Growing up, I absorbed a lot of values from my Ol’ Texas Daddy – a strong commitment to the Common Good, a healthy work ethic, and a lively sense of humor.
How about a city that uses native plants and vegetation on its own properties and encourages property owners to go native? Look at Sanibel, FL, a barrier island off Southwest FL. It has a city council vegetation committee and publishes a 72 page environmental handbook. And a checklist of native plants for all island habitats. The committee holds tours of its properties for homeowner's to see what native looks like. The city bans fertilizer use during the summer rainy season since it runs off into all water bodies and feeds algae. Since hurricane Ian in 2022, many property owners are going native since they were forced to redo their landscapes ruined by the storm. Natives are more storm resistant. And need little or no irrigation.
I was born in Crestview and lived many years in Tampa and Lake City. This sounds more like the common-sense folks I grew up with and love. Yay, a little of the real Florida.
We love it! Heartily tired of lawn services bombarding the neighborhood with reminders that the lawns need work (theirs, with prices going up every year) and landscapers coming into the 'burb twice a week running their noisy, smelly riding mowers. Our Georgia soil is mostly red clay and stays baked and cracked from May through September, so all attempts to grow "nice" grass are doomed. We are simply letting the sweet native weeds take over. Thanks for sharing that you feel that way too, Jim!
I feel the "grass thing" was an attempt by the putative middles class to emulate the wealthy--who could afford to employ people to maintain those huge, nicely-clipped lawns. It's a waste of water, time, and effort making food for grubs!
As an afterthought, highly recommended for exploring the origins of suburban "culture" is the hilarious classic "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank" - the chapter about the suburban lawn - by the immortal Erma Bombeck. The whole book is a hoot!
I wholly subscribe to that idea. For half of my life I wondered why I was a slave to a lawn that I had to water, feed, mow, water some more, feed some more and mow again, and again, and again, and again. So ,finally came the day of the revolution. I purchased a home on a wooded 1+ acre lot (in the middle of the city) that had not a single blade of grass. I have not mowed a lawn since and don't even own a lawn mower. It was the best investment I ever made.
I would just recommend that people looking to buy a house choose a place that does NOT have a HOA. Those ruthless organizations are mostly owned by private equity groups, or unscrupulous greedy politicians, and they hamstring home owner in so many ways, including what they can and cannot plant in their own gardens.
I’m with you Jim,let my backyard go to the native 🍀 and let the rabbits eat all they want,neighbors are not my concern ,I like the fact that the rabbits have food that’s not poisoned and can be pretty friendly after a few weeks,plus a quickie mow and it makes a great lawn for a BBQ nobody’s the wiser.
In general lawns look nice if they are kept up, but honestly lawns are the biggest waste of time effort and money that a person or family can find. Think garden, green paint, natural growth, concrete, anything but grass. Mower , watering, fertilizer, hose, Gads what a mess, for what neighborhood competition? NOOoooooopo!
I grew up in New Englad, where we hardly ever watered the lawn And when in drought, there were "even-odd" evening allowed. The I moved to southern NV. At that time I was appalled at the waste of water spraying high into the shy when a sprinkler head broke I couldn't belive it-in the desert wasting that much water! Withing a few years the Water District moved forward, eventually curbing watering and grass area restriction. But in the meantime, I learb=ned about drought-tolerant plant, tree, flowers. And they can be beautiful and easy to care for. Any watering is done by weepers, not sprinkler heads. Yards are just beautiful, and the local parks, street scapes, walking paths And those plants are so varied! No need to live in dirt just to avoid watering a lawn.
I'm guessing that your wild yard is not overseen by a Home Owners' Association. The one where I lived in Harris County hired a monitor to drive through the streets and report when the grass got too long. This year I got tired of mowing over an acre of grass and reduced the mown area to a few paths. Surprisingly, most of the grass has stayed under 8 inches and I can see different varieties now.
One of the things I love most about my property is living in the woods and letting nature have its way. I also enjoy all the wildlife that visit daily.
The right to decide for whom you will vote; freedom to think; freedom to speak; freedom for a female to decide what will grow in her own body; freedom to decide what grows on your own front lawn...
Why do some feel they can dictate what my vision should be for a front yard: they dictate a harmful toxic bland green monoculture while I prefer native plants, locally adapted, that contribute to the natural ecosystem.
I live in the SW. I went desert landscape due to water shortages in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Carpetbagger corporations are building huge home developments without regard for a guaranteed water supply. First in time, first in right. This has been going on for 50 years.The fit is starting to hit the shan
My backyard (in Iowa) basically is a terraced bioswale. I do some tending - pulling out noxious weeds, dead foliage, etc. - but no grass, except for very tall "prairie grass" sort of growth, along with trees, shrubs, bushes. Been doing this since we moved in - 2008. Also, the city of Cedar Rapids has a list of trees from which we could choose to replant after our 2020 derecho; because of the borer and the dutch elm disease, ash and elm trees are not among those recommended, but there are 3 or 4 "tiers" of recommended trees.
Jim, Yes to your thoughts on rewilding. Unfortunately, here in CA they are so afraid of wildfires that they are forcing us to cut down or drastically trim the trees we already have (and forcing us to pay for the work they require!)
Building a home in the forest (urban-wildland interface) impedes wildland firefighting efforts. Resources are diverted to protecting structures rather than managing the forest. Home owners in this interface should protect their homes by having a defensible perimeter. Cut the trees next to the house and put in fire resistant landscaping within 200 feet +/- of your home IF you do not want to see it burn.
Rewilding is also good for birds and other life in our neighborhood.
Yes to this and leave the leaves down until Spring to encourage more insects for the birds etc.
How about a city that uses native plants and vegetation on its own properties and encourages property owners to go native? Look at Sanibel, FL, a barrier island off Southwest FL. It has a city council vegetation committee and publishes a 72 page environmental handbook. And a checklist of native plants for all island habitats. The committee holds tours of its properties for homeowner's to see what native looks like. The city bans fertilizer use during the summer rainy season since it runs off into all water bodies and feeds algae. Since hurricane Ian in 2022, many property owners are going native since they were forced to redo their landscapes ruined by the storm. Natives are more storm resistant. And need little or no irrigation.
Fantastic!
I was born in Crestview and lived many years in Tampa and Lake City. This sounds more like the common-sense folks I grew up with and love. Yay, a little of the real Florida.
We love it! Heartily tired of lawn services bombarding the neighborhood with reminders that the lawns need work (theirs, with prices going up every year) and landscapers coming into the 'burb twice a week running their noisy, smelly riding mowers. Our Georgia soil is mostly red clay and stays baked and cracked from May through September, so all attempts to grow "nice" grass are doomed. We are simply letting the sweet native weeds take over. Thanks for sharing that you feel that way too, Jim!
I feel the "grass thing" was an attempt by the putative middles class to emulate the wealthy--who could afford to employ people to maintain those huge, nicely-clipped lawns. It's a waste of water, time, and effort making food for grubs!
As an afterthought, highly recommended for exploring the origins of suburban "culture" is the hilarious classic "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank" - the chapter about the suburban lawn - by the immortal Erma Bombeck. The whole book is a hoot!
Yeah, the grass was always greener, lusher and healthier where our dog had pooped.
I wholly subscribe to that idea. For half of my life I wondered why I was a slave to a lawn that I had to water, feed, mow, water some more, feed some more and mow again, and again, and again, and again. So ,finally came the day of the revolution. I purchased a home on a wooded 1+ acre lot (in the middle of the city) that had not a single blade of grass. I have not mowed a lawn since and don't even own a lawn mower. It was the best investment I ever made.
Ah, city life! Do you have a car? Some places in Europe are using horses to provide public transportation from block to block service. To Horse!
Actually, we live in the suburbs and a car is absolutely necessary even for grocery shopping.
I would just recommend that people looking to buy a house choose a place that does NOT have a HOA. Those ruthless organizations are mostly owned by private equity groups, or unscrupulous greedy politicians, and they hamstring home owner in so many ways, including what they can and cannot plant in their own gardens.
I’m with you Jim,let my backyard go to the native 🍀 and let the rabbits eat all they want,neighbors are not my concern ,I like the fact that the rabbits have food that’s not poisoned and can be pretty friendly after a few weeks,plus a quickie mow and it makes a great lawn for a BBQ nobody’s the wiser.
In general lawns look nice if they are kept up, but honestly lawns are the biggest waste of time effort and money that a person or family can find. Think garden, green paint, natural growth, concrete, anything but grass. Mower , watering, fertilizer, hose, Gads what a mess, for what neighborhood competition? NOOoooooopo!
I grew up in New Englad, where we hardly ever watered the lawn And when in drought, there were "even-odd" evening allowed. The I moved to southern NV. At that time I was appalled at the waste of water spraying high into the shy when a sprinkler head broke I couldn't belive it-in the desert wasting that much water! Withing a few years the Water District moved forward, eventually curbing watering and grass area restriction. But in the meantime, I learb=ned about drought-tolerant plant, tree, flowers. And they can be beautiful and easy to care for. Any watering is done by weepers, not sprinkler heads. Yards are just beautiful, and the local parks, street scapes, walking paths And those plants are so varied! No need to live in dirt just to avoid watering a lawn.
I'm guessing that your wild yard is not overseen by a Home Owners' Association. The one where I lived in Harris County hired a monitor to drive through the streets and report when the grass got too long. This year I got tired of mowing over an acre of grass and reduced the mown area to a few paths. Surprisingly, most of the grass has stayed under 8 inches and I can see different varieties now.
One of the things I love most about my property is living in the woods and letting nature have its way. I also enjoy all the wildlife that visit daily.
The right to decide for whom you will vote; freedom to think; freedom to speak; freedom for a female to decide what will grow in her own body; freedom to decide what grows on your own front lawn...
Why do some feel they can dictate what my vision should be for a front yard: they dictate a harmful toxic bland green monoculture while I prefer native plants, locally adapted, that contribute to the natural ecosystem.
I live in the SW. I went desert landscape due to water shortages in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Carpetbagger corporations are building huge home developments without regard for a guaranteed water supply. First in time, first in right. This has been going on for 50 years.The fit is starting to hit the shan
My backyard (in Iowa) basically is a terraced bioswale. I do some tending - pulling out noxious weeds, dead foliage, etc. - but no grass, except for very tall "prairie grass" sort of growth, along with trees, shrubs, bushes. Been doing this since we moved in - 2008. Also, the city of Cedar Rapids has a list of trees from which we could choose to replant after our 2020 derecho; because of the borer and the dutch elm disease, ash and elm trees are not among those recommended, but there are 3 or 4 "tiers" of recommended trees.
Jim, Yes to your thoughts on rewilding. Unfortunately, here in CA they are so afraid of wildfires that they are forcing us to cut down or drastically trim the trees we already have (and forcing us to pay for the work they require!)
A high fire risk area?
No, just the state of CA worrying about the possibility of wildfires.
Building a home in the forest (urban-wildland interface) impedes wildland firefighting efforts. Resources are diverted to protecting structures rather than managing the forest. Home owners in this interface should protect their homes by having a defensible perimeter. Cut the trees next to the house and put in fire resistant landscaping within 200 feet +/- of your home IF you do not want to see it burn.
John Fulton,
All that you describe has already been done and they still insisted we prune and cut down still more of our trees.