Our Garden Journey with Jeanne Kadet and Mike Perel
Do you need a reminder of how wonderful a springtime Native Garden can be during this cold winter? Look no further than Jeanne Kadet and Mike Perel’s “Garden Journey” story and videos created for the 2020 Northern Virginia Sustainable Garden Tour.
Native Plant Beds Photo by Jeanne Kadet
Start the tour by clicking on any photo and be sure to scroll through to the end. Don’t miss several embedded videos that showcase their Audubon at Home Wildlife Sanctuary. And the very first video provides a special ground level excursion by train through the native garden.
Jeanne and Mike have created a delightful virtual exploration of their Annandale property showcasing native plants, vegetables, and wildlife in a natural setting. Their suburban lawn has been reduced and makes way for native plant beds, mosses growing naturally in shade, and a welcoming and beneficial environment for wildlife.
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) 2020 VNPS Wildflower of the Year Photo by Jeanne Kadet
Here is a brief description of the tour:
We will be showing photos from this year as well as what the yard has looked like in previous years and seasons. This is a work in progress, making changes every year as we learn more, especially about the benefits of creating a sustainable and welcoming habitat for our wild neighbors (birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, even reptiles).
Our tour is divided into 4 sections: Vegetables, Native Plants, Wildlife, and Resources/Short survey. You can scroll to view them sequentially or skip to the topic by clicking the icon in the lower right corner of the screen. Throughout the tour we provide some clickable links (underlined in italics) for further information to trusted websites, like the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Please forgive any errors we may have made in labeling the plants and wildlife. There’s always more to learn.
View the Garden Journey Tour with Jeanne Kadet and Mike Perel
Learn more about the Audubon at Home Wildlife Sanctuary Program, created to make a difference by supporting the efforts of property owners and managers to become better stewards of nature in your own outdoor spaces. The program embraces the principles of the National Audubon Society’s Bird-Friendly Communities and promotes citizen participation in conserving and restoring local natural habitat and biodiversity.
Jeanne Kadet is a VNPS Potowmack Chapter member, Green Spring Extension Master Gardener, Fairfax Master Naturalist, Braddock District Representative to the Fairfax County Tree Commission, and an Audubon at Home Ambassador.
Mike Perel is a Master Food Volunteer, garden railroad aficionado, and amateur vegetable grower.
