I ADMIT IT, I am overwhelmed. Is it time to give up yet? This always happens to me when spring passes from promise to has-been, and the gardener passes from excitement to insanity. You? How are you holding up out there?
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.)
When it comes to gardening, I never cry uncle until fall when it gets cold and rainy. It’s a constant battle, after all you are fighting and cooperating with nature all at the same time. It’s either love it, or leave it, and I chose to love it.
Welcome, Jane Marie, to A Way to Garden. I am definitely in for a pound over here, too…but there are days when I wonder what I was thinking. But yes, it is a love thing.
I’m sitting here surfing the net in denial that the creeping charlie is taking over.
I wonder what we were thinking. We bought our property 10 years ago and created something resembling a country park, with huge garden beds. Maintaining it is a full time job for me, and I have outside help too. But what gets me crying uncle is the lack of rain. It’s happening again this year. We expect it in mid-summer, but when spring is already dry, I seriously question gardening at this scale. But we were 10 years younger when we started.
I LOVE YOU ALL. Thank goodness it’s not just me. :)
in for a moment as i still have one bed to finish planting (adding plants to) and eight more delphs to plant…
and its hot and humid and ugh…
but almost done…. that shower tonight cant come too soon!
back to the beds
I have pretty much stopped reading blogs (obviously I made an exception) and am seriously neglecting the writing of my own, in order to persevere in the garden. I get overwhelmed every year. I can never engage the enemy on all fronts. This year I am taking back a bed from the goldenrod; meanwhile the garlic mustard remains unpulled somewhere else.
Hi, Kathy. I make the funniest lists, oodles and oodles of lists, of what I need to do…all on separate pieces of paper, which adds to the sense of chaos. At this time of year, before Garden Open Days and such, I am the perpetual chicken with the head cut off (if a longtime vegetarian can be a chicken). Partly from my nature, partly from all my years of Martha training…multi-task, multi-task, multi-multi-multi-task! I like your thought: can’t engage the enemy on all fronts. So tactical.
Mustard. For some reason there are little (and some not so little) mustard plants that are popping up everywhere in and around my ‘rescue garden’ located at the back of the house. These mustard monsters are everywhere! Oh, what is a rescue garden? A small(ish) garden that I use when I find a plant that looks as if it has been a bit neglected at the nursery, needs a good home, but I’m not quite sure where to plant it. Into the rescue garden it goes to gain some strength before it’s placed permanently.
Oh, by the way, if you ever hear me say that I’ve planted ANY variety of mint in my garden again – take away all my garden tools. I could spend an entire weekend pulling up rambling mint!
I realize more each season that I have the seasonal preference of the cyclamen and arum – fall, winter, and spring are fine, but summer is time to go dormant. I hate the muggy heat.
I concentrate on one little bit of garden and in that small moment, everything else goes to hell. I can’t walk from the front of the house to the back without getting sidetracked by weeding or pruning that needs to be done along the way.
Here’s a cartoon (from my favorite, and often off-color, illustrator, Englishman Andre Jordan), that about sums up where I am at after frantically running ’round and ’round from dawn each recent day, combined w/plant-shopping excess.
Just keep plugging! Everything seems half done! The veggie garden is coming along, the fish pond is running but not quite primped enough for pictures, the perennial beds are filling in but the weeds are starting to join in also! The new shrub border needs weeding and mulching to the tune of six yards of mulch and the corn is not yet planted. I guess it won’t be knee high by the fourth of July! It is the best stress around isn’t it!? Blogging is taking a back seat, sadly.
Message to Margaret: You must never cry uncle!
I had the privilege of glimpsing a corner of Miss M’s garden today in person and was left both breathless and speechless! One could barely take in the magnitude of magnificence! As awe-inspiring, enchanting and inspirational as her photography is on these pages, you cannot even begin to imagine what it’s like to see the fruits of her efforts in person.
Keep on keeping on Margaret!
@HVFG: Geez, had I known you were in awe we coulda hooked you up w/a wheelbarrow and a shovel or one of the lawn mowers. Next time!
thank goodness for all of you and your understanding of this season and how insane it is – the public butterfly garden I’m in charge of still has too many weeds, my daughter in law’s garden hasn’t been planted, our farm is behind in planting & weeding, forget my garden – but I am enjoying all the blooms. Just might take the 14th off and finally visit your garden!! love the early bird cartoon!
Welcome, Trish. Too many weeds is right. And you are so smart to be “still enjoying all the blooms.” Great philosophy.