Peaceful Valley Lawn and Landscape

01/20/2025

Kirt and I have retired from Lawn Care! We sold our business to D&Y Contracting LLC. They are wonderful folks who have run a family owned and operated business since 2014. Trust them - we do!

12/22/2022

Blessings of the season! -

"I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe."  — Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch

08/14/2022

They are right! This is an invasive species which if allowed to spread, will kill our trees!

If you see one of these, KILL IT... seriously.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect originally from Asia, that is decimating forests across the Mid-Atlantic. The spotted lanternfly feeds on plants by sucking out the sap from leaves, stems or trunks. It sucks in more sap than it can handle and excretes most of it. That excretion, called "honeydew," can grow mold or attract other insects, further damaging the tree.

The bright colors and spots on the wings of the spotted lanternfly are intended to warn off potential predators. Because it is an invasive species, there are few natural predators in the Chesapeake region.

📷: Caitlyn Johnstone/Chesapeake Bay Program

06/14/2022

This is an interesting article as it bears out the concept that every part and creature of this world has a role to play. The real problem with these insects is that many people are allergic to their sting. The article is worth a read.

An easy way to kill off a nest if it's an issue is to observe the hole where the wasps come and go during the day. At dark, find the hole and cover it with a clear glass dish. Be sure the hole is completely covered and does not allow any wasps to escape. I usually use a glass salad bowl. Since the wasps can only dig IN, they can't get out. In about a week, the nest will die due to lack of water and food. Be sure there are no insects trying to get out before removing the bowl.

The yellow jacket, naughty, nice or neutral? Yellow jackets have a bad reputation as pests that sting, but they are helpful to us by feeding on aphids, caterpillars and other garden pests.

06/10/2022

What is this thing called Carbon Sequestering we keep hearing about?
It sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? But it’s actually quite simple. It means, in a few words, containing carbon in the earth, instead of letting it escape into the atmosphere. Since too much carbon in the atmosphere causes global warming, the more we can remove the better.
Let’s not talk about the huge amounts of carbon released by human activity (scary), but instead concentrate on what we can do to help (useful). Before we can explore that we need to get a bit of understanding of the ways this can happen.
The best example that helps me “get this” concept is the trees. They take in carbon dioxide, use it to grow, then exhale life giving oxygen instead. Thus the carbon is held in the plant. All plants do this, yes, even your lawn. Whenever we compost and then use that compost to grow more plants, we multiply the effect. One scientist said in a lecture, that if every homeowner spread compost on their lawn, we could reverse climate change! And, healthy lawns provide a cooling effect (8.5 tons of air conditioning) that cuts down the amount of energy used to power air conditioners, as do trees.
One of the interesting sites to visit if you want more information about other unique ways this can happen is: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-carbon-sequestration Facts about putting carbon in storage in geologic formations!
So what are some things we can do? Plant trees and other landscaping! If you have a tree removed, plant another. Landscape with native shrubs and perennials. Participate in the county’s PGC Compost program and apply that compost to your garden and landscaping. To learn more, and request a bin: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/2856/Curbside-Organics-Collection-Composting

Provides an overview of the project and the purpose. Contains the How To Guide, FAQ's and the refrigerator magnet.

06/10/2022

The Skinny on Lawn “Weeds”

Have you noticed the bloom of yellow in your neighborhood? I don’t mean daffodils, but I mean Lawn Pesticide Application Flags! They’re everywhere…
Why you might ask? Because Americans have a romance with thick lawns that are w**d free. But have you noticed all the pollinators buzzing around the pretty purple flowers of henbit – that’s the plant that has a cone of purple blooms. If you look, you will see bumblebees, digger bees, flies, to name a few. Then there are the dandelions with their bright yellow flowers. The tiny blossoms of chickw**d can be blue, white, or yellow. These “w**ds” have a purpose – they all provide food for the early rising pollinators. And, except for dandelions which we will be treating, they’ll all be gone in the heat of May.
Where did they come from in the first place you might ask. These plants growing where we don’t want them (the definition of a w**d) are the native species of our area. The seeds, which can be up to 100 years old, germinated over the winter and are now blooming and will go to seed once the soil warms enough. Your lawn grasses are not the natives here; this area would have been forests before the colonists arrived and began farming.
Those of you who care about the Bay and the ecology may wonder how you can have that American dream lawn without all those w**d killing products the yellow flags symbolize. At least, I’ve been reading about folks concerned with that very issue all over NextDoor. Indeed it’s possible! Mow your grass high (4-5” for tall fescue), aerate and overseed in the fall, and water during dry periods (one inch of water per week, no more). Your lawn grasses will thicken up and crowd out the unwanted plants as they need direct sun and poor soil. Lime once a year to prevent the soil from becoming acidic.

05/19/2022

There are some good ideas in this article. I personally love the hedge row as it only requires fencing five foot high.

Keep deer away from your gardens without hurting them or using pesticides that hurt your garden.

04/28/2022

Gorgeous green, courtesy of Peaceful Valley and our environmentally careful approach!

04/28/2022

That Peaceful Valley difference is clear!

04/26/2022

I'm going to try this - sounds peaceful and lovely.

Have you ever considered adding a moon garden to your yard? Some of our night pollinators would be delighted 🐝🦇 . When we think of pollinators, we think of species flying during the day. However, a smaller group actually conducts their magic during the evening hours. We can encourage these night pollinators by planting a moon garden. To do so, plant native scented and night-blossoming flowers and plants and include flowers or plants in pale hues of yellow, blue, purple, green, pink, white or cream, along with plants with silver or gray foliage.

How often do we visit our garden at night? What pollinators visit our garden during these dark hours? Imagine a moon lit landscape in your yard without the need to flood it with lots of artificial light.

To find out which specific plants and flowers are most likely to thrive where you live, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/. Then enjoy choosing vegetation to make your home garden a source of food and fun for night pollinators.

📷: Moonflower courtesy of Iamcs52/Creative Commons; Sphinx moth courtesy of Radu Privantu/Creative Commons;
White irises courtesy of Norman Gates/Creative Commons