Lawns - and how to get rid of them.

[JamesTheLess]

I live in a fairly rural suburb of a small fairly rural city. I say rural in the sense that it has lots of trees, and deer. Still, we have the annoying habit of growing lawns. What can I do about it? Are dandelions and clover enough to get rid of it, or do I need to spread lots of mulch and wildflowers and plant lots of trees?

[jonseyhay]

You might get a smile out of this JamesTL  
http://www.richsoil.com/lawn/god.html

[glenn-k]

I would guess that if you don't make your yard look like every other yard in suburbia, the neighbors will complain and  call the yard cops who will issue some kind of citation. :-/

There is a fellow up here who has covered his entire yard with gravel - I'd guess it's about 1 acre.

[JamesTheLess]

You might get a smile out of this JamesTL  
http://www.richsoil.com/lawn/god.html

Suburbanites
- Black & Dekker

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
so that every mouth can be fed.
Poor me, the Suburbanite. Aah.

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,
So that every mouth can be fed.
Poor me, the Suburbanite. Aah.

My wife and my kids, they are packed up and leave me.
Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen.
Poor me, the Suburbanite. Aah.

Shirt them a-tear up, trousers are gone.
I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde.
Poor me, the Suburbanite. Aah.

After a storm there must be a calm.
They catch me in the farm. You sound the alarm.
Poor me, the Suburbanite. Aah.

Poor me, the Suburbanite.
I wonder who I'm working for.
Poor me, Suburbanite,
I look a-down and out, sir.

[MountainDon]

As far as getting rid of it is there any chance you can sell the sod, as long as it's in good condition. There's a tool/machine rental place here that rents a sod cutter. Depending on how much sod you have and if it's easy to find a buyer, it might be something to pursue.

[JamesTheLess]

As far as getting rid of it is there any chance you can sell the sod, as long as it's in good condition. There's a tool/machine rental place here that rents a sod cutter. Depending on how much sod you have and if it's easy to find a buyer, it might be something to pursue.

Interesting thought, but probably not practical in my case. I have about 2-6" of topsoil and clay before I hit rock. It could be worse. Saint John is mostly rock or bog. I don't have bog. So if I sold my sod I would not have much left. Also, for that past 8 years I have neither weeded nor feeded. That was to cut down on the poison, and the mowing. It really did reduce the mowing, and the weeds are not all that bad really. I get a good crop of dandelions in June, and they are safe to eat. I have tried them as salad greens and they are not bad really. Good with some chives thrown in and a ranch dressing. I haven't tried bacon bits yet. After a couple of mowings in June the dandelions are pretty much done, and in July August I only need to mow once a month. Some sort of thing similar to a dandelion, but different, comes back in the Fall. The other weeds I get are actually very nice. I have various clovers here and there, a nice patch of wild strawberry in one area, lots of buttercups which are invasive but pretty, and johny jump ups doing what they do best, jumping up where you least expect them. A bunch of other weeds that are well known, but hardly noticeable.

I would like more trees though. I have lots of trees growing on the fringes, all by themselves, and I am sure more would grow if I would stop mowing. I have Eastern White Cedar, Mountain Ash, Paper Birch, Choke Cherry, and some sort of Maple. I also have one large Pine and some sort of fir, which I think were planted when the house was built. I think all I would need to do to have more trees would be to stop mowing, but that would be a bit unsightly. Instead I am thinking of just getting a truckload of bark mulch from the local pulp mill, very cheap, and making some rather large beds and planting some seedlings in them, and some perrenials and what not until the trees get bigger. Perhaps more berry bushes and berry shrubs. The mulch would make for rather acid soil, but that is pretty much what is natural here anyways. As for gardening, I will still do lots of that. Raised beds and berry bushes and what not. It is the lawn I have no use for. I have thought of low bush blueberries, but I would like it to look nice. I might keep grass for walking paths.

[jwv]

Here's an interesting website and a surprisingly subversive movement!

http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/initiatives/edibleestates/main.html

Who would think raising vegetable would cause controversy?

Judy

[Amanda_931]

Seems like the green certification for houses in the Seattle area gives lots of credit to "less than 25% of the yard in lawn" or something like that.

the mini-step, depending on where you live, is one of the very low-growing grasses--Buffalo grass or whatever it is that Garden's Alive is selling.

Or something like the very short (and not heavily scented) thyme--Pink Chintz maybe.

[jwv]

Here's a Flickr stream of the Lakewood Edible Estates garden  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27792779@N00/tags/edibleestates/

and this blog has interesting ideas-also may go with the Future of Food discussion

http://jnblog.typepad.com/provocations/2006/07/front_yard_vege.html

Judy

[Amanda_931]

Some of us want everything from Edible Landscaping!

http://www.eat-it.com/

Might also get involved with Permaculture--although they tend to have really expensive courses.  For better or worse, an awful lot of their information comes from Australia or Britain.

this morning I was "out" for coffee and picked up the current (but probably not for long) issue of Country Living.  Which has pictures of a garden instead of lawn in front of a straw-bale house a bit northwest of Toronto.

Both gorgeous.  Tramp art (twig) detailing on the upstairs windows.  And maybe more work than I want to do going into the garden.  

Furthermore I couldn't get away with that lovely pergola and fence/platform/built-in-seats over what looks like a pond or stream.  The bark beetles would just love putting little holes in that beautiful bark.

[Daddymem]

Keep 'em coming.  This has been a plan for our yard since the beginning.  We envision a large deck off the back, perhaps a very small lawn strip followed by something other than lawn.  We just haven't seen what we want yet.  We plan on raised beds with herbs and vegetables in the front.  It is a bit tough around here since it is sooooo sandy and we appreciate any new ideas, links, etc.

[glenn-k]

I vote for food with a few flowers mixed in, Daddymem.  

If you have any horse lovers nearby see if you can steal their manure and compost it to make good soil.  Horse manure is the perfect mix for compost if pure.