Time to Move

I had a chance to stop by the rain garden today, and I could not believe my eyes. Having last seen it in February, I was expecting it to remain in its tame state, with the trees managing and the grasses starting to fill in a bit.

Instead I was greeted by a virtually unrecognizable bonanza of plants, perennials thriving and the trees as green as could be.



Cohen Companies graciously donated the parcel at L & Half Streets SE for the past year for this garden project, knowing that activating the site with greenery was better for both the neighborhood and the environment than leaving it as an empty lot while they waited for the opportunity to build. Unfortunately for the garden, that opportunity has come, and it is time for us to pick up and move.

Fortunately we are able to work with our friends at the Anacostia Watershed Society to quickly find a new location. The City of Hyattsville is welcoming our 16 trees with open arms, and provided a site at Magruder Park, along the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, as a new, permanent home.

And thus this weekend we will install the (permanent) David Stemper Memorial Grove. It will be located alongside a wetland restoration project that AWS is constructing, and provide a shady place for reflection and respite in a busy city park. Not to speak for his wife Gloria, but I think it is a wonderfully fitting tribute to David.

We need more than a dozen volunteers to pull this off in one day, and it will be warm and strenuous. But we need to move quickly as construction on the original site could start as soon as next week.

For more information about the work day, and to sign up, please visit AWS's website.

And thank you for your help and support for the past year. We hope you enjoyed the temporary display!

Now Award Winning!

Our rain garden just received third place in the 2011 Greenscape Challenge, sponsored by Cali Bamboo! This is super exciting.

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

“We received a huge response for this contest which demonstrates that a lot of people are already taking steps to make a difference with their yards. We saw everything from the use of drought tolerant plants and permeable surfaces to expansive bamboo decking projects,” says Jeff Goldberg, CEO and President of Cali Bamboo. “It was fun to see the various projects submitted throughout the U.S. on our interactive map...”

Inspired by the Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens program, the contest asked participants to submit their sustainable landscaping projects. ...

“This was an ideal contest to raise awareness for our Ocean Friendly Gardens program and the issues surrounding ocean pollution. It provided great examples of how others can create an eco-friendly garden to reduce excessive watering, and we hope it will be a stepping stone to get others involved,” said Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications.

We won a $250 gift certificate from Cali Bamboo for green building materials. Thanks to all the volunteers to helped make it happen!