I'm Beating Up On Lawns, Again

As I read Susan Harris' blog post at Garden Rant, I couldn't help but think about how successful the big lawn-care chemical companies have been at brainwashing the masses. It's no wonder they succeeded, what with the millions of advertising dollars they throw into their multi-billion dollar business.

Dandelions get a bad rap because once the suburban migration started after World War II, these corporate merchants of everything toxic launched campaigns to convince homeowners that the only way to be a responsible member of society (and avoid the disdain of their neighbors) was to aspire to that monotonous, imagination-free dead zone called the perfect lawn.

They convinced almost everyone that dandelions - those little grantors of kids' wishes that send hundreds of seed-bearing parasols drifting on the breeze - were the enemy. Actually, it's mostly dudes who can't leave their Hot Wheels obsession on the third grade playground, so they get their testosterone fix wheeling about on big-kid mowers - watch the commercials and tell me I'm wrong.

This rant ain't over yet... read more.

I Love Susan Harris at Garden Rant

One good turn deserves another and that one deserves another one. Susan Harris, that super-nova ball of energy, knowledge and dry wit, was kind enough to invite my wife, Lin, and me to her home just north of D.C. last September, where I was delighted to offer some fresh design ideas for Susan's sloping, narrow, forest-surrounded backyard garden.

I guess I could have been polite and said, "It's nice," but, hell, why lie to a friend?

So I paced out and pantomimed plant massings that I thought would better serve her. A few weeks later, she e-mailed me a rough sketch of the yard I'd seen. Out came my trusty colored pens, and here's what came of it. I don't know the specific plants that will thrive in Takoma, Maryland, but I do know where she needed big background shrubs, where the border between her alternative lawn and ground covers should be, and the best place to pop things with a strong focal point.


Today at GardenRant.com, Susan does a little show and tell.

Read on...

Winter Sunset - Sharing Blogs

Sunset at the Andree Clark Bird Refuge - Santa Barbara, CA.

Saturday night was a gig night for my band. We had an early set up and I was going home to chill before coming back for our performance. Leaving the parking lot of the Montecito Country Club, I saw a tumultuous blanket of clouds smothering the western sky, but plenty of room at the horizon for late afternoon rays to underlight this canvas. The shot above, moments before the light ebbed, is the most dramatic.

That's it for me. Here are tidbits from a few fellow bloggers I have listed at my blogroll.

Susan Harris wrote a very thoughtful entry about "being" in a garden, rather than looking for the next great photo...
The Sustainable Gardening Blog
When visiting a garden, be “still as a needle”
Link

It's hard to get into that Bing Crosby "White Christmas" mindset when I'm observing fiery sunsets through palm trees. This helped...
Chiot’s Run (Ohio)
Christmas in Zoar
December 8th, 2008
Link

Benjamin Vogt writes a thoughtful, but rippingly funny blog I've recently encountered. It invites participation by using REJECTION as a vehicle for composing. Mysterious? Venture forth...
Deep in the Middle
Other People’s Rejection Letters
Link

Always a hotbed of insightful commentary and wry humor, Amy links to a great excerpt from an LA Times Opinion article...
Garden Rant (Posted by Amy Stewart)
Everything I Needed to Know About Foreign Policy I Learned in my Garden
Link