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Seasonal |
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Seasonal Tips and ObservationsEarly Summer 2007The spring and early summer have been wet, and the grass is growing fast. Keeping the lawn neat and tidy requires mowing at least once a week. Upkeep of the lawn requires not only an expenditure of time, but in many cases expensive gasoline for a power mower that spews pollutants into the air. If the lawn is to be weed free and lush, weed and feed treatments are also needed once or twice a year. And consider water. The regular rains so far have not required that we get out the sprinklers, but what’s happening to the rain that falls? Much of the recent rain has been in the form of storms. Because the grasses that are used for lawns have shallow roots, heavy rains can’t saturate deep into the soil and filter back into the aquifers, a primary source of fresh drinking water. During a storm event, only the first ten minutes of rain saturate the top layer of soil. The rest of that water runs off into streams and lakes, carrying with it the fertilizers and weed killers that have been used to treat the lawn. It may be time to consider alternatives for next year. Wildflower Meadows
At first, a wildflower meadow may seem too informal in an urban or suburban context. But with appropriate planning and design, a meadow can look intentional and cared for. If you would like to consider a wildflower meadow or other alternatives to a lawn, please contact Lasoff Landscape Design for a consultation.
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For those who like an open look on their property, a wildflower meadow is one solution. Imagine a field of color that provides food, shelter, and nesting places for birds and butterflies. It needn’t be large, and the deep-rooted perennial plants will open up the soil and allow rain water to seep back into the earth. Unlike a lawn, a meadow will not provide a home to the beetle grubs that not only kill the lawn, but which as adults feed on shrubs and trees. And once the meadow is established, it will need to be mown only once a year!