NELSON, NH, THE SIGNPOST SAID, pointing off to the right of my backroads route to a recent bookstore event. I knew it led to the former home of a favorite author, May Sarton, but there was no time to detour, at least not then. This week, though, for the late Sarton’s 99th birthday, let’s make time to take a peek into her writing and life—and celebrate. I’ve bought two sets of Sarton books I especially like from among 50-plus she wrote to share in a giveaway to mark the occasion.
THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
