Bay-Wise in a Town Home Garden -- 2023 UPDATE!

In 2018, Master Gardeners visited Keith's town home for a Bay-Wise visit, documenting in the section below how it was possible to be a sustainable gardener on the smallest of properties.  Jump forward to 2023, when Keith posted the current pictures to the Facebook group Hometown National Park. 

In Keith's words, and with his permission:
I live in the suburbs of DC among a sea of turf grass yards. I started my native plant gardens in early 2018 and have been absolutely in love with them.
Unfortunately, I immediately received letters from my HOA demanding their removal and replacement with turf grass. With the help of a local pro bono Chesapeake Bay conservation legal team, I was able to delay the HOA’s enforcement of the removal until Maryland passed a law in 2021 protecting native plant gardens from HOAs and community organizations.

​The amount of urban wildlife my gardens attract is amazing. All of the planted species are local ecotype native except for two thanks to a LENS plant nursery I volunteer with. Choosing LENS plants means I never have to question the wildlife value. (LENS = local ecotype native species. His nursery is Chesapeake Natives.)

​Bay-Wise in a Town Home Garden

Do you think your yard is too small to bother with Bay-Wise practices? Think again!
Keith, a town home owner in Odenton, demonstrates several in his small front yard.

Keith poses with his Bay-Wise certification sign next to pots filled with herbs for cooking.

An attractive rain barrel captures rain water and directs it to a rocky swale to water his plants.

Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, which is a native plant and type of milkweed, brightens the sidewalk and was home to three monarch butterfly caterpillars.

A close-up of the rocky swale highlights driftwood added for interest and a nice collection of native plants.

Front and Back Yard Gardening: A Transformation!

Master Gardener Sophie transformed her entire yard by removing the lawn and installing raised beds. Her front yard showcases a vibrant medley of flowers, vines, and vegetables. In her backyard she maintains two bee hives and has a highly productive mushroom bed.  

Master Gardener Sophie proudly displays her Bay-Wise sign, indicating her garden's recent certification.

Sophie transformed her entire yard by removing the lawn and installing raised beds.

An ingeniously designed trellis encourages vines' upward growth and allows for other plants underneath.

Sunflowers are always a favorite in a sunny garden.

Sophie shows her transformed yard to fellow Master Gardener Wendy. In her backyard she maintains two bee hives and a highly productive mushroom bed.

Master Gardener Elaine

Master Gardener Elaine has created a beautiful, thriving garden that showcases a number of Bay-Wise principles.

Elaine makes compost and uses it on her vegetable garden, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.

A pollinator garden near the vegetables encourages visits by bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, essential to food production.

Fencing discourages visit by deer.

Native plants invite native wildlife, including good insects, those that control the bad insects!

Native plants are useful AND beautiful!

A black swallowtail caterpillar is enjoying parsley, planted specifically as a butterfly host plant.

No-till gardening in raised beds has increased the output of her vegetable garden.

Home-built structures support climbing plants.

A bird bath provides water for wildlife to drink or bathe. Emptying it every few days discourages mosquitoes.

Native shrubs, winterberry hollies, have replaced nandinas, planted before she learned they were invasive.

Oakleaf hydrangea, another native shrub, blooms profusely, with the flowers remaining attractive throughout the season.

Contrasting colors, shapes, and textures make an attractive vignette in one corner.

Terraced beds allow storm water to soak in, rather than run off.

Building a new flower bed around a tree, she uses cardboard and leaves (or other mulch) to smother grass, rather than resorting to chemical herbicides.

Elaine's best garden helper, Callie, is happy her mom avoids all use of pesticides in her yard.

Master Gardener Robin

Master Gardener Robin was very pleased to have her garden Bay-Wise certified.

Bay-Wise Team Leader, Ellen, talks about natives and homeowner, Robin takes notes.

A magnificent American Elm, Ulmus americana, whose age is estimated to be over 150 years.

The rain garden captures water that would otherwise run quickly off the property.

A rain gauge is helpful to know if your garden needs additional water.