Thanks for a very fine column! I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kerouac called it the City of Lawn Sprinklers. Wish my folks had thought like your dad!
If only this could become the norm, yet perhaps it will as we face the challenging changes to our planet. Another beautifully written and entertaining ; quite a man your father was!
So fun. What a shmart man! He knew the most efficient way to make weeds disappear is to call them plants. Did he ever consider a goat-mower? Thanks for your post.
This article resonates! After metropolitan Cape Town almost ran out of water due to a prolonged drought a few years ago, it was almost a relief to disconnect from the idea of trying to maintain a lush green English garden at the tip of Africa, where we already have the most amazing floral biome that has stood the test of time long before we settled, and arrogantly attempted to change our natural surrounds. And now we enjoy the wonderful bird-life that has flocked back to the wild garden...
As much as I love raising my 2 daughters (now 14.5 and 16), I imagine my true rewilding happening when they’re out of the house. Lol…how does your average Joe have $ once you’ve put 2 kids through college. We’ll figure it out but cannot wait for wanderlust to encompass me again. Loved this rewilding piece Susanna ♥️
Loved your story today. After adding a deck and sewer line three years ago, our yard has been a mess! We’re in our 70’s so repairing the lawn is no easy task. We’re in the middle of Wyoming prairie so we have lots of natural seeds blowing in…I think it will be total prairie in a few years…yeah…NO watering!
Nice story about the family's lawn gone to wild prairie, thank you for it! I've been thinking seriously about turning my Denver-area front lawn into xeriscape--thanks to replacement of a sewer line, turned about 1/3 of it into a wide strip of bare dirt, a good start. Haven't done anything serious with it yet, though. Will keep a back lawn patch still as lawn--for playing croquet, relaxing on... Neither is real large; most of the rest, front & back is already shrubs & trees and flowers, gets by without too much watering... 👍
Thanks for a very fine column! I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kerouac called it the City of Lawn Sprinklers. Wish my folks had thought like your dad!
If only this could become the norm, yet perhaps it will as we face the challenging changes to our planet. Another beautifully written and entertaining ; quite a man your father was!
So fun. What a shmart man! He knew the most efficient way to make weeds disappear is to call them plants. Did he ever consider a goat-mower? Thanks for your post.
This article resonates! After metropolitan Cape Town almost ran out of water due to a prolonged drought a few years ago, it was almost a relief to disconnect from the idea of trying to maintain a lush green English garden at the tip of Africa, where we already have the most amazing floral biome that has stood the test of time long before we settled, and arrogantly attempted to change our natural surrounds. And now we enjoy the wonderful bird-life that has flocked back to the wild garden...
If only my own father did this, I wouldn't have had to rake so many leaves on our hilly NJ lawn. This is one of my fave INJY pieces so far!
As much as I love raising my 2 daughters (now 14.5 and 16), I imagine my true rewilding happening when they’re out of the house. Lol…how does your average Joe have $ once you’ve put 2 kids through college. We’ll figure it out but cannot wait for wanderlust to encompass me again. Loved this rewilding piece Susanna ♥️
Loved your story today. After adding a deck and sewer line three years ago, our yard has been a mess! We’re in our 70’s so repairing the lawn is no easy task. We’re in the middle of Wyoming prairie so we have lots of natural seeds blowing in…I think it will be total prairie in a few years…yeah…NO watering!
Nice story about the family's lawn gone to wild prairie, thank you for it! I've been thinking seriously about turning my Denver-area front lawn into xeriscape--thanks to replacement of a sewer line, turned about 1/3 of it into a wide strip of bare dirt, a good start. Haven't done anything serious with it yet, though. Will keep a back lawn patch still as lawn--for playing croquet, relaxing on... Neither is real large; most of the rest, front & back is already shrubs & trees and flowers, gets by without too much watering... 👍