Goodbye lawn

For those of you here in Oregon, I bet you have had this feeling. The lawn is brown. At best it is greenish-brown. Keeping up with our watering schedules and record heat has been difficult. And if you are like me and cringe everytime you irrigate, it is especially tough. I reserve water for the plants that provide more punch than turf. But as a mom (to a human son and canine daughter) I know that turf has a place. Kids and dogs require some level of turf. So what are the options?

1) Using drought-tolerant lawn seed: Grass seed producers are improving upon their product every year. Overseeding your lawn will help maintain the most drought-tolerant lawn available.

2) Lawn maintenance: Mow at the highest setting on your lawnmower, water no more than three times per week once the lawn is established (early morning is best).

3) Minimize lawn areas and use drought-tolerant plants in their place.

4) Look for other options for the space - use former lawn area for growing edibles or cut flowers.

5) Lawn alternatives - synthetic lawn has come along way, but plastics still present an ecological concern and soil structure may be disrupted.

So no matter what you decide, do your research. There is nothing like grass beneath barefeet, except maybe water-bill satisfaction at month-end.

Plant Pick - Stewartia pseudocamellia

Small tree, year-round interest - what more could you ask for? Not much, except for this beautiful summer flower.


The Stewartia pseudocamellia is slow-growing to about 25 feet high and 12 feet wide, perfect for small yards. It does best in part shade but will tolerate full sun and requires organic, well-drained soil.

The best thing about Stewartia pseudocamellia is that it truly is a four-season tree. The flowers are beautiful during summer and the fall color is an outstanding red-orange. As the tree ages the bark becomes mottled with pink, rust, and grey. It also has nice branch-structure.

For more info on this tree, check out Great Plant Picks.

My friend the snake?

I have an unnatural fear of snakes. I know you are saying, "ya, me too". I submit that my fear is more severe. Once as a kid my sister and I saw a snake and came screaming into the house. It was seriously five minutes before our parents could get us to calm down and speak. They thought something was really wrong. After college I was walking down a busy street with a friend and jumped into traffic when I saw a snake.

So this year when I saw garter snake in my yard I secretly wished my husband would run it over with the lawnmower. But then I noticed something. No slugs! And who do I have to thank for that but Mr. Snake. So I looked at him (or her) in a new light. Don't get me wrong, I walked through my yard carefully with fear but a new found acceptance of this snake.

Now my snake has moved on. The slugs are returning and causing me grief. So if another snake were to appear in my yard, I think I could live with that. But I still didn't go to see the Reptile Man at my sons daycare today.

For more info:
Snakes as Pest Control
Reptile Man

First fruits (okay veggies)

Yesterday was the first day I got to harvest from my garden - a huge bowl of loose-leaf lettuce. There is nothing quite like eating a home-grown salad. I added half a red pepper (that was store-bought), parmesan cheese, and a homemade vinaigrette. Yum!

A Do-over

I tried to start this blog a year ago and we were unexpectedly blessed with our first son. So one more try. This blog will share favorite plants and places from the Pacific Northwest as well as features of gardening stories that will impact our local area. Gardening is my additction - hopefully you are along for the ride with me!