Community Resources
Local Cooperative Extensions:
DC Cooperative Extension
Sandy Farber
DC Master Gardener program
(202) 274-7166
The Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) unit of UDC CES, provides the DC community with environmental education programs. These programs cover a wide variety of topics. We teach Horticulture, Water Quality, pesticide and pest management. We also provide agricultural literacy through our Agriculture in the Classroom program.
University of MD Cooperative Extension
Maryland Master Gardener Program
(410) 531-5556
The mission is to educate residents of Maryland residents about safe, effective, and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes and communities.
Virginia Master Gardener Program
(540) 286-0072
67 Meyer Lane
Stafford, VA 22556-3430
Volunteers serve as a community resource for horticulture information.
Education Resources:
DC urban gardeners www.dc-urban-gardener-news.org
A network of people in the Washington DC area committed to locally grown food and the promotion of eco-friendly gardening practices.
Washington Youth Garden
3501 New York Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-245-2709
www.washingtonyouthgarden.orgThe Washington Youth Garden at the U.S. National Arboretum provides a unique, year-round environmental science and food education program for D.C. youth and their families. Using the garden and Arboretum as a living classroom, the program teaches participants to explore their relationships with food and the natural world.
City Blossoms
3616 Malden Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21211
443-854-1669
City Blossoms will assess the needs of your location (i.e. soil health, solar exposure, existing greenery, etc.) and design an educational plan relevant to your group’ needs. For example, City Blossoms can provide resources and information needed to start an age-appropriate garden for pre-school age groups, or help a center revitalize its surroundings by designing native tree-box. Monthly classes for kids and adults from June to November.
Common Good City Farm
202-330-5945
Common Good City Farm offers workshops and multi-day courses on urban gardening, permaculture, nutrition and more. Donation accepted.
Local Sources for Mulch and Compost
For more information on this subject please visit:
http://www.dc-urban-gardener-news.com/2008/01/mulch-and-mulch.html#more
DC's Department of Public Works
900 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. (NJ and K)
(202)447-4257
Collects garden waste like Christmas trees and leaves and mixing it all up into what they call a "rough mulch" that's then free to residents, community groups and garden clubs.
Takoma Park, MD
Department of Public Works
31 Oswego Avenue
(301)891-7633
Provides free leaf mold mulch, which is chopped leaves that have decomposed for varying lengths of time. The leaves used were vacuumed up from city streets and have some trash in them, but remarkably few week seeds. Leaf mulch can be spread on top of soil or mixed into soil to improve it.
College Park, MD Delivery
Call 301/474-4194
Offers screened compost (called "Smartleaf") which looks like fine black soil and is used to improve the soil; Unscreened "compost" (mulch), and wood chips.
Arlington County, VA
(703) 228-6570
Provides free leaf mulch, wood chip mulch and fill dirt if you pick it up yourself. Fee for delivery.
A3 Gardening Class—Resource Book and Video List
Books:
The Postage Stamp Gardening Book by Duane and Karen Newcomb
This book demonstrates how anyone can produce tremendous
amounts of vegetables in small spaces by following intensive,
ecologically friendly techniques that require less weeding, watering
and overall effort. Includes garden plans.
Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
With Square Foot Gardening, you build your garden in a series of
1-foot squares. Each square holds a different vegetable, fruit or herb
planted in quantities.
Sustainable Vegetable Gardening by John Jeavons
This short book is a great introduction to organic vegetable growing, especially the bio- intensive method. For beginners, just about everything you need to know is covered. Its rare to find a book that explains the details to clearly and concisely. Includes Coleman and Cox's approach to planning how much of each crop to plant in a season. A number of charts and plans are included for you to photocopy and use yourself.
Online Videos:
www.gardengirltv.com
Dedicated to informing and educating the world on methods for Urban Sustainable which means using what you have to make and produce as much as you can.
Donna’s Square Foot Gardening How to
Documents construction and production using this method to grow vegetables at www.youtube.com
3