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Index of Subjects Weeds are certainly better for the environment than a conventionally maintained lawn would be, and a lot prettier too. However, if you're willing to do some work the most environmentally benign choice of all is to replace lawn with native plants: trees, shrubs, ferns, mosses, wildflowers, whatever your preference. I'm converting my front yard to native wildflowers, which I hope to eventually replace with a woodland garden featuring native trees and shrubs. It's early days yet, but for pictures and reports, see http://www.wildgardeners.blogspot.com Wild Flora -----Original Message----- From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Marian Fulton & Art Harding Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2007 8:54 PM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Lawn flowers/weeds I once had a neighbour come by and ask why the cinch bugs had not attacked my lawn. I told him because I had more weeds than grass and they did not like it! I love my weedy lawn; it does not require watering or much work except for occasional mowing and in my opinion looks just as good as the all grass lawns that require so much work and noxious chemicals. Marian Fulton Hantsport NS -----Original Message----- From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of iamclar@dal.ca Sent: 16 June 2007 20:28 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: [NatureNS] Lawn flowers/weeds All: At present, our regularly mowed, but rather unkempt front lawn boasts (probably the neighbours think, suffers from) a range of modest flowers that have colonized from other parts -- excluding three of our own or nearby garden escapes. We?ve never used pesticides thereon, or really tried to nourish it as it should be. These are in unsystematic order, probably not with the latest nomenclature: Common Dandelion, Taraxacum officianalis (the only one we regularly dig up -- fewer than on some neighbouring lawns); Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium vulgatum; Creeping Cinquefoil, Potentilla reptans; Field Speedwell, Veronica arvense; Corn Speedwell, V. Offiicianalis; Creeping Buttercup, Rannunculus repans; White Clover, Trifolium repens; Field Mint, Mentha arvense; Ox-eye Daisy, Crysanthemum vulgare; Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Hieracium pilosella. None of these is at all exciting -- they?re everywhere in the province -- all of them are European or Eurasian ?weeds? and some are warned against. We once had some (native?) Bluet, Houstonia caerulea, but it?s gone -- out-competed? We like the "weeds" and there will be more to come. We usually let patches of them get some growth and flower before mowing them, except the Ox-eyes, which we confine to edges. Note that three of them are creepers (repens, reptans), and their foliage avoids the lawnmower -- (un)natural selection in action. Altogether, more fun than a uniform, well manicured turf. Cheers, Ian McLaren
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