I LIVE ON A ROAD OF DAIRY FARMS, and have tractor envy, bigtime. My rig to the 10th power wouldn’t even equal theirs. Sigh. So I sit here feeling pitiful, playing this, over and over, kissing frogs and dreaming of hunky machines. (My thanks to Meg Fowler, a Twitter sister, for turning me on to the Wurzels, a whole other kind of hunky, below…right above me.)
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 remember the Wurzels from back in the seventies. They had a string of top ten hits in the UK.
oh yeah. serious tractor envy.
Are we really related?
Ha, I remember this song. Hilarious! When my husband first suggested that we needed a tractor with front end loader I was dubious – not my romantic conception of country gardening. Of course, he was right: http://countrygardener.blogspot.com/2007/06/our-weekend-project-right-of-john-deere.html
Welcome, Country Gardener. Sounds like you have a very understanding husband. Hope to see you soon here again, and thank you for the link (seems like he is a man of many talents; love the idea of the stone bubbler).
How the h*** did I go from reading up on ‘The History of St. Patrick’s Day (on the HistoryChannel.com) and wind up on awaytogarden learning about tractor envy and listening to The Wurzels?!
Now. Go ahead. Ask me which was much more entertaining?
I Like Trucks by Kendal Carson is a sort of companion piece…
Thank you, Anna, and welcome. I think I hear a theme among theme songs evolving here. I do hope we see you again soon, whether the band is playing or not at any given moment. :)
And don’t forget Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks my Tractor’s Sexy”!
Margaret don’t forget Ronee Blaklee’s great Cowboy Song from “Nashville”, “He’s got a tapedeck in his tractor and he’s plowin’ up his daddy’s field…”
Hi, Robert. Now that’s a good one I haven’t thought of in forever. (And I love ‘Nashville,’ and in fact Robert Altman films in general.) Thank you.
Hello from Somerest UK!
Just to let you know The Wurzels are still going strong and regularly appear at local pubs, festivals and farmers markets around Somerset which is where some of the memebers of The Wurzels live.
Thier other classic songs are “I am a cider drinker” and more recently “Make hay not war”….! are great to sing along too after a few ciders!
Welcome, Joanna. Glad for news of the Wurzels. I have been to Somerset on various occasions, garden visiting, no cider-drinking involved (didn’t know what I was missing, I guess). :) See you again soon, I hope.
Hello Margaret
Thank you for your kind welcome. Yes, we are blessed with many beautiful gardens & parkland to visit. We have visited the USA many times often visiting gardens and farm trails and we have been inspired along the way (esp. when I have been reading Martha Stewart Living on the trip). I enjoy reading your blog and your organic approach to your gardening. Spring has truly sprung here and we are enjoying the early blooms and blossom… sunny regards Joanna