WHAT I HAVE ON MY HANDS HERE is an outright coup d’etat, with all control of the garden being wrested from me even as I sleep, I swear. Do weeds *ever* stop growing, ever take a coffee break, even, or whatever their weedy equivalent of that is? Thanks, Andre Jordan, for commiserating about this shared reality: weed uprisings everywhere. (Need help identifying and eradicating weeds, by the way?)
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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I know exactly how you feel! I just spent 2 hours pulling up garlic mustard and I’ve barely made a dent in it — evil stuff!! :-P It’s so discouraging sometimes, but all you can do is soldier on. Thanks for the much-needed laugh, Andre & Margaret!
Hi, Donna. It is EVIL beyond words. When I arrived here 25 years ago it was everywhere. Now it’s a ritual of a couple of hours a week all season long to keep it at semi-bay. Essential to do the work, though, before it flowers especially. UGH UGH UGH. :)
I am always amazed at how tough those unwanteds are, especially Canada thistle and dandelions.
I need this to be a tee shirt ;)
This would make an awesome t-shirt! I’m off to tackle my weeds this weekend!
I feel so much better that I am not alone.
Is it my imagination that since we have budget cuts the weeds along the highways seem to be sneaking into our gardens? I think it sounds like a good excuse don’t you?
Oh the mugwort – what do you do with the weed that is tolerant of mowing and all known herbicides!!!!!!
I gave in to weeds!… I planted grasses and let the weeds grow. Now it’s magical. North Florida.
Welcome, Valentine. My lawn includes lots of weeds that I just mow, too, though I try to dig some of the peskiest ones before they get totally out of hand. :)
I have the toughest time with duckweed, and simple grass. A couple years ago I thought I was being smart and buried a freshly removed clump of grass in my garden.
I buried it about four inches deep and thought it would be a good snack for the earthworms.
A few weeks later that buried clump of grass began sprouting out of the soil. I couldn’t believe something buried that deep would live!
It is resilient stuff, that’s for sure.
Even with just a container garden, I have weeds. I can’t imagine what we are going to do when we have a acre sized garden. I wish you much luck in the weed war.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I will move slowly tomorrow after spending several hours trying to get rid of salmonberry bushes. I’ve given up trying to get rid of dandelions in the lawn, and now just mow them. It’s impossible to be rid of them when neighbouring properties don’t do so as well.
HELP. A new weed has invaded my garden beds. The demon, hairy bittercress, just keeps on going and growing. Wondering if is problem for anyone else? If so, how are you treating it?