Audbon Society at the Green Tent

Join us this Sunday, April 29 at the MVCC Green Tent.  Our guest will be  Los Angeles Audubon Society.

Harlequin Beetle

The Los Angeles Audubon Society has been teaching local school children about the Ballona Wetlands since 1991. Every year, 2500 students have the opportunity to visit this special place and see the plants and animals that make Ballona their home. 

According to the Drawdown data, Coastal wetland ecosystems are one of the top 100 solutions for reversing Global Warming.

Relative to their land area, they sequester huge amounts of carbon in plants aboveground and in roots and soils below.

Coastal wetlands can store five times as much carbon as tropical forests over the long term, mostly in deep wetland soils. 

At the moment the State of California has a project planned that will bring serious changes to the existing habitat. The Los Angeles Audubon would love to share more information about the future of the wetlands. Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday to learn more about  programs that inspires our future conservationists and what you can do to keep Ballona thriving!

Sunday, April 22 at the Green Tent

And they’re back! The UC/CE LA County Master Gardeners (like them here: ) return to the Green Tent on EARTH DAY, SUNDAY APRIL 22 from 9 am to 1 pm! And appropriately they’ll help you enhance your earth, offering you seeds and seedlings for FREE!

Here’s what they’re bringing:

Persian baby cucumbers — If you love to pickle or just munch, these petite cucumbers boast a smooth, thin skin and crispy texture, all packed into 3 to 5 inch mini-cukes – bonus: they’re mildew tolerant!

Tuscan baby leaf kale  — Who doesn’t love it? The best of all possible worlds; kale flavor and nutrition in a compact leaf! Small and tender, eat ribs and all.

Spinach  — Popeye knew; spinach makes you stronger! Get your iron fix here.

Bush French filet beans — aka "haricot vert,” slender, gourmet quality,  pencil slim, rounded 6-inch pods; no staking needed.

Pole filet beans — bigger and longer, you’ll need to stake them so their tall vines will provide a multitude of snappy 7 to 9 inch sweet beans pods.

Container zucchini — Perfect solution to control an abundance of zucchini that grow in record time. The French developed this one for containers and small space gardens, and they quickly provide compact squash vines that are easy to harvest! Zoodles!!

Rainbow chard —  talk about pretty; use in edible landscapes for their eye-catching colors, magenta and gold stalks, but don’t cheat yourself, it’s delicious too.

Lettuce blend—tender sweet greens and reds.

Baby leaf lettuce mix  — pick leaves from outside in and eat while young for yummy salads.

Sun Samba ornamental sunflowers—these beauties grow 5 to 7 feet, and feature beautiful colors.

Slow bolt cilantro  — Spice up that Mexican, Indian, Thai or even plain old chili dish you’re making with this wondrous herb.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER! Recycle those plastic six-packs at the Green Tent so the MGs can plant up more goodies for you next month!

And now more than ever it’s essential to be WATER WISE. Click here to learn more about what you can do or go to www.bewaterwise.com. 

April 15 - At the Green Tent

Here it Comes!!!

The Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase 2018 is just around the corner!  With a few years off to recharge our creative batteries, we’re coming back on Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 10am to 4pm for another FUN and FREE celebration of sustainable gardening.

Even though last winter’s rainfall has helped to alleviate our drought crisis, please don’t be lulled into thinking that plentiful rainfall will continue. The need for sustainable practices in our gardens, and the desire for information on how to convert water-hungry lawns into beautiful and environment-friendly retreats, continues. 

From chickens to beekeeping, rain barrels to composting, native plant selection to garden design overview, our goal is to provide a relaxing day in 20 of Mar Vista’s most beautiful sustainable gardens AND give visitors plenty of know-how to feed their own sustainable garden dreams. Stop by the Mar Vista Farmers Market Green Tent this coming Sunday, and get all of your questions answered by Maggie Begley, the new Chair of the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase.

So save the date for the 2018 Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase:  Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 10am to 4pm.  In the meantime, you can find inspiration at the MVGGS blog, where images and information from all our tours are featured.   

The Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase is sponsored by environmental non-profit Green Communications Initiative, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt public benefit corporation. 

Warm regards and Happy New Year!

Maggie Begley

Chair, 2018 Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase

Maggie@mbcprinc.com; 310.749.3055

 

April 8 at the Green Tent

Solar Power   

Solution #10 to Reverse Global Warming

Rooftop solar panels are ranked the #10 solution (out of 100) that will will help us achieve drawdown* by the year 2050.  Learn more about current rebates and general information about solar panels this Sunday, December 9 and the Green Tent.  Local Mar Vistan Jeffrey Sugarman is an expert in the field and looks forward to answering your questions.

*Drawdown  is that point in time when the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere begins to decline on a year-to-year basis. It's not a quick fix, but we CAN REVERSE GLOBAL WARMING...if we all get on board and get our friends and families on board.  This is great news for humans and other living things.  It is a plan that invites us to participate at any level we can.   www.drawdown.org

There are many simple steps you can take (you are probably already doing some of them) to make an impact!  Check out this TED Talk to get the big picture:
Chad Frischmann simplifies Drawdown...