organic green lawns

the sweet smell of spring. flowers. trees. grasses. pollen grains. it's all happening. some of it grand, some of it not. our yard is coming out of dormancy and is lush and green. lovely. however, there are also a lot of surprising specimens growing in our lawn this year, things we didn't plant, or planted elsewhere, which are not grass. in short, all manner of weeds and clovers and mosses. some quite beautiful in their own right, but most certainly not as originally intended.

for the last couple of years we have been considering and then working on a transition to organic lawn care. which means we have also been learning to appreciate the beauty and variety that is an organic lawn. like anyone, i like the look of a gorgeous green expanse of well-tended lawn. cool, refreshing, inviting, primal grassland. and like most, i deplore the idea of all the chemicals usually required to keep that happening year after year, especially when i think about all that eventually draining into the water supply and oceans and the devastating compound effects.

in a classic match-up, man versus (human) nature, we will be battling all summer long. which is to say we will be battling our urge to throw nasty chemicals on our lawn to make it look more homogenous and pretty like we used to. but that would be an easy fix that would not take us in the right direction.

there is some terrific information on how to go about organic lawn care here, here, here, and here. great strides have been made in this area in recent years. good soil, corn gluten, corn meal and compost tea are some of the secret ingredients. a vinegar and soap mixture for weeds. though initial costs may be higher, apparently it is actually easier and more cost effective over time if you take a long term view and garden organically. of course, a long term view requires patience. ethically, for the good of the group, it is the right thing to do. will let you know how it goes, er grows.

beautiful summer weather expected over here this weekend. hope you all have a marvelous one. and happy arbor day. xo, g