Mulch

Invasives are overtaking me! I decided to pull out mile-a-minute vine in an overgrown area, and found not only mile-a-minute by the bushelful, but multiflora rose, Canada thistle, etc. Should I just mow the whole area, saving the native milkweed and sumac, spray and start over by planting something else? Where there is one invasive, there are often many. Your plan sounds fine, especially replanting. If you don't replant desirable plants (at least half natives is an admirable goal), invasive plants will quickly reinfest the area.

Winter crops have been harvested, and the well-tended furrows and raised beds at the DeWees City Farms Garden in Govans are bursting with the promise of a summer bounty of dozens of varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers. DeWees is one of seven community gardens where city residents can rent 10-by-5-foot plots; many have nurtured the same plots for decades. Residents share mulch and tools as well as gardening tips that have been passed down through multiple generations and diverse cultures.

HOW CAN I GET RID OF SKUNK CABBAGE? Skunk cabbage is a native perennial that provides flowers for pollinators in early spring when few other sources are available. (And since many honeybees are dying of disease, we need all the pollinators we can get.) Consider leaving a few in your garden. Skunk cabbage resembles hosta but goes dormant midseason, so interplant them with another perennial for a full season of bloom. To remove them, dig them up or use a total-vegetation herbicide. Glyphosate is a good choice because it breaks down quickly so you can replant in that area.

An e-mail warned to watch out for New Orleans mulch infested with Formosan termites. What's the scoop? A quarantine prohibits shipping wood debris from the entire hurricane-devastated region to stop spread of these aggressive non-native termites. In a perfect world, none will escape the quarantine. It's doubtful any would survive the chipping process anyway, but an easy precaution for Marylanders is to purchase mulch produced in our region. Termites occasionally get into bagged mulch that has been sitting around, and this is nothing new. Our local termites sometimes do this.

Wintertime is learning time, especially for gardeners who camp indoors with books, catalogs, computers and dreams. It's the perfect chance to evaluate how you garden, thinking about: Did you use lots of herbicides or insecticides last year, always running for the chemicals instead of waiting to see if a plant could thrive despite the intrusion of a bug or blemish on a leaf? Did you saturate your cool-season lawn with fertilizer in spring instead of doing it at the recommended timeframe in fall?

Mulching program offers tree recycling Howard County government's "Merry Mulch" program will offer tree recycling from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, through Jan. 20, at a variety of drop-off sites. Trees can be dropped off at Kendall Hardware, 12260 Route 108, and the River Hill Garden Center, 12165 Route 108, both in Clarksville. Columbia drop-off sites are Cedar Lane Park, 5081 Cedar Lane; and Grandfather's Garden Center, 5320 Phelps Luck Drive. In Elkridge, trees can be dropped off at Rockburn Park, 5400 Landing Road, and in Ellicott City, on the small Circuit Court parking lot on upper Court House Drive.

This time of year, there's not much left to do in the garden except rake up the last of the leaves. That makes it the perfect time to think about what you're going to do better next year. We asked gardening experts to give us their suggestions for New Year's resolutions. Here's what they think is important: Scott Meyer, editor, Organic Gardening magazine For the novice gardener: I will water and fertilize when necessary, no less and absolutely no more. I will leave one small corner of my yard uncultivated and unmowed, where wildlife can live in peace.

Herb gardens appeal to beginning gardeners, especially those who have only a small yard or patio. "Herbs are easy to grow, thrive in poor soil and don't require much space," says Shirley Hill of Williamsburg, Va. "They require little care, only an occasional weeding, and require little water," she adds. "Not only are they attractive, but the colors and scents add another dimension to the garden as well as the kitchen." You can't beat that recipe for gardening success, can you? In addition, herbs, which typically come from the hot, dry Mediterranean area, love heat, something we've had in surplus this summer.

It's about as sexy a subject as orthopedic shoes, though the silver film and chicken feather options offer some panache. But sexy or not, mulch has a big effect on the health, beauty and productivity of the garden. "There's a huge benefit for weed control and moisture retention," observes Maree Gaetani, public relations director at Gardener's Supply Co. in Burlington, Vt. Mulch keeps weeds down by smothering them. It keeps moisture in while keeping fruits and vegetables off the soil to prevent mold and rot. And organic mulch benefits soil structure and content.

Not too long ago, this corner in the Waverly neighborhood was a parking lot for the old Memorial Stadium, once home of the Colts and the Orioles, but then home to nothing. Just two weeks ago, it was a field of dirt and rocks and tiny patches of grass. By the end of the day tomorrow, it is expected to be the largest community-built playground in Maryland - with slides and swings and monkey bars, with volcanoes and rocket ships and castles suitable for climbing and lots of make-believe. As at an old-fashioned barn raising, volunteers have been streaming in day after day, from all over, just to be a part of this urban playground that has become a key part of a North Baltimore community renewal effort.