AFTER HAULING IN A TRULY GIANT pot of Farfugium (a.k.a. Ligularia) before the snow last night, it’s now official: I had to post a “no vacancy” sign here, too. I’d say to try the barn, but baby, it’s cold inside there. Thanks to the master Andre Jordan for trying to keep us warm with a little humor.
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.)
I completely sympathize —- there is no more window space anywhere here.
The greenhouse is packed. I turned the heat on today; orchids and tropicals are sharing their space with everything until I can lug things down cellar to snooze through the winter.
I, too, can sympathize. I have a horrible love of citrus, and, being an apartment dweller in zone 5b nonetheless, love when they go to “camp” in my parent’s garden for the summer. Then they come home…and it gets more and more crowded every year. Add to that the alocasia I decide to winter over, and the rosemary, and the regular tropicals (which I always buy on clearance and feel sorry for)…oy!
Happening here too. I did less cutting this fall only because I had more potted plants that I acquired over the summer. My problem is having places for all the sunlight lovers.
I LOVE these doodles, esp. the No Room at the Inn, but the others as well!
Too funny! Love it!