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October 15, 2009

Whacking, Mowing, Edging and Blowing

In my continuing effort to recognize the people that took the effort to comment on Native Suburbia, this is a response to feedback we received from Long-term resident of the Gingerbrook subdivision:

Long-term resident of the Gingerbrook subdivision wrote at 2009-09-27 08:36:

What I like - the fact you provide an alternative to the myth that a suburban (Bartlett) lawn must resemble a professional ball field to be accepted.

What I dont like - at times I think that you could use a little more color in the landscape.

Some comments to your notes -

I have a neighbor who spend Hours each weekend - Whacking, Mowing, Edging and Blowing; I'm guessing the serenity of your garden would make for a better weekend companion.

Flagstones, per the Village, are a hazard? I would offer to remove your flagstones, Only after every brick monument mailbox (located along various Village parkways) is addressed as a similar hazard. I would sooner slip over your flagstones then into a brick-encrusted mailbox.

I see that there still may be hope for Bartlett when another resident recognizes that our yards do not have to look like professional ball fields. I find the ball field look to be very boring. The yard might as well be painted green for all the visual interest that the typical lawn provides.

Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So the comment that my yard could use a little more color is not unexpected. We have all been programmed to believe that beautiful gardens consist of dense patches of brilliant colors. I include myself in that category. I was programmed, but now I have re-educated myself to appreciate a wider variety of landscaping textures and colors. Let's not forget that green is a color and so is brown. There are many shades of each and they can be just as interesting as the yellows, oranges, reds and blues if you allow yourself to consider them. A tiny white aster may not be the most dazzling bloom ever seen, but when they all pop in late summer it provides a nice show at a time when most of my neighbors have already chopped and vacuumed any flowers they may have grown during the summer. I do not even chop down my garden in the Fall. I leave the dried remnants in place to provide a home for overwintering insects and visual interest for me through the long winter months. The brown and black stalks contrast in many interesting ways with the snow. They provide reminders of the miracle of nature that created all of those plants in a few short months of summer and a reminder that it will all happen again during the next summer.

The lack of whacking, mowing, edging and blowing in Native Suburbia certainly does lend itself to a more serene outdoor experience. Unfortunately, I am surrounded by so many people that continue to do it, that I rarely get to enjoy any peace and quiet. As soon as one person finishes their mowing, the next one starts up and when that one is complete, the cycle continues. I forlornly refer to these as the "sounds of Summer". But sometimes, if I am lucky, I can sit out in the back yard and listen to the birds and the insects for up to an hour. On these occasions, I imagine a world in which my neighbors are doing the same and we can all forget about the lawn mowers and enjoy the true sounds of Summer.

/ruminations | Permalink (2 comments)

Comments


Benia wrote at 2009-10-16 13:14:

Another benefit of leaving up all the less vibrant dried remnants in our yard is the attraction to wildlife. The seeds are a very important food source for many animals.

Each morning when I gaze out our window while eating breakfast, I see goldfinches landing on the stems of purple coneflower, golden glow, and stiff goldenrod in the backyard, inching up toward the seedheads at the tops and feasting upon them (between cautious glances). The goldfinches are also a little duller in color this time of year, which helps them blend into the scenery for added safety.

Nature knows what its doing. I don't think people need to keep trying to "improve" things (more color, etc.) because it keeps mucking up the delicate balance that has been established over the centuries. I admire the symbiotic relationships and strive to allow them to continue to exist.

Julia Vanatta wrote at 2010-03-19 03:53:

What did you do with the your broken lawnmower? I have a path and I let the violets fill in. The bunnies use the same path and keep them well maintained. I find that as long as I don't disturb the ground, very few weeds germinate. As for my leaves, I don't rake. They hold in moisture and provide natural fertilizer. I am fortunate to live in a very environmentally friendly neighborhood in Minneapolis.

I discovered you through a fellow Wild Ones friend on Facebook. Reading your journal has been very timely, as I am speaking on Native Plants in suburbia on Saturday.

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