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As another season of weekly tending of the American Lawn begins to wane, I am contemplating the term "low maintenance." It is the quality that every busy person desires in their landscape, and it has shaped the narrow palette of plants that live in most yards in the United States. We all know these plants. We all have many of these plants because they spread easily or they are evergreen or they are deer resistant. They are beautiful plants, in fact, and they have thrived in our climate, but they are threatening the ecological functions we take for granted. We may value them for their low maintenance, but they are worthless to wildlife.
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The groundcovers in the photo above, for example, were observed for sale at a local Home Depot. All of them are considered invasive, and three of them (English ivy, vinca major, and vinca minor) are on the invasive species list of Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This means that they can spread easily into natural areas and supplant native species that offer food and shelter to wildlife.
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If you are reading this while drinking a cup of coffee and looking out at your patch of periwinkle, do not despair! I don't present these facts to fill you with guilt, but they are our climate reality. In Pennsylvania, we have been spared the tragic wildfires and extreme heat that others have suffered in other parts of the country, but the way we care for our land matters. We can plant for climate resilience by doing two things: 1) stop buying invasive plants AND 2) start planting native plants that have nectar and pollen for native pollinators, deep roots that absorb stormwater, seeds for birds, and shelter for pollinator eggs and other wildlife. Restoring ecological balance here helps to restore ecological balance everywhere.
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And guess what? We are launching a fun way to get started: Pollinator Palooza! Find a 4 by 12 foot patch in a sunny area of your yard (or 3 by 16 or a 2 by 24 strip along your driveway--it's up to you). Cover it with cardboard and mulch in the fall to kill the grass. If you sign up with Journeywork to participate, you can order the mulch from us or get it yourself. In the spring we will have 28 plants and a planting guide for you to pick up and turn into your own instant pollinator garden. All for less than $100.
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Let's see how many pollinator habitats we can add to the Delaware Valley! If you have a friend or neighbor or niece or long-lost half-brother who might be interested, please share this with them.
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Speaking of low maintenance, this little pollinator garden will require some weeding for the first couple of years, but will be pretty self-sufficient by year three, with plants that only need watering during a long drought. And it will never need mowing again!
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This project was inspired by the wonderful work of the West Vincent Township EAC. You can read more about their pollinator pitstop progress and see photos of their demonstration garden here.
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If you already have garden beds with lots of empty mulch, you can participate in Pollinator Palooza and buy the plant collection to fill in your mulch areas. More beauty, less weeding!
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So many possibilities, and as Emily Dickinson wrote, "I dwell in possibility."
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And in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt,
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Saving my cardboard and wishing you all a lovely summer's end,
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Joyfully this Fall
September 16 planting in Fort Washington from 9-noon--sign up to help plant
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September 23 table at Lower Gwynedd Fall Fest from 12-5--volunteer at our table!
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September 24 not-a-lawn party in East Norriton at 4:00 pm--register to attend
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September 30 table at Buckingham Peace Fair from 10:30-4:00--volunteer at our table!
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October 7 table at Lower Providence Community Day, 11-4--volunteer at our table!
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October 14 tree giveaway in Lower Gwynedd for Lower Gwynedd residents: info here
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the week of October 16 mulch delivery for Pollinator Palooza
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Native plant sale
Saturday,9/2 from 9-11
Journeywork will be selling native plants for $5 each outside the flea market at Gwynedd Friends Meeting, 1101 DeKalb Pike. Plants include brown-eyed Susans, echinacea, mountain mint, swamp milkweed, and New England asters. All proceeds support Journeywork.
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Not-a-lawn party on September 24
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Come see what is growing in our first yard a year later! Journeywork took out some lawn in the front yard for a pollinator garden, added flowers to existing beds, and planted a shade meadow, shrubs, trees, and groundcovers in the back yard. Register to visit this East Norriton yard--we would love to see you on the 24th!
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Thanks for completing our survey!
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We really appreciate everyone who responded to our survey last month. You gave us valuable feedback! One person asked, "Are there actually people who want to volunteer to do this on my lawn?" With 116 people on our volunteer list, the answer is yes!
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Check out this native planting resource that was created by a Penn State student for her honors thesis: lawngonenative.com
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If Journeywork inspires you to sheet mulch, start seeds, or plant some native plants in your yard, please send us a picture! Let's celebrate and support each other!
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Our wish list
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Rubbermaid bins with lids for storing gloves and tools
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clean, gently used 5-gallon buckets
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