What to do with all those leaves?

Fall(ing) Leaves

What do we do with them? 

Crisp air, colorful leaves, pumpkins (and pumpkin flavored things) as far as the eye can see… Fall is finally here!  While most people think fondly of fall foliage, it’s what comes shortly after that can cause major headaches (and backaches).  Raking and disposing of the leaves!

Who doesn’t remember the joy of being a kid and spending autumn afternoons jumping in to freshly raked piles of leaves your parents made? Now as an adult our job isn’t jumping, but rather the raking.  The big question that lingers is, what to do with all those vibrant leaves that were hanging on to your trees branches, just last week?
  

The important thing to remember is that even though we are in a City, the natural cycle of leaves is to fall, decompose into the soil and become organic matter.  The lack of “soil” and the high amount of impervious surface prevents this cycle.  So what to do? 

• If you have a lawn, ideally you can mow them in to your grass and keep the cycle intact.
• Shredded leaves make excellent mulch for garden beds, flowerbeds, or trees.  Helping prevent weeds as well as breaking down and adding nutrients to the soil.
• Add them to/start a compost pile! Most things added are high in nitrogen (coffee grinds, egg shells, fruits & veggies)
• Make leaf mold (soil conditioner) by wetting the leaves, adding a little bit of nitrogen-rich material (compost) in a black plastic bag.  Shake up, add a few slices to let in oxygen and let sit for six months.  This can be done with out bag, just takes much longer.
• Halloween/ Fall decorations!  Stuff a scarecrow, or some of those orange plastic bags with the jack-o-lantern faces printed on the front. Lots of crafts can be done for Thanksgiving centerpieces using fall leaves.

If none of these things are possible, Baltimore City’s DPW has you covered with leaf and yard waste collection, which started last Monday.  Leaf Collection Season is from Oct. 17-Jan. 9.  Citizens must call 311 before 6PMon Sunday, to schedule a special Monday collection (of up to 20 bags).  Additionally you can put 5 bags of leaves/yard waste can be put out on your regularly scheduled trash collection day.  You may also take your bags to any Citizen Drop-off Center. Yard waste collected by DPW goes to Baltimore's energy-from-waste facility, the Baltimore Wheelabrator.

by Charles Murphy, TreeBaltimore Operations Manager

Shrubaganza: The Path to An Exciting Mixed Border

Come see Stephanie Cohen, "the perennial diva," speak about creating mixed perennial borders!

St. Bartholomew's Church, 4711 Edmondson Ave., Baltimore, MD 21229, 6:30 PM in our Parish House

"Flowering shrubs should be part of the perennial border both for structure and style. The best shrubs have lovely flowers, good form, foliage that adds to the garden in three seasons, including those that have superior fall color. I have tried to pick those that have low maintenance and easy requirements. Very few of the shrubs are water guzzlers or those that require life support systems to flourish. As gardens and gardeners mature we want the best possible choices. I have picked both natives and non-natives that fit the bill. I am known for being opinionated and funny so don't be surprised by what I say!"
     Stephanie Cohen
     "The Perennial Diva"

Stephanie is featured in American Gardener Magazine the Sept/Oct 2016 current issue.
3 of Stephanie's books will be available for purchase:

• The Perennial Gardeners Design Primer
• Fallscaping
• The Nonstop garden.

We have a suggested donation of $5 to offset fees for this speaker.

Re-planting the church entrance

On Monday, November 1, Jack Lattimore, Bryan MacKay, Sharon Selleck (and Sharon's sister from Florida, Pat Fernandez) re-planted the right front entrance to the church. Invasive, non-native plants were replaced with natives Heuchara villosa 'Autumn Bride' (Alumroot) and Ilex glabra 'Shamrock.' (Inkberry). The use of native plants means less maintenance and higher wildlife value.

After we prepared the planting bed we spread the mulch.

Then we laid out the plants.

 

 Installation went quickly!

A job well done.

Fall Progress

On Friday, October 21, a few of St. B's landscapers made progress on 3 fronts:

• Edmondson Avenue steps - Thanks to the work of Jean Black we are weeding and generally spiffing up the 2 exterior stone stairways from Edmondson Ave. onto St. B's campus. The stairways are made of beautiful Butler quartzite stone and are fine examples of the stone mason's craft. At the present time they could use the help of a good stone mason to make them more serviceable, but thanks to Jean's work at least they are now weed free and provide a more inviting, walkable entry to St. B's. 

Before Jean at work

A job well done!

• Church entrance - With the help of Sharon Selleck, Bryan Mackay, and Jack Lattimore, the landscape bed at the right side of the church entrance is being renovated to more closely follow the Oheme Master Plan. Non-native species such as Gooseneck Loosetrife (Lysimachia clethroides) and Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) are being replaced with a cultivar of Alumroot (Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride') and a compact Inkberry (Ilex glabra 'Shamrock').
• Trees for Sacred Places - Bryan and Jack were able to lay out a number of locations for the trees that will be planted on Saturday, November 5.

Additional landscape volunteers are always welcome. Your work is always appreciated!

Please join us for the tree planting on Saturday, November 5. We start the day with a hearty breakfast at 8:30 am in the Parish House. At 9:30 we move outside to plant 60 native tree saplings. Our plan is to be done by 11:30 am. Bring a friend! 

Planting native landscapes is one of the best ways we can care for God's creation - earth, our island home.

DIY Autumn Wreath from Houzz

Autum Wreath

Why do we need to plant more trees at St. B's?

Doesn’t St. B’s already have plenty of trees?

People have been asking me, “Jack, why does St. B’s need more trees?”

Fair question since we are blessed to be surrounded by trees on all sides here at St. B’s. But there are a number of reasons to plant trees, even where it seems we have plenty:

• Many of our trees are old and some hang over buildings, making them a potential hazard. At some point these older trees will need to be taken down for safety reasons. 
• A few of our largest trees are ash trees. These tall, sturdy shade trees have unfortunately fallen victim to an ash-killing insect, the emerald ash borer. The emerald ash borer will definitely kill most ash trees in its path and it has arrived in our vicinity sooner than anticipated. Trees can be chemically treated but treatment is expensive and here at St. B’s we would still be left with large, potentially hazardous trees. At some point these large trees will need to be taken down.
• St. B’s is a dynamic place. Change is part of our DNA. Some changes might necessitate removing older trees. By planting these tree seedlings on November 5 we are insuring that we have other trees to replace the ones that may be lost.
• Many of the trees to be planted are small ornamental trees that will be placed around the perimeter of the parking lot. Most of these understory trees will provide 4-season interest in the form of blooms, fall color, and a variety of shapes that will delight in the summer and the winter.
• Adding trees to the perimeter of our parking lot, along the wood’s edge, will not interfere with overflow parking. They will provide additional forest buffer that will filter pollutants as they wash off the parking lot into the woods that lead to the headwaters of Maiden Choice Run.
• Following installation of the trees we will go back to Baltimore City’s Bureau of Water & Wastewater and seek a further reduction in our stormwater fee based on the addition of the trees.

The trees that will be planted on Saturday, November 5 are native tree seedlings. For several years following installation they will be able to be moved to new locations on our campus as conditions require. Think of this tree planting not only as a way to enhance our already beautiful campus, but as our very own tree nursery for the future.

The Landscape Committee hopes you will join us on Sunday, October 30 for a Faith Forum led by Kolya Braun-Greiner of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake. Kolya will speak about the spiritual dimensions of planting trees and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. Then, on Saturday, November 5 the Landscape Committee will host a breakfast in the Parish Hall from 8:30-9:30am for those who will be helping us plant this great selection of native trees. The tree planting will be led by Joanna Freeman of the Alliance for theChesapeake Bay and will conclude by 11:30am.

Jack Lattimore, Chair

Landscape Committee

St. B's volunteers at work

Sandy Giangrande recently noted that the teak bench at the front entrance to the church really needed some TLC.

Sandy dove right in and within a few visits the bench is looking better than ever!

Volunteers welcome!

The Landscape Committee of St. Bartholomew's Church welcomes and encourages volunteers. We are grateful for your assistance.

Jean Black. Octogenarian, 8 o'clocker, landscape volunteer.

Our grounds could not be what they are without the help of volunteers. Please check in with the Jack Lattimore, Chair of the Landscape Committee at 443-415-1103 to find out how you can help. All skill levels welcome!

Tree planting event at St. B's!

Trees for Sacred Places

Join the St. Bartholomew's community on Saturday, November 5, 2016 for a tree planting event on our campus at 4711 Edmondson Avenue!

• Day begins at 8:30 am in the Parish House with a breakfast to energize us for the event.
• Tree planting begins at 9:30 am and will conclude at 11:30 am. We will meet in St. B's parking lot  behind the church.

This is an INTERGENERATIONAL event, free and open to all who love the earth - our island home. We encourage families to bring their children so that they can experience the environmental and spiritual significance of planting trees.

For additional information call: Jack Lattimore - 443-415-1103

Creative uses for bamboo

Bamboo Ideas

St. B's is hoping to remove a lot of bamboo this fall. How to get rid of all that bamboo once it's cut down? Check out this site for lots of great ideas! Best of all? You can take all the bamboo you want for free!

Landscape Committee Update - Week of 8/7/2016

I will be away this week. There seems to be little chance of rain all week so the sign plantings need to be watered early in the week and again late in the week. The plants in the holding bed behind the shed should also be watered at least once this week, the sooner the better. It would be great if someone could mulch around the small sign in the courtyard opposite the steps down to the 40 West Referral Center. I know the boxwood I transplanted looks pretty bad, but have faith, it may come back this fall. It should also be watered this week.

Sandy Giangrande has volunteered to clean and refinish the bench to the left of the church entrance. I met with Sandy this morning (Sunday, 8/7/2016) and we discussed her plan. Sounds good and the bench certainly needs it. Thank you Sandy!

I also spoke with Michael Breslin this morning. He is the stone mason who has done repair work around the campus this past year fixing bluestone step treads, etc. Michael is an excellent craftsman. He will be sending me an estimate for the cost of extending the life of the sidewalk along the side of the church from the new pavers in front back to the Tower Room steps by at least 2 years. I will send the estimate out to the committee and barring any concerns will present the estimate to the Vestry at the September meeting.

I would like to develop a plan of attack on the bamboo so that we can take it on later this month and in September.

I have received a planting plan for the 60 trees we are receiving from Trees for Sacred Places. The presentation will be Sunday, October 30 at the Faith Forum. Tree planting is scheduled for Saturday, November 5 in the morning. Details need to be worked out but I'm thinking of an open invitation to all parishioners to join us beginning with breakfast and then the tree planting. The actual planting should take no more than 2 hours.

Sounds like we need a committee meeting to plan out the items noted above in detail. I will send out a meeting request as soon as I return from vacation.

Thank you,
Jack
8/7/2016

Landscape Committee Update

Hot, Hot, Hot! Whew, after a lovely spring and early summer all of a sudden we're in a tremendous heat wave - temps in the 90's last week and through this week, with "feels like" temps into the triple digits.

Thankfully we have a steady watering crew. Dave, Sharon, and myself have been watering our sign plantings in front and the ferns in back regularly - that means a couple of times a week with a good soaking. So far things look good with the exception of some young transplants behind the west sign that hopefully will rebound once the heat abates. The boxwood I transplanted from the church entrance over to the directional sign in the courtyard is another story. It was transplanted just prior to the heat wave and pruned back to have it match the one on the opposite end of the sign. It's taken quite a beating - the sunburned leaves look dreadful right now. But I have faith it too will rebound this fall. Say a prayer for it.

Dave and I are making improvements to the shed. We've moved one shelf and I have the hardware to install tool hangers on the ether side (once I get a round toit).

Plans are taking shape for the "Trees for Sacred Places" events this fall. On October 30 there will be a Faith Forum led by Kolya Braun-Greiner of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (interfaithchesapeake.org) discussing the spiritual foundations for earth stewardship and the ecological benefits of planting trees in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Then, sometime between October 30 and Thanksgiving a tree planting will take place at St. B's. We will plant 60 native trees with the help of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (https://allianceforthebay.org/). Date to be determined. Stay tuned!

Jack - Your Faithful Leader

Faithful Stewards of the Environment

River Wise Congregation Slide Show Video

Slide show produced by the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (http://www.interfaithchesapeake.org/), the group that is partnering with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to help St. B's plant 60 trees this fall (date to be determined).

Inspirational!

OMP - The Oehme Master Plan for the St. Bartholomew's landcsape

The image below is a photo of Roland Oehme's original landscape plan for the St. Bartholomew's campus. The drawing was completed on June 30, 2013 and presented to the Landscape Task Force shortly thereafter. The plan was unveiled at a Faith Forum entitled "Earth Our Island Home," on September 20, 2015.

Creationscape: Where St. Bartholomew's Grows

Follow the links below to see the Landscape Committee's proposal to create a new courtyard plaza, a new main entrance, sidewalk replacements, and a renovated landscape for the core of St. Bartholomew's campus. We believe the plan solves a number of issues that St. B's has grappled with for many years. In addition, by renovating the landscaping we'll be creating a "conservation landscape" here at St. Bartholomew's. Our new environmentally friendly landscape will play a role in restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed and improving our region’s water and air quality. 

Creationscape [drawing]

Creationscape [narrative]

Using Perennials & Grasses in the larger landscape

Beyond the Border: How to use perennials and grasses in landscape settings

 In this post from his blog, Grounded Design, Michael Rainer expands our understanding of the use of perennials and grasses beyond the English garden styles of the manor lawn and the perennial border to their use in bold massings of color throughout the landscape. In the New Style he is proposing he asks us to "not merely imitate our natural landscapes, but interpret them into uniquely modern, human landscapes."