Raintree Meadowland Stormwater Runoff Garden Plots (“Sponge” Gardens) – A Showy Success

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The photos below show results of the work done from July through October 2011. Several Raintree homeowners and board members, along with oustide volunteers, prepared and planted six plots to help absorb and redirect stormwater runoff in the common area between the soundwall and our houses.

Native trees (Silky Dogwood), shrubs (Chokeberrys), perennials (including Scarlet Bee Balm, Blazing Star, Butterfly Weed, Gray Goldenrod) and grasses (mostly Little Bluestem) have established deep roots and provided flowering habitats for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. As the plants go through their growth cycle, seeds will attract other birds and berries will attract birds and wildlife.

As the photos show, most of the plants are two to three feet tall (some almost six feet tall). The plots have been very effective in “sponging” up excess stormwater runoff. Maureen Goodfellow has been keeping most of the weeds out of the plots but it is an ongoing project. Before winter sets in, sometime this fall, volunteers are needed to weed and mulch all the plots. Volunteers are also needed to weed and remove briars from the Chokeberrys and Red Eastern Cedar trees planted parallel to the soundwall by the auxiliary parking lot.

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Mason District News

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Green Spring Gardens Features 30th Annual Begonia Show and Sale
Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 25 (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), and Sunday, August 26 (12:30 – 3:30 p.m.) and enjoy Green Spring Gardens’ annual Begonia Show and Sale, sponsored by the Potomac Branch of the American Begonia Society.  Expand your plant palette with splashes of color and shape for your home or greenhouse.  The sale offers a wide variety of begonias, including subtropical species.  Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Road in Alexandria.  For more information, call 703-642-5173, or visit the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring.

Farmers Market at Mason District Park
The Farmers Market is held every Thursday morning, from 8 a.m. until 12 noon at Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale.  The market is held rain or shine, May until early November.  For a complete schedule of Farmers Markets in Fairfax County Park Authority, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/wp-farm-mkt.htm.

Spotlight by Starlight Serenades Summer Comes to a Close
Bring your friends and enjoy free concerts through the month of August.  At Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale, enjoy live musical performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings.  Children’s shows are featured at 10 a.m. on Saturday mornings.  At Ossian Hall Park, 7900 Heritage Drive in Annandale, cultural heritage nights are featured on Saturdays, August 4, 11, and 25, and West African music on August 21.  All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.  For a complete performance schedule, visit the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.  Admission is free, and parking is on-site.  Concerts are cancelled in the event of inclement weather.  Call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to performance for updates.

495 Express Lanes: Gallows Road Closed Overnight – Starting at 10 p.m., Saturday, June 9

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Gallows Road (Route 650) will close at I-495 on Saturday night, June 9, from 10 p.m. until 9 a.m., Sunday, June 10, for overhead sign installation for the 495 Express Lanes Project. The closure will be set-up on the Inner Loop (northbound) side of I-495 and Gallows Road.

Emergency vehicles will be permitted through the work zone maintaining access to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. I-495 motorists using Exit 51, Gallows Road will also have access to the hospital. The following overnight Gallows Road detour routes will be in effect.

Detour Routes

Gallows Road south traffic heading toward Annandale will be directed to take I-495 north to Exit 50B, Arlington Blvd. (Route 50) east to Graham Road south, right onto Annandale Road south and follow signs to Gallows Road. To view a map of the detour click here.

Gallows Road north traffic heading toward I-495 north/Merrifield will be directed to take Gallows Road south, to right onto Annandale/Hummer Road, right onto Little River Turnpike (Route 236) west and follow signs to I-495 north. To view a map of the detour click here.

The detour may add an additional 10-20 minutes onto a trip during overnight hours.

Should inclement weather occur, this work will be rescheduled for Sunday night, June 10.

The 495 Express Lanes, two new high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction, from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road, will provide faster, more direct options for high-occupancy vehicles and toll-paying customers. Whether you travel by car, carpool, or bus, these lanes will provide greater control over your commute on the Beltway.

Mason District May 2012 E-Newsletter

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Farmers Market  Returns to  Mason District Park
The Farmer’s Market  returns every  Thursday morning, beginning May 3,  from 8 a.m. until 12  noon at Mason District Park , 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale .    All products sold are produced by vendors within 125 miles of Fairfax County.   Growers  offer  vine-ripe produce, fresh baked goods, herb plants, and much more for your spring and summer time enjoyment.  For a complete schedule of Farmer’s Markets hosted by the Fairfax County Park Authority, and other activities, call 703-324-5390, or visit the Web Site at  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/wp-farm-mkt.htm.

Reminder:  Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Document Shredding Returns to Mason District In May 
On  Saturday, May 19, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. , residents can bring up to  five  medium-sized  boxes of paper per household  for  Document  Shredding   (please remove  paper from  binders ,  remove binder clips , and remove paper clips and rubber bands ).   This event is for paper documents only (no film or computer discs), and is intended for shredding personal or sensitive documents.  Both services are  FREE  for Fairfax County residents .   For a list of recycling and trash-related events in Fairfax County, call 703-324-5230, or log-on to   www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/recycling/intro-programs.htm.

Go Green: Bike To Work on May 18 !
May is National Bike Month and Friday, May 18, is “Bike to Work Day.”  Save some fuel, and join thousands of area commuters, who will use their pedal power and bike to work!  Register on-line at  www.biketoworkmetrodc.org, or call 800-745-7433.  Pre-register by May 11 for free T-Shirt and bike raffle.  T-Shirts will be available at pit stops for the first 11,000 riders who register.  There are more than 50 Bike to Work Day pit stops located in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.   In Fairfax County there are nine pit stops: Tyson’s, Vienna, Reston, Fairfax Corner/Government Center, Fairfax City/GMU, Springfield, Merrifield, Herndon, and Burke.  For more information about Bike to Work Day, or for help with routing your trip, contact Charlie Strunk, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 703-877-5600 (TTY 711), or send an  e-mail to  bicycleprograms@fairfaxcounty.gov.

May 25-31: Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
Hurricane season begins June 1 through November 30, so mark your calendar and plan to replenish essential emergency supplies during May 25-31, when some supplies will be sales tax exempt.  A list of items, and other preparedness information, is available at  www.readyvirginia.gov.  Although spring and summer rains may be heavy at times, it is in the fall when the threat of hurricanes and other severe storms is more prevalent in Northern Virginia.  For information about storm preparedness, visit the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management’s Web site at  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem, or call 571-350-1000, TTY 711.

Mason Matters! The Television Show
The  May edition of  Mason Matters! the television show that brings you news and information about our Mason District community, hosted by Supervisor Penny Gross, features Michael Congleton, strategic initiatives manager with the Department of Code Compliance, and Master Animal Control Officer Jennifer Milburn with the Fairfax County Police Department, Animal Services Division.  Spring cleaning requires time and decision-making about items to keep, toss, or donate, but when  saving too many items is taken to the extreme, it is called hoarding.    Hoarding commonly manifests itself in the excessive collection of printed material, clothing, and household trash.  However, hoarding of animals now can be added to the list, posing a health and safety risk to individuals and animals.   Mason Matters!  airs on Cable Channel 16 every Thursday at 7 p.m., and every Friday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and daily on-line at  www.fairfaxcounty.gov/mason.