EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE AN ANDRE DOODLE just makes me want to open up the magic door and look inside that head of his, and see where all of his utterances come from. Fascinating. What’s the backstory on this one, Andre? And what do you all think: Is a mushroom that tastes of dead worms good or bad; compliment or insult? Seems to me even the really expensive ones do indeed hit some funky notes on the tongue, no? Isn’t that what mushrooms are all about?
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.”
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LOL I read that as a tweak to someone who takes the whole organic thing a little too seriously, or credits it with a little too much righteousness. Not an unkind tweak, necessarily, but … well, people need to lighten up sometimes.
…worm killer. good one
You have a GREAT blog! I enjoyed visiting. I like the doodles, too! :)
Welcome, Amy. Thank you for the kind words; much appreciated. I hope to see you again soon.
hahaha. Yes, I think chigal got it just right. good one, Andre.
Hmm, I’m picturing Andre foraging at 3am in the neighbors lawn with a mushroom basket in one hand and miner’s light on his head.
Not a compliment.
Welcome Blog Author(s). That’s what I thought at first, too. Fascinated to read everyone’s take. Hope to see you again soon.
I to agree with chigal on the hidden meaning of Andre’s doodle. Organic or not, I won’t tell you my thoughts on the taste of shrooms.
Andre, how do you know what dead worms taste like?
Haha! I get it. Organic gardeners are alway bragging about how much better their veggies taste, but the reality is THEY TASTE THE SAME as non-organic vegetables lovingly grown in one’s own yard. That great taste comes from the planning, planting, and patient waiting that comes with growing your own vegetables. Oh yeah, and the sweat.
My dad always says, “It tastes/feels/looks better when you work for it.” Wise man.
Oh yeah, and the disclaimer: I am pro-organic when the conditions stand for it. My garden is not perfect. I believe compost is King. Manually picking bugs is my first step in pest control. I leave my grass clippings in place rather than fertilize with synthetic fertilizers. But I’m not afraid to use the big guns when things fall out of kilter.
I don’t think Andre got it right with this cartoon. Don’t mushrooms, for the grocery store trade, get grown in HORSE manure in special buildings????? NO need for worms! I LOVE the “Organic” pitches some people have! I was at a farmer’s market, a while back, and ALMOST fell over, when a fruit vendor, told a prospective customer, that the RASPBERRIES that she was thinking about buying, were all “Naturally Grown, and pesticide FREE”. I have raspberry bushes, and you just plant them, and they produce fruit. Other than eliminating dead canes, and triming them in the late winter, NO spraying is ever needed. He was full of Horse Manure, on that one!!!!!!!!! ********* If you have read my comments for the past few months, I am a lover of PREEN. I put it on ALL of my flower beds and boarders, BUT not on the vegetable patches. ANY PLACE where I will be taking food from, I would NEVER use a things like that. I went out and bought CONCERN brand, ALL natural 100% corn gluten. AFTER perfectly ridding my vegetable patches of any weeds, I applied it. First of all, the smell was that of CORN CHIPS. You would almost got the MUNCHIES applying it. It is a orangy color, the color of JACKS. I think it is unsightly. A few days after applying it, and having watered it in, it molded! I don’t know it that is part of what is supposed to happen. A few weeks have passed, and weed, and crab grasses have started again. I am not crazy about this one. It reminded me of a PREEN product that was put out a few years ago for Vegetable Gardens, and labeled as Organic. It was NOT that great either. I have some left, and looked on the container for ingredience, and they don’t list any. So far two LOOSERS. I will try again with Jonathan Green products. I love their 5-10-5 , so maybe their’s will be better. So for me, here at Whimsey Hill House, real Organic in the vegetable garden, is HAND WEEDING.