Today is our first anniversary of living in Oregon.
In many ways, it’s difficult to comprehend that we have now lived in our house a few miles from Merlin, OR, for a full year.
There are so many different, wonderful emotions associated with our move from Arizona to Oregon, of moving into a property quite unlike anything that Jean and I have ever lived in before, of seeing our dogs so happy with their surroundings, of being immersed in Nature, and so much more.
But rather than waffle on about everything in general and nothing in particular, I just want to write about the several acres of grassland that slope down from our house towards Bummer Creek, flowing North-South through the Eastern part of the property.
Having mown the grassland a number of times in the Spring musing that there must be better ways to spend your time, a few weeks ago we came across an article about not mowing lawns. It was on the Mother Nature Network website and here’s how the article started.
Get off your grass and create an edible lawn
What would happen if you stopped watering, fertilizing, pesticiding and mowing your lawn?
By
Tue, Apr 20 2010 at 1:46 PM
Americans currently spend more than $30 billion, millions of gallons of gasoline, and countless hours to maintain the dream of the well-kept 31 million acres of lawns. An estimated 67 million pounds of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are applied around homes and gardens yearly. Commercial areas such as parks, schools, playing fields, cemeteries, industrial, commercial and government landscapes, apply another 165 million pounds.Lawn grasses are not native to the North American continent. A century ago, people would actually pull the grass out of their lawns to make room for the more useful weeds that were often incorporated into the family salad or herbal tea. It was the British aristocracy in the 1860s and ’70s, to show off their affluence, that encouraged the trend of weed-free lawns, indicating one had no need of the more common, yet useful plants. Homeowners were encouraged to cultivate lawns that would serve as examples to passers-by. These types of lawns also lent themselves to the popular lawn sports, croquet and lawn tennis. From the 1880s through 1920s in America, front lawns ceased to produce fodder for animals, and garden space was less cultivated, promoting canned food as the “wholesome choice.” Cars replaced the family horse and chemical fertilizers replaced manure.
It has been estimated that about 30 percent of our nation’s water supply goes to water lawns. In Dallas, Texas, watering lawns in the summer uses as much as 60 percent of the city water’s supply.
Next, a newsletter from The Xerces Society mentioned bee feed wildflower seed mixes from a company called Sunmark Seeds in Portland, OR. A call to them quickly produced the answer about what we could sow to help our local bees.
Hi Paul:
Upon further searching I did find 2 mixes that might fit what you are looking for. They are attached. The Bee Feed Mixture would be $36 per lb. The Honey Bee Flower Mixture would be $38 per lb. The price is a little higher but you would need a lot less. It is suggested 6-12 lbs per acre. You can still add the clover at $5 per lb and you should add 1 oz per lb of wildflower seed. There is still the option of the Knee High Low Profile mix which would be a little less at $30 per lb but the seeding rate is higher at 8-16 lbs per acre.
I have attached a spec sheet on all three mixes. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Patti Shearer
Sunmark Companies
Decision made. Three pounds of Bee Feed Mix to sow on a half-acre area as a test before we do all five acres next Spring.
Thus not so much later a box arrived with our Bee Feed Mix and the next afternoon saw Jean and me marking out the test area and scattering the seed.
oooo
oooo
It’s been an amazing year with plenty of challenges as we learnt to be rural people; yet another thing the dogs were able to teach us! However, the joy of living in such beautiful surroundings will last for ever. And more or less picking up on the theme for the week, the sharing, caring community of neighbours around us doubles that joy.
Jean and I consider ourselves two very lucky people. And no more mowing grassland! 🙂
Learning from Dogs 
Good luck on your seeding project.
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It will be fully reported here on LfD!
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I look forward to reading it.
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Going natural is the only way, and it’s the most beautiful, and fullfilling way. If I owned such a magnificent property, I would make sure to have bees. Instead my eyes own several freeways, and two multi-billion dollar bridges, apparently… we do what we can…
BTW, the only reason I don’t “like” your work more is that the “like” does not load (overheated computer?)
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You do more than your fair share; much more. Re the ‘like’ problem is the suggestion it’s your overheated computer or mine?
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It’s my main computer (the one loaded with all the fancy programs). The “like” does not load. I have to get a new computer, but have hesitated with windows 8.1, and the necessity to re-program everything.
PA
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I, too, felt that Windows 8 was a step too far and changed across to Apple, buying an Apple Mac Mini. Had it now for about 6 weeks and just love it. Wish I had changed years ago.
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I have no lawn…all natural…I planted rye for the dogs in the winter….and I just mow(a little) all the weeds LOls
dogs, cats and deer like the weeds better…(and geese!)
Have fun with the wildflowers, I do mine in November…
I look forward to photos!
Take Care…
)0(
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Speaking to others who are into hay-making, apparently the grass and the flowers will benefit from a ‘loose’ cut sometime in late Spring. Can’t wait to see how many seeds germinate.
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it does help….it keeps a loose cover so you aren’t just feeding the birds your seeds I have learned ( the hard way)
I love when they start blooming…its like a sea of color and textures…
)0(
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Can’t wait to see the results, and more importantly if we notice an improvement in the bee population.
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since I have been doing more and more wildflowers and native plantings…( no hybridized, well very rarely, which all those beautiful mums in so many colors will go back to the strongest one they were crossed with anyways, I can’t resist instant gratification in color to get started sometimes)
I have so many bees..that is why I am going for a hive…
especially clover, they love clover…
I haven’t seen the Africanized bees this past summer..( and so grateful) so the native ones are thriving…
I think you will see a great improvement, especially the 2nd and 3rd year…
Good Luck!
)0(
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Oh, must get your advice about bee hives. Tell you what! Would you like to offer a guest post on the whole business of starting a hive?
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I would love too..I am just getting all the info, I am using bees from England, and I had to order this November and they will be here in the Spring…but w I found out a bee farmer up in Austin has them so I have to go tour his place…the bees are calm, produce lots of honey…and will be okay in out heat and humidity…and of course I just lost the name of them ….*sigh* I will let you know…it will be a learning experience for me…but I am so looking forward to it…I have been completely organic for 3 years now…( one of the requirements…)
Thank you for asking…that was nice of you
)0(
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Brilliant, to see you doing this Paul, Many farmers are now beginning to let their fields turn to meadow land.. Did you know that the areas of wild flowers are now mainly on the grass verges by the roadsides.. And they are being cut by the councils far too soon which stop the flowers from setting seeds, No wonder Bees and Butterflies are in the decline too… All though this year thankfully I have seen a return of both in my garden…. I Can not believe you have been 1 yr already…. Time is indeed an Illusion! 🙂
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Sometimes it seems to me that the whole of life is an illusion 😉
Except, I’m bound to say, burying one’s face into the warm, furry side of a dog.
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🙂 🙂 now that is Real… and loved the picture
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