REALITY CHECK: It is October 28, and it is snowing. Please send drugs.
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FROM THE WEEKLY PODCAST
rethinking the lawn, with dan wilder
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.)
It was October 28th, and it was STILL 95 degrees. Please send drugs. I’m going to go sit in the air conditioning, now.
So much for global warming, eh? :)
Wow, that looks like our normal Halloween weather but I’m planting bulbs today and admiring the beautiful chinkapin oak the city planted on our median strip yesterday. By the way it’s gonna be 80 here (Fort Collins, CO) today!
:o)
wow, that’s an amazing capture. I can’t believe how many areas are being hit with snow already.
Welcome, Tom, to A Way to Garden. I know from your book “Shocking Beauty” (and also from your other one, “The Jewel Box Garden”) that you have a way to garden of your own, with a high color tolerance (you make my mild raucousness look positively sissy!) and great plantsmanship combined. Your garden is a favorite of many close friends, and I hope someday we will visit each other in person, not just via our common acquaintances. I am very honored to have your sweet words here. Do stop by again soon.
At last I am writing in on the advice of my dear garden friend Terri Clark- She has extolled the excellent information on your site and now I have to agree having read through some of your entries.
Though I garden on the West Coast in Vancouver we gardeners are all linked by a special Karma across the continent.
Congratulations on your blog’s success. I look forward to many more “good reads” and to hopefully visiting your garden, Margaret, when I visit Terri in Falls Village next year.
It was very cold here for two days. (I broke out the wool socks.) Now, it’s warm, but no snow, thank God.~~Dee
We got to freezing once earlier this week. I took all of my herbs and potted plants into the garage and picked all of my green tomatoes. It hasn’t gotten that cool again yet, and it’s 70+ degrees during the day. That’s why we say, “If you don’t love the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute.”
It was supposed to shower (partly) in Santa Cruz yesterday. Instead: full-blown pelting rain, and even some thunder. (Where was I?)
All of a sudden, someone changed channels and the summer is gone, gone, gone. But we need the rain so badly—I cannot complain.
I’ll go to the garden one more time and pull of whatever remains on the tomato and pepper plants. I feel a little melancholy.
We’re on the same jet stream and there is some beautiful weather headed your way Margaret. It’s 68 degrees here in Wisconsin today with more of the same for the rest of the week – all of it pushing toward you!
I just finished soaking the raspberries, the asparagus and the shallot and garlic beds. Tomorrow the shade garden!
Welcome, Marty, and thanks for sending the gift our way. Feels like sunshine ahead…was very cold this morning, with some very cold overnights forecast coming up, but also some SUN. Did you plant shallots now from bulbs?
Yes, I planted the shallots from bulbs – a little too early I fear – they keep trying to push up green through the straw mulch. Will they do as garlic does and still prosper?
Ooh, ooh… can you send some of those cold degrees our way out here in CA? Its late October and hasn’t chilled down at all.
and re: drugs… would a good book count? I suggest either A Blessing of Toads by Sharon Lovejoy, or the Temeraire series by Novick…
stay warm! Anne