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Less Raspberry Thinning: When Less Maintenance Results in Even Less Maintenance
Earlier this summer while I was in my raspberry patch, doing some gymnastics to get to the fruits in the back, I started wondering if maybe I had let my patch get a little too out of control. We haven’t done much to control it, and it has indeed taken over some of the other…
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Common Milkweed and Its Many Uses
Milkweed is one of my favorite plants! I love milkweed so much that a friend posted this meme on my timeline. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a plant native to southern Canada and much of the US east of the Rockies. It is both hated by farmers and pristine lawn keepers and loved by ecologists…
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Nitrogen Fixing Plants and Their Roles in Guilds
When I write a post about a plant, I include a chart with many of the plant’s properties. One property I include is whether the plant fixes nitrogen. So what does that mean, and why does it matter? For a fully scientific discussion on this process, read this article on nature.com. It’s very in-depth, but…
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Is a Lawn Right For You? How to Choose the Best Low-Maintenance Landscaping
Are you looking for landscaping that requires the least amount of time and resources? Today we’re going to determine if a lawn is right for you, especially if you are looking for something low-maintenance and eco-friendly. The lawn investment Lawns require mowing about once a week. Depending on your lawn and your mower, that can…
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6 Reasons to Avoid a Clover Lawn
A lot of people tell me they’re interested in switching their traditional grass lawn over to a clover lawn. Now, a clover lawn could mean you are intentionally adding clover to your lawn, or it could mean you are planting only clover. Usually the people I encounter are considering a lawn made up entirely of…
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Invasive vs. Aggressive: Plants That Don’t Want to Die
One day I was outside picking some chives, when a neighbor walked by my yard and told me, “You can’t grow those dandelions and milkweed, they’re invasive!” Of course, I knew they weren’t. Not only is milkweed native, neither of the plants are listed as invasive or noxious in our city or state. But how…