Trees need to breathe: Push back the turf!
It’s fairly common in residential neighborhoods to see trees surrounded by grass or by small mulch beds, often heaped high like a...
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plantnovanatives
- Nov 9
- 3 min
Controlling English Ivy Saves Trees and Combats Climate Change
English Ivy is everywhere, in our neighborhoods, along our roads, and in our parks. It climbs over fences, covers sheds, and carpets...
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plantnovanatives
- Oct 12
- 3 min
After a Long Hot Summer, It’s Time to Plant Trees!
By Cindy Speas, Chair Fairfax County Tree Commission Preserving trees and planting new native trees are major goals of the Plant NOVA...
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plantnovanatives
- Sep 15
- 2 min
Celebrate native trees in October!
September may have given us a hot blast of 90-100 degree temperatures and little rain, but autumn is just around the corner, with its...
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plantnovanatives
- Sep 12
- 2 min
Biodiversity starts at home - plant native plants!
Fall is for planting. When choosing what to plant, why not factor in the ecosystem while you are at it? Preserving biodiversity may sound...
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plantnovanatives
- Aug 15
- 2 min
The corporate world embraces native plants
Most corporate properties have pretty “standard” landscaping, meaning the plants do very little if anything to support the local...
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plantnovanatives
- Jul 19
- 3 min
Tree-of-Heaven is not heavenly!
In summer many folks travel to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond for recreational opportunities. Driving in any direction from Northern...
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plantnovanatives
- Jun 13
- 2 min
Inviting fireflies to your yard
When fireflies start their early summer dance, will they pick your yard for their display? Like most insects (and like most vertebrate...
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plantnovanatives
- May 9
- 2 min
Front yard landscaping, reimagined
Originality has not been what springs to mind when looking at most front yards, but now people are starting to tweak the conventions by...
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plantnovanatives
- May 3
- 2 min
Help save our native trees!
It isn’t easy being a Flowering Dogwood, White Oak, or other native tree in Northern Virginia. There are many threats to trees in an...
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plantnovanatives
- Apr 15
- 3 min
So, you want to plant trees?
It’s April, no fooling. The first planting season of the year is upon us, and you may have the wonderful urge to plant some trees in your...
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plantnovanatives
- Apr 11
- 2 min
Shopping for the birds
Warm weather has many of us headed to the garden center, where lovely blooms await. Did you know that those shopping trips can double as...
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plantnovanatives
- Mar 24
- 2 min
Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder!
Recently our social media feeds have been full of beautiful photos of flowering plants that signal spring is on the way, much to the joy...
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plantnovanatives
- Mar 13
- 3 min
Want birds and butterflies? Plant native shrubs!
When it comes to the curb appeal of our houses and other buildings, the difference between starkly naked and softly clothed is the...
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plantnovanatives
- Feb 6
- 2 min
Five myths about trees
It’s no myth that trees hold a special place in our collective psyche. Trees play a prominent role in myths, often symbolizing life and...
1,805 views0 comments
plantnovanatives
- Jan 9
- 3 min
Save a Sapling: Pull Invasives
By Laura Handley One of the most satisfying moments of invasive plant management comes when you pull the last vine off a struggling...
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plantnovanatives
- Dec 16, 2022
- 3 min
Solar panels vs. trees – how to choose?
Residents who are interested in installing solar panels often face a dilemma. Which is better for the environment, solar panels or shade...
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plantnovanatives
- Nov 12, 2022
- 2 min
Managing larger properties for birds, butterflies, and people
The outdoor space on larger properties in Northern Virginia, whether residential or commercial, is typically divided into formal...
702 views0 comments
plantnovanatives
- Oct 24, 2022
- 2 min
Keeping our wooded areas beautiful
If your community owns some wooded common land, or if you yourself own a wooded property, you may have noticed that the woods around here...
1,091 views0 comments
plantnovanatives
- Sep 8, 2022
- 3 min
Celebrate fall color!
As Northern Virginia goes into the second year of its five year regional native tree campaign, autumn colors start to move to center...
446 views0 comments
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