Apartment Showcase Blog

Sharing Is Caring (for Plants) at a Fairfax Community Garden Plot

Filed under: Alexandria, Va.,Annandale, Va.,McLean, Va.,Reston, Va.,Vienna, Va. — Scott D @ 11:23 am on April 27, 2012
Community Gardening Plot

Dirty deeds: Whether you're growing raspberries or rhubarb, the rules say you must maintain your plot from May 1 to November 15. (RDPixelShop via Flickr)

Earlier this month, we highlighted Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria.

While researching that post, I found out a little bit about the Community Garden Plots provided by the Fairfax County Park Authority (while it’s on the Green Spring Gardens page, Green Spring Gardens itself does not have a plot, which I found odd).

One of the drawbacks about renting an apartment is the lack of a yard, which many suburbanites who move into apartments greatly miss. My father is a master gardener, and I had a friend who owned a landscaping business, so I’m somewhat familiar with … well, I’m familiar with them loving to grow things. Don’t trust me to do anything but water plants.

I will say one thing: If any of us can grow our own food, only good things can come of it. Wow, I know, really profound. Shut up.

[ Related: Balconies in Bloom: Gardening for Apartment Renters ]

The community plots program features 10 garden plots to choose from in nine locations, with sites in Reston, Alexandria, McLean, Vienna and Annandale, which sports an impressive four plots for your gardening pleasure.

There are more than 650 plots rented on an annual basis. Most of the plots are 30’ by 20’, though 18 plots at the Grist Mill location in Alexandria are 20’ by 10’. Large plots go for $65, smaller ones for $60.

There are Garden Plot Rules and Guidelines to follow. You can’t just bring in your souped-up John Deere and start plowing any old way you feel. Urban gardeners must maintain a sense of decorum. In fact, there are plenty of rules the gardening renter has to follow.

[ Related: Dumbarton Oaks a Center of Learning, Landscaping in Georgetown ]

There are also some eligibility requirements that are covered in that link as well, chief among them: You have to be a county resident.

You’re gonna hate me, but there is a catch here. There’s a waiting list. Why am I blogging about it now? Well, how else are you gonna find out about it? You never know when a plot will become available, and if you stick around long enough, one will. Whether a plot becomes available this year or not, if you’re interested, contact the site.

And if I can encourage you to garden a little (here’s a list of D.C.-area gardening plots, and here’s a similar program in Montgomery County), wherever you are, I think I’ve done a good thing.

Weed on, my friends.

Northern Virginia’s Animal Allies Rescue Group Is the Cat’s Meow

Filed under: Alexandria, Va.,Annandale, Va.,Arlington, Va.,Centreville, Va.,Dumfries, Va.,Fairfax, Va.,Falls Church, Va.,Gainesville, Va.,Herndon, Va.,Lorton, Va.,Manassas Park, Va.,Manassas, Va.,McLean, Va.,Oakton, Va.,Reston, Va.,Springfield, Va.,Triangle, Va.,Vienna, Va.,Woodbridge, Va. — Scott D @ 10:47 am on July 21, 2011
Animal Allies

Staring contest: Animal Allies seems to have a particular affection for felines, but the group offers dogs for adoption, too. (dungodung via Flickr)

Today, we’re gonna talk about an organization that’s near and dear to me, or, sniff, sniff, OK, an organization that bequeathed me Minx, a six-pound ball of gray fur and attitude.

I’m talking about Animal Allies.

Minx – or Minxies, as she’s commonly known – is a half-Tonkinese kitty who everyone mistakes as a Russian Blue. But I knew that wasn’t true early on.

How? Well, besides the fact that the friendly lady at Animal Allies told me Minx was half-Tonka, she meows in Tonkinese (mother) and regular kitty (hit-and-run dad) but not in Russian.

Yes, she’s beautiful, and no, you can’t touch her, even if you’re a cat person. Get out of here. I’m the only one.

[ Related: Woodley Park: Lions, Tigers and Bears! Oh, My! ]

We’re a misanthropic pair, Minx and I. No one else will have us, so we’re stuck together, bearers of three languages and a miserable fortune. But we’re still here, and we have rights, too.

Animal Allies is “a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue of homeless and abandoned animals.” Founded in 1984, Animal Allies is spread out all over Northern Virginia.

These people really care about cats and will work to find them a home. Believe me, they stayed on me until I adopted Minx. Like I said, for whatever reason, I’m the only person that cat’s ever seemed to like. Lucky me.

How about you? Living and working in the Washington, D.C., area can be stressful enough to break anyone. Wouldn’t you want to come home to a furry, purring pal? Sometimes it feels like a pet is the only true friend one can have. Just check out some of these cuties.

As you can see on their listings, the folks at Animal Allies make sure you know what you’re getting. Does the kitty in question like other cats? Dogs? Kids? Does it have health issues? Has it been declawed?

[ Related: Alexandria Leaves Dog Owners Howling With Delight ]

Each animal is also checked for diseases and spayed or neutered (if they’re too young, you’ll need to have them spayed or neutered at the appropriate time as a condition of adoption). There is an adoption fee of course, but your money goes right back into rescuing animals.

Another good thing about Animal Allies is that it’s a no-kill shelter, so you can feel good about that.

The organization provides other ways for you to help cats as well, including opportunities to foster a cat, act as an adoption show coordinator, or donate funds or time.

If you’re an apartment renter in Northern Virginia – or anywhere in the metro area, really – get on the site and find yourself a lifelong friend.

Affluent McLean Gives Renters a Taste of the Good Life

Filed under: McLean, Va. — Scott D @ 6:38 pm on September 4, 2010

Clothes encounters: With more than 400 stores, Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria represent the best shopping in the D.C. area.

McLean, Va., sits inside the I-495 Capital Beltway in Fairfax County. Just minutes from Washington, D.C., McLean offers many roads to take you to the nation’s capital. And hopefully the road of life will lead you to McLean sometime in the near future, as in 2008 the town ranked No. 8 on CNNMoney.com’s list of the nation’s 25 top-earning towns. I could certainly use some of that money.

According to the 2006-08 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimate, McLean has a population of 38,480. Some of the more high-profile citizens are Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, MSNBC superstar commentator Patrick J. Buchanan and AOL founder Steve Case. Tricky Dick Cheney makes his home here, too, supposedly right next to CIA headquarters. But whether or not you’re a national bigwig matters little, because McLean offers the apartment renter a chance to feel that way.

A cultural home for this hoity-toity town is the McLean Community Center. It offers community members of all ages a wide range of attractions and activities, including art exhibits, theater performances, specialty shows, camps, study tours, and assorted classes and lectures. The community center also features the Old Firehouse Teen Center, which officials claim is “the first of its kind in the Metropolitan D.C. area.” Opened in 1990 and housed in a former local fire station, this satellite center gives teens something to do while keeping them out of trouble. It is unclear if they plan to open such a facility for bloggers in their 30s to keep them out of trouble. I’ll keep you posted on that.

McLean is home to Tysons Corner Center and its upscale sister, Tysons Galleria, though there is some confusion about the address. I mean, why the heck is it called Tysons Corner when it’s in McLean? Irregardless (which they say is a grammatically nonstandard word … explain that one to me), these two malls are widely considered the D.C. region’s best shopping extravaganzas. Tysons Corner Center is pretty upscale itself with anchors Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Lord & Taylor. There are tons of stores and restaurant here. Tysons Galleria, on the other hand, offers some downright snobby fare, including Burberry, Versace, Chanel, Lacoste and Thomas Pink. They also feature some very good restaurants like Maggiano’s Little Italy, Legal Sea Foods of Boston and The Cheesecake Factory.

So, if you got a few thousand to spare or a gold card, the Tyson twins are here to relieve you of some capital. The town also has a bunch of grocery stores and is littered with small neighborhood parks and trails, including McLean Central Park on Dolley Madison Boulevard. To paraphrase Axl Rose (with liberties): “If you got the money, honey, McLean can be your squeeze.”

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