Ridge Road Nursery & Landscaping || Planting Resoures<title> <meta name="generator" content="BBEdit 8.7" /> </head> <body> <div class='boxhead'><h2> </h2></div> <div id='box'> <div id='header'> <a href='index.php'><img src='rrimages/logo.png' alt='Ridge Road Nursery' /></a> <div id='nav'> <ul><h5> <li><a href='index.php'>Home</a></li>| | <li><a href='plants.php'>Plant Lists</a></li>| | <li><a href='landscape.php'>Landscape Design</a></li>| | <li><a href='natives.php'>Native Plants</a></li>| | <li><a href='rrabout.php'>About</a></li>| | <li><a href='musings.php'>Musings</a></li>| | <li><a href='contact1.php'>Contact</a></li> </h5></ul> </div></div><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <div id='content'> <div id='top-box'> <h1>Ridge Road Stories</h1> <p>"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." - John Muir</p> </div> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <img class="main-pic" src="rrimages/resources.jpg" /> <H3>Winterize your lawn</h3> <p>"WINTERIZE YOUR LAWN" the big sign outside the garden store commanded. I've fed it, watered it, mowed it, and raked it. And watched a lot of it die. Now I'm supposed to winterize it? I hope it is too late. Grass lawns have to be the stupidest things we have come up with outside of thong swimsuits! We constantly battle dandelions, Queen Anne's lace, thistle, violets, chicory and clover that thrive naturally, so we can grow grass that must be nursed through an annual four-step chemical dependency</p> <p>Imagine the conversation The Creator might have had with St. Francis about this: Frank, you know about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle, and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. Th nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracted butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.</p> <p>"Its the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great extent to kill them and replace them with grass.</p> <p>"Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?.</p> <p>"Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn."</p> <p>"The spring rains and cool weather make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy."</p> <p>"Apparently not Lord. As soon as it grows a little they cut it ...sometimes twice a week."</p> <p>"They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?"</p> <p>"Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags."</p> <p>"They bag it? Why? is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"</p> <p>"No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away."</p> <p>"Now let me get this straight. They fertilize the grass so it will grow. And when it does grow they cut it off and pay to throw it away?"</p> <p>"Yes sir"</p> <p>These Suburbanites must be relieved when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work"</p> <p>"You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it."</p> <p>"What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It is a natural circle of life."</p> <p>"You better sit down, Lord. The Suburanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them in great piles and have them hauled away."</p> <p>"No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and keep the soil moist and loose?"</p> <p>"After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves"</p> <p>"And where do they get this mulch?"</p> <p>"They cut down trees and grind them up"</p> <p>"Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you are in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for tonight."</p> <p>"Dumb and Dumber. Lord, It is a real stupid movie about...</p> <p> "Never mind, I just think I heard the whole story"<br /> <a href="musings.php">Back to Musings</a></p> <div id='copyright'> <p>©2004 | ridge road nursery & landscaping | bellevue, iowa</p> </div></div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-6519503-3']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script> </body> </html>