THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996                 TAG: 9603080109
SECTION: HOME                     PAGE: G3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   53 lines

CARE OF ENVIRONMENT COMES NATURALLY MANY GARDENERS THINK ``GREEN'' AND DON'T KNOW IT

GARDENERS ARE special people, in touch with the beauty of nature and eager to help green their communities, says Leonard Perry, horticulturist with the University of Vermont.

``Many gardeners have practiced environmentally sound gardening for years, but never realized it,'' he says.

You are environmentally conscious if you do the following:

Plant trees and shrubs.

Conserve water in your gardening.

Use pesticides and fertilizers judiciously.

Plant native plants.

The benefits from those practices are many.

Trees clean the air and reduce soil and water erosion. Trees, plants and shrubs provide a safe oasis for wildlife, from songbirds and squirrels to rabbits and deer.

As an environmentally conscious gardener, you try to conserve water. Fortunately, this is much easier to do today than it used to be. There are an abundance of native plants on the market, all of which grow well with less water.

Many gardeners use a soil probe to determine if their lawn or garden needs water. This way, they do not water out of habit.

``Today's environmentally aware gardener follows good cultural practices to ward off unwanted pests,'' Perry says. Gardeners should seek advice from their local garden center or extension office to learn how to introduce a pest's natural predators to rid their garden of a particular insect, without using chemicals or sprays.

Others use Bt (bacillus thuringiensis), an organic insect control, or other non-chemical home remedies such as crushed egg shells or stale beer to stop slugs.

``With the emphasis on environmental awareness, isn't it nice to know that you are doing your part to contribute to the health and beauty of the world around you?'' says Perry. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ROBERT STIFFLER

Ed Carruth grows the native plant strawberry bush, or Euonymus

americanus, in his Norfolk garden. Also known as ``hearts a'

bustin'' or ``wahoo,'' the plant has has red fruits in the fall.

KEYWORDS: WEEDER'S DIGEST by CNB