Join Us for a Backyard Composting Class!

October 6, 2023October 6, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Composting at home is easy! It can be done in a small space (approximately four cubic feet), in sun or shade, and in any season of the year. Did you know that most food waste ends up in the landfill? By composting yard trimmings and kitchen scraps at home, you can help turn these materials into a rich soil amendment instead.

Using compost has many advantages including improved soil texture, improved drainage, and nutrient availability in clay soil, and preventing water loss in sandy soil. When compost is added to soil, it also reduces the need for fertilizer by providing nutrients. The organic matter in compost holds moisture, which saves water and money.

Success in backyard composting involves combining waste from plants into proper ratios to accelerate their natural breakdown or decomposition. Learn about ratios of greens to browns and more beginning on Saturday, November 4, from Montgomery County Master Gardeners at The Woodlands Township’s Parks Department Campus located at 8203 Millennium Forest Drive. Classes are held from 10:00 am to 11:30 am and include hands-on opportunities to try your hand at turning a pile, experiment with various composting tools and learn about vermicomposting – composting with worms!

The classes repeat on a Saturday morning each month in November, December, January, February, and March. Check out the class schedule and join us to demystify backyard composting! Classes are free and no registration is required.

High quality C.E. Shepherd compost bins are available for sale at each of our monthly composting classes for only $65. Residents may also purchase a compost bin from the Environmental Services Department at 8203 Millennium Forest Drive during regular business hours.

For more information on backyard composting, check out this helpful overview from the University of Florida.

Contact Environmental Services at 281-210-3800 or enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov with any questions.

Pollinators on the Patio for the Small Space Gardener

September 29, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Christian Anderson said, “Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower”

Living in an apartment or a home with little to no outdoor space can be challenging, especially for those with a green thumb. Large suburban yards allow homeowners to create lush greenspace that invites birds, pollinators, and wildlife to visit them daily. However, abundant space is not required to grow native plants or welcome our pollinator friends. Whether you are an urban apartment dweller, are renting your home, or are limited on space, you can still plant natives in containers and enjoy all the benefits they provide.

Follow these container gardening tips to create a pollinator habitat by adding greenery to your small spaces.

Eco Friendly Containers

When choosing your perfect pot, it is important to think about sustainable options that can be used for years to come or can be recycled for future use. A container must be the right size and have adequate drainage for the plant to flourish. If the plant is too crowded by a small pot or doesn’t have drainage, it will be hard to keep it alive. Cork containers are a fantastic option for native flowering plants because the material is natural and has built-in aeration and drainage capabilities. Other sustainable materials for plant containers include recycled plastic, clay, wood, bamboo, or tough fibers like Jute.

Also, don’t forget to recycle the clean plastic planter pot once you have transferred it into its new eco-friendly container. These can be put in your recycling cart, or you can recycle them at Home Depot and Lowes.

Texas Native Plants

Native Texas plants thrive in our humid climate, storm-prone summers, and chilly winters making them the perfect candidate for container gardening. Local Texas plants require less maintenance than their non-native counterparts, which can save you time and money, allowing you to enjoy your garden.

By including natives in your small space, you welcome native pollinators, like the monarch butterfly and mason bee to your oasis. Planting a variety of native grasses and flowers together will add texture and color to your pot, making it beneficial for pollinators and beautiful to look at. Think “thriller”, “filler”, “spiller”: tall plants in the back or center, lush texter in the middle, and trailing plants to soften the edge.

Determine how much sun your small space receives, and choose from the following:

Shade Container Plants

Inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

Chilie Pequin (Capsicum annuum)

Rose Pavonia (Pavonia lasiopetala)

Texas Spiderwort (Tradescantia humilis)

Part- Shade Container Plants

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii)

Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Sun Container Plants

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides)

Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)

Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea)

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)

Woolly Stemodia (Stemodia lantana)

Event Spotlight

Don’t miss the Woodlands Landscaping Solutions on September 30^th from 9 am – noon at The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming.

This event will help you turn any space into a garden oasis. Stop by the small space gardening booth to get expert advice and design ideas. There will be native plant vendors, landscape designers, and many more standing by to assist you on your gardening journey. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Got Questions? Contact The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department at 281-210-3800 or enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

Drip Irrigation is the new ethic in water use – and you CAN do it yourself!

September 22, 2023September 22, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

The movement within the most progressive landscape companies is to find ways to help their customers save water; they may be promoting upgrading some zones with drip lines already. And let’s face it: drip irrigation is a much better way to water flowerbeds and garden areas of your landscape! Your plants get water right where they want and need it – at the roots – with less lost to wind, evaporation, or runoff into the street. The advantages of drip irrigation are many, and installation is easier than you may think if you are a DIY type who likes to save money rather than paying a contractor.

Come learn why drip is the latest ethic in water use for landscapes of all sizes. You will also get the “nuts and bolts” of installing – whether it’s converting existing spray heads or setting up a drip zone from your hose bib. With information about parts and tools needed, you can decide whether to self-install. Even if you choose to hire a contractor, you can feel more in control knowing the basic needs and processes. The workshop is FREE. REGISTRATION is required.

For further information email to: enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-3800.

Optimizing your rain barrel’s benefits… it’s easier than you think!

August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Rain may feel like a distant memory right now – but that’s a potent reminder to make the most of every drop when it does fall again. If you already have a rain barrel or two and use the captured water for your garden, your plants will thank you! But there may be more you can do with that water, and we’re here to help with that. Even if you have just been thinking about a rain barrel but aren’t sure how helpful it might be, we’ve got a 2-minute video for you to see why its worth “catching the rain”.

Learn from the best

One of the most knowledgeable rainwater harvesting gurus in the region is demonstrating everything you need to know to optimize the use of rainwater and take your rain barrel to the next level! Basics will also be discussed in case you need the nuts n’ bolts knowledge before you dive into purchasing one.

Bob Dailey will present Rain Barrel Optimization, a workshop on getting the most benefit from captured rainwater and moving it efficiently from the barrel to your plants. Tools, parts, tips, tricks and hands-on demonstrations will set you up for success. Join us Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 8:30 to 11:30 am and sign up now to reserve your seat!

Success with rain barrels

If you can’t make it, catch this first video in a three-part series from a past online class covering rain barrel basics and beyond.

Buy a barrel, get a rebate

If you get your water bill from Woodlands Water Agency, check out their rebate program. When you buy a rain barrel and turn in your receipt you are eligible to receive 50% of the cost back as credit on your water bill. You can find details for all water-saving items that qualify for rebates on the WWA Website. Ready to buy a rain barrel now? Purchase one at a discount through our nonprofit partner, The Woodlands GREEN.

Join us for hands-on optimization

Rain Barrel Optimization Saturday, September 16, 2023 8:30 to 11:30 am Multipurpose Room of the Aquatics Building at 8203 Millennium Forest Drive (next to The Woodlands High School)

This workshop is FREE, but space is limited. Registration is required, so sign up now to reserve your seat.

This workshop is sponsored by Woodlands Water Agency, Alspaugh’s Ace Hardware of The Woodlands, The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N., Chevron Phillips Chemical, H.E.B., and Howard Hughes Corporation.

Discover more!

Want to learn more about rain barrels? The Woodlands Township Environmental Services YouTube Playlist has 3 videos to help you optimize rainwater at home:

Success with Rain Barrels – 6 Things to Know

Creating a Self-Watering Garden for Birds and Butterflies

Beyond the Barrel – Easy Ways to Work with Rain

Check out the whole playlist here!

Protect Our Forests From Invasive Species: Learn How You Can Help

July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Dear Resident,

You may have noticed volunteers working in green spaces and along pathways near your home. They are helping with a serious problem that is damaging our forest community – the spread of invasive plants.

Many times, plants that are not native to our region are introduced to our pathways from residential landscapes. When an aggressively growing non-native plant, such as Air Potato Vine, escapes from yards and overgrows our native trees and shrubs, we lose valuable habitat for butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. Over time the trees and shrubs can die from lack of sunlight and losing nutrients these invasives remove from the soil.

You can help with this problem by reducing or eliminating non-native invasive plants in your landscape, or by carefully controlling their growth to keep them within the yard. Not sure which plants you see are bad guys? Check out the “most unwanted” plants or learn more with this helpful guide

Warning: Japanese honeysuckle, nandina, Asian jasmine, and other invasive species are available for purchase at many plant nurseries; shop in the native plant section to avoid them. If invasive plants are already in your landscape, consider replacing them with a native one. Not only will you prevent further invasion, but get to enjoy the butterflies and birds that native plants invite into your yard.

Join the fight to save our forests! You are invited to help remove these culprits from our pathways and green spaces. Attend the next training on August 19 to learn more about our worst non-natives, then register to join The Woodlands’ Invasives Task Force to receive notices about workdays and classes.

Thank you for your interest in helping the Township maintain the forested reserve that benefits our native trees, plants, and wildlife! For questions, contact Environmental Services: enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov