Photo by Bill Green Ray and Leona Zerby planted about 100 tiny oak and walnut trees on a hillside of their 15 acre property near Urbana. They were participating in the Maryland Forest Service's Residential Tree Planting Program.

Now imagine that's your garden, your own little eco-Eden. Achieving that natural paradise may be easier than you think. Whether you live on a quarter-acre lot in a subdivision, a tiny city lot or a larger property in the country, if you live in Frederick County, there's a program to help you get started.

Neighborhood Green is a cooperative program between local and state governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. There will be a series of three workshops on Tuesday nights beginning May 11 for anyone who wants a little help in making their yard a more eco-friendly place.

Offices involved include the Frederick County Watershed Management office, the Frederick County Cooperative Extension Service, the Maryland Forest Service, the City of Frederick , Forestry for the Bay, the Potomac Conservancy and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.

Gardens and trees may not seem like the stuff of government, but mini habitats combine to make larger habitats. Good habitats for bees mean pollination for crops and fruit trees. Healthy wetlands improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

More trees create more shade, which helps people cut down on air conditioning. Trees and plants also take in lots of carbon dioxide, which cuts down on carbon emissions.

Ray and Leona Zerby live just off Thurston Road near Urbana . They have 15 acres. They have some tall walnut trees, some craggy old oaks, some pine trees.

The Zerbys, both 82, still cut and split their own wood for their woodstove. A few years ago, they took advantage of the Maryland Forest Service's Residential Tree Planting Program, and planted 100 tiny oak and walnut trees along a hillside on their property.

Although deer have eaten some of the trees, along with other vegetation on their property, many of the trees are now 2 to 3 feet tall and growing. They no longer mow the area, and the Zerbys expect the area to be a forest for their children and grandchildren.

The Zerbys are one type of property owner Neighborhood Green will help. But the program is also aiming for any property owner who wants to convert a patch of grass into a garden, a stand of trees or both.

"We're trying to create circumstances to make things successful," said Mike Kay, of the Maryland Forest Service's Frederick office. The Maryland Forest Service is part of the Department of Natural Resources. "So many want do something; they just don't know how to go about doing it."

Shannon Moore, watershed management coordinator for Frederick County, said grant money may be able to provide interested homeowners with financial help for trees. Programs including the Maryland Environmental Trust, the DNR, and other programs offer grants or cost-sharing.

The workshops will have information on these programs and how to apply for them. The City of Frederick already has a program encouraging residents to plant trees to increase the city's tree cover.

Workshop presenters will offer advice on weed control. Those who have questions about specific areas of their yards are encouraged to take photos and bring the photos to the workshop.

Participants will make a map of their property. They will refer to "The Woods in Your Backyard," a book produced by the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, which discusses how to convert areas that are mainly grass or overgrown weeds into a healthy woods.

They'll also get into the nitty-gritty of what are the best tools to use. Good tools can make all the difference.

Weed control can include getting rid of pesky invasives, like Indian strawberries, ailanthus, garlic mustard and winged euonymous. Ailanthus is so invasive it can produce a natural herbicide that is toxic to some other plants.

Experts in trees and plants will be available to guide property owners.

"Oftentimes homeowners have to go it alone, purchasing the trees at cost, planting themselves, sometimes having poor results," Kay said. "Many other landowners fail to act, not realizing the importance of doing something or being frustrated with not knowing where to start."

Yet it's through the homeowner that forest retention and reforestation can be made as this area becomes more and more developed, he said.

Voles, little rodents that love to munch on small plants, can be controlled by mowing grass short, Kay said. Even in areas where the grass is let go, several mowings a year can control voles.

Homeowners will also learn how to get their soil tested to help them calculate what trees and plants are most suitable for their soil.

Ginny Brace, president of Friends of Waterford Park, will guide participants through the park during the third evening of the workshop, May 25.

Brace began planting trees and shrubs in Waterford Park in 2005. "We show them what kinds of trees grow well in certain kinds of soil," she said.

"We talk about issues, the deer and the invasive plants that used to be here," she said. For deer control, park volunteers are using chicken wire fencing. They are also mowing a buffer area three times each year to prevent voles from eating plants.

While the park is 18 acres, about half of it is woodland and half of it is open. There are small sections of plantings that people can relate to their own backyard, Brace said.

A similar program was offered last year, but this year, organizers hope to reach more people, and build on the program year after year.