LET THE LONGING BEGIN. Frost finally hit Friday, with two more visits since, bringing many things gradually to their knees. I’d just gathered the last barrow of tomatoes and the final ‘Benary’s Giant’ zinnias in matching tomato shades, red and green and orange, the only zinnia colors I grow. I’ll miss these humble flowers I’ve known since childhood. As we’ve discussed before, and will again: Nothing lasts. Which among the recently hobbled beauties will you miss most?
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.)
Welcome, Larkin…are you trying to make us Northerners all jealous? :) We will post pics of the changing seasons and such to keep you happy, if you will send us some sunshine.
I just moved to Florida, so what I’ll miss the most is the frost! I miss all the colors of fall back home in Washington. On the plus side, I can continue to grow my vegetables into the winter, which is a very exciting feeling. Tomatoes, spinach, herbs, broccoli… I’m even giving a watermelon a try, all right outside on my patio. Everything is doing very well except for the watermelon, but I got it a bigger pot to see if that would help.
Still, I missed the changing of the seasons, and I actually miss needing sweaters and jackets and scarves and mittens. That’s what I miss the most.
I think what I miss the most, during winter, is when it’s just too darn cold to get out there and work in the garden. Indoor gardening is just NOT the same. Will miss my daisies, cosmos, coleus, …
My geraniums are still blooming well and I’ll take some cuttings off the best plants before frost and grow them inside. Call them boring, but I’d be lost without four or five types of geraniums to look at. I love your three zinnias and will make a note to order. I’d planned on having dozens of an all-white variety of zinnia and they were disappointing, with stems too short, and little branching. Do the Benary’s Giants have long stems?
I will miss the flowers of the dahlia ‘Poeme’ and the lushness of the hostas which have, overnight, turned to mush. Time to clean the house for a change and let the garden just be.