NO, I WAS NOT BORN IN WACO, TEXAS, nor do I play the banjo. And no, I never worked at Disneyland, though these days I feel as if I live in a fairytale, if not a theme park exactly. Lately, nonetheless, I have developed something in common with Steve Martin (and Amy Sedaris and Jon Stewart and a few other writers who get out of the house a little more frequently than I do). Want to know what it is?
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.)
Congratulations! I’m so looking forward to reading your book.