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Started By
Message
re: honest question…why do so many of you soak your yard with chemicals?
Posted on 3/7/24 at 8:40 pm to LegendInMyMind
Posted on 3/7/24 at 8:40 pm to LegendInMyMind
quote:
Having a more natural yard/lawn isn't the same as just letting nature take over. It is about making different, and it can be argued better, choices. Most neighborhoods you ride through are nothing more than non-native turfgrass lawns and non-native (also sometimes now invasive) ornamental plants/flowers. None of that offers anything of value to most things in a local ecosystem.
A simple approach is choosing native "wildflower" species over the traditional imported options. That alone provides something for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
it would be cool to have a thread about this. Ive always like those French cottage "wild" looks, Just have no idea ow to do it
2
Posted on 3/7/24 at 8:49 pm to jamiegla1
quote:ironically, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do (and mostly free of charge)
Just have no idea ow to do it
Posted on 3/7/24 at 8:55 pm to cgrand
quote:
ironically, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do (and mostly free of charge)
any tips?
Posted on 3/7/24 at 8:56 pm to cgrand
quote:Sorry baw, I thought you were asking why we “soak our yard with chemicals?”
If you don’t like it, then this thread is not for you
Posted on 3/7/24 at 8:56 pm to cgrand
I treat my front yard so my children can play on it.
I treat my yard because I think it looks aesthetically pleasing.
I treat my yard so that I can stare at it from my front porch and have a sense of accomplishment that I was able to achieve order from the chaos and disorder that is nature.
I have an orchard backed by a natural area that is untouched and unmolested both of which are home to a huge variety of butterflies, bees and other insects. But there is peace and satisfaction in a perfectly manicured yard that is zen like.
I treat my yard because I think it looks aesthetically pleasing.
I treat my yard so that I can stare at it from my front porch and have a sense of accomplishment that I was able to achieve order from the chaos and disorder that is nature.
I have an orchard backed by a natural area that is untouched and unmolested both of which are home to a huge variety of butterflies, bees and other insects. But there is peace and satisfaction in a perfectly manicured yard that is zen like.
This post was edited on 3/7/24 at 8:57 pm
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:01 pm to cgrand
I am a good steward (is there another spelling I’m missing out on) of the environment. I don’t promote full spraying of lawns with herbicides, I don’t suggest fungicides as a preventative measure, etc. My flowerbed is where I promote nature. I rarely, almost never post in tree/shrub threads. I plant butterfly/bee friendly plants: butterfly weed, lantana, and coneflower. I do not treat them. Butterfly weed gets aphids every year and it is what it is. I do have praying mantis that I have to watch around the monarchs though.
I have zero issues with anyone wanting to use their own property as they see fit. I respect their decision. I know zappas stache is on your team and he’s a quality poster with a lot of knowledge.
I have zero issues with anyone wanting to use their own property as they see fit. I respect their decision. I know zappas stache is on your team and he’s a quality poster with a lot of knowledge.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:11 pm to jamiegla1
you are best served by starting slow
pick an area (preferably in the shade) where you can stockpile materials. Start dumping all your leaves, pine needles etc there and give them a year to rot. keep piling it up
now you have a fungi rich soil amendment that cost you nothing.
pick your planting areas in full sun. Don’t worry about them being symmetrical or square. Use the topography of your property and go all the way to boundary (house/sidewalk/driveway etc). Fill that area with your soil amendment and whatever other bulk material you can get your hands on. Dump all your potted soil in there. Dump your cardboard in there. Dump your coffee grounds, paper towels, vegetable scraps, toilet paper…anything compostable. Cover it up with much and wait a season. The fungi you got from your rotted leaves will do its thing.
in the fall, sow wildflowers. Go get or order whatever perennials are native to your area. Go nuts and choose a dozen different ones. Mix them all up in a bucket and sow them randomly. Water good and wait
after the spring/summer blooms once winter comes it will look like shite. Ignore it
when spring comes again, cut down the dead shite and throw it in your pile of leaves area to be recycled. Re-sow any bare areas in the spring. It will always change and never look the same two years in a row
the sheer diversity of insect and animal life that will immediately explode will astound you. And best part…no weeds.
pick an area (preferably in the shade) where you can stockpile materials. Start dumping all your leaves, pine needles etc there and give them a year to rot. keep piling it up
now you have a fungi rich soil amendment that cost you nothing.
pick your planting areas in full sun. Don’t worry about them being symmetrical or square. Use the topography of your property and go all the way to boundary (house/sidewalk/driveway etc). Fill that area with your soil amendment and whatever other bulk material you can get your hands on. Dump all your potted soil in there. Dump your cardboard in there. Dump your coffee grounds, paper towels, vegetable scraps, toilet paper…anything compostable. Cover it up with much and wait a season. The fungi you got from your rotted leaves will do its thing.
in the fall, sow wildflowers. Go get or order whatever perennials are native to your area. Go nuts and choose a dozen different ones. Mix them all up in a bucket and sow them randomly. Water good and wait
after the spring/summer blooms once winter comes it will look like shite. Ignore it
when spring comes again, cut down the dead shite and throw it in your pile of leaves area to be recycled. Re-sow any bare areas in the spring. It will always change and never look the same two years in a row
the sheer diversity of insect and animal life that will immediately explode will astound you. And best part…no weeds.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:16 pm to jamiegla1
quote:
it would be cool to have a thread about this. Ive always like those French cottage "wild" looks, Just have no idea ow to do it
A little at a time. There is a Facebook group (I don't have Facebook, but I've seen some of their stuff and listened to the lady who started the group) called Pollinator Friendly Yards. She was a guest on episode #79 of a podcast called "Nature's Archive". Whether it is that group, or some other resource, there is more info out there now than maybe ever.
The easiest way to start is to know your area and then ask one question when making decisions about what you are thinking of putting in your yard, "What does this provide to the ecosystem I live within?". Most every native plant is going to provide something to the native wildlife, birds, insects, etc. that have evolved alongside it in your area. That's the big issue with big box and large nurseries, they focus almost exclusively on non-native species that offer nothing to the creatures that have inhabited the area they are being planted.
So, the next time something in your yard dies, just do research for a native plant our flower that is closest to it and suited for your area and replace it with it.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:19 pm to ronk
quote:
I have zero issues with anyone wanting to use their own property as they see fit. I respect their decision. I know zappas stache is on your team and he’s a quality poster with a lot of knowledge.
You can't just beat people over the head with things and be confrontational over it. It is just a preferred approach that I personally feel everyone would be better off to embrace to some degree or another.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:20 pm to LegendInMyMind
If you're a reader, this book is a good start:
His "The Nature of Oaks" is a good one, too.
His "The Nature of Oaks" is a good one, too.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:32 pm to LegendInMyMind
thanks man. And to cgrand. I could actually enjoy messing around in my yard if it felt more "organic".
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:36 pm to jamiegla1
I promise you will
you will feel connected
you will feel connected
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:39 pm to jamiegla1
A good thing is that the demand for native plants is really growing these days. There is probably a nursery either specializing in natives, or offering a good variety of natives within a comfortable drive of you. Search "native nurseries" in your state, take a drive, and check them out. Some have really good websites that are pretty informational and worth looking over, and some ship plants.
The good thing about many native plants is that they are heartier than more common options. They aren't as finicky because they are literally the best suited plants for your area because they evolved there over hundreds or thousands of years. If you choose correctly they usually don't require a whole lot of special care.
The good thing about many native plants is that they are heartier than more common options. They aren't as finicky because they are literally the best suited plants for your area because they evolved there over hundreds or thousands of years. If you choose correctly they usually don't require a whole lot of special care.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:43 pm to cgrand
quote:
I promise you will
you will feel connected
ok I officially take back my thanks
Posted on 3/7/24 at 9:58 pm to cgrand
Why do you care? Is it hurting you? I’m sure there’s stuff you do in life that other people find dumb.
Why can’t we all just do what we like without being judged?
Looking at your post history, you have a pet. I think pets are dumb and a waste of resources. Why do you enslave that animal and not let it run free like nature intended? Why don’t you spend the money you do on that mutt to do more fruitful things for society? Why are you so selfish?
Why can’t we all just do what we like without being judged?
Looking at your post history, you have a pet. I think pets are dumb and a waste of resources. Why do you enslave that animal and not let it run free like nature intended? Why don’t you spend the money you do on that mutt to do more fruitful things for society? Why are you so selfish?
This post was edited on 3/7/24 at 10:02 pm
Posted on 3/7/24 at 10:00 pm to cgrand
This is my yard last year. Few more weeks and it will look like this again.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 11:19 pm to cgrand
OP to each his own. I get what you are saying, I truly do, but I don’t want weeds in my yard. It’s not like I napalm my yard all year long. I walk around and spot spray the few weeds I actively see growing 2-3 times a year. I make sure to follow the directions, and I don’t spray anything that will run off in the ditches before a rainstorm. The neighbors in my neighborhood that don’t keep their weeds in check mow 3 times as much as I do for 10 months a year. I prefer to mow less and have a nice fairway looking lawn. If I lived out in the country I’d be more open to doing some of the things you mentioned above.
Posted on 3/7/24 at 11:32 pm to cgrand
quote:
What is it about monoculture that is so appealing? How is fighting a losing battle time or cost effective? Where in the natural world is there ever a zero sum outcome?
Surely you don’t cut your grass then. That’s the biggest zero sum game in lawn care.
This post was edited on 3/12/24 at 10:38 am
Posted on 3/8/24 at 3:04 am to cgrand
quote:
If you don’t like it, then this thread is not for you
He's doing the exact same thing as you in complaining about what someone else is posting about.
Posted on 3/8/24 at 5:45 am to cgrand
Well for starters, some parts of the country have a climate conducive to beautiful nature. Wild flowers and a cold cycle that keeps it all in balance. Deep South Louisiana may contain swamps that have a type of beauty, but I’ve never seen a successful wild yard in this state. Portland? Yes. Boise? Yes Bozeman? Yes.
Here if left to nature, it will look like an abandoned trailer park in 4 months. Step one to a beautiful French cottage landscape is to live somewhere with a more French or English climate
Here if left to nature, it will look like an abandoned trailer park in 4 months. Step one to a beautiful French cottage landscape is to live somewhere with a more French or English climate
This post was edited on 3/8/24 at 5:46 am
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