gardening

Washtenaw County's rain garden system has filtered millions of gallons of stormwater runoff every year. Now, the program is expanding further into the county. Catie Wytychak from the Washtenaw County Water Resources Office spoke to Rebekah Warren about the expansion and Ypsilanti's upcoming Fall River Day.

The Ypsilanti District Library is bringing in new stories for its ongoing Ypsilanti Farmers & Gardeners Oral History Project. Among the storytellers is Shalina Nicohl Rankin, a local herbalist and founder of Fiery Maple Wholistic Healing, Inc. Shalina shared her contribution to the oral history project in a conversation with Lee Van Roth.

We often ask ourselves how we can make a difference in the health of our environment at home. One of the answers is to build a rain garden. There are now well over 1,000 rain gardens in Washtenaw County as the Water Resources Commissioner's Office has scaled a decentralized network to capture and filter stormwater. It's making a difference, and the effort will expand this year. WEMU's David Fair gets more details in a conversation with Rain Garden Coordinator, Susan Bryan.

There’s a new educational program that's literally transforming the landscape around Ypsilanti Community Schools, sometimes one sweet potato or pawpaw tree at a time. YCS has launched a new agriscience and botany career technical education program. It's part of a countywide push to expand hands-on learning opportunities for students. Lee Van Roth discussed the program and what it hopes to achieve with Ypsilanti Community High School biology teacher Laurel Wiinikka-Buesser.

Fall has arrived, and the transition towards Michigan’s colder months is underway. Many property owners are already looking ahead and designing spring plans for the lawn. That would include Saline resident Edith Anderson. Edith goes beyond modern landscape design and is “Rebuilding Nature: Yard by Yard.” That’s the title of her recently published book. Edith joined WEMU's David Fair to share why more homeowners are trading sterile lawns for living landscapes that welcome back the birds, bees and butterflies.

The Ford STEAM Early Learning Center in Ypsilanti Township cut the ribbon Thursday morning on its new courtyard garden. As WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports, the garden will give students a hands-on learning experience.

The calendar is moving toward the fall. According to the Washtenaw County Conservation District, it’s a good time to plant certain native species before winter arrives. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

It is growing season, and deciding on how to landscape and decorate your gardens is part of the fun of spring and summer. Sometimes, we end up picking things that can have adverse environmental and ecological impacts. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the president of the Ann Arbor Area chapter of The Wild Ones, Marta Manildi, about how to pick safely and beautifully.

The Chelsea Senior Center has received a $1,350 grant from the Wildflower Association of Michigan to help build a native flower garden. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

Spring is approaching in Washtenaw County, and with food prices rising, now is the best time to prepare your food garden. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.