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What a year!
A perfect summer, a great presidential race, a winter that won’t stop snowing . . . and oh, umm, all that bad stuff too. But when Spring comes, the gardens will rise again.
Although there is probably still snow on  some of your rain gardens we can start thinking about what you will need to do to get the garden back in shape for the new growing season.
Because you put a good layer of mulch on the garden the season before the plant roots should be well protected. As the Winter changes into Spring you should start to cut down some of those stems and stalks you left up for wildlife protection and food. Most of the seeds have already dropped and the sticks might make the garden look untidy. By removing of the Winter debris slowly, over time, your garden will look clean and will require less work in a few months. Leave the grasses as they are until the Spring, then grasp them in a bundle near the base and cut them off to about 2”-3” from the ground.
You’ll be ready for the new, green growth and for a new season of catching and soaking in rainwater.
Now is the Time to Talk About the Use of Rain Gardens
Here are benefits and "talking points":
Water Quality and Pollution Control
- Protect rivers and streams
- Filter runoff pollution
- Improve water quality
- Recharge local groundwater
Water Conservation
- Eliminate use of municipal water in garden and in landscape
- Capture rainwater and retain deep in the local ground for healthy hydration
- Capture rainwater before it is wasted down the sewer system and riverways
Habitat Protection
-Create habitat for birds & butterflies
- Reduce mosquito breeding
- Increase beneficial insects that eliminate pest insects
Living
- Reduce continuous garden maintenance
- Enhance sidewalk appeal
- Reduce standing water
- Increase garden enjoyment
Announcing, Our Newest Program & Website ... CitizenSolution.info
We invite you to visit the site (http://www.citizensolution.info) and look around, click the links and see how it works. The site is fairly straight forward as we hope to always be. The site help visitors understand how to find, install or implement the smart, simple and sustainable things that will create “cleaner, greener households, neighborhoods and communities”.
- Getting to the places you need to go doesn’t always require cars or gasoline. Visit GetAround!
- Pollution can occur as garbage on your street, pollutants in the air and water or even toxic hazardous waste. Read more at CleaningUp!
- Waste is described as: "to consume, spend or employ uselessly or without adequate return; to squander". The trick is to figure out how to make it go AroundAgain.
- Eating well is not a matter of money. It's matter of understanding where your food is grown, what it contains and what it will do to and for your body. Try GoodFood.
- Shopping within your community can be simple. It is just a matter of acknowledging the need to keep money in your local community. ShopLocally
- Turning off the TV and going out to explore your neighborhood can be healthy, informative and friendly. Walk&Talk
- Think of your yard, your block or your neighborhood as "mini-greenways" - a place for nature to grow and flourish. Oasis4Life
- Identifying simple and more involved projects in and around your house can save energy, money and time. HouseWork
We are in need of your input too. We will be looking for experts in their area and people who have opinions and solutions. Being an "expert", however, doesn't mean you need a PhD, it means we are looking for the expert in each person. We will be reaching out to some people but asking everyone to contact us. Soon we will post our first newsletter and we will explain further
We hope you will allow us to continue to send you updates and information from Rain Garden Network and Citizen Solution. If you wish to unsubscribe we understand but we hope you will stick around.
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Questions or comments? Email us at info@raingardennetwork.com
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