Who killed the gentle Norfolk gardener?

Angela Lechlitner was a shy woman of 28 who moved to Virginia from a small town in Indiana. She worked at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens for a few years, was an active churchgoer and model community member -- volunteering at a local retirement home, at the church's library and as secretary of her civic league.

She lived in a small house with her beagle named Rose, a gift from friends who were concerned about Lechlitner coming home to an empty, dark house. Neighbors grew concerned when they noticed Rose had been left outside during a rain storm. The odd sight prompted concerned friends to investigate, which is how the grisly discovery was made.

Those who knew Lechlitner said she was one of those 20 percent of people who do 80 percent of the work. What nobody seems to know, however, is who left her lifeless body, reportedly strangled to death, in the kitchen-utility area of her home in the Fox Hall neighborhood.

A year later, detectives say the case is still open. There are no leads. Questions about suspects and how she was killed remain unanswered, though people are still asking -- especially at Tabernacle Church, where Lechlitner frequently attended. The pastor there says someone asks about the case just about every Sunday.

Others, like Lechlitner's parents and former co-workers at the Botanical Garden, would just as soon return to some sense of normalcy. They declined comment for the article that appeared in the Virginian-Pilot.

Though suspicions and speculations have subsided, the gentle and witty woman who was content in simplicity has not been forgotten. Her church has planted a tree in her honor while the Botanical Garden has plans to errect a memorial featuring rhododendrons (pictured above).

Photo: WikiCommons

Gardening improves mental health and decreases depression ...

according to researchers, and a recent study shows gardening is a great way for older adults to meet their physical activity requirements.

United Press International reported on the study that included 14 gardeners ages 63 to 86 whose heart rates, oxygen intake and energy expenditure were all measured.

View results from the study.

The weight-bearing motions associated with gardening, such as pushing a mower, pulling weeds and carrying soil, impact muscle groups in the entire body, Kansas State University researchers said.

Researchers also concluded the effects were greater during temperate months and in regions where the seasons are less pronounced -- few people garden in cold winter weather or extremely hot temperatures.

Photo: Wikipedia

Christmas '08 may be history ...

but the U.S. Botanic Garden's "Windows to Wonderland" exhibit is still chugging along through Sunday. This year's exhibit celebrates human imagination and features a train garden as well as one of Washington's largest indoor trees. Tonight the gardens will remain open until 8 p.m. and feature a live performance.

From the press release: "The hamlets in Wonderland -- Fairy Tale Trails, Santa's Village, Secret Mountain, Castle Mountain, Caterpillar Garden, and Gremlin Corner -- are all connected by trains. Trains are overhead, in tunnels, going, coming, and chugging everywhere you look. From the castle high atop a mountain to the cave dwellings underground, the buildings and landscapes are constructed of natural plant materials."

Located on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building, at Maryland Ave. between First and Third streets, the U.S. Botanic Garden's roots extend as far back as 1816 when the idea of a national botanic garden was first presented as a means to collect and grow plants that might contribute to the welfare of the American people. The current location opened in 1933.

Side Note: It hasn't been cold the past few days, but the U.S. Botanic Gardens is one of my favorite places to visit and entertain house guests when it's too cold (or hot) outside because the gardens are kept around 72 degrees year round.

PRESS RELEASE DOWNLOAD

Photos courtesy of United States Botanic Garden

Photo courtesty of Fir002, WikiCommons

Calling all professional and aspiring landscape designers ...

The Harry H. Laidlaw, Jr Honey Bee Research Facility has announced a nationwide competition to design a half-acre bee-friendly garden on its grounds at the University of California, Davis. This will be a pollinator paradise that will meet the nutritional needs of honey bees and serve as a living laboratory, according to university's entomology website.

"It will provide a much needed, year-around food source for our bees. We anticipate it also will be a gathering place to inform and educate the public about bees," said Lynn Kimsey, chair of the Department of Entomology and director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology. "

Designers must keep within a $65,000 budget and create a plan for a year-round garden. The deadline is January 30. Funding for the project is coming from ice cream makers Haagen-Dazs.

Read the News Release

What does ice cream have to do with bees?

The company uses about a million pounds of almonds each year for starters, the Christian Science Monitor's Diggin' It Blog reports, and almonds rely on honey bees for pollination. So do pears, raspberries and strawberries.

In fact, bees pollinate about a third of the foods we consume. Haagen-Dazs launched a campaign earlier this year to help resolve colony collapse disorder, which has killed tens of thousands of bees in recent years.

Bee specialists and scientists at UC Davis suspect suspect a multitude of causes, including pesticides, diseases, parasites, stress, climate change and malnutrition have led to the drop in honey bee populations.

A world without bees could lead to a world without flowers or fruits. Now that stings.

Perhaps you've heard there's a push to urge President-elect Barack Obama to have a new victory garden planted on the White House lawn. According to non-profit group Eat the View, one-third of human-made greenhouse gas emissions are produced by food and agriculture. So Eat the View is coordinating a campaign to encourage the incoming first family to take the lead on going green, starting with their new front lawn.

The group also has great suggestions for things individuals can do to spread the trend. Primarily, identify spaces that can be "edibile-ized," they say.

As a means of reducing pressures on the food industry during WWII victory gardens were planted in the yards of private residences all over world, with then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt taking the lead here in the United States. While the USDA was initially opposed to the idea of a victory garden on White House grounds for fear it might hurt the food industry, they eventually jumped on board and produced their own video that provided citizens with basic information to get started.

The times they are a-changin', and the importance of sustainable gardening is more obvious than ever. The Obamas have a wonderful opportunity to set an example, while also enjoying the benefits of fresh produce. It's a healthy idea that's good for the planet, another change we can believe in. ...

The National Christmas Tree: NPS Photo by Donna Spiewak

The National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony is tonight! This marks the 85th anniversary. Folks can stroll through the Ellipse, where the tree resides year round (without the bling, of course), and enjoy Christmas carolers and other musical performance starting Dec. 6 to 23. The tree will remain lit until 11 o'clock each night.

The National Park Service has all the info about this year's festivities, but what I found even more interesting were the pages all about the history of the National Christmas Tree going all the way back to the first tree lit in 1923 by Calvin Coolidge. Find out more cool facts about the National Christmas Tree.

Green thumbs could soon be suffering from arthritis of the thumbs thanks to a new garden simulation released by Nintendo. If you're tired of picking dirt from your fingernails or nursing a sore back after having spent an afternoon in toiling away in your garden, read on. And if you're looking for a fun game for rainy days, you should read on too.

Gardening Mama, a take-off of Cooking Mama, is the latest in a wave of games that allow players to perform everyday tasks in a virtual reality. Much in the way Guitar Hero allows anybody to wail like a Jimmy (as in Hendrix or Page), this new game for Wii and Nintendo DS allows players to nuture and harvest plants and then produce items from the plants grown. Players can grow strawberries to make jam or pumpkins for jack-'o-laterns, for example.

What will they think of next?

Now I cannot tell a lie: I don't have my own garden, so I can't say I know from first-hand experience what a pain (or pleasure) it is to have tiny rodents running amuck in my garden. From what I've read, though, it seems most garden enthusiasts agree that voles, also known as field mice, are voracious plant-eaters that can ruin a garden. Fair enough.

What I do know is I'm a big fan of animals. I have alley cats that visit me almost every day looking for a handout, which I'm always happy to provide. I even shared a bag of trail mix with a squirrel I met near Union Station last spring (apparently acorns are in short supply). So when I read this article in the Post, The Ground War Against Voles, that suggested killing these wild creatures over their natural behavior, I was a little disappointed. Like, why not aim for the deer in the road simply because she crossed your path?

Let's just consider for a moment that these mice don't know any better. They don't know they're eating your prized petunias. They're job is to survive, so it's no wonder they'd be attracted to a lush garden full of fresh veggies. On some level you outta feel proud to have produced such an attractive garden, no? The answer isn't to kill them for acting on a natural instinct. I mean, isn't it bad enough that animal habitats are being swallowed by urban development, or do we have to go so far as to off the creatures that managed to survive the destruction?

One thing I've deduced from my observation of the gardening community is that gardeners are very creative and passionate people. Why not get creative about solving pest problems? Just read the posts on this forum I found about How to Discourage Voles. While some of the replies are a little violent (poison, traps ... a 22 bullet?), others show that it's possible to eliminate a pest problem before it starts. No death, no destruction of plants. Again, a win-win situation.

One post reads, "Depending on plant, placing metal mesh barrier about 12" deep and 12" out from plant in a a circle should keep you from having to redig so frequently. An entire bed can be protected by placing a mesh perimeter in the soil around it."

One of my favorite things about potting plants (I do have a couple of those) is the sense of calm I feel working my hands through the soil. I tend to forget about outside stresses and focus on the present. And on some level it's a deeper connection to the earth. I imagine this is a common sentiment among garden enthusiasts. But, I feel like killing the tiny critters that get between you and your Garden of Eden sort of negates the former.

UPDATE: Check out this pic of a natural Vole repellant. Awesome!

More than 50,000 poinsettias grown at Homestead Gardens will fulfill their holiday destinies by the end of this year. Some will go to churches and schools, other will line residential walkways and decorate homes.

These poinsettias begin their lives as seedlings planted in horticulture foam cubes that stretch across wooden tables in a smaller greenhouse at the retail facility. Eventually they're trucked a few minutes down the road to the perennial growhouse where they mature into one 41 varieties. About 20 of those varieties are experiments.

I had a chance to tour the growing and retail facilities at Homestead Gardens, nestled in the rolling hills of Davidsonville, Md., an unincorporated community in Ann Arundel Country. Click the link below the photo to view more great poinsettia photos, courtesy of Homestead Gardens.

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Much in the way Brookside Gardens aims to reconnect people and plants, their winter festival brings family and friends together this holiday season through a display of nearly 850,000 lights.

The Garden of Lights, a walk-through event that opens the Friday after Thanksgiving, is a half-mile garden stroll among original forms crafted by local artisans and fashioned with twinkling lights and the occasional sound effect. It is open to the public every night through Jan. 4. Their website offers details on admission and a schedule of musical performances that coincide with the event.

While the festival is in no way an attempt to recreate Disneyland, according to staff, I couldn't help but feel I'd been thrust into the middle of the Magic Kingdom's Electrical Parade as I wandered among glowing snails, a caterpillar and flowers, not to mention the giant dragon (well, a sea monster, actually) known as Nessie. As I meandered among friends and neighbors of Brookside Gardens, who were offered a special sneak peak last night, I overheard others say the same thing.

Brookside Gardens is "a public display garden on a homeowner's scale," said Phil Normandy, the plants collection manager. I sat down with him and Stephanie Oberle, director of the gardens, before the start of the main event that drew about 2,500 people last night.

The Gardens exhibit new plant species and sustainable gardening concepts to the local community through their year-round displays, and the Garden of Lights is no exception. A couple years ago the festival began converting its display to LED lights, and the trend continues as LEDs are showing up in a variety of new colors.

"It's a larger initial investment but [LEDs] use less power," Oberle said, adding about 98 percent of new lights purchased this year are LEDs.

This is the 12th Annual Garden of Lights Festival at Brookside Gardens, a 50-acre garden within (but separate of) the Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton, Md.

Above photo taken by Judith MacArthur, courtesy of Brookside Gardens.

DC residents will benefit from a $100,000 donation to plant new trees this spring, thanks largely in part to the grassroots efforts of Casey Trees, a local non-profit that empowers residents to plant trees in District neighborhoods.

Check out the satellite image (below) that compares DC's canopy coverage in the 1970s versus the 1990s. What a huge difference, right? Plans for development in the last 30 years of the century didn't always make room for trees, unfortunately, so over time high rise structures replaced the canopy of green.

I'm glad to see a push to plant more trees after all the development the city has witnessed (and continues to witness still). The Casey Trees website also has a Tree Map that allows you to explore what kinds of trees have been planted in DC and where. Trees absorb run off and provide shade; they add to the overall beauty and quality of life. These are benefits for everyone.

All sorts of community members can take advantage of the hundreds of trees the Casey Trees Community Tree Planting program will now be able to provide. Schools and churches, condo associations and neighborhood coalitions, and everyone in between are encouraged to submit a project proposal. Applications for the program are being accepted through Nov. 30.

With so much history in this town, it's nice to know some folks in Washington haven't forgotten their roots.

I came across this concept of "slow gardening," which I found to be quite interesting, especially after living in Washington, D.C., these past couple years. See, I've observed that many people in this part of the country are in a hurry. No offense if this means you, it's just that growing up on the West Coast, attitudes were a bit more relaxed. Dress codes, too.

Now I've always thought of gardening as a relaxing hobby. I enjoy planting flowers and getting my hands dirty in the soil. It never occured to me, though, that for some people this relaxing hobby can actually be a source of stress. I guess cause there's always so much work yet to be done, it gets to some people.

I really liked this HGTV article I found by a guy named Felder Rushing (could his last name be any more perfect?). He says that when it comes to gardening, you gotta think long-term. "Life has lots of pressures," he writes, "Why include them in your garden?" I couldn't agree more!

Skippy's Vegetable Garden says she's proud to be a member of the slow gardening movement. Maintaining a community garden plot near Boston is a lot of work, but what really captures her is the beauty of it all. "I forget that each day the sunflowers get bigger and the potato foliage more lush. I forget how good the sun (or the rain) feels on my back. I forget how sweet the birds sing in the morning," she writes.

So to sum up today's gardening tip: Don't forget to stop and smell the roses from time to time.

The same way vampires can't stand garlic, many pests in your garden have a natural aversion to the pungent bulb. Similarly, mint and onions, as well as flowers like marigolds can provide natural protection for your vegetables and flowers.

What's the big deal, you may be wondering. Well, the same poisons you pump into your yard or garden to kill pests can cause serious harm to humans, too.

Children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides and can develop accute and chronic illnesses. Chemical pesticides have been linked to a number of disorders and diseases, and damage the environment.

Natural alternatives seem like the natural choice, don't you think? Check out this article by Toronto-based environmental writer Joyce Nelson for some really great (and green) ideas.

For example, raccoons are notoriously surly and can be wreak havoc in your garden, but you can alleviate the problem in a way that doesn't hurt your plants or the critters. A win-win situation! Nelson writes, "Raccoons dislike slippery surfaces because their claws can't get a grip. Find their entry point and try putting down a metal or hard plastic surface to keep them out."

If you're not sold home remedies, you may want to check out major home improvement retail outlets like Home Depot and Lowe's, which offer a variety of non-toxic and organic lawn care products.

Who would have thunk panty hose would come in so handy in the garden?

For instance, did you know you can keep your squash from hungry critters by covering it with old nylons? Simply tie off both ends, and you're done. Because panty hose don't hold heat and they dry pretty quickly, you shouldn't have to worry about produce overheating or rotting from the moisture.

Another idea, if you're going to anchor your fledgling trees to a post, panty hose should will do the trick. Cut 'em and stretch 'em, and ties as many bands up the plant as you need.

And finally, Wilde Herb reported using old panty hose to store Vidalia onions in her garage. (Her photo accompanies this post.) Her only advice is make sure when you hang your onions that they don't touch one another:

"When sweet onions are stored for any length of time the areas where the onions touch one another are typically the first places to decay. For longer term storage of sweet onions it is important to handle them gently, and to devise a way to not let them touch."

When it comes to mulching, timing is everything. Mulch too soon, and you could inadvertently create a cozy nook for rodents and burrowing insects. Mulch too late, and you're favorite shrubs and flowers could freeze! Looking out my window this afternoon, I spotted some snow flurries, which means if you haven't done so already, now's the time to start winterizing your garden if you hope to enjoy hearty blooms next spring and summer.

According to Garden Helper, mulch is any loose material -- whether old leaves, clippings or bits of bark -- that helps to maintain a constant temperature and level of moisture in your soil during the harsh winter months.

Homestead Garden's resident gardening expert, Gene, explains this nicely in his article about "The Right Way to Mulch Around Trees." He also points out that if the mulch piles around your trees look more like volcanos, you could be doing more harm than good. A mulch volcano could invite root rot or some unwanted burrowing insects into your garden or yard, so what you want to do instead is leave enough room between the mulch and the tree's trunk so you can see the root flare, that is, the place where the roots and trunk meet.

Theoretically, plastics and other synthetic materials can protect your prized plants from the winter, but some experts caution that you could actually burn your plants' roots on sunny days. While the debate over what materials make for the best mulch (dead leaves vs. bark bits) and how thick of a layer you should spread (somewhere between 2 to 4 inches) wages on, the general consensus is mulch made from organic materials is a gardener's best friend.

If you're like the millions of Americans who list gardening as a favorite hobby, you'll want to pay attention here. ... I've been having some trouble generating interest about our magazine's website and our plan to create an online community on the site, where garden enthusiasts can come together and discuss what's bugging them. (Ha, ha)

The authors of Garden Rant are writers first who picked up on the gardening hobby. The site is a great resource all thumbs no matter your shade.

The general sentiment is most members of garden clubs, at least in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., are beyond the age of the web's target audience. Well, I'm here to tell you the Internet has grown to become one of the greatest resources any green thumb could hope for. If you want info on the best garden centers to shop at, or how to prepare your soil in the winter for a great spring growing season, or what kinds of meals you can cook up with your harvest, it's all here online!

Starting today, you'll be able to find links to all this great information by visiting the Home & Garden blogs section. This information is too valuable to go unmentioned. And if you haven't yet already, go check out Garden Rant - it's by far my favorite gardening blog out there. Today they honor a handful of garden crusaders for their contributions to their communities through the soil. Over $15,000 in prize money was awarded. If you know a garden crusader, nominate them for the '09 awards beginning in February.

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Left to Right: Some 53,000 poinsettias are on display this weekend at Homestead Gardens, home to a herd of more than 30 llamas

I was about to write about poinsettias because I saw this post by DC Urban Gardener News about a display of 53,000 poinsettias at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, Md. this weekend. I was thinking, that's a lot of poinsettias, and maybe I'd like to check it out. So I went to the nursery's website, and it turns out ... Homestead Gardens has llamas! And poinsettias.

Happy Monday, Compost readers! Here's the latest scoop:
During WWII, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a "victory garden" at the grounds of the White House and encouraged Americans to do the same. Now one man is traveling across the country in an upside-down school bus on a mission to have the president once again eat food raised on his own property. This notion of a victory garden is a growing trend, as we mentioned in The Compost Pile last week. ...
Going green is not only trendy, it's also good for the environment. But are we taking it too far? If there was any doubt that San Fransisco's Academy of Science Building is the "greenest" building in the world, this article should put the debate to rest. You may have trouble finding the museum now since its "living" roof allows it to blend into its surroundings. That's right, the roof is alive! A 2.5 acre garden is home to 1.7 million native plants nestled in 7 inches of top soil spread over a concrete base.

All the free turkey give-a-ways at my local grocery store serve as reminders that Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away. You may want to start preparing now to save yourself the hassle and stress of waiting til the last minute. This article recommends spot cleaning your rugs and replacing light bulbs now. See what else the article suggests.
Wondering how to make your garden more wintery? This article from the Times Online offers 10 winter garden tips.
And if you've been considering a home improvement project but aren't sure about the cost to fund it all, this article highlights some of the many financing options available to you.

Good morning, here's a few stories the get your day started. ...
Mint a garden terrorist? Perhaps you agree that this weed is anything but cool, extending its roots to any and all open land, kind of like 19th centurty Great Britain. And it won't stop there. Mint will go beyond the soil, creeping under sidewalks and streets, wandering freely if you allow it. But mint isn't all bad, as this article suggests. The weed actually does have a few finer qualities.
If you're wondering what to fill your garden with during the cool season, the Amazon dianthus may be the flower for you. The plant thrives in cool weather and performs well during the warmer months of summer. Read all about it HERE.
And remember the next time you're working in the garden, BEE careful. The Age in Australia reports that a garden worker was stung 40 times by bees after distrurbing their hive in a blackberry bush.

The rising cost of fuel is leading many Americans to hunt for other, more cost-effective ways to warm their homes this winter. This article in the New York Times tells of a couple who consider heating their home with a pellet stove. What's a pellet stove? you may be asking yourself. ... Read this story to find out.
In Los Angeles, the Times reports on the benefits of solar energy, a way to make the home you've got as efficient and worry-free as possible, at least until the housing market settles down again. And what good would the Compost Pile serve if we didn't (at least on occasion) throw in a story about compost, like this one featured in the Washington Post. Compost is good, or as the article says "The importance ... cannot be overstated." To find out why, click HERE.
If you've got a lead on a sweet morsel that you'd like to see featured here in the Compost Pile, let us know!