Home and Garden Information Center

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

Love see all these Baywise people!!

05/29/2026

🌿 June Gardening Events with Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners 🌿

Join the University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners this June for gardening programs, composting demonstrations, and opportunities to get your gardening questions answered!

Composting Demonstration at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis:
Saturday, June 20th at 10am

Ask a Master Gardener Clinics:
- Anne Arundel Farmers Market (Annapolis): Saturdays, 8am-12pm
- Crofton Public Library: Saturdays, 10am-1pm
- Severna Park Farmers Market: Saturdays, 8am-12pm

Bay-Wise Program
Schedule your site visit! Learn how to create a sustainable landscape and request a visit at: go.umd.edu/aaume-baywise

Native Pollinator Project events:
Crofton Library, Pollinator Festival – Saturday, June 6th, 10am-1pm
1681 Riedel Rd, Crofton, MD 21114

We hope to see you there! 🌼

05/28/2026

Por Teagan Flaherty y Niranjana Krishnan Desde ratones hasta saltamontes y topillos, agricultores y otros propietarios de tierras en todo Maryland se enfrentan a una variedad de plagas naturales. U…

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

Let’s meet an insect (Bank this for your next trivia night!)

This is an antlered crane fly, Tanyptera dorsalis. It may seem a bit daunting to encounter, mimicking a wasp or giant mosquito, but these guys are harmless! They make great fish food and are also enjoyed by frogs, birds and various predatory insects. In Maryland they are seen from late spring to early fall, especially in damp grassy or marshy habitats. Adults do not feed on anything and only live for about 1.5-2 weeks. Larvae live and feed on recently dead deciduous hardwood trees, especially those that have just fallen, but also enjoy any decaying matter, fungus, or organic matter in the soil. All in all, these guys are great to have around!

🌟Fun fact: Various crane flies may be referred to commonly as “mosquito hawks” even though they don’t eat mosquitos.

🌟🌟Extra fun fact: It’s said that Charles Page, a formerly enslaved self taught inventor from Louisiana, created the first airship based on watching the flight of “mosquito hawks” on his front porch - 8 months before the famous Wright Brothers. Unfortunately, the only full sized model was mysteriously lost on its way to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis and why we don’t see it hanging alongside the Wright Flyer in the Smithsonian museum. His daughter quoted him in a 1930s interview, that he declared, “If a mosquito hawk can fly, I can fly.” For the full story visit the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum’s website and search for the blog article from August 18, 2024.

05/28/2026

Associate professor, Anahi Espindola, shares tips on adding more flowers to help our crops grow. No need for large fields, companion plants can be added wherever you grow edible plants!

Marigolds line the edges of raised garden beds, bursting with vegetables in this county extension demonstration garden. Photo: Jon Traunfeld A practice generally used in agricultural contexts is th…

05/27/2026

Woot woot! Go Ryan! 🌟

Congratulations to Ryan of Towson (Loch Raven sub-watershed of Gunpowder watershed), who not only recently passed his test to finish coursework to become a Master Gardener, but also had his home landscape certified as Bay-Wise. Ryan received a particularly high score on his Maryland Living Landscape Metric (MLLM) because he very effectively recycles yard and kitchen waste with composting, manages water on his property with redirected downspouts and a lovely stream restoration, and conserves and plants lots of native plants. Because he does not use pesticides and plants for continuous blooms his yard is a haven for pollinators. Thanks, Ryan. You will be a great Master Gardener!

05/26/2026

Next Wednesday, June 3rd, tune in to the live only session of Natives at Noon!

June's topic is Non-Native Earthworms and their Effects on the Soil Ecosystem by Katalin Szlavecz.

Registration is required for this free event.

05/22/2026

Hey Listener, In this month's episode, we’re talking all about one Dill-icious herb that we think is a big Dill.  Dill!  We chat about the history of dill, give some tips for growing it in your garden and recommended some varie...

05/22/2026

Have you considered practicing rainwater harvesting to help your garden and landscape get through the dry times?

Here are 3 good reasons to give it a try:

1) Despite occasional heavy downpours, Maryland remains in a state of prolonged drought.
2) Rainwater harvesting can help conserve municipal water and groundwater supplies at a time that water resources are dwindling.
3) Rain barrels and rain gardens can help capture, slow down, and soak up stormwater, reducing flooding and pollution from suburban and urban stormwater runoff.

TIP: Be sure to not let water stand uncovered for long, though, to avoid mosquito breeding! Also, it is not recommended to use rain barrel water on the edible parts of your plants.

How do you harvest rainwater? Tell us in the comments below!

Info by Stacy Small-Lorenz, Residential Landscape Ecologist, UMD Extension