The UK has a meadows program. Hyde Park is almost one big meadow now. I mean, you could take that to your council and volunteer to put together a pilot program….
I'm seriously thinking about how I can do something like this...it's going to be a winter project, I think. There's no need for everyone to stop cutting their lawns, but I think the option should be there for those that want to try something like that...and not just out of neglect, but out of a desire to do something positive for the environment. xo
Dandelions grow in disturbed areas, so having them in a lawn is usually a sign that the soil is trying to heal. Their roots dig deep and bring up nitrogen. I'm pro dandelion. I still mow many of the areas around our house because we have a lot of invasive species, like Privet and Wisteria. They would take over if I didn't mow. But we have 6 acres and most of it is not mowed, so there’s a balance. I think the goal in more suburban areas is to keep things tidy - looking like someone lives there. And I can see both sides of this mow or don't mow issue. Lawn mowing gives people a sense of control. An overgrown lawn makes people feel a bit overwhelmed and like things are out of control. So, they mow. "I can't control the news cycle or the bills that keep pouring in, but I can maintain this green patch in my yard." I work in a hardware store and we have a lawnmower/outdoor power equipment shop that is a major part of the business. Lawnmowing is part of our culture. Without a major cultural shift it won't change. I recently signed our property up for Greg Tallamy's Home Grown National Park. Have you heard of this? Maybe it's just in the U.S.?Wild gardens are a good thing. But tidy is suburban. A sense of controlled tidiness is suburbia. And many people move to the suburbs because they are subconsciously afraid of the wild and untamed. Can't believe the people asking how to get rid of frogs at my work. Ugh!! They're afraid of snakes, of bugs, of whatever. (I call aisle 26 the death aisle.) But I try to drop subtle hints about the balance of everything when people come in for their snake-away. I've had some good conversations and some that ruined my day or week. Okay, so this a long comment, but this is in my wheelhouse and I feel like I work (job work) in the paradox of this situation. I think it's about balance. Especially in suburbia, some clean areas with defined flower beds. In the end, as we know suburbia is a myth, we can't escape nature. We just have to keep trying to shift the culture, but I fear it's late in the game. The climate has shifted and our insect populations are dwindling. We can do small things that hopefully multiply into big things in our private yards. In the end, your feeding the birds and the pollinators that will give us a future. Good for you. ♡♡♡
I can't imagine wanting to get rid of frogs. I spotted a toad in the garden yesterday - my first time seeing one here and i practically danced a jig. *sigh*. I'm glad you're trying to have conversations with people...I admire your bravery. The death aisle - yes - we had to walk along that to get to the lawnmower section. Ugh. We did buy a mower and I'm still thinking of how I want to balance the mandated 'tidiness' with what feels right to me. Especially after having seen my new toad friend. That Home Grown National Park sounds amazing. I think we're very behind in those kinds of schemes...the UK seems to do well (No-Mow May and other things). We could do better. xo
No Mow May sounds good and the intent is good, but if people are just allowing invasive lawn grasses to grow this doesn't help with native species that need specific plants for pollination. We should do mow less, mow higher or remove your non-native lawn campaigns.
The before and after photos! Made my heart so happy. Thank you for reclaiming the wild in your wee space there. Such lusciousness for the eyes, I can only imagine what it must be like to actually be amongst it. In our dry, hotter and hotter summers in California my yard looks pathetic since I barely water. Worrying about what the neighbors think is def in the back of my mind more than I’d like. So I feel you. Native and drought tolerant plants and butterfly and hummingbird landscaping are on my wish list. If only I were a more passionate gardener. Or richer. 🤪😂😁
I think that not watering during a drought is absolutely the most appropriate thing to do. And the bonus of doing that, is that the native drought tolerant and pollinator-friendly plants will have the opportunity to flourish. Free of charge!! We work far too hard at trying to be 'natural' -- benign neglect and a small bit of crowd control is all that's really required. xo
Buying climate-appropriate wildflower seeds to fling haphazardly around areas where there would normally be grass or just dirt sculpting (to prevent runoff into our well) was one of my best decisions of 2024. Absolutely breathtaking color, the pollinators were delighted, and bonus, the height those plants all grew to kept the deer out of that corner (better for my intentionally cultivated plants!). Lovely piece!
Have you heard of tapestry lawns? It's a type of lawn made not of grass but of various forbs (like clover, which you mention) and they are much healthier for the soil and more biodiverse than a grass lawn. We're hoping to create one in our new house - they can also be less thirsty than grass so that's a big bonus given our location. When I was reading about them I found that for centuries, grass lawns just weren't a thing - a lawn was always comprised of various different plants, including clover, daisies and other small forbs. There are even Tudor illustrations of lawns which include these small plants and flowers. It's only pretty recently that a pure grass lawn became a big thing (second half of the 20th century, if I remember correctly). So there's historical precedent for your wilder ideas and I think you should be able to let them reign! I am grateful your neighbours don't have plastic grass though. We see quite a bit of it here and honestly I think it should be illegal. It kills the soil, poisons it with micro plastics and prevents water drainage, thereby increasing the risk of flooding. And it's ugly.
Plastic grass?!?! Good grief!! People actually do that? Well, that's certainly something to be thankful for. Though I feel as if that's something my neighbour would fully embrace 😭.
I love the sound of tapestry lawns! I would say that's what ours is, in a way...though I'm thinking of over-sowing with more clover, to perhaps balance out the wild bergamot which is rather thuggish if left to itself. Oh, and daisies! I love daisies. I crush the seed heads of ox-eye daisies all over the place in the hopes there'll be more popping up. Now I feel emboldened by the historical evidence! I mean, even if people let only a portion of their lawns naturalize - a wild edge, like I have -- it would make such a difference to our insect populations. xo
Yes definitely! Great for the pollinators. In the UK lots of people do no-mow May and leave their lawns to grow the whole month to help the garden creatures. I have very fond memories of playing with daisies and dandelions when I was a kid so I love that you encourage them and I think we all miss out in greater or lesser ways when the focus is on manicures perfection rather than a more haphazard, natural form of beauty. And I cannot tell you how ugly plastic grass is 😒
Love everything about this! Want to paint every photo. And corners of our gardens are looking very similar… lusting over your vine covered arbor. I too am becoming more and more wild these days. Tis the season it seems, to counterbalance all the big pharma and concrete 😇. And your Rose of Sharon looks divine, did I spot some purple blooms beyond the white? Do you also have a purple and white Rose of Sharon side by side? When I first moved in I thought the tree produced both colors. Sometimes I still think that 😉
You have inspired me to get out and tend to my wild patch today, trala 🌱 xj
Yes, I too get the want-to-paint it all feeling when I'm out there...or at least, try to capture the essence of it. Plenty of paint fodder for the long winter days! That's a honeysuckle over the arch and it's absolutely divine -- can highly recommend...the blossoms and the scent....*swoon*. I take no credit for the Rose of Sharon...they were all planted by the previous-previous owner. There's white, pink, a variegated white/purple and a really deep pink that's almost purple. There are couple of 'hedges' and some free-standing...along with numerous volunteers. Absolutely stunning...especially this time of year..the bees are in a state of constant inebriation! I think the wilding can come by degrees...as we get comfortable with flaunting convention and training our eyes to see differently ;) xo ps. I'm reading about Zen Buddhism right now so thinking of you ;) xo
Ohhh interesting! I’d love to hear your thoughts on your reading. I think I’ve hinted but not said directly that I encountered some real kerfuffles with the institution when I was working in it for those couple years (humans, sigh) and that has ushered in a season of rogue “chaos zen.” But if zen teachings can be received in essence and not digested as a belief system (which is inherently polarizing in my opinion) it is boundless. 🌚
that's the way I'm approaching it -- not looking for a belief system, as such, more of way to get my monkey mind settled down :)..."chaos zen" sounds like my perfect cup of tea. xo
Amen. We can only go so many inches. Can't quite remember what. Up north it is terrible. So many people have built homes with yards. The houses to my left and right (and beyond on both sides) have lawn people that come == usually on Thursday. I'm not sure which is worse -- the fertilizer pollution or the noise pollution when they come. And the thing is, that grass NEVER (ok, rarely, maybe every three or four weeks) needs mowing. Meanwhile, we have a scrubby lawn -- and that's just fine with me!
I hear you on the noise pollution (HA!) -- the soundtrack of summer around here is lawnmowers and weed-wackers...occasionally power tools of some variety. I much prefer crickets and cicadas....;) xo
i'm with you. i grew up in a rural environment, and only moved to a suburban house post-divorce. the tyranny of the lawn needs to be challenged...and indeed, if i wanted a perfect green monoculture on my little property, it would require quite stunning inputs of effort and amendments to get it started and keep it going. i have a sloping site, so much of the topsoil (if there was any decent soil left after the building process) has washed downhill into the wood. what's left is acidic/tannic as hell from all the oaks and hollies around. when i moved in, they had probably done a "hail mary" lawn treatment to get it looking like a grass lawn prior to sale. it didn't last. now i have a lot of moss, which i rather like, and which fits with my japanese gardening preferences. i'm quite sure the neighbours loathe it, which is a bonus.
The UK has a meadows program. Hyde Park is almost one big meadow now. I mean, you could take that to your council and volunteer to put together a pilot program….
I'm seriously thinking about how I can do something like this...it's going to be a winter project, I think. There's no need for everyone to stop cutting their lawns, but I think the option should be there for those that want to try something like that...and not just out of neglect, but out of a desire to do something positive for the environment. xo
Dandelions grow in disturbed areas, so having them in a lawn is usually a sign that the soil is trying to heal. Their roots dig deep and bring up nitrogen. I'm pro dandelion. I still mow many of the areas around our house because we have a lot of invasive species, like Privet and Wisteria. They would take over if I didn't mow. But we have 6 acres and most of it is not mowed, so there’s a balance. I think the goal in more suburban areas is to keep things tidy - looking like someone lives there. And I can see both sides of this mow or don't mow issue. Lawn mowing gives people a sense of control. An overgrown lawn makes people feel a bit overwhelmed and like things are out of control. So, they mow. "I can't control the news cycle or the bills that keep pouring in, but I can maintain this green patch in my yard." I work in a hardware store and we have a lawnmower/outdoor power equipment shop that is a major part of the business. Lawnmowing is part of our culture. Without a major cultural shift it won't change. I recently signed our property up for Greg Tallamy's Home Grown National Park. Have you heard of this? Maybe it's just in the U.S.?Wild gardens are a good thing. But tidy is suburban. A sense of controlled tidiness is suburbia. And many people move to the suburbs because they are subconsciously afraid of the wild and untamed. Can't believe the people asking how to get rid of frogs at my work. Ugh!! They're afraid of snakes, of bugs, of whatever. (I call aisle 26 the death aisle.) But I try to drop subtle hints about the balance of everything when people come in for their snake-away. I've had some good conversations and some that ruined my day or week. Okay, so this a long comment, but this is in my wheelhouse and I feel like I work (job work) in the paradox of this situation. I think it's about balance. Especially in suburbia, some clean areas with defined flower beds. In the end, as we know suburbia is a myth, we can't escape nature. We just have to keep trying to shift the culture, but I fear it's late in the game. The climate has shifted and our insect populations are dwindling. We can do small things that hopefully multiply into big things in our private yards. In the end, your feeding the birds and the pollinators that will give us a future. Good for you. ♡♡♡
I can't imagine wanting to get rid of frogs. I spotted a toad in the garden yesterday - my first time seeing one here and i practically danced a jig. *sigh*. I'm glad you're trying to have conversations with people...I admire your bravery. The death aisle - yes - we had to walk along that to get to the lawnmower section. Ugh. We did buy a mower and I'm still thinking of how I want to balance the mandated 'tidiness' with what feels right to me. Especially after having seen my new toad friend. That Home Grown National Park sounds amazing. I think we're very behind in those kinds of schemes...the UK seems to do well (No-Mow May and other things). We could do better. xo
No Mow May sounds good and the intent is good, but if people are just allowing invasive lawn grasses to grow this doesn't help with native species that need specific plants for pollination. We should do mow less, mow higher or remove your non-native lawn campaigns.
The before and after photos! Made my heart so happy. Thank you for reclaiming the wild in your wee space there. Such lusciousness for the eyes, I can only imagine what it must be like to actually be amongst it. In our dry, hotter and hotter summers in California my yard looks pathetic since I barely water. Worrying about what the neighbors think is def in the back of my mind more than I’d like. So I feel you. Native and drought tolerant plants and butterfly and hummingbird landscaping are on my wish list. If only I were a more passionate gardener. Or richer. 🤪😂😁
I think that not watering during a drought is absolutely the most appropriate thing to do. And the bonus of doing that, is that the native drought tolerant and pollinator-friendly plants will have the opportunity to flourish. Free of charge!! We work far too hard at trying to be 'natural' -- benign neglect and a small bit of crowd control is all that's really required. xo
Buying climate-appropriate wildflower seeds to fling haphazardly around areas where there would normally be grass or just dirt sculpting (to prevent runoff into our well) was one of my best decisions of 2024. Absolutely breathtaking color, the pollinators were delighted, and bonus, the height those plants all grew to kept the deer out of that corner (better for my intentionally cultivated plants!). Lovely piece!
Oooh..that sounds absolutely gorgeous!! See? It's a win-win!! xo
I agree with Indi Carlton 💃🌻
🥰🌻
Have you heard of tapestry lawns? It's a type of lawn made not of grass but of various forbs (like clover, which you mention) and they are much healthier for the soil and more biodiverse than a grass lawn. We're hoping to create one in our new house - they can also be less thirsty than grass so that's a big bonus given our location. When I was reading about them I found that for centuries, grass lawns just weren't a thing - a lawn was always comprised of various different plants, including clover, daisies and other small forbs. There are even Tudor illustrations of lawns which include these small plants and flowers. It's only pretty recently that a pure grass lawn became a big thing (second half of the 20th century, if I remember correctly). So there's historical precedent for your wilder ideas and I think you should be able to let them reign! I am grateful your neighbours don't have plastic grass though. We see quite a bit of it here and honestly I think it should be illegal. It kills the soil, poisons it with micro plastics and prevents water drainage, thereby increasing the risk of flooding. And it's ugly.
Plastic grass?!?! Good grief!! People actually do that? Well, that's certainly something to be thankful for. Though I feel as if that's something my neighbour would fully embrace 😭.
I love the sound of tapestry lawns! I would say that's what ours is, in a way...though I'm thinking of over-sowing with more clover, to perhaps balance out the wild bergamot which is rather thuggish if left to itself. Oh, and daisies! I love daisies. I crush the seed heads of ox-eye daisies all over the place in the hopes there'll be more popping up. Now I feel emboldened by the historical evidence! I mean, even if people let only a portion of their lawns naturalize - a wild edge, like I have -- it would make such a difference to our insect populations. xo
Yes definitely! Great for the pollinators. In the UK lots of people do no-mow May and leave their lawns to grow the whole month to help the garden creatures. I have very fond memories of playing with daisies and dandelions when I was a kid so I love that you encourage them and I think we all miss out in greater or lesser ways when the focus is on manicures perfection rather than a more haphazard, natural form of beauty. And I cannot tell you how ugly plastic grass is 😒
Love everything about this! Want to paint every photo. And corners of our gardens are looking very similar… lusting over your vine covered arbor. I too am becoming more and more wild these days. Tis the season it seems, to counterbalance all the big pharma and concrete 😇. And your Rose of Sharon looks divine, did I spot some purple blooms beyond the white? Do you also have a purple and white Rose of Sharon side by side? When I first moved in I thought the tree produced both colors. Sometimes I still think that 😉
You have inspired me to get out and tend to my wild patch today, trala 🌱 xj
Yes, I too get the want-to-paint it all feeling when I'm out there...or at least, try to capture the essence of it. Plenty of paint fodder for the long winter days! That's a honeysuckle over the arch and it's absolutely divine -- can highly recommend...the blossoms and the scent....*swoon*. I take no credit for the Rose of Sharon...they were all planted by the previous-previous owner. There's white, pink, a variegated white/purple and a really deep pink that's almost purple. There are couple of 'hedges' and some free-standing...along with numerous volunteers. Absolutely stunning...especially this time of year..the bees are in a state of constant inebriation! I think the wilding can come by degrees...as we get comfortable with flaunting convention and training our eyes to see differently ;) xo ps. I'm reading about Zen Buddhism right now so thinking of you ;) xo
Ohhh interesting! I’d love to hear your thoughts on your reading. I think I’ve hinted but not said directly that I encountered some real kerfuffles with the institution when I was working in it for those couple years (humans, sigh) and that has ushered in a season of rogue “chaos zen.” But if zen teachings can be received in essence and not digested as a belief system (which is inherently polarizing in my opinion) it is boundless. 🌚
that's the way I'm approaching it -- not looking for a belief system, as such, more of way to get my monkey mind settled down :)..."chaos zen" sounds like my perfect cup of tea. xo
Amen. We can only go so many inches. Can't quite remember what. Up north it is terrible. So many people have built homes with yards. The houses to my left and right (and beyond on both sides) have lawn people that come == usually on Thursday. I'm not sure which is worse -- the fertilizer pollution or the noise pollution when they come. And the thing is, that grass NEVER (ok, rarely, maybe every three or four weeks) needs mowing. Meanwhile, we have a scrubby lawn -- and that's just fine with me!
I hear you on the noise pollution (HA!) -- the soundtrack of summer around here is lawnmowers and weed-wackers...occasionally power tools of some variety. I much prefer crickets and cicadas....;) xo
i'm with you. i grew up in a rural environment, and only moved to a suburban house post-divorce. the tyranny of the lawn needs to be challenged...and indeed, if i wanted a perfect green monoculture on my little property, it would require quite stunning inputs of effort and amendments to get it started and keep it going. i have a sloping site, so much of the topsoil (if there was any decent soil left after the building process) has washed downhill into the wood. what's left is acidic/tannic as hell from all the oaks and hollies around. when i moved in, they had probably done a "hail mary" lawn treatment to get it looking like a grass lawn prior to sale. it didn't last. now i have a lot of moss, which i rather like, and which fits with my japanese gardening preferences. i'm quite sure the neighbours loathe it, which is a bonus.
I love moss!! I get excited if I see a patch growing in the 'lawn' -- I've never understood why people don't like it. A bonus, indeed ;) xo
Massively pro-Dandelion! 👍👍👍💛
Haha...thought you might be 😂🥰
So much of the UK is being left to naturalise, huge areas of parks which were previously manicured are now glorious meadows
What a lovely thing that must be to witness! I would love if we could catch up to that idea. xo