IF YOU LIKE YOUR LAWN CRUNCHY, NOT SMOOTH, then this is your moment (or at least it is if you live in my neighborhood). A 10-foot-wide patch of frost settled on the grass beside the patio overnight, and though it didn’t nip at much else, its message was clear: We have plans for you, Margaret, and they don’t include sunbathing and fresh-picked tomatoes. How’s the weather over 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.)
Hello. Still in the middle of exploring your blog. I just had to tell you that where I am it is hot, hot, hot. I think it has rained everywhere in the city except in my garden.
Welcome, Bom. So sorry to hear it is dry where you are — here, too, all season long, and then many inches all at once last week. Weird. Depressing. I wish you good weather in the weeks to come!
No frost here but it did get down there, about 34 degrees on one of the thermometers. I should not be reading this now (but wanted to check out the roasted beet salad recipe), I still have the garden to take care of.
Thank goodness it is sunny so I’m out soon.
Tis wondrous, how the frost just appears.
Welcome, Angela and Joey. Not enough frost here to get great photos yet, but I expect there will be before long. Thanks for visiting and hope to “see” you again soon.
We haven’t really had frost yet, but it’s so lovely, I can’t wait to go out and take pictures of it.
It is in the 80’s here in Wisconsin and we’ve gone over 3 weeks now w/o any rain. I live next to Lake Michigan and that’s the only spot that didn’t get nipped by frost this past week. The country-side is delightful with wild asters and maples afire. I’m awaiting my garlic to plant!
Same as you over here on the other side of the Hudson. Dusk last night found me checking the weather then running to wrap up the tomato “hedge” with row cover fabric. In the end the bed looked like a giant lumpy ghost with a nodding sunflower head. But this morning there were only a few lightly frosted patches of grass. Reprieve.
Happy to say that in the UK no signs of frost yet, and we have recently started to put the central heating back on at night. There are definitive signs of global warming as in past years the heating would be back on much earlier (early September).
Welcome, Nickitta — and here, too. Weird changes, subtle but powerful ones. No major central heat here yet, either, but everything from frost to mid-70s F. Harvested potatoes today and it felt like summer, I swear!
Planted spinach today in the 85+ degree weather here in VA, but the leaves are just starting to turn, so I know fall will come. Thank goodness we got about eight inches of rain over several days a week or so ago – I think you did too?
No frost yet in Poughkeepsie but as you suggested I broke out the old sheets and covered the tomatoes just in case. The forecast now looks OK for the next 10 days. Maybe there’ll be tomatoes in November.
Up here in NH it was the first full frost. We’d had a few creeping frosts in the field behind, but last night got the garden. I went out and picked the last of the basil before the temp dropped, made one last batch of pesto and froze the rest using your rolled bag method. The frosts are supposed to continue the rest of the week so I’m sure I’ll get to take those beautiful frost photos.
Jack Frost stay away, but Jack the cat can come in! There is color around the pond this morning but thankfully no frost…I have dahlias going to a flower show this week, I hope! Garlic cloves are still sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for me to ready the bed to plant. Mina lobata has JUST gotten started and the cobaea is still not blooming….so again, Jack Frost stay away…..I am sorry he has tread on you if even slightly!
Ah, glorious Virginia — high 70s/50s all week!
We had frost everywhere on Saturday night, but not a hard frost, just about 31 or 32. Didn’t kill my 6′ castor bean plant yet! It’s been in the high 30’s at night since then here in the Catskills. Until last year, we have always had our first snow on Oct 12 or 13th. Last year it was about a week late. This year it feels like we’re a month away from that at the moment; temps in the 60’s and we cut grass yesterday. This global warming program is working for us at the moment. I was almost caught up on planting, and then went to Let It Grow nursery (in Cherry Valley) for their 75% off everything sale last weekend. My planting schedule is in serious trouble, but oh such unusual and lovely plants!
In Staten Island, NY it is in the 70s and the tomatoes are finally producing! Annuals are large and gorgeous! Last year the Frost hit us right before Thanksgiving so I am crossing my fingers it stays away!!
Hi Margaret,
Over here we are actually dry with highs in the mid-60’s and lows towards the end of the week sneaking down to the low 40’s. Our frosts generally come a bit later than yours – late October. But the outlying areas will probably pick up some frosts at those lower temps. Reading your blog provides an early reminder of all the tasks that are coming up.
The temps are cool here in Seattle, but we don’t usually get frost for another month.