Tag Earth Day

Photo of a bee hovering above purple flowers.

For Earth Day: Try It Before You Buy It

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Photo of a bee hovering above purple flowers.
The Enchanted Garden at HCLS Miller Branch.

By Jean B.

Earth Day (April 22) challenges us to find new ways to protect and preserve our planet. No doubt you’ve heard the mantra “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” The 3 R’s are all important strategies but REDUCE comes first for a reason: waste prevention is the number one priority to protect the Earth. The less we consume, the fewer things that need to be reused or recycled. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces almost five pounds of waste every day, and a family more than 18 pounds, adding up to almost a ton of garbage annually.

If you want to shrink your footprint and reduce waste, libraries can help. Clearly, by borrowing books instead of buying them, we reduce the number of books in garbage heaps or recycling bins. This Earth Day, lighten your load. Before you buy, TRY IT at the library!

Video games: Don’t gamble on buying a game that may not have staying power. Borrow games from the Library and take them for a test drive before you buy.

Toys: Have your children mastered all the puzzles at home, or outgrown the toys from their last birthday? Surprise them with free toys borrowed from the Library. Play with them for three weeks, then trade them for a whole new bunch!

DIY Tools: Don’t buy something you’ll only use for one project – come to our DIY Center. Whether you need an aerator for your lawn, a pressure washer for your deck, or a special Mickey Mouse cake pan for a birthday, you can borrow it the Elkridge Branch DIY Center.

Artwork: Spice up your home or office walls with artwork borrowed from our Central and Glenwood branches. You can trade it out every six weeks – a waste-free wonder of redecorating!

Building a Better Garden with Less Effort
For adults. Register here.
Establishing a vegetable garden can require a lot of time and money and yield minimal results. Learn how you can establish a productive vegetable plot with less effort than you are currently expending.
Tue, Apr 25 | 7 – 8 pm
Miller Branch

Gardening for the Budget–Minded Kitchen
For adults.
While some veggies are already affordable at the grocery store or farmer’s market and might not be worth the effort to grow (hello onions!), you can easily grow other kitchen staples at home to save money. Find out what they are and discover other money-saving cooking tips.

Wed, Apr 26 | 7 – 8 pm | Savage Branch | Register here.

Thu, Apr 27 | 7 – 8 pm | Online | Register here.

Jean B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch who loves reading books for all ages when she isn’t enjoying the outdoors.

Eric stands on the bottom rung of a ladder, while Kelly holds a garden rake, with a stone wall behind them. A wheelbarrow full of greenery, a box of daffodils, and other gardening implements rest in front.

Spring at the DIY Center

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Eric stands on the bottom rung of a ladder, while Kelly holds a garden rake, with a stone wall behind them. A wheelbarrow full of greenery, a box of daffodils, and other gardening implements rest in front.

by Kelly M.

Does springtime make you dream of gardening? Whether you’re new to gardening or expanding a well-tended garden patch, your library can help you get your green thumb going.

Start with one of our many books on garden planning to get ideas on layout, environmentally-friendly growing techniques, and tips and tricks to help. Find inspiration at the Enchanted Garden at HCLS Miller Branch. Get advice on your plans in-person by attending one of our classes, where Howard County Master Gardeners share their knowledge and experience.

Then begin to prepare your space for planting. Healthy soil is the foundation of a good garden! Avoid tilling the ground, which breaks up valuable soil structure, by building a raised bed. Raised beds sit on top of the ground, with sidewalls built out of a range of materials such as wood board, hay bales, logs, and more. The bed is then filled with nutritious soil and compost to help your plants grow strong. If you have an in-ground garden bed already, it’s a good idea to get your soil tested to see what nutrients it may need. The DIY Center at HCLS Elkridge Branch has your tool needs covered, with saws, drills, shovels, and wheelbarrows available to borrow for free.

If you have limited space for growing, you can try growing flowers and vegetables in containers that can fit on a deck or balcony. Container gardening not only uses space efficiently, it also allows you to move your plants to catch the most sunlight in the spring and fall while avoiding too much sun in the summer. The raised height means you can garden without bending and kneeling, and gives protection from rabbits and groundhogs. Take a hands-on class on how to build a raised bed or container garden like salad table at the DIY Center, and then borrow the tools for free that you’ll need to construct one at home.

Now you’ll be ready to buy all the beautiful flowers or vegetable plants at your local gardening center! All these classes take place at HCLS Elkridge Branch.

Getting your Garden Ready for Spring
For adults. Register here.
Learn about sustainable gardening with Master Gardeners. Discover tips on spring-time gardening tasks for a range of garden types, including vegetable, perennial, and native plants.
Sat, Mar 11
11 am – 12 pm

Learn to Build a Salad Table
For adults. Register at bit.ly/3ZTyZBB
Let’s chat about what a salad table is and why you should build one. As a group, we move from plan to table during the demonstration.
Sat, Mar 18
11 am – 12:30 pm

Earth Day: How to Build a Planter
For adults. Register at bit.ly/3jgRhfL
Make a stylish patio planter for Earth Day. We introduce materials, building techniques, and the proper use of all the tools you need to complete the project and bring some nature into your space.
Sat, Apr 22
11 am – 12:30 pm

Earth Day: How to Build a Bamboo Trellis
For adults. Register at bit.ly/3DwR8eO
Trellises can give plants the space to grow in a garden, and bamboo is an ideal, renewable material. Learn the techniques for building a trellis with bamboo poles and lashing twine.
Sat, Apr 22
1 – 2 pm

Kelly is a DIY Instructor & Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch. She likes to get her hands in the dirt, try new craft projects, and see how many books she can read at one time.