Who Built This Garden?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Beautiful!

I am a strong believer in limiting or completely getting rid of turf grass lawns. They might look nice but they use a lot of water and most people over-fertilize them and use chemicals to get rid of weeds and grubs. A few years ago I had the grass removed from my small city lawn and have gradually replaced it with shrubs, perennial flowers and a few fruit trees. Once the plants establish themselves you don't have to do all that much weeding, and it's so much prettier than a plain old lawn. I've planted baptisia, a legume, near the apple and cherry trees so I don't have to fertilize them, and I bag my apples so I don't have to spray. I'm growing kale and squash in the front yard along with hibiscus and peonies and lots of bee- and butterfly-attracting flowers like butterfly weed and monarda. I've put up a bee house to attract native pollinating bees and a bat house to attract mosquito-eating bats. Trying to work with nature instead of fighting against it is so much more rewarding.