I LIKE CONTRASTS, the yin and the yang of it all. And surprises. So I was especially pleased when this heart-shaped outcrop of moss appeared on the stone paving out back by the water garden last spring. It seemed like just the thing to pair with two of my many, many heart-shaped stones for a photo op. Wondered what the “woo-woo” in the logo up top on this blog’s pages meant, in the bright green box? This is it. More examples to come. You can count on 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.)
Oh, that’s not so woo woo. I’d call that enforced serendipity. Or something.
So glad to have found your blog. I recently moved from LA (where I had gardeners, but no garden) to upstate NY (Columbia County), where I have fifteen acres–and no garden–yet (though I do have beautiful chickens.) I am getting ready to put in my first ever vegetable garden, and so am soaking up information everywhere. I’ll be reading, religiously, I suspect, and perhaps sending questions on occasion–hope that’s ok! I am a longtime fan from MSL, bu t somehow didn’t know about your book, which I’ve just ordered.
Another term might be wabi-sabi: the Japanese notion of the perfection of imperfection. I have a book on the philosophy somewhere…
Ever worn a tweed jacket that’s just slightly frayed around the cuffs and felt that it would just be wrong if the frays weren’t there? The same is true in the garden, or anywhere. But I like ‘woo woo’ just as well!
-Andrew
Welcome, Paige. Yes, soon there will be forums for garden Q&A here–I am building them this week to debut next as my two-week-old site gets its next set of bells and whistles. One forum will be just for vegetable gardening questions so I expect I will see you there.
As for my book, it is a decade old but still useful, I hope–and if you want to compare how the garden has evolved you can click on the slideshow link under Who’s Gardening Here? on my homepage, to see it a couple of years ago from a Martha story. More photos to come soon as this new year unfolds.
M.
That looks like a message from the One who creates.
Elizabeth,
Welcome! Yes, there are definitely bigger forces than me at work out there, that’s for certain.
M.