Twigs from my garden

This column is being interrupted for an important public announcement (actually a trivial, personal message) about Earth Day 2008. I question how we have fared since Earth Day’s first celebration on April 22, 1970.That first year my 5-year old daughter and I participated with a miniscule project, walking and picking up trash along the country road in front of our Indiana home. We didn’t get very far when I realized we needed to turn around, walk the other side of the road, and head back to the house because our trash bag was already nearly full! Despite all the recent hype about going green and being good stewards of our planet — thanks in part to Al Gore — I’m afraid we haven’t made any progress in the simplest of tasks — keeping our trash to ourselves!Recently, on a promising warm day — a day which, unfortunately, did not keep its promise — I experienced a déjà vu moment when my father and I picked up the winter months’ accumulated trash in front of our properties. As I attempted to dodge sticker bushes and avoid stepping in mud to reach litter thrown from passing cars, my feeling was less hopeful than it had been in 1970. In fact, I began to hear myself muttering not-so-nice epithets under my breath as I wondered why any human beings could be so thoughtless as to think I would want to pick up their trash out of my yard. The only difference between then and now was, then, the litter was mainly glass bottles and paper and, now, in addition, there were aluminum cans and fast food foam containers. Oh, yes, and an even larger garbage bag was filled to the top and overflowing in considerably less time.If this scene is not familiar to you, you may be thinking this column has nothing to do with gardening. However, if you know where I’m coming from, you’re probably nodding your head vehemently in agreement. In my opinion, our yards are extensions of our gardens. Possibly, your yard is your garden. No matter how attractively trash is packaged, it adds no beauty or benefit to our environment.I contacted my township administration office to inquire if it had any signs to discourage littering, for free or for purchase. I was, of course, referred to various other government entities in the county and city. Eventually, I was connected with the one person who had the answer. From her I learned these signs are no longer available and can only be obtained through grants from some agency higher up. I then asked whether there was still a fine for littering. Yes, I was told, there is still a fine, but most people are aware of the fine and they continue to litter. My next questions would have been: is littering ever reported and, if so, are fines ever enforced? I figured the answers to these questions would be no and no, so I let it go at that. For now.Well, perhaps there will never be a solution to the littering problem. Perhaps I can look forward to picking up other people’s trash in front of my house for as long as I am able to walk and bend. Perhaps there will always be people who disrespect God’s green earth no matter who has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Time will tell. At this point, based on my own experience and what I know about human nature and littering, I say, “Stop global warming? I think not!”I’m feeling slightly better now that I have written this cathartic column. Guess it’s about time to walk outside to get my mail. Along the way, I’ll pick up the daily trash that has arrived via airmail.Next week, I promise to crawl down from my soapbox, picking up any litter as I do, and continue with my series on creating unusual gardens.Events• At 7 p.m. Thursday, the Tri-Moraine Audubon Society and Upper Maumee Valley Naturalist Club will hold a joint meeting at the Women’s Club, 654 S. Washington St., Van Wert (across from Wassenberg Art Center). Casey Tucker, an educator who has worked for a nationally known conservation organization, will present “State of the Birds of Ohio.” The talk draws upon 40 years of data to highlight the status of some of Ohio’s bird species and how landscape changes have affected them. For details, contact Carol Bertrand at 419-227-9231.• At 8 a.m. Saturday, Van Wert County Master Gardeners will hold a public plant sale at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds Administration Building. Items for sale will be mums, herbs, select perennials and gardening gloves. Free soil pH testing will also be available. For details, contact OSU Extension at 419-238-1214 or e-mail reed.2@cfaes.osu.edu.Master Gardener Tip of the WeekBlooming forsythia indicate more than the arrival of spring weather. This is nature’s notice that the temperature is right for applying crabgrass preventative on your lawn before crabgrass and many other annual grassy and broadleaf weeds can germinate. Avoid any areas you plan to reseed.