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| Picture taken through the window from the comfort of home. |
Jan at Thanks for today blog is sponsoring a Gardeners' Sustainable Living contest where bloggers all across the world can post about the ways they are living sustainably. Gardeners are normally sustainable people and live very responsibly within our world. It is neat seeing how all the participants approach this topic of sustainable living. Well today is my take on my sustainable living. If you'd like to see my post on sustainable living from last year just click here.
This year I am outlining one small area I try to live sustainably and responsibly. I look at sustainable living as a means of promoting environmental diversity and living in harmony with the natural world. My natural world includes my little footprint here in my gardens. I try to promote environmental diversity here by gardening organically and using natural materials found on my property in order to maintain the gardens. I limit my use of pesticides preferring instead to garden mechanically (read: pull weeds and pick off bugs by hand) but I do occasionally resort to pesticides. When I do use pesticides I use them according to the label instructions and I use them responsibly. Today I'll examine one small change I have made when using pesticides. I have decided not to treat my lawn with pesticides.
My gardens include many living things in all forms ranging from the tiniest ant to the the peskiest vole to the colorful butterflies, a plump and wet robin and all the way to the sky with the whispering hawks that glide overhead. My gardens (and I consider my lawn part of my garden) are used by not only the wild things, but the friendly dogs who reside here or who are just visiting.
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| Sadie, our foster dog. She will be on a transport to New York this weekend. |
Sadie, a coon dog mix, is one such friendly dog who loves my yard. I've never had a hound dog but geez, she is always on the job! That nose is to the ground all over the place. Rain and storms? They don't faze her. Given her druthers she'd be in the garden all day long tormenting the rodents who live here. Ever see four dogs go after a chipmunk? Who do you think won the race? It wasn't the silly dogs that's for sure. I have a very genuine concern for my dogs and I don't want them walking/sniffing/playing or anything in turf grass that has been treated with chemicals. Not treating my lawn is a major change I am making to live sustainably with my natural world; including those cute friendly dogs who live here.
Not using chemicals on my lawn will be a big trade off for me. I hate weeds in my lawn. I can't help it, I just hate the weeds and I know that come this summer I will be gritting my teeth when all the goosegrass shows its ugly white stems amongst my tall fescue. But I already have a plan in place to deal with the goosegrass and other weeds. Are you ready for it? I will dig the weeds out by hand and failing that, I will pretend I don't see the weeds. I'm leaning more towards not seeing the weeds-how about you? What do you think?
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| Mr. C's farm pond. Picture taken from the back of my property by the fence. |
Another bonus of not treating the lawn is I can ensure there is no run off from my property to the adjoining properties. I am a very lucky lady who has a lovely farm pond behind my home and the natural lay of the land allows for the flow of rain to that pond. I've been most careful in the past when applying fertilizers and herbicides here but I think I'll just forego them altogether now....
in the garden....
In addition to Jan's Blogorama I am linking to another blogger who has a similar meme going as well. You can find that post here.
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
It may sound obvious, but it's so important, as you say, to "read the label," Tina. I remember in our MG class last year on pests and pesticides hearing stories about people who misused chemicals. I haven't used pesticides in my garden for several years, but I do have a container of Sevin in case the squash beetles get out of control again. Like you, my first concern is my grandchildren and my pets, but I'm also concerned about the pollinators as well.
ReplyDeleteWe have never treated our lawn with chemicals, but that's as much due to financial reasons (too much area to cover) as to environmental reasons. You know, I find once you mow it, those weeds just blend right into the grass:)
What a cutie Sadie is. I think mowing the weeds sounds good too. :-) I think you're doing great in your garden. I found last year that the only time I used fertilizer was in my containers. I've added mulch and compost to the planting beds enough that the soil is doing well with out adding fertilizers from the store. I'm investigating better/safer fertilizers for those containers now since they always need a boost after all the watering. Otherwise, I do need to occassionally spray bindweed and a little Bermuda grass but since we have such a little area of grass now, I can did out most of the runners that creep. The one insect I plan to spray for is the ash lilac borer in my lilacs. Like you, I'm careful on how I use my spray and am always hoping to find another way. Birds help me a lot in eating things like grasshoppers, etc. You are way ahead of a lot of people realizing the run off from your graden goes to that pond and affects its life. Spread the word!
ReplyDeleteThat's the lawn strategy I use! I dig the ones I can't stand and bear with the rest. It's usually the thistle that gets dug up. They have really deep tap roots btw! Boiling water works well too - no chemicals!
ReplyDeleteGood for you Tina, doing your part to keep Mother Nature happy. I must fess up that I do use a pest killer on my lawn. We have fireants and two choices. 1. Treat the yard or 2. Stay out of the yard and not garden. So we use the fireant killer, sigh... If only we did not have those pesky painful ants...
ReplyDeleteReading labels and using chemical correctly is so important. I am also using them only as a last resort. Guess I need to get my post done for Jan. Time's awastin'
ReplyDeleteAs Rose rightly said and you mentioned, reading label is most important as I've seen many people overdoing the pesticides and also spraying it on leaves that are not affected!
ReplyDeleteNice post. Thanks to Jan too.
My lawns keeps getting smaller and smaller so I have less to take care of, grasswise. Which means less watering and pesticide. I think it is great that you are minimizing your use of pesticides and being judicial in your use of them!
ReplyDeleteRosey
I finally got my post done too. :)
What a great intention! Your farm is very beautiful. You have made quite a commitment...those weeds can be unsightly. We try to use the natural cornmeal mix that prevents weeds from sprouting. It works, but there are issues like birds eating up the cornmeal and needing to reapply it. Thanks for the link...
ReplyDeleteHi all!@ I've been busy in and out and will chat as soon as time permits. Thank you all for the lovely comments and helpful insights to sustainable living.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a great while I use something I do not like to use (hiding my face in shame), but I do keep corn meal and soapy water handy at all times. I also have several bowls scattered around with beer for slugs. I also use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a gallon of water for a fertilizer, egg shells for my roses and also epsom salt and beer can be used for many things or weak tea can be used for fertilizer.
ReplyDeleteOh darn, I meant to ask how did things go yesterday? Hope it was fun.
ReplyDeleteWeeds? What weeds..I see no weeds...we too are not using chemicals on the lawn this year..trying greener things...
ReplyDeleteEvening all.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Tina. I don't use chemicals on anything. I don't want to hurt the birds or anything else. I like to watch them. I have the ggs's & the doggies that belong to gd to think about. I do use milorganite on my potted plants. It is a natural product. Egg shells & banana skins blended together is very good for roses. Egg shells are good for tomatoes also.
Sadly my almost new neighbor uses all those chemicals to maintain his newly sodded lawn. It's almost 1yr old now.
Weeds in my lawn is ok. It looks green too.
I think it's great to give up chemicals on your lawn Tina. I haven't ever used any on this lawn ~ it is never the best grass or greenest in the neighborhood but that's okay with me. It's just grass and I'd rather not worry about what I'm walking on or if the birds are eating "toxic" bugs. Also I have toads and other small amphibians that chemicals are dangerous to ~ so I wholeheartedly support your choice!
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's one reason I don't have pollinators. Neighbors using all those chemicals.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a very informative post. I've learned from many of the comments. I wonder if the boiling water trick will work on bind weed?
ReplyDeleteGOSS, Based on how long it took me to get rid of bindweed from my vegetable garden (7 years) using Roundup I think you may have to use the boiling water for a long time but eventually it should work. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing you have abandoned chemicals on your lawn because good scientific studies have shown that they cause cancer in dogs. Run off from lawns is what is killing the Chesapeake Bay too.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of not seeing the weeds! That is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI remember someone who was talking about the spring weeds disappearing under taller plants later in the season; she said they would be leaving her conscious thoughts immediately anyway. lol
Speaking ss someone who has only had hound dogs, Sadie looks like a real sweetheart.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Tina, on eliminating lawn chemicals. I hope the weeds you do get are minimal and you can just dig them out. Any more than is manageable, just 'overlook' them! You will have so many other things to look at that you may not even notice them;-) What a sweet doggie! We have a dachshund & while not the same, she is definitely a hound. Her nose picks up every scent and she has a hound yell, as well! I bet it was hard to say good bye to that little cutie;-) Thank you for joining my project again this year, Tina! Happy Earth Day to you!
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