Here in my sleepy little beach town of Santa Barbara ( where Kim Kardashian had a sleepyheaded little multimillion dollar mark wedding ) I write a bi - hebdomadal web log forEdhat.com . It ’s a great site known for alternate community newsworthiness , contests , trivia , mailbag , and quirky essays . ( I do some of the quirking . )
The Rationale
But here at myFine Gardeningblog , where most proofreader do n’t endure flip - flop and pick fresh lemons from their kitchen window in January , it would n’t have pass to me to bring this regionally significant Quran to national attention . It ’s not like loyal reader in Platteville , Wisconsin , are go to growBougainvillea‘California Gold ’ on a patio trellis , then take the sprawling , spinous ogre indoors to winter it on a sunny windowpane sill . But here I am , writing about the Word of God anyway .
I was invited to client - post at this calendar month ’s mass blog hosted by theGarden Designers Roundtable , a panel of professional landscape painting and garden designers blogging monthly on issue related to plan . And this calendar month the topic is one near and dear to my nitty-gritty ( and other inner organs):lawn alternatives .
Sure , Reimagining ’s plant life recommendation might be specific to California gardeners ( and belike crosses over to bordering states ) , but what it says about the reason for reimagining the character of lawns in our landscapes should be food for thought for anyone concerned about the uncertainty of changing global weather patterns . Droughts this summertime have been catastrophic . Texas has received only 6.5 of its usual 34 inches of rain ; in 2008 the news show was replete with stories about Atlanta ’s municipal drinking water supply drying up . Who ’s next ?
There are a legion of timely environmental issues envelop into our fixation with lawn , and I wo n’t go into all of them here . My biggest beef is with water use . Clean , safe drunkenness water is indispensible for life . Applying it to lawn makes no sense , unless it ’s an essential component of a landscape . My usual definition for substantive means recreational use : play fetch with the minor and teach your frump lacrosse – and on the grand scale leaf of thing , I ’m even questioning how crucial backyard recreation is . However , my definition does not include a decorative green bauble or a place to walk your lawn mower while wet-nurse hydrocarbon fumes .
So consider the ideas Carol and company fling , and how they implement in almost any garden climate , incessantly parched or dependably showery .
About the Book
The introduction offer a reach of motivational line for doing away with conventional lawn , from the altruistic rationale of rehearse enlightened environmental stewardship and resourcefulness conservation , to the strictly bag - drive bonus of let down the urine account .
The generator feel it was important to focus not just on specific dispirited - H2O - using plants . Chapter one , offers seven design approaches :
The real meat of this book is the elaborated plant encyclopedia filled with C of plants appropriate for garden well beyond the Golden State ’s boundaries . The authors are summit in the horticulture and native plant life world and write from decades of practical , hands - on noesis .
“ The book is written not just for mass who already treasure the importance of make California - appropriate garden , ” Carol Bornstein said , in a recent phone audience . “ We also write the book to barrack those who are warming up to the idea . ”
And people are warm up to the idea of put back their lawn , as demonstrate by the continue emergence of groups like theLawn Reform Coalition , ( I ’m a founding member and announced our launch here at FG a few years ago ) , and Paul Tukey ’s drive , SafeLawns.org .
I ’m happy and majestic to be part of this dedicated and resourceful group of writers and communicator helping to calm down the siren song of the “ everlasting ” lawn . I go for you ’ll take the time to share your cerebration and to read what the rest of this calendar month ’s Garden Design Roundtable has to portion out .
Here ’s what the ease of the Garden Design Roundtable and Lawn Reform Coalition bloggers are up to …
Susan Harris – Garden RantFrom lawn to Sedum , trefoil , bare dirt and erosion !
Saxon Holt – Gardening lead Wild : Novato , CALawn Reform Fun
Gardener Susan ’s web log : Takoma , MDTrying out groundcover as lawn replacements
Evelyn Hadden – LawnReform.org : St. Paul , MNDitching the Lawn
Ginny Stibolt – Florida Native Plant Society : Green Cove Springs , FLSunshine Mimosa , a Lawn Alternative for Florida
Tara Dillard – Vanishing doorstep : Garden Life Home : Atlanta , GALawns
Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay , CAThe History of the American Lawn
Shirley Bovshow : Eden Maker : Los Angeles , CANo Lawn Backyard Makeover : New Outdoor Living Areas
Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby , CTLawn Alternatives !
Rochelle Greayer : Studio G : Boston , MAThyme for Something Different
Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In The Garden : Los Altos , CAWhat ’s Lawn Doing In Hell
Pam Penick : Digging : Austin , TXLawn Alternative ( and a personal announcement )
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol , UKLawn Alternatives
Laura Livengood Schaub : Interleafings : San Jose , CALawn Alternative
Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver , COLandscaping Without a Lawn : Helllllllooooooo , It ’s call A Garden
Ivette Soler : The Germinatrix : Los Angeles , CALawn is Dumb and Boring
Genevieve Schmidt : North Coast Gardening : Arcata , CALawn Hacks for Organic Gardening Geeks
Douglas Owens - state highway : Energyscapes : Minneapolis , MNLawn Alternatives
Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford , CTA Connecticut Yankee ’s Guide to Socially Acceptable Lawn Alternatives
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
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