COLUMBIA, SC – Gardeners and would be gardeners are invited to attend the Midlands Plant and Flower Festival, April 19-22, 2007 at the Columbia State Farmers Market, 1001 Bluff Road (across from Williams-Brice Stadium) in Columbia. Visiting the festival is a great way to celebrate Earth Day, April 22.
Commissioner Hugh Weathers said, “Gardening is one of America’s favorite pastimes, and it’s a healthy hobby. But it’s also a way to help protect part of the environment—your yard. Gardeners who establish a backyard wildlife habitat provide a natural environment for a variety of birds, butterflies, mammals, and other animals.”
Featured this year will be the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s (SCWF) Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. Restoring wildlife habitat in the community also restores the ecology of the land on which we live.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is celebrating Earth Day this year by highlighting the President’s wetlands initiative and cooperative conservation efforts on private lands with local partners and landowners. Farmers and ranchers are leaders in the wetland restoration and protection efforts throughout the United States.
Commissioner Weathers said, “We should follow the lead of our farmers – do what they do to protect the environment, but do it right in our own back yard.” On the farm, composting and mulching saves money and helps the environment. At home, we can turn household waste into valuable fertilizer and soil organic matter, too. Save grass clippings, straw, bark chips, and similar materials for mulching material. Farmers also test the soil to determine nutrient status, and they use chemicals only when necessary. Homeowners should have their soil tested and follow label recommendations when using chemicals in the yard. Trickle irrigation systems are frequently used on the farm, especially for fruits and vegetables. Homeowners can reduce the amount of water needed in the back yard by growing plants and flowers that are adapted to dry conditions. And, farmers plant grasses, trees, and shrubs, construct ponds, and create buffer strips for wildlife. Homeowners can landscape the back yard to attract birds, butterflies, beneficial insects, and small animals. These gardening practices benefit the environment – help wildlife, reduce chemicals and conserve water, and improve air, water and soil quality on the farm and in the neighborhood.
Gardeners can stop by the SCWF booth at the Midlands Plant and Flower Festival and register their Backyard Wildlife Habitat. SCWF will also be glad to provide tips and pointers on how to start a backyard wildlife habitat.
Visit the Midlands Plant and Flower Festival, April 19-22, Thursday - Saturday, 8am-6pm, and Sunday, 1pm-6pm at the Columbia State Farmers Market. Come well-prepared. Wear some good walking shoes. Bring a cart or wagon, and a vehicle with lots of room to take home all your selections.
For more information, contact Ansley Rast, 803-734-2200.