From the (birding) news!

One of the many organizations that I am happy to promote is the Ohio Ornithological Society.  They bill themselves as "Ohio's Birding Network."  OOS (as we fondly call them) has a stellar website which includes current information, blog links, and a calendar.  You should check them out if you are interested in Ohio's birds and the birding scene. Go to www.Ohiobirds.org.

The Cerulean is the name of a beautiful blue warbler, a small bird that is a real poster child for conservation.
It is also the name of the OOS' newsletter.  It is packed full of good information.  Today I was surprised to see an article on page four- that looked really familiar!

In case you missed my presentation at Mid-West Native Plant Conference- this article is  a short-course on the topic.

If you are interested in reading the whole thing, go here.  Meanwhile, Click on the Cerulean logo in my side panel and  join the OOS.

You'll also want to sign up for Midwest Birding Symposium!  We have load of fun planned for Lakeside, Ohio this September.  Hope to see you there!

Getting Green on Lawns.

Winter may seem like an odd time to think about your lawn, but I assure you, it is the perfect time to re-think your strategies for that giant green nitrogen-junkie lying outside your front door.

As a one-upon-a-time professional landscaper, I know a bit about lawns. My kids used to call my property "Kingwood West".

It was bound to happen, my father was a lawn fanatic.  Your family played sports?  We watered, fed, mowed the lawn in "stripes"...

...and used chemicals, chemicals chemicals.  

But it doesn't have to be that way.  You can enjoy a patch of green and still have a life.  In fact, I submit you will have a better life if you knock off stressing over your lawn and just start enjoying it for a change.

Think about the time and money you have spent on keeping that junkie green, and consider some alternative options.  

That goes for your garden, too.   You can learn to manage your pest problems and have a healthier product in the end.  Maybe this is the winter you will start educating yourself on organic practises for your lawn and garden.

I will be teaching some of those practises to the Richland County Master Gardeners and the Richland County Men's Garden Club.  If you are interested in enjoying you lawn more and working less, join me at the Midwest Native Plant Conference in July.  You'll find a link to their website in my side-bar.
 .

Soon you'll be lounging around enjoying your spare time, or off chasing birds and butterflies, like me!

Whatever you choose to do with your newly found time and money, won't it be nice to know you'll never have to handle those chemicals again?

Lawns

Lawns may seem like an unusual choice of topic for a flora and nature blog, especially in mid-winter when your lawn is probably blanketed with 6-8" of snow.


Even the most nature attuned home owner can benefit from a bit of lawn. Think of a lawn as the "frame" for your perfect picture. If the woods and mini-prairie/ sedge meadow ran right up to my front door, the panoramic views afforded by a bit of lawn would be lost. And besides, a good lawn makes your neighbors think you are not such a crack-pot after all.
...
I have been thinking a lot about lawns this week, as Monday night I will be teaching the local Master Gardeners interns about Lawns, and of course my favorite- lawn alternatives.
...
..
Having been the Head Groundskeeper for Lakeside, and a bit "lawn obsessed" in a former life, I can relate to the needs of a "green-grass" junkie. Somewhere in the middle lies a compromise; one can have an attractive lawn without spraying a ton of chemicals or spreading toxic grains on the grass where your children, grandchildren or pets play.
...
Relax and smell the clover, or henbit. These "weeds" are just as green and stay green better during droughts. So if you will work with nature, you can reduce your lawn's chemical dependence, and save yourself a ton of time and money. Time that can put to better use watching birds, chasing butterflies, or walking barefoot in that grass.

Lawns at my property are green and beautiful transitions to native (and some remaining non-native) horticultural pursuits. I admit to harboring hosta. ...Catmint runs rampant at my place. Pokeweed and blackberry brambles are respected for their attractiveness to birds, but kept somewhat in check for their aggressiveness. And thanks to the lawn, for the easy access it affords to all of the best views of nature that my property offers.

SO think a bit about your lawn, and how you can reduce the chemical load and maintenance, while still enjoying a bit of barefoot grass and eye-candy green.