When gardening in urban environments like Watertown, you'll have to deal with pests such as rabbits and rodents. Here are some resources to help you protect your plants by building small cages out of chicken wire or hardware cloth. You can find written instructions for "HOW TO MAKE A SMALL PLANT CAGE IN 15 MINUTES" from Stone Family Farmstead , or if you'd prefer to watch an instructional video, check out the videos below. Hardware Cloth Fencing

Here is some basic information on invasive species from Invasive.org What is an invasive species? An invasive species is any non-native organism whose introduction can cause harm to the environment, human health or economic interests. Some of the invasive species on this website are already serious pests in North America, while others are not yet widespread. What type of harm does an invasive species do? Since invasive species are in a new environment, free from natural predators, parasites, or competitors, they often develop large population sizes very rapidly. These high populations can out-compete, displace or kill native species or can reduce wildlife food and habitat. Some also have the potential to disrupt vital ecosystem functions, such as water flow, nutrient cycling, or soil decomposition. Other invasive species cause massive amounts of economic damage to the agricultural business by destroying crops and contaminating produce. Some invasive species can cause direct harm to humans or domestic animals. What can I do to fight these exotic pests? The simplest and most important thing anybody can do to help fight invasive species is to prevent its' introduction and establishment! Invasive organisms can easily be transported on living plants or fresh products such as fruit. Many pests can be found in recently killed plant material including firewood, lumber, and wooden packing material. Avoiding the long range movement of these materials is a simple way to slow the spread of pests. Buying only certified pest-free nursery stock is also a good idea. It is important to educate yourself and keep up to date on the status of these and other pests. Resources are available through your local extension office and on the web at www.bugwood.org and other websites. These resources have information on how to identify and control exotic pests that have already been introduced. By knowing what to look for and rapidly identifying any new introductions, we may be able to minimize the impact of new invaders. Report any occurrence of invasive species to your local county extension agent, state forestry agency, or to other federal or state natural resource or agricultural agencies. Spread the word; tell your neighbors if you see invasive species on their land. Volunteer with natural resource agencies to control invasive species. Control of small infestations is more effective and economical than trying to control a well-established, rapidly spreading infestation. Common invasive species in and around Watertown Black swallow-wort Black Swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae) (invasive.org) Stop the spread of Black Swallow‐wort ( Cynanchum louiseae) (mass.gov) - 1 page Multi flora rose Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) (invasive.org) Japanese knotweed Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) (invasive.org) Oriental bittersweet Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) (invasive.org) Garlic mustard Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) (invasive.org) Asian Jumping Worms Jumping Worm Factsheet Spotted Lantern Fly Landscape: Spotted Lanternfly Management | Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at UMass Amherst PDF SLFHomeownerMgmtGuide.pdf (massnrc.org)

Backyard Composting Resources Composting Basics from Cornell Extension Detailed Composting Instructions from Cornell Extension MassDEP Composting Instructions Instructions to make a wire compost bin Local Residential Composting Services Black Earth Compost Bootstrap Compost City Compost (no longer in operation) Healthy Soil resources Building Healthy Soil - a good comprehensive article about building healthy organic garden soil Climate Victory Gardening 101 from Green America. Includes 10 Carbon Capturing Practices The Carbon Sequestering Garden - a Northeast Organic Farming Association MA Chapter NOFA/Mass publication International Year of Soils 2015 from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Symphony of the Soil (film) - is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil. By understanding the elaborate relationships and mutuality between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, we come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource. The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health

Native plants which evolved in a particular area provide more benefits to wildlife than non-native plants. Many insects and animals have specialized relationships with specific types of plants. Monarch butterflies' caterpillars eating only leaves from milkweed plants is one example out of thousands. By planting a diverse range of native plants, and using ecological gardening/landscaping practices, you can create Habitat in your own yard or urban environment. Places to buy native plants Blue Stem Natives (Norwell, MA) Native Plant Trust (Framingham, MA) Russell's Garden Center (Wayland, MA) The Monarch Gardener (Ipswich, MA) Lady Fern Farm (Central MA) Wild Seed Project / Northeast Native Seeds (Maine) City Natives (Mattapan, MA) How do I add native plants to my garden? Native Plants for the Small Yard: Easy, Beautiful Home Gardens that Support the Local Ecology ( Ecological Landscaping Alliance ) Balcony gardens – Natives in pots for urbanites and people on the move ( Wild Seed Project ) Attracting Pollinators to the Garden (Ohio State University Extension) Recommendations for Pollinator Gardens ( Friends of Bees ) Caterpillars, Butterflies and Bees - Keystone Plants and Soft Landings ( Pollinator Pathway ) What to Plant ( Blue Stem Natives ) Garden Design ( Blue Stem Natives ) Native Garden Design for Boston ( Wild Ones ) Break up your lawn using cardboard How to build a toad home in your garden Belmont native plant seed library at Belmont Public Watch or listen online Grow Native Massachusetts ’s Experts Videos Ohio State University: Pollinators in the City Speaker Series Native Plants Healthy Planet Podcast Backyard Ecology Podcast How to Protect your plants from animals Tools Garden Plant Finder ( Native Plant Trust ) Native Plant Finder ( Audubon Society ) Native Plant Finder ( National Wildlife Federation ) Go Botany ( Native Plant Trust ) Where can I see native plants in the wild? Garden in the Woods - Native Plant Trust (Framingham, MA) Nasami Farm - Native Plant Trust (Whately, MA) Mass Audubon Sanctuaries (Throughout Massachusetts) Local organizations Ecological Landscaping Alliance (New England) Friends of Bees: Working Group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment (Watertown, MA) Mystic Charles Pollinator Pathways Facebook Group Grow Native Massachusetts is based in Waltham and has a plant sale in the spring, usually June. Their website is also full of information National organizations Homegrown National Park National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Pollinator Pathways - Public and private pesticide-free corridors of native plants that provide nutrition and habitat for pollinating insects and birds. Even the smallest green spaces, like flower boxes and curb strips, can be part of a pathway. Wild Ones

If you're wondering where to get seeds and plants for your garden, take a look at the resources below. If you have more recommendations, let us know with an email, info@watertowngardens.org . Vegetable Seedlings and Plant Resources Newton Community Farm - has a seedling sales in May, see website for info Mahoney's - Locations in Brighton, Concord and other Boston area locations. Gore Place - Gore Place in Waltham is selling seedlings City Natives - in Mattapan Places to buy seed Johnny’s Selected Seeds - an employee owned company in Maine that sells seeds and plants, also sells equipment and has lots of good information on their website and in their paper catalog Fedco Seeds - also in Maine, Fedco is owned by members, both workers and consumers. They also sell plants, equipment and supplies and have good information in their catalog High Mowing Organic Seeds are located in VT. There are a variety of small local seed catalogs Hudson Valley Seed Company looks like a bigger company, they’re in NY Seed Savers Exchange is based in Iowa on Heritage Farm and as you might expect they have lots of heirloom and open pollinated seeds Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is based in California and they have all sorts of varieties from many different countries. Additional info about shopping for seeds Seeds for planting flowers and vegetables can be found at your local garden center, and these are a good place to start. If you want a large selection of seeds with information on their history and cultivation, with options for heirloom and other open pollinated varieties in addition to the hybrid varieties, and some which have been produced using organic methods, then you will want to check out some of the online sources listed below. Most of these catalogs offer open pollinated and heirloom seeds. Many also offer hybrid seeds which have more consistent characteristics but you can’t save hybrid seeds for the next year. Seed saving can be done with open pollinated varieties including many of the heirloom varieties that have been grown decades or more. Some of these providers also grow some or all of their seeds using organic methods. Their seeds also vary in price and the sellers in their size and specialties. If you want to delve into the details, check out some of these seed sellers. Their websites and catalogs offer a wealth of information.