Community Corner
Edible Landscape Flourishes in Carney
Neighbors attended a workshop sponsored by the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy at the home of Carney residents Mike and Deb Lancaster.
Diane Brazil is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy's Jennifer Branch Project.
Carney residents Mike and Deb Lancaster recently hosted an edible landscape workshop, sponsored by the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy.
The project focused on teaching homeowners in the Jennifer Branch watershed how to collect storm water run-off from their yards and use it to grow food, as well as other ornamental plants.
Find out what's happening in Parkville-Overleawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
With a group of 6 neighbors and 10 family members, designer Patty Ceglia introduced this new trend.
"Edible Landscapes are beautiful, functional and ecological," Ceglia said.
Find out what's happening in Parkville-Overleawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Lancasters’ edible landscape compliments a large bay-scape garden, which was installed also installed June 11 with the guidance of Jennifer Branch project employee Rachel Streusand.
Bayscapes work to the environmental benefit of people, wildlife and the Chesapeake Bay by using "holistic" approach to landscaping.
"Despite the threatening storm, the bay-scape installation was a success, with volunteers, friends and family working together to plant and mulch the garden," Struesand said.
The garden, filled with native flowers and shrubs, is a great addition to the Lancaster's bay-scaped yard. The plants will help absorb and filter water that runs through their back yard to help reduce local flooding problems, provide for wildlife and improve the health of local streams, she explained.
"The last year and a half I've met and worked with an absolutely wonderful group of people from GVC. I've adopted a stream, planted trees and became involved in the bayscaping and edible gardens," said Deb Lancaster, who hosted the Saturday workshop. "I plan to continue my work with the GVC for a long time."
Educating the folks in the Carney area about installing bayscape and edible gardens are only two ways in which the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy works to improve the health of local streams.
Up next is a rain garden workshop on June 25; to register for the event you can contact Jennifer Branch project manager Peggy Perry at 410-668-0118 or email at pperry@gunpowderfalls.org. For more information visit our website.