MRS. ANDRE is our Litmus Tester. What she thinks about a Doodle by Andre in the making can seal its fate–as in, into the bin, or onto the blog? “This one made her cry,” Andre Jordan reported, “which is usually a good sign.” (I call it a “woo-woo” doodle, and speaking of what goes on beneath the surface: This latest doodle reminds me of this one, from 2009. Remember it?)
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.)
Lovely!
Love this. It’s so true. Even for those of us whose gardens are more metaphorical in nature. :)