FREE BOOKS AVAILABLE AT THE SALE!!
At the 4/25/09 sale (as we have at past sales), we will give away two excellent guidebooks on native plants from the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. You will find these at the information table.
The first book, titled "Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed,"
provides a great list of many plants found in the our region, broken into broad categories (ferns, grasses & sedges, herbaceous
- woodland, herbaceous - water, shrubs, trees, vines) with lists of plants by habitat and types of uses (including deer resistance)
in the back. This book is the only free plant list for our area I've found that is both fairly comprehensive for our area
AND includes a picture of the plant along with the information about the plant. (Pictures are so helpful with a list.) To
view the book online or download a PDF file of the book, visit the USFWS website by clicking the link below.
The second book, titled "The Nature of Change: Preserving the Natural Heritage of a Dynamic Region," discusses the changing
landscape of Northern Virginia and offers advise and specific examples of what can be done to restore and maintain diversity
and wildlife habitat in backyards and communities. Later chapters offer guides, tips, and sample plans for landscaping with
nature, avoiding invasive plants, avoiding pesticides, and gardening for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. In the back
is a good list of books and online resources to point one toward finding more references if needed. To view the book online
or download a PDF file of the book, visit the ASNV website by clicking the link below.
Together, the two books make an excellent companion set with all the basic information one would want for gardening with native
plants. (One book gives you specific information on native plants, and the other gives you guidance and the broader picture
of what gardening with natives is all about.) Even though the second book is specific to Northern Virginia, its information
applies to the whole Chesapeake Bay watershed so I'm sure those living outside Virginia will also find good information in
it to reference.
Other Books to Reference Online:
Two other guidebooks, which are also excellent references, will not be available for distribution at the sale, but one can
download them as PDF files from the websites given below.
A good primer on butterfly gardening is a recent publication by Laura Farron of the Washington Area Butterfly Club titled
"Butterfly Gardening in the D.C. Area." To download this publication as a PDF file, visit the WABC website (by
clicking the link below) and select the topmost link on the page, labeled "Butterfly Gardening in the D.C. Area."
A good technical reference for planning and installing rain gardens is the publication by the Virginia Department of Forestry
titled simply "Rain Garden Technical Guide." You can download this guide as five PDF files from the Arlington County
website, which you can visit by clicking the link below.
Other Resources for Native Plant Gardening:
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