#food not lawns

[rebeccathenaturalist]

So, long story short--a Master Gardener who has been maintaining a native plant garden for years is now being harassed by a neighbor, with whom the city code enforcers sided, and she's facing daily fines if she doesn't turn at least half of her yard into grass lawn. Apparently the only plants that are allowed to grow higher than seven inches are those that are edible, useful, or decorative.

If you are at all ecologically aware, you know that grass lawns are essentially ecological wastelands. A monoculture of non-native grass, especially if it's sprayed with herbicides, fertilizers, and so forth, is not going to support much in the way of native wildlife. Moreover, it can be argued that native plants do fall under the allowable category of "useful" and "decorative", and some are even "edible."

The article above is dated from two days ago, but this apparently started last year. And I found an article in their local paper from this past July that says she's still fighting the city about it, plus it has a bunch of photos of her garden if you want to see what the fuss is all about. Do be aware that if you decide to contact the Prospect Code Enforcement Board, City Council, and/or Mayor with a polite note in support of her, the website only allows you to send five messages every hour and you can only message one person at a time.

ETA: I did hear back just now from one of the code enforcement folks, who says--in their words--"Prospect City asked Ms. McGrail to redesign her current plantings into a more attractive and organized layout with edged definitions to her plant beds and a more obvious ‘walking path’ in between with a more “lawn-like” appearance, using native and no-mowing options"

[headspace-hotel]

I saw a pileated woodpecker on my walk today and heard its call several times when I was in the back yard. so exciting i've never seen one of those at home

There are SO many birds. Yesterday watched two Tree Swallows in the back yard having their aerial courtship and a Song Sparrow sitting on the back porch singing. It seems like I hear so many more bird songs than ever before, many unfamiliar. There are loads of bluejays, cardinals, grackles, starlings, and mourning doves, and lots of birds I don't recognize.

There was a bird with a bright white belly/chest doing some kind of little dance outside this morning, and right now I'm watching yet another variety of sparrow (so many sparrows!) sitting on the edge of the porch. I heard several downy woodpecker calls too.

Could it be everything I've been planting that is causing the birdsplosion? Or the fact that we haven't mowed yet this year? The total amount of leafy and woody cover has increased only modestly (because the new trees and shrubs are still baby) but the plant biodiversity has increased dramatically.

I protected the current garden patch from clearing and instead of letting the dirt lie bare, piled leaves on top of it. The garden patch has been a favorite spot for the birds all winter long, but especially now; there's always a sparrow or cardinal there.

I've also protected the meadow from disturbance, letting the "weeds" grow up while introducing wildflowers and trying to kill or reduce the turf grass bit by bit, and the strangest thing has happened: the soil has improved very noticeably in those areas. The soil underneath the thickets of asters has become much softer and lighter, whereas in areas that are covered with overgrown turf grass, it's the same dense heavy clay as before.

And the number of earthworms is incredible. I remember a time when there was not a single earthworm anywhere in the area that is now the meadow. It was a garden patch used by the guy that lived here before, and we tilled it every year without seeing a single earthworm. Ever. Now I can hardly sink a shovel into earth there without finding 3-4 earthworms immediately???

Just a year or two ago, I would have scrambled to get my phone to take a picture if a bird landed on our porch; now not a single day goes by without 3 or 4 birds visiting, whether my adorable finch couple, or a Downy Woodpecker, or robin, or a FAT wren.

The change is so dramatic. Like that thing that happened when wolves returned to Yellowstone—a trophic cascade?

I think that somehow, all my caretaking activities have increased the insects and invertebrates, which in turn have increased the birds. There's been a great increase in butterflies, at least, and it's only early April.

CREATURES!!!

[natureisthegreatestartist]

[queer-ecopunk]

Visited my campus permaculture garden yesterday and picked a few raspberry leaves for tea.

[turtlesandfrogs]

A basic starter project if you want to start growing your own food but have no money & no experience, assuming you like green onions.

Supplies needed: Dead potted plant from free pile/dumpster/friend or family member, used food container, green onion ends.

Steps:

1. Remove lid from container, it's now your plant pot's saucer

2. Either poke holes very carefully and slowly (not ideal) or slice the corners off with scissors (better)

3. Remove soil from the dead plant's pot, put in container. This one was super heavy in perlite (the white stuff, helps with drainage), so I mixed in another pot that had more organic matter (brown stuff, mostly helps retain moisture, sometimes provides nutrients). Water until water comes out the bottom, then let drain in sink until until it's done. Put pot on lid:

4. Stick the green onions in, deep enough that they can stand up on their own, or until the white part is covered:

5. Stick in window, water when dry, and wait:

Why not just stick them in water?

Because they make the water really smelly.

Just change the water often, then it won't stink.

I will forget, and then it will stink. Plus, I prefer growing in soil.

Why do you prefer soil?

Thanks for asking! I started because growing them in water didn't work well for me. But on top of that, if you regrow in water, eventually their growth will peter out. This is because in addition to water and carbon dioxide, plants need other nutrients. These are stored in the bulbs of green onions, but they will be depleted by growth if the plant can't replace them. Potting soil often has leftover nutrients, and if you've got compost you can also mix that in.

Why not just put fertilizer in the water?

Two reasons. First off, that's a great way to grow algea, unless you make sure the water isn't getting light. Secondly, most cheap, widely available fertilizers are meant to be used for plants that are in soil, so they're not complete (they're missing iron and maybe some other things? It's been a while since i looked it up). So eventually, if you use water and normal ferts, the plant will stop growing. If you have access to hydroponic ferts, those would work, but you also have enough money that you're not the target audience for this post.

I don't trust the potting soil from random plants.

Completely understandable, and probably smart too. In that case, you have a couple other options if you want soil for free. First off, you could look for dead vegetable or other edible plants in pots, and know that those will not have been treated with something that makes them inedible to humans. You can also look for free bags of partially used potting soil in your local buy-nothing/free stuff groups/craigslist/nextdoor/mutual aid groups.

What if I have some money for soil?

Then you can look for potting soil, or make your own (plenty of recipes online for this)

Help! There are tiny flies that look like fruit flies!

Those are probably fungus gnats, and there's plenty of ways to get rid of them. My two favorites are watering a bit less and adding half an inch of sand to the top, making your plants an unsuitable habitat, or getting a mosquito dunk and keeping it in your watering can. Mosquito dunks have Bt, a type of bacteria that kills mosquitos, fungus gnats, and other related insects. There are other types of Bt that go after other types of insect, such as cabbage moths. It's considered an organic treatment.

What about other pests?

I've literally never seen them get other pests indoors.

How much light do they need?

As much as you can give them, probably. If you have a window that gets midday sun, use that. Or a grow light. If they don't get enough light, they'll be floppy and pale, still edible, but not as flavorful.

When can I harvest?

When it wouldn't look silly to harvest them. I generally wait until they're at least a foot tall (30cm). I'll post an update when I do.

Why didn't you just use the dead plant's pot, dumbass?

A) it didn't have a saucer to protect the surface underneath, B) this is a concept post, and often plant pots are too wide to fit in window sills, and C) I didn't like the pot.

Won't it just grow into a bulb?

Nope, green onions are actually usually a different type than bulbing onions. Usually. And they're perennial! I've never had one try forming a bulb, but you can just eat them if yours do.

Can I ask you another question?

Yep! I'll add it to the update.

[wildrungarden]

3/6/24 ~ starting 3 trays today! Mostly peppers and tomatoes - but a few extra things thrown in too 🍅🌶️

[bumblebeeappletree]

Today I'm walking you through some simple tips on how to turn your lawn or backyard into a productive vegetable garden to grow your own food!

Gardening Guide for Beginners:

http://robgreenfield.org/freeseedproj...

Robin Greenfield’s Guide to Gardening for Beginners in Orlando, Florida:

http://robgreenfield.org/grow/

Thank you to Live Like Ally Foundation for their partnership in making this video. To learn more about Like Like Ally Foundation visit: https://www.llafoundation.com/

"Like" Live Like Ally on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livelikeally...

Follow @live_like_ally on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live_like_ally

Meet Ally: • Positively Impact...

Filmed and edited by John VonMutius http://johnvonmutius.com

Robin Greenfield’s work is Creative Commons and this content is free to be republished and redistributed, following the terms of the creative commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 license. Learn about Creative Commons and see the guidelines here: http://www.creativecommons.org/licens...

—

Robin Greenfield is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world. He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. 100% of his media income is donated to grassroots nonprofits.

His YouTube channel is a source to educate, inspire and help others to live more sustainable, equal and just lives. Videos frequently cover sustainable living, simple living, growing your own food, gardening, self-sufficiency, minimalism, off the grid living, zero waste, living in a tiny house and permaculture.

Find Robin Greenfield on:

Website: https://www.RobGreenfield.org

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—

Help us caption & translate this video!

https://amara.org/v/C0JNV/

[soilthesimpletruth]

It’s the simple things in life that bless us the most.

[gothichorrorshow]

Lawn alternatives and their benefits and downsides!

We all know how lawns aren't the best for the environment and take up a lot of water, time, etc.

Having been created as a status symbol, and kinda remaining one to this day.

If you're looking to transform your lawn to a more environmentally friendly alternative, these are some options for you!

1, Grow wild/fill with native plants

Benefits: Better for the air, helps spread native plants, creates a habitat for wildlife, low maintenance

Downsides: Not kid and pet friendly

2, Garden lawn

Benefits: Better for the air, can produce food

Downsides: High maintenance, not kid and pet friendly

3, Clover lawn

Benefits: Better for the air, kid and pet friendly, low maintenance

Downsides: Still a monoculture, difficult to start

4, Moss lawn

Benefits: Better for the air, filters chemicals, low maintenance, kid and pet friendly

Downsides: Still a monoculture, difficult to start

5, Normal lawn, but with some trees, other plants, or garden beds

Benefits: Kid and pet friendly, slightly better for the air, can produce some food (depending on what you plant)

Downsides: Not the most efficient use of space, keeps up the grass lawn culture

Let me know if you've heard of other lawn alternatives so I can add them!

[lilies-of-the-fields]

does anyone have experience with creating community or wildlife gardens and/or dealing with HOAs, who'd be willing to talk?

I'm set on creating a community wildlife garden in my neighborhood, and we have an HOA (tragedy of all time)

Currently gathering research to draft a petition for a wildlife garden to send to the board. Dunno if that's the best way to go about it .... Don't know where else to start

[nyurrwithcheese]

IT'S PEACH SEASON 🍑🔫

I have eaten 6 peaches today and they still look very tasty. If I didn't have Covid, I'd gift some to the neighbors. Hopefully a few of the ones one the tree will take a lil longer to ripen. These are Red Haven peaches.

[stephjacq]

(via Use This Companion Planting Chart to Help Your Garden Thrive - Live Love Fruit)

[alicemccombs]

[rosielindy]

Me, watching all y’all grown-ass post middle aged men lugging yo hoses around the yard to water the grass you just scorched with the mower during the hottest part of the day.

[turtlesandfrogs]

One thing that has thrived this year is potatoes. You see this patch?

This patch started as three(3) potatoes. Maybe four. It started as a row. It is no longer a row. It is a blob. It's at least 6 feet wide and much longer. I'm looking forward to harvesting some potatoes.

[wildrungarden]

3/5/23 - Tiny Tim’s & Moon Tomatoes coming thru as well 🍅