Gardener Gallery

This Davidsonville gardener looks for ways to help the environment. Good practices are also good for her pup!

Debbie, from Tracy's Landing, is identifying non-native plants in her yard and replacing them with natives. She also plans to reduce the size of her lawn and add a second pond.

Master Gardener Nilah has recently returned to a 3-acre, mostly wooded property that was her childhood home. She is currently working to tame the areas directly around her house by removing invasives and adding native perennials and ground covers. Nilah has a long term goal of creating walking paths throughout the beautiful mature woodland she shares with the fortunate foxes, grateful groundhogs, rambunctious rabbits and bevy of birds who make Nilah’s home theirs.

Sandy and her husband enjoy sharing their waterfront property with wildlife and their blueberries with their grandchildren! They've been adding a variety of native plants and shrubs to their garden and are eager to keep learning good practices to protect the Bay.

Master Gardener Lauren has transformed an enormous part of her former grassy yard into a pollinator sanctuary that includes pathways, a beautiful arch and plant id tags.

Carolyn’s Bay-Wise certification was awarded on a beautiful day on the bay we work to protect.

Dawn lives on a 4.7 acre property in an historic house, probably built in the 18th century on farmland. She has undertaken a very ambitious planting project, removing invasive plants, and planting numerous native trees, shrubs and perennials on what remains of the original property. The property, adjacent to a stream, is an oasis in suburbia.

Sharon of Annapolis. Lovely native foundation plantings and perennial beds with a touch of whimsy.

Bill and Joanne of Severna Park, proudly gardening with native plants for decades. So many willow oak trees!

Sharon and Mike are standing next to their magnificent Joe Pye Weed. Sharon is working with her neighbors to promote the need for more sustainable garden practices.

Tamara is adding native plants and tackling steep slopes and invasives in her efforts to protect Herring Bay in Tracy's Landing.

Joyce is happy to have her Annapolis yard certified. She has planned and planted her property to address stormwater with rain gardens and native plants, trees and shrubs.

Joyce is happy to have her Annapolis yard certified. She has planned and planted her property to address stormwater with raingardens and native plants, trees and shrubs.

Over the past two years Carolyn has successfully removed all lawn in her front and backs yards transforming the yard into a beautiful habitat for native plants.

Jamie has successfully transitioned much of her lawn and flower beds to a habitat that will support our native plants and native pollinators.

Sherry has been quite busy converting her garden to include more natives. Quite inspiring (and gorgeous)!

Even though their yard is small, Susan and Paul still found a way to install a rain barrel, two compost bins, and planted herbs and a few native plants in pots around their patio.

Jane from Millersville is currently replacing non-native plants with natives. In the photo she is standing next to her Major Wheeler Trumpet Vine, Lonicera sempervirens, that replaced an invasive Nandina.

A student of forestry at UMD, Ian already has a wealth of knowledge about native plants and is in the process of “losing the lawn” to create a healthy habitat for bees and other pollinators. The wide variety of perennials and shrubs he’s an incorporating will be an important source of food for local wildlife & provide year round visual interest, enticing his neighbors to follow suit. Way to go Ian!

This Master Gardener and Bay-Wise intern is now certified! And look at those beautiful native asters! Congrats!

Richard and Marcia of Severna Park have been reducing their lawn with the addition of many large garden beds which are attracting pollinators.

Valerie is standing by the edge of her tiny but lovely native garden off West Street in Annapolis.

Photo of recently certified Maribeth of Glen Burnie. She has utilized her small yard space to still employ Bay-Wise practices.

Susan planted native perennials to support our pollinators. During our visit, we were able to show her monarch butterfly eggs on the bottom of her milkweed. Congratulations on being Bay-Wise certified!

Jenny from Millersville tackled a slope with lush plantings.

Steven and Jeff of Tracy's Landing are leading the way in sustainable practices for their community.

Joanne from Annapolis is finding native solutions for her waterfront!

After having five dead oak trees removed from their yard; Chris and Pierre are now exploring sun loving native plants for their new garden environment.

These homeowners’ beautiful yard on the water was certified, but they want to become even more Bay-Wise by adding more native plants.

Susan has taken on the challenge of replacing her lawn seriously - there isn’t one! Four years ago she began with a rain garden required for new development by the county and has since filled both front and back yards with a plethora of native plants. Susan’s landscaping has already inspired some of her neighbors and she’s hoping the Bay-Wise signage will prompt more of them to discover what it means to be Bay-Wise.

Jean is rethinking her 20 year old landscape after the loss of several mature Oak trees. She is looking for another canopy tree and some native plants for a garden she shares with her grandchildren.

Susan and Jackie have successfully battled vines that covered trees on their property and discovered a beautiful waterfront view as well as native trees. They have planted grasses along their shoreline and are planting shrubs and groundcover for erosion control on a slope.

Mimi and her husband are planning a pollinator garden to replace a large patch of grass along the entry to their home to join a garden of salvia in their front yard. They have been identifying invasives as well as laurel, dogwood and native holly trees emerging in their backyard.

Michele has planted a series of gardens using native plants and shrubs all around her waterfront property and is planting for erosion control on a slope. She has created a beautiful ecosystem for birds and butterflies all around her home.

This happy homeowner is looking to add more native plants, especially those benefiting pollinators, to her partly shaded yard with sandy soil.

Pamela is working to remove invasive plants and replace them with native plants on her 1 acre home site.

Melanie in Glen Burnie has employed multiple sustainable Bay-Wise practices through native plantings and provisions for wildlife.

This homeowner in Cape St. Claire is well on her way to “losing the lawn," with several islands of plantings throughout the yard. She is focused on adding more natives overall and mitigating storm water runoff through her yard with grasses and other plants.

Emily of Cape St. Claire is creating a feast for pollinators as she's adding many native flowering shrubs and perennials to landscape.

Mary Pat of Annapolis is incorporating natives into the lush landscape that she's created.

Mary Kay of Crownsville has recently added a big beautiful bed planted exclusively with natives. She's adding more native plants throughout her largely wooded property where pollinators are buzzing.

Julie enjoyed showing us her collection of Native Plants while we try to solve issues around stormwater runoff in her backyard.

Jane's yard in Severna Park was certified Bay-Wise. Her entire front yard is a stunning example of infusing a vegetable garden within a landscape of native plants.

Judy has incorporated a wide variety of native trees, shrubs, perennials and ferns around her home. Her work is attracting lots of pollinators and beneficial insects, birds, toads, and other wildlife.

Gavin of Annapolis is reclaiming invasive-covered land and mature trees that were strangled by English ivy. The result is a new conservation area being filled with native trees, shrubs and perennials. The rain gardens pictured behind Gavin are capturing and filtering ALL the roof runoff.

George is interested in learning more about Native Plants, their benefits, and their best uses in his yard.

Layne and Chuck are all smiles after their Bay-Wise certification in Deale.

Karen of Annapolis is adding native shrubs and trees to slow runoff and protect an adjacent restoration stream area.

Happy Annapolis homeowners who have already totally reduced their front lawn, are working on stormwater management with grasses, and are adding native shrubs for wildlife.

Master Gardeners from the Bay-Wise team joined with fellow MG Janet to confirm that her Apprentice Garden project at Kinder Farm Park is following and teaching bay friendly practices. For more information on this and other projects, go to https://extension.umd.edu/locations/anne-arundel-county/master-gardener-program/master-gardener-projects

Linda and Richard from Arnold are battling a huge problem of stormwater runoff and are eager to fill the affected garden areas with native plants that will soak up the excess water.

Cheryl, a member of the Moonflower Garden Club from Pasadena, is looking forward to establishing a new native pollinator bed in her front yard.

Toulette is a happy Crofton townhouse homeowner who is newly certified!

Dennis of Annapolis has directed all downspout runoff into his self-installed rain garden and has reduced his lawn enough to reduce mower gas by half as well!

In the three years since moving to her Annapolis home, Christy has cleared large areas of overgrown and invasive plants and added dozens of native plants. Her efforts have led to a beautiful haven for pollinators, birds and other wildlife.

Kim has been expanding her collection of plants for pollinators, adding more native plants and encouraging butterflies and hummingbirds to visit her home in Glen Burnie. This summer she was excited to have Carolina wrens nesting near her patio, and Monarchs chomping on her milkweed collection.

Martina poses proudly among her native plants in her Bay-Wise Annapolis yard.

Joan's property is located near the bike path in Round Bay surrounded by many native trees and shaded areas for planting. They have been working on ivy and bamboo removal and had a professional create a rain garden by routing water from downspounts and driveway. Joan is excited about choosing native plants to complete her rain garden and incorporating more natives in her yard that will provide habitat for her much loved birds.

Kathy and Chip from Eastport stand near their bioretention swale that handles all runoff from their yard and gutters. They have eliminated lawn in favor of many beautiful natives, including the red-berried winterberry hollies behind them.

Nini is enthusiastically converting the large yard of her childhood home in Round Bay to a more native landscape. She’s off to a sweet start with Sweet Bay magnolias and Virginia sweetspire, seen just behind her in the photo.

Debbie from Shady Side built her greenhouse using leftover windows and doors found in storage in their house

Susan proudly displays her Bay-Wise certification sign. She is ready to use her Bay-Wise knowledge to add to her yard.

Master Gardener intern Ingrid is already a Bay-Wise gardener. Congrats!

Linda is so happy to display her Bay-Wise sign. Her garden is her passion, and she loves to share the joy of gardening.

Lauren and Will: Yard certified! First home, eager to embrace best practices and native plants.

Pat’s yard is chock full of beautiful native perennials, shrubs and trees. She is preparing for the Annapolis Secret Garden Tour and hopes to draw attention to Bay-Wise principles and practices by having her Bay-Wise certification sign prominently displayed in her garden.

Sharon from Severna Park is working to increase the natives in her fenced, shaded yard.

Marilyn and Lloyd have big plans to reduce their grass even further and increase their natives.

Tair’s gardens surround her yard, going all the way to the curb, which assures storm water will be absorbed and filtered via the ground vs becoming run-off, conveyed by an impervious roadway to the Chesapeake Bay. Tair uses cover crops, like annual rye and red clover (as seen in the photo), to protect the soil in her veggie beds over the winter and provide additional nutrients for the garden vegetables she will grow in the summer.

Crystal and her daughter, Madi, enjoy creating herbal and native gardens for pollinators at their Atlantis home. The family have also installed a bee and bat house. They earned 61 inches on the Yardstick!

Kristen has been adding natives to her beautifully landscaped Bay-Wise yard, earning 48 inches on the Yardstick.

Marianne has turned half of her front yard into garden beds and plans to continue adding native plants and to expand her pollinator garden.

Anne lives on the shore of the Magothy River so she had already taken many steps to be Bay-Wise. Her yard and gardens are such an inviting habitat that a doe and her two fawns are regular visitors. Wildlife lover Anne graciously tolerates their occasional nibbling.

Tom and Lily Grace proudly display their Bay-Wise sign in front of their vegetable garden, which includes many pollinator plants.

The Bay-Wise garden of Master Gardener Pat was featured in the 2022 Annapolis Secret Garden Tour. Visitors had lots of questions about native plants and 13 signed up for their own BW visits!

Master Gardener Larissa earned a remarkable 63 inches for her yard. It is filled with natives and other flowers for pollinators.

Karen’s Bay-Wise yard has no grass! Her yard is on a slope, but that hasn’t stopped Karen from creating an inviting area for pollinators on a level portion adjacent to her home. As an eager RSVP to that invitation, a pot of parsley had 3 big swallowtail caterpillars munching away, while a hummingbird moth enjoyed her plot of monarda, now in full bloom.

Julie has developed an extensive garden of native plants at her Gambrills home. She uses no chemicals, fertilizing with compost and fish water.

Richard and Rita proudly display their Bay-Wise sign in front of a beautiful garden recently created with several native plants.

Lauren focused on planting straight species natives in her yard. Master Gardener Mary and Master Gardener Intern Kandi enjoyed touring her yard during this Bay-Wise certification.

Happy Bay-Wise homeowners in South county.

Jane’s entire front yard is a beautiful garden of native plants and pollinators, and she has taken up invasive English ivy in her backyard, and is creating in its place a woodland garden of Packera aurea, white wood aster and other native plants.

Carol is a newly certified homeowner with 48 inches for her Magothy River waterfront yard.

Carol and Cory are thrilled to be Bay-Wise certified. Among the features of their property is a unique stone rain garden Cory developed to divert stormwater runoff from the house downspouts. It has two levels that allow water to slowly trickle away.

Terri is a happy BW certified homeowner who has planted lots of natives in her Cape St Claire yard for a whopping 57 inches.

Like many residents of her Round Bay Community, Lynda’s yard is situated on a slope that might intimidate a lawn mower, but no mowing for her! Lynda landscapes with native plants instead of grass, creating a welcome haven for the pollinators and other wildlife she adores. Joe-Pye weed is among her favorites.

Rosemary started planting natives last fall and is looking forward to expanding her plant palette in the future. She is pictured with the Master Gardeners who conducted her visit.

Dana’s enthusiasm for “going native” is only matched by the number and variety of plants she’s incorporated in her landscape in only 4 years. From trees and shrubs to flowering perennials and ferns, every part of her yard reveals the transformation to a Bay-Wise landscape. Dana noted that many of the trees and shrubs were obtained through the Watershed Stewards Academy’s Backyard Buffers program. The WSA makes tree/ shrub bundles available to the public in early spring for a suggested donation of $10.00. http://aawsa.org/backyard-buffers

Tamara has eliminated pesticides and fertilizers and is finding pockets throughout her downtown Annapolis yard to tuck in many species of native plants. Her beautiful garden is buzzing!

Fran in Edgewater is proud to be Bay-Wise certified!

Carol is championing conservation landscaping in her Saefern community.

Lara and Diane proudly show off the rain garden and innumerable native plantings at Busch Annapolis Library

Patty is adding a meadow to her Edgewater landscape to support pollinators, save mowing time and reduce mower emissions. She's increasing native plant selections throughout yard as well.

Liz and Brian proudly received 56 inches on the Bay-Wise yardstick!

Marsha, from Annapolis, is Bay-Wise. She has a plethora of native trees on her lot!

Malissa and Alex are working hard to transform their lawn to a native plant garden. Malissa is enjoying her Master Gardener class and plans on joining the Bay-Wise team next year.