Azaleas, several heather family plants (like Vaccinium, Kalmia), as well as several rose family plants (Prunus, Rubus).

Augochlorella aurata – Golden sweat bee

a tiny metallic green sweat beed in the center of a yellow flower

Augochlorella aurata. Photo: C. Martin (CC0).

This is a species in the Halictid family, and is called a sweat bee because it is often found collecting sweat (for water and salts). This is one of those tiny bees that you may find landing on you on a hot day, really committed to not letting go of your skin! This particular bee is relatively easy to recognize because it is small, metallic-looking, with beautiful green/golden iridescence. This bee is not fully solitary and is a species recognized to display primitive eusociality (for example, honey bees are true eusocials). In this species, there is a queen that starts a nest, and across the season, generations of first infertile and later fertile workers are produced. By the end of the season, the fertile workers are inseminated and disperse to overwinter. This bee species is pretty generalist in its choice of plants, known as a pollinator of many crops (e.g., apples, tomatoes, watermelon) as well as native plants.

Enhance Biodiversity in Your Vegetable Garden by Planting More Flowers!

May 28, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

A view of a fenced in vegetable garden with Salad tables in the forground and multiple raised garden beds full of various vegetables. Bright orange marigold flowers line the edges of the raised beds and there are wood chip paths inbetween the planting areas. — *Marigolds line the edges of raised garden beds, bursting with vegetables in this county extension demonstration garden. Photo: Jon Traunfeld*

A practice generally used in agricultural contexts is that of floral supplementation. In today’s blog, I would like to dig a bit into this idea and present some strategies to implement it at smaller scales, like small vegetable gardens and green spaces. Read along to learn a bit more!

What is floral supplementation?

Agriculture using western methods generally leads to losses of plant biodiversity in and around fields, mostly because it transforms diverse spaces into large monocultures (the crop fields). This, in turn, reduces the ability of the ecosystem to regulate pests, maintain pollination and eventually can negatively affect yield and production, along with increasing environmental erosion. As a response to these needs, strategies have been developed to increase biodiversity in agricultural contexts, and one of those is floral supplementation. In this strategy, the areas surrounding the crop fields are planted with diverse floral mixes or hedges, or the crop rows are intercropped with flowering plants. Such approaches improve soil quality and reduce erosion, increase diversity of plants and animals associated with them, and in many cases lead to improved pest control and pollination of the crop. Although this is a practice more or less widespread and recognized for production fields, it is not often officially promoted in smaller areas such as gardens or the green spaces that surround them. Let’s fix that! 😊

Why does floral supplementation work?

The idea behind these practices is that they increase the spatial and plant resources available to the local biotic community. By increasing the number of plant species present in an area, the different types of food and nesting resources are also increased and become more complex. For example, there may be flowers that bloom at different times of the season, that produce different types of nectar and can support different pollinators, fruits that support different insects and birds, plants of different heights and structure that can offer shelter to different organisms. These modifications eventually lead to more diverse animal communities being present in the area where the supplements are added. From the point of view of the benefits of these changes on the actual performance of the crop field, this diversity promotes the presence of biological control of pest agents (e.g., predators of pests, parasitoids), as well as increases the diversity and abundance of potential pollinating species. The presence of a more robust plant community can also promote soil retention through the presence of more roots to physically retain it, reducing erosion and water runoff.

Tomato plants with green tomatoes growing in a raised garden bed with a railing in the background. Interspersed plantings include basil, and chard. — *A way to implement floral supplementation in small spaces is through the combination of different crops on the same pace, such as offered by the idea of companion plantings. Photo: Steph L.*

Floral supplementation in gardens

Although the extent of floral supplementation done at the agricultural scale can not be reproduced at the garden level, the same principles can be implemented, especially if the gardening space is not necessarily embedded in a very biodiverse context. Here are some ideas on how to do it.

Intercropping and Companion Planting

A cool way to both increase diversity and production per unit of area is the use of intercropping with companion plantings. Here, different crops can be interplanted, with rows alternating species, or with several crop species planted in a mixed way in the same part of the garden. This relates to the idea of companion planting, where species that are planted together are selected for their ability to successfully coexist and support each other. The table gives some ideas on potential combinations to promote and avoid.

Companion planting promotes the interplanting of different crops/herbs, with species known to be compatible and incompatible in these plantings. Table from Virginia Cooperative Extension publication, Companion Planting in Gardening

Hedgerows

Green bushes with pink flowers along a grassy area under trees. — *Especially if planted with native species, hedgerows can offer a complex structure for a lot of animal diversity to establish close to our gardens. Photo: M. Gimber.*

This strategy can be especially effective if there is a lot of room around the garden plot. Instead of leaving that as a mowed space, it is possible to turn it into a structurally and species-diverse space! For this, one can consider planting sets of native shrubs/small trees that can provide complex shelter spaces and flower/fruit/seed resources for many animals (including humans! 😛 ). Some choices I really like for our area are fringe trees, spicebushes, witch hazels, hazels, pawpaws, serviceberries, native elderberries, or redbuds. Of course, not all these species are appropriate for all areas, so depending on the level of light and soil conditions, some may be preferred over others.

Flower Strips

A close up of Monarda or beebalm with red blooms — Even when not much space is available, the planting of native herbaceous plants can lead to an important bump in diversity around our vegetable gardens. This strip of *Monarda, Solidago, Penstemon, Rudbecia* and some other native plants is directly adjacent to my vegetable garden and attracts many pollinators and predators such as wasps and mantids. Photo: A. Espindola.

Flower strips are also a great choice, and if space is available, one can easily turn them into a small floral meadow. These spaces can be planted with seed mixes, which can be purchased from seed companies specialized in the establishment of native meadows. (Be sure to review the species list since some meadow mixes can contain invasive or borderline invasive plants, others may contain annuals like Cosmos.) If the space available is not very large, it may be more practical to just plant a set of native flowers that bloom at different times through the season. Check out this other post where I direct people to some specific plant lists that can be handy for our area. Especially if the species chosen are perennial, the planting will lead to a long term establishment, and if wanted, new plants can be added over the years, as some species become more established.

Use De-Icing Salts With a Grain of Salt

January 10, 2025January 14, 2025Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Winter Wonderlands are pretty to watch and enjoy with a lot of waterproof and warm clothes, but they also have their little challenges. For example, lots of snow can lead to a lot of compacted snow, that turns into ice, making Winter Wonderlands turn into Winter Slipperylands with all the accidents and issues that ensue. A common practice to reduce ice and its dangers is the use of de-icing salts. In this post, I want to talk about de-icing salts and how their excessive use can lead to unwanted consequences in our natural spaces and the organisms that inhabit them.

What are de-icing salts?

De-icing salts are most commonly sodium chloride salts, a non-food-grade version of the salts we use in our kitchens. Because high concentrations of sodium chloride in the soil lead to many environmental issues, alternatives exist, including potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium magnesium acetate (CMA). Note, however, that although these alternatives are considered more environmentally friendly, they are just less environmentally harmful than sodium chloride.

All these salts generally reduce the freezing temperature of water, leading to water (ice) melting at temperatures at which it would have been frozen in the absence of the salt. Although this is a very simple and effective way of reducing or preventing ice formation, the intense use of salts leads to accumulation in the soil and water table, which is worrisome in many ways.

Photo of a large bag of de-icing salt on a walkway ready to be applied. — De-icing salts can degrade ecosystems when misapplied or applied unnecessarily. Photo: J. Jönsson (CC).

What happens if salts accumulate in the soil and water?

As we apply salts, they eventually dissolve in the water we are trying to de-ice, in moisture in the soil, and/or with precipitation. This salt then accumulates in the soil and in the water bodies into which the area drains. Both these processes can have strong effects on the health of the environment and the survival of many species.

Soils with high salt content are generally more toxic for plants (herbaceous and woody) that are not otherwise adapted to salty environments, leading to a negative effect on plant health and survival in regions where salts are applied intensely and regularly. For example, high salt content in the soil reduces the ability of plants to capture water and other nutrients and to tolerate low temperatures and drought. Further, when exposed to these high concentrations, plant tissues can also become enriched in salts, which can lead to cell dehydration and an inability to perform photosynthesis.

Reductions in plant diversity and health can also lead to other, more indirect effects. They can affect the ability of insects or other animals to find appropriate host plants to develop on and nest in and can lead to an increase in pest outbreaks, which are associated with reductions in the general diversity of the plant communities.

Besides accumulating in the soil, salts can also dissolve in the water and end up in the water bodies close to where the salts were applied. When salt use is very intense, it can lead to a significant accumulation of salts in lakes, streams, and rivers, which has demonstrated negative impacts on their organisms. Fishes, amphibians, insects, aquatic plants, and microorganisms display specific ranges of salt tolerance, and given that freshwater is not normally enriched in salts, the rise in its concentration leads to an inability for these organisms to survive under those conditions. Further, because some of the de-icing salts have phosphates, their runoff into the Chesapeake Bay can increase phosphate pollution and its negative effects on the survival of Bay ecosystems. Finally, it has been shown that high salt concentrations in water promote the survival of salt-tolerant organisms, one of which is mosquitoes. This can lead to larger mosquito populations in areas where there is intense and regular use of de-icing salts.

Does this mean that I can’t use de-icing salts anymore?

No, this means that because salts are not neutral to our environment, we should use them thoughtfully and cautiously. For example, shoveling or plowing snow before it becomes packed and icy is a great way to maintain ice- and salt-free spaces. Also, only applying salts when you’re sure that a storm will arrive is another way to reduce salt applications and its negative effects on the environment. Finally, if salts are needed, a good strategy is to apply them lightly and only to high-traffic areas. Don’t treat areas where there is no traffic. It has been shown that de-icing salt grains spaced 3 inches apart can readily and efficiently remove ice. Applying salts more heavily does not improve the de-icing action but increases salt concentration in the soil and water bodies.

Image: Lake Superior Streams Regional Stormwater Protection Team.

Finally, if you do need to use salts on a regular basis, consider planting native salt-tolerant plants. For ideas, refer to this Salt-Tolerant Native Plants page from Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Northern VA. These plants will grow in Maryland, increase the biodiversity of your green space, and, in some cases, capture some of the salts in the soil, further reducing salt runoff.

To learn more:

Maryland Department of the Environment: learn other strategies to reduce salt use.
U. of Minnesota Extension: learn how to prevent or adapt to high salt concentration in soils.
Chesapeake Bay Program: learn how de-icing salts affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

How to Pay for a Pollinator or Native Plant Garden?

December 9, 2024Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

We hear a lot about the importance of establishing native and pollinator gardens. Indeed, these spaces provide many ecological services, from providing food resources and shelter for biodiversity to improving the quality of our soils and reducing water runoff. However, establishing these spaces requires at least some funds, which may or may not be available to many. In this post, I want to share some resources that can provide either funding or materials to establish such spaces in our properties.

Grants and rebates for native gardens and more

In our region, several grants exist that can provide funding to partially or completely cover expenses associated with the establishment of pollinator and native gardens. Some of these are state- or region-wide, while others are county or city-based. Below I share some of these, but because many of these grants are local, if you don’t happen to be in the regions where these are active, do a quick search on your favorite web search engine and I am pretty sure you’ll find one that applies to you relatively easily.

State-wide grant:

The Chesapeake Bay Trust has a state-wide program of mini grants which can be used to fund pollinator and rain gardens, among others. These grants provide up to $5,000 of funding for projects of different sizes, and the submission deadline is on a rolling basis. Applicants can be many different types of organizations, but it’s best is to check their current guidelines to know all the specifics about each year’s rules (these can be found directly on the grant website).

County-based programs:

Log for Prince George's County. It says Prince George's County Maryland Proud. Get to Know Us.

The Rain Check Rebate Program is offered by Prince George’s County and includes monetary support to establish rain gardens (which can also act as pollinator gardens) and other features (e.g., rain barrels, permeable driveways) that will increase water retention and reduce water runoff. Through this program, private property owners receive up to $6,000, and commercial properties, associations, and non-profits receive up to $20,000. The application process is relatively straightforward and simple, and the reimbursements are processed relatively quickly.

The non-profit Unity Gardens provides grants to fund the planting of native gardens (including rain and pollinator gardens) in Anne Arundel County. These grants are open to the public and range from $1,000 to $3,000 (depending on the type of project). Applications open in the fall and spring, but the documentation and guidelines for applications are accessible all year round. Check the website to learn more.

City-based grants:

The city of Ocean City, MD offers mini-grants for local property owners. These grants aim to support the establishment of pollinator gardens and other native plant gardens within the boundaries of the city. The grants provide up to $5,000 of funding, and applications for some of these projects are open year-round, while others have specific deadlines. Check the grants website to learn the specifics about each of these programs.

Free plants to establish gardens

Not every organization or institution has funds to establish grants such as those presented above. However, many cities and other non-profits give away plants at different times of the year. Generally, these giveaways happen in the spring and the fall, when plantings are the most likely to succeed. Below, I’ve included some examples for you. However, note that many local events happen everywhere, so if you’re interested in these giveaways, I strongly recommend that you search or keep an eye out for announcements in your area by the end of the winter or the summer.

Free native garden kits and plants:

The organization Nature Forward provides free native garden kits which include garden designs and the actual plants that go with them! Because this is directly associated with the Anacostia watershed, the geographical range of this program is restricted (check the map on their website). The sign-up is currently full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist.

Sometimes, native plant nurseries decide to organize such giveaways. This is the case of Bona Terra in Friendship, MD, which created a “plant grant,” basically a registration-based plant giveaway. The giveaway can be for individuals or groups, and registration is required to receive either individual plants or trays. Check out their website to learn more and access the forms.

City-based plant giveaways:
Several cities provide free plants to their residents. An example is the City of College Park, which has been giving away native plants that support pollinators throughout the year at markets and public events. Check with your city or local government to see if such programs are available to you… and if they are not, you can always ask for them to be established!!

Leave the Leaves, All While Not Making Your Neighbors Mad

November 13, 2024Maryland Grows4 Comments

With the fall season we are starting to see a lot of articles talking about the massive ecological and soil quality benefits of leaving leaves, stems, and sticks in our green spaces. As a biologist, I understand why doing so is indeed the right thing to do, but I often face pushback on this topic from people I mention this to through my Extension work or just in my neighborhood. There are of course many barriers to adopting such practices that I have heard people mention, but one that comes up often is the one that involves social or peer pressure. In other words, how to adopt this without making your neighbors mad? In today’s blog, I want to give some pointers to avoid conflict with (and maybe even convince) neighbors who may be less convinced than you on these practices.

Some fall practices that we know are good for biodiversity and your soil

I do not want to talk yet again in depth about these practices (you can read more about it in these other articles if you want to know more):

But I want to just quickly state some of them, so you know what I am referring to throughout this article. I feel that there are three major types of practices that can be adopted for protecting pollinators and other insects during the winter: leaving the fallen leaves on the ground, not pruning certain pithy stems to the ground until the Spring, and making branches and stick piles in sections of your green spaces.

For all these practices, common sense should be used when deciding whether to adopt them or not (e.g., if you are in a fire-prone area, perhaps making huge wood piles is not a good idea), remembering that these are indeed all practices that have been shown to improve biodiversity in our green spaces.

Fallen tree leaves have been spread about fours inches deep in a wide circle around the base of a very large tree in a backyard. Stones are used to create the circular perimeter and contain the leaves. — Piling the leaves around trees is a good way to retain them in the green space, all while giving an impression of “tidiness” to the yard. Photo: D. Mizejewski.

How to avoid “leaving the leaves” look messy?

So, you want to participate in the ”leave the leaves” action, but you still want to make clear that somebody is actually taking care of it. What to do?

If you have the option to ignore others’ opinions, you can just leave the leaves where they fell and go on with your life. 😊 That said, this may or not apply to most people.
You can pick certain areas of your green space to leave the leaves, but rake other areas. Perhaps you want to have the areas that are less exposed to people’s eyes be those selected for leaving the leaves. This will show that your leaving the leaves is purposeful and not just a lack of care.
If you have trees on your space, you can also decide to pile up the leaves around trees. This will provide shelter to insects and other small critters, provide mulch for the tree, and sign active care of your space.
A problem I sometimes hear about is leaves blowing over to another person’s yard or space. To avoid this, you can use plants to line/fence your green space. These plantings will have the positive effects of both allowing your leaves to stay on the ground, while minimizing “spill overs”.
Explain what you are doing. You can tell your neighbors about what is going on, and even put a sign up to clarify what is happening (if you want to go “fancy”, the Xerces Society has a neat one).
A thing NOT to do if you would like to retain arthropod diversity but also make the leaves look “tidier”, is mow them over. This has been shown to kill the insects that were preparing to overwinter in them. ☹

A "Pollinator Habitat" sign is visible in this part of the landscape where fallen tree leaves are spread about four inches deep in a garden bed. The sign explains that the leaves help overwintering pollinators survive the winter. — Displaying a sign that explains that some activities in our green spaces are creating pollinator habitat can go a long way. Photo: C. Corner.

How to leave the stems without issues

Another practice shown to support stem-nesting insects (including several bees) is not trimming pithy stems all the way down during the fall.

If you have the option to ignore others’ opinions, you can just leave the stems and go on with your life. 😊 That said, this may or not apply to most people.
As for the leaves, you can select sections of your space where you decide to implement this. An extension of this idea is that perhaps you can reconsider where your plantings are, so you have the pithy plants (e.g., brambles) in areas that you know are not going to be looked at all the time.
You can also decide to trim the plants down to some extent (about 2-3 ft from the ground) but not completely. This will show that you are taking care of the plants, but that you actively decided not to trim them all the way down.
Letting people know what is going on is always a good thing. You can add a little sign to tell people about what you’re doing and why, and/or you can talk to your neighbors to let them know.

2 foot to 3 foot lengths of tree branches and sticks are piled together in an out-of-the way spot in the yard to provide habitat for insects and other small critters. The pile is surrounded and held up four medium-size sticks stuck in the ground vertically at the corners of the pile. — Make your wood and stick piles look “organized” by defining spaces in your yard that you allocate to creating those biodiversity habitats. Photo: Natural History Museum.

Making a pile of sticks and wood without scaring people

Making stick piles is a very good practice to retain biodiversity in green spaces. That said, people can feel like a pile can look untidy, and even some cities may have some regulations about what type of pile may be OK versus not.

If you have the option to ignore others’ opinions, you can just make a pile and go on with your life. 😊 That said, this may or not apply to most people.
You can restrict the pile clearly to a specific area of your space, and make clear that you have actively decided to make one and are taking care of it. This is to sign that this is not just some brush you left around after you trimmed some plants, but actually a specific green space feature you are trying to build.
You can make it look cute. Check out this other blog, A Brilliant Fall Banquet, where some ideas are given.
Information, information, information. Let people know what this is and why you are doing it. And also, if there are some afraid of snakes or fires, make sure that the area you live is not known for its high fire or venomous snake danger (you can inform yourself about these topics online or ask an Extension agent; e.g., Venomous Snakes of Maryland.