Sustainable and Urban Gardening » Local

For “Bloom Day” in January, whatever we can find that’s beautiful

Susan Harris — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:39:55 +0000

Winter's a lot more beautiful with the right architecture and some river birches, don't ya think? Like this view of the Mall side of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. (Still, I believe, our hottest tourist attraction.) I was passing by the other day on my way to the Iranian Film Festival going on at the Sackler Museum. To complete the Southwest Asian experience, I took in the Falmana: Book of Omens tour while I was there. All free, of course – like almost all museums in D.C.

I've posted a different view over on GardenRant.

The Inauguration’s Coming to Town

Susan Harris — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:59:21 +0000

To the people who live here, inaugurations are a big annoyance if you don’t like the incoming adminstration or a very cool thing AND a big annoyance if you do. So there you have it – for locals life is all screwed up for a week or so. But waaay more than for the Carter and Clinton inaugurations I’ve seen, nobody I know minds a bit. Euphoria’s breaking out all over the damn place.

Inauguration Day Plans

For us the conversation starter of choice for the last 10 weeks has been to ask each other whether and HOW we were going downtown on the big day, and local newscasters can’t get enough of it, either. Almost daily we hear alarming new crowd estimates and the prediction that it’ll take us four to five hour to get home via public transportation. The Porta-Potty-to-human ratio is announced and we calculate the outer limits of our bladder control. We hint at invitations to stay with close-in friends, or to use their parade-route office as a home base for the day.

Then this week we learned that all the bridges into D.C. would be closed, leaving Virginians creepily isolated from the North, and we all feel a bit under attack. And the big open question – the weather – is now a known factor and the news is not good. Could be worse, sure, but the expected HIGH on Tuesday is 31, and it’ll be in the low 20s when people gather on the mall and along the parade route…to wait for hours.

So after 9 weeks of scheming and dithering about my own plans for the day, the answer is: I’ll gather in a nice church hall near my house to hang out with like-minded friends and neighbors. We’ll eat, drink, and watch the whole thing on a big screen. PERFECT!

Dems from Other Places

So I say let the out-of-towners take my place downtown that day – God bless ‘em! They go to a lot of trouble and expense to get here, and lucky me gets to see a few of them that I know. In the gardening world that includes one gardenblogger – Mary Ann Newcomer the Idaho Gardener - and my new friend at Gardeners Supply Company in Vermont – Maree Gaetani.

Photo: On Tuesday some lucky people will be standing on the balcony of the Newseum where I was last month when I took this picture, and they’ll have a pretty awesome view of the parade.

When Master Gardeners become Whistleblowers

Susan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:09:21 +0000

Remember all the cheerful articles I’ve written about becoming a D.C. Master Gardener? I wrote excitedly about the classes, then missing everybody when the classes are over, about starting to create an organization of Master Gardeners, and then changing our name to DC Urban Gardeners, independent of the city’s Cooperative Extension Service at the Univ. of D.C. But finally, we started working on Projects, including the news blog those stories are on, and our website .

Well, the time to be coy about what’s really going on is over. (Only readers of our blog saw the clues.) Several of us, after trying to correct a really awful situation from within, have gone to the top. We’ve written to the City Council, the Deputy Mayor for Education, and the acting president of the university. The encouraging elements here are the new mayor and an evolving City Council who are focusing on the university, holding hearings, asking for input and apparently willing to see heads roll. So at the urging of a staffer at the Council, we’ve submitted testimony for their oversight hearings. I’ve copied my testimony below the "Continue reading" at the end of this article.

I’ve gotta say it’s weird, and not in a good way, for hands-in-dirt volunteer gardeners to find themselves in a role we basically hate – the whistleblower. But because we’re just volunteers we have nothing to lose – at least we don’t THINK they can hurt us for speaking up. Funds for good urban projects are limited, dammit, and we’re just trying to correct this total waste of taxpayer money. Actually, it’s worse than that because in this case city employees are working against the mission they’re tasked to complete.

Now there’s nothing left to be done, except wait to see if anybody gives a damn – anybody who can do something about it.

Chairman Gray and Councilmembers, thank you for focusing some much-needed attention on the University of the District of Columbia, which administers the Cooperative Extension Service for the city. That’s the USDA program for educating citizens about such increasingly-important subjects as nutrition and environmentally responsible landscaping practices and whose administration of the Master Gardeners program I’m writing to express concerns about. I graduated from that program in 2006 and learned to my distress that not only aren’t program assets directed toward the mission, but now that Master Gardener graduates are trying to fulfill the mission, UDC employees are – to our amazement – fighting to keep us and other committed volunteers from accomplishing anything at all.

What Extension Agents and Master Gardener programs are like nationally

Across the U.S. and in all the counties adjacent to D.C., Master Gardener programs train volunteers to provide horticultural education in their communities, then direct them into local Master Gardener organizations to create and run such projects as: horticultural hotlines, community gardens, demonstration gardens, community greening, and the teaching of such environmentally responsible practices as composting, growing food organically and watershed-safe lawn care. A professional horticulturist serves as Cooperative Extension Agent, to advise the Master Gardeners and the public on best practices, disease diagnosis, and the like.

UDC’s Master Gardener program

In 2002, after a period in which these services had been discontinued, UDC hired a new Extension Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator, but chose someone whose sole qualification in horticulture was working as a check-out clerk at two local gardening stores – Sandy Farber. She reinstituted a yearly training program for about 35 people, but never created a Master Gardener organization to fulfill the mission or any Master Gardener-initiated and directed programs. Instead, she directs the graduates’ required 50 hours of "community service" toward laboring in federal and private gardens around town, primarily the gardens of the horticulturists who assist her in the training. (Because she’s not qualified to conduct training herself, she relies on friends to do it and rewards them with our free labor in their gardens. In fact, Ms. Farber told me on several occasions not to "encourage any new projects" because it would dilute the free help that her trainers receive.)

So, monies have been spent but there are no demonstration gardens, no composting projects, no new community gardens, no teaching of sustainable gardening or control of invasive species – NOTHING. So eager volunteers looking to get involved go to nearby jurisdictions, all of whom have active Master Gardener programs and websites that reflect them. (There’s not even a mention of the program on UDC’s site.)

Why the difference?

We Master Gardeners once asked Ms. Farber why DC doesn’t have a Master Gardener organization or any Master Gardener projects and she responded, "You can’t expect D.C. to have the kind of program they have in the rest of the country," a response we neither understood nor agreed with. This disturbing response points to the possibility that Ms. Farber and her supervisors might be out of step politically with the city. (Another example was Ms. Farber scolding one of us for suggesting that people attend the DC Green Festival, which she said was "too liberal." Imagine our surprise when we attended and saw the large, active contingent from the D.C. government at the event. I also had to wonder about the role of right-wing ideology at play here when David Jefferson, Ms. Farber’s immediate supervisor, gave me a small stipend to write gardening fact sheets for the public and told me specifically NOT to promote an environmental message or agenda.)

Master Gardeners Organize

Realizing the unmet needs in the city, several Master Gardener graduates began organizing in the summer of 2006 to create an organization that could then fulfill our mission. While initially Ms. Farber ignored our work completely, in time she realized that her ignorance of our activities was embarrassing her, so she took draconian measures to reign us in. In an astounding show of verbal abuse and bullying, she castigated us and ordered us not to contact anyone – by email, telephone or in person – without her permission. She also forbade our partnering with such highly esteemed environmental groups as Casey Trees, whom she disparaged at length.

UDC launches campaign against its Master Gardeners

In response to Ms. Farber’s crackdown, we organized independently from UDC as the DC Urban Gardeners, hoping to cooperate with UDC as equal partners and have the freedom to accomplish things. In response, Ms.Farber initiated a public smear campaign against us and threatened people who cooperate with us with retaliation, including the withholding of Master Gardener certification for graduates who cooperate with us and refusing to recommend funding for the school garden project of another graduate, to cite just two examples. I’ve provided Chairman Gray with specific examples of her campaign to thwart our works in an email dated 10/12/07.

Our attempts at redress and UDC’s response – a PR campaign

In the winter and spring of 2007 DC Urban Gardener president Ed Bruske and I both sent several e-mails to UDC’s Dean for Community Outreach, Gloria Wyche-Moore, asking her to call off Ms. Farber’s campaign against us and inject some civility and professionalism into the situation. Although we were promised a response, we never got one. Instead, UDC’s response to our complaints and cries for help has been to attempt to get credit for its imaginary accomplishments. What began as a successful campaign by Ms. Farber to win the coveted and financially rewarding Cafritz Award in 2006 has been followed by several glowing profiles about herself in the local press, which mirror the claims made in her application for the prize.

Given our intimate knowledge D.C.’s Master Gardener program or more accurately, the lack thereof, we were all surprised when Ms. Farber announced to us that we have an "award-winning program" and asked to see the 6-page application she’d submitted for the prize. Our request was rejected, so we can only quote from the Cafritz Foundation press release, which claims that "Over 8,000 volunteer hours have been performed under her direction, which has saved the District of Columbia $130,000 in labor costs." This can’t possibly be true, since all those 7,000 hours would have to have been performed at D.C. schools and recreation departments (not to mention performing duties otherwise performed by employees). To the contrary, we estimate that well over 90 percent of our volunteer hours were performed at federal facilities (National Arboretum and U.S. Botanic Gardens) and private gardens (Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Tudor Place, and the British Embassy). That’s just one claim; we trust that the full 6-page application would yield more fictitious accomplishments. Given Ms. Farber’s successes in the public relations arena, we shouldn’t be surprised that her superiors refuse to even speak with us – we insiders have very different story to tell.

What’s at stake

As volunteers, we’d rather be teaching D.C. residents about composting or helping to green public spaces, assisting community gardeners, and so on. None of us have anything to gain personally from speaking up about these problems, but we believe that city residents have lot to gain from a change in personnel at the Cooperative Extension Service, starting with a dean for Community Outreach who actually supports the mission of the program and is responsive to the public. DC’s Extension Agent should be qualified to give expert opinions, and the Master Gardener coordinator should be someone who can work cooperatively with adult volunteers, other city agencies, and local environmental organizations, rather than fight turf wars and compile enemies lists. Please correct this situation because as constituted, it’s a classic and sad example of government waste, fraud and abuse.

Susan Harris, Garden Writer and Teacher, Takoma Park, MD, at 301/270-5481 or susan@sustainable-gardening.com. Yes, I’m a DC Master Gardener who lives in Maryland. And one of the many changes I’d urge is for DC’s Master Gardener program to give preference to D.C. residents – which all other local jurisdictions do. I have, however, worked for 36 years in the District of Columbia while living either in or just outside the city, and I want to help D.C.’s greening efforts catch up with those of so many other major American cities.

For more information

Copies of previous correspondence regarding this matter are available on request. And to learn more about our projects, visit www.dc-urban-gardeners.com and www.dc-urban-gardener-news.com. My biographical information is here: www.sustainable-gardening.com/About.php

On an extra note, one that’s not in my testimony, here’s the link to the Cafritz Award that I referred to. It comes with a cash award of $7,500, plus life-long bragging rights and great press.

A Capitol Garden

Susan — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:19:46 +0000

There’s nothing like grand architecture as a backdrop for just about any plant. So even after living here 35 years, I have to stop and admire the view. It helps to not think about what’s going on inside.

Who can Resist a Waterlily Festival?

Susan — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:35:54 +0000

No matter that the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are waaay off the beaten path in an unfamiliar part of D.C. and it’s easy to get lost on the ugly, fast-paced freeway that takes you there. But this little oasis, maintained by the National Park Service, was having their very festive Annual Waterlily Festival and the weather was perfect. For once the day of the festival was not hot and not even humid. That never happens, so I had to go.

Notice in the bottom right the bad boy of wetlands – purple loosestrife? Shocked to see it, I asked and was told that the biggest part of park clean-up is the removal of trash – lots of it – and these stray invasives get yanked every year during the volunteer event. Well, I’m thinking that the job of removing trash from this large body of water could be a pretty yucky gig. Yucky but rewarding, I’m sure. Seriously.

Calder Tree Art is a Takoma Sensation

Susan — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:33:58 +0000

Posted below is my GardenRant story about Takoma’s Big Art+Nature Event of the Week, worth a mention right here on Takoma Gardener.

This prominent story
in last Saturday’s Washington Post about a 16-foot carved dragon in my town of Takoma
Park got everyone’s attention and because it gave the time
and address of the naming ceremony to be held the next day, I was
there. So were about half the town’s residents, all oohing, ahhing,
and swigging back sangria and lemonade. It was quite a festive event.

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC
I’ll get to the dragon but first a word
about the town. Here’s what the Post
had to say about us: "Most burbs and boroughs, believe it or not, do
not have many dragons these days. But this is not any suburb. This is
Takoma Park. Proudly known by many longtime residents by the prefix
‘The People’s Republic of.’ " Well, I’m keeping track and can tell you
that every single time
the Post mentions Takoma Park they include either the "People’s
Republic" quip or the hilarious fact that we’re a nuclear-free zone.
Ha-ha-ha, those crazy lefties! But that’s okay; we laugh at
ourselves, too. We’re an easy target.

HIRE A CALDER
It
all started when Lew Morris and his wife Louise decided to do
something more creative than make logs out of their dead oak tree and
Googled for woodcarvers. The search produced Jim Calder, Jr., Master Carver and Sculptor
- "It’s my job to amaze you" – great-nephew of Alexander himself and
living in Chesapeake, Virginia. After a career as an engineer, he’s
turned his hobby into a full-time job these last two years and lets
everyone know that "commissions are accepted." Next up for Jim is a book about
woodcarving for beginners. As you can see from his website, he’s
passionate about it, his mission being to "teach carving with no
reserve (no holding back) and keep the art alive…growing…and useful
in the world." Right on.

A GOOD DRAGON
Now I’ll tell you some things the Washington Post didn’t.
The dragon idea came from the teenager in
the family, Michele, and her inspiration was the book The Dragon and the
Pearl. It’s the story of a good dragon, a water-god that makes rain for the benefit
of all living beings. And the highlight of the Naming Ceremony was the
announcement of Michele’s choice of names for the dragon -
"Herlong," which means "river
dragon".

The dragon was treated with one coat of stain and the rest of the tree with linseed oil, which
Jim assured me would prevent woodpecker intervention.
Boric acid was applied at the base to ward off termites. So here’s my
question: What about letting the woodpeckers have at it? According to this
Forest Service site – Snags for Wildlife
- thousands of species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish get
food, shelter, or nesting sites from snags. (Snag – a funny word for a
standing dead
tree.) I’m not suggesting that Herlong be exposed to the ravages of
nature but what if you hired Calder to just carve a face on one side of
a dead tree, as Morris urged his neighbors to do, and let Woody
Woodpecker and his buddies work their will on the rest of it? You
know, a collaboration with the local wildlife. Now let’s see if the
sculptor will respond to this wacky notion in a comment. Jim?

COMMUNITY SENSATION
According to the Post, "Three weeks ago,
Calder arrived to start
carving, and the dragon
quickly became a community sensation. He has this little gaggle of
moms and kids and hippie guys coming by every day and telling him,
‘Right on, man, it’s Puff the Magic Dragon, man,’ says Morris."
Luckily for the neighbors, the dragon’s home is a very visible spot on
a corner lot, quite unlike the
expensively landscaped but walled-off gardens in Washington’s tonier
suburbs. Nosiree. Art for the People!

Photos from the top: Herlong, Calder, and Calder with Louise, Michele and Lew.