Join us! The Dufief Green Team is open to all Dufief homeowners and renters. Its goals are:
● To undertake projects to enhance our common areas, using plants native to Maryland. Such projects include the landscaping at the front entrance (from Rte 28), removal of invasive plants in common areas and enhancement of our traffic circles.
● To undertake projects that support residents who wish to create wildlife habitat in their yards, such as pollinator garden workshops, plant giveaways, yard visits to give pointers on getting started, etc.
● To enhance appreciation for the natural areas adjacent to our development by inviting residents to join nature walks on the Muddy Branch Park trail.
Contact us at Dufiefgreenteam@gmail.com. We will also be contacting the community via the Dufief Calendar. Your participation is welcome at any level, whether for a single project or
many!
Green Team Projects
Dufief Pollinator Gardens, Dufief Drive and Rte 28
This spring, the Dufief Green Team has been hard at work installing pollinator gardens on either side of Dufief Drive at the route 28 entrance. Two 50 ft beds, alongside the low stone walls, are now a showcase for plants native to Maryland. A listing is below.
9 volunteers planted 26 shrubs and over 400 perennials that will attract birds and pollinating insects, and provide an array of color in spring, summer and fall. These plants will not only provide nectar, pollen and seeds for wildlife, they are also host plants for many moths and butterflies, providing food for their larvae.
Plant ID markers have been placed in the beds, and descriptive signs are planned to describe the ecological benefits of Dufief’s new pollinator gardens.
Deer netting has been installed to protect the plants until they are established, probably until next spring. The plants were carefully chosen as those less popular with deer, but of course we all know that deer will eat anything when hungry.
We hope that you will visit these beds often and get inspired to use some of the native plants that you see in these beds in your own yards. The Green Team would be happy to advise on native plant nurseries in the area. Our contact information is DufiefGreenTeam@gmail.com.
Listing of Plants
Shrubs
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
|---|---|
| Inkberry ‘Shamrock | Ilex glabra |
| Virginia Sweetspire | Itea virginica |
Perennials
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
|---|---|
| Fox sedge | Carex vulpinoidea |
| Great Blue Lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica |
| Golden Ragwort | Packera aurea |
| Black Eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta |
| Wreath Goldenrod | Solidago caesia |
| Blue Wood Aster | Symphyotrichum cordifolium |
| Aromatic Aster | Symphyotrichum oblongifolium |
| Golden Alexanders | Zizia aura |
| Purple-headed Sneezeweed | Helenium flexuosum |
Green Team volunteers for this project:
Carolyn Carlson
Moira Davenport
Vin Kortraiah
Sana Kumar
Fred Mingo
Ryan Nutter
Roger Rasnake
Mariel Solomon
Stephen Walter