Pesticide Free Since 2001

The July 15, 2007 issue of the Washington Gardener Enews was sent out yesterday and is now archived here. The feature article of the issue is cultivating a fragrance garden. Scent is such a volatile subject that I almost nixed this one, but because I personally like a garden full of fragrant plant materials, I forged ahead.

One scented plant I did not list as a good fragrance garden candidate is Crape Myrtle. I'll be profiling it in the August issue of the Washington Gardener Enews instead. I'm not sure that most people even realize this tree has a nice fragrance. When in blooms, the flowers given off this scent I can only describe as sweet chalk dust. A light, not unpleasant smell when it comes wafting towards you as you walk on by. For me clearly it is a sense-memory thing and reminds me of many hazy-lazy, hot-and-humid DC summers. The bittersweet late summer weeks laced with the apprehension of a new school year approaching.

Pictured above is a small garden sign I made at a little workshop the Takoma Hort Club held yesterday morning. This one is now planted firmly (notice the fork-stake at bottom) next to my front walk. I'm hoping it will inspire neighbors and others passersby to do likewise. I got the idea for this sign from Ed Bruske's blog and the Beyond Pesticides site. I should add "since 2001" on the sign as who knows what the hell the previous owners did or did not do as far as lawn chemicals go.