Comments on: Your Lush Lawn

By: Rebishka

Rebishka — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:34:33 +0000

Wanted to piggy back of the comment about dandelions. If you pick 5 packed quarts of the flowers, steep in water; about 1/3 of the 5 quart pot (which I use to do this in), then strain and use liquid (ugly green color which you will want to use a natural color to change, I use green when making it into a minty taste, red for cinnamon and yellow makes it a nice honey color)as a jelly recipe in your pectin recipe. Depending on the natural pectin in the flower (picking as close to noon and lots of sun as possible raise the level) you will end up with honey, jelly or syrup all of which are wonderful.
Sorry for making the directions so jumbled, hope you can follow them as it is an awesome food and it is all useable.
The flower like I said, the leaves are great in salads the root makes a wonderful addition to a tea mix (if used by themselves can cause looser stools), and the white milk when used 5+ times a day will kill warts (turns black so cover lightly with a covering).
This is a plant not used enough in the American diet. Enjoy, it really is a wonderful food source.

By: VibraceousND

VibraceousND — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:50:21 +0000

How about we just enjoy and make good use of what God put in our yard? Like dandelion…great for the liver, kidneys, digestion and full of nutrients. Or plantain…helps with poison ivy and bee stings. Or ground ivy…good for the respiratory tract. Did anyone ever stop to think maybe they’re there for a reason? Planted by God before people wore shoes to go through the body cleaning the blood and keeping us well? Instead we work to replace them with poison because the chemical companies have convinced us it’s the civilized thing we should do! People can be so absurd in their ways.

By: John Royce

John Royce — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:41:04 +0000

Green, lush lawns are possible without intensive chemical baths! First, reduce the size! Most of us use only a fraction of the expanse of lawn we have. It will be easier to tend and will save thousands of gallons of water per week! To keep weeds at a minimum, water deeply twice per week and raise the height of your mower. The turf will more effectively shade out the weeds, and the deeper, less frequent waterings will encourage deep roots and drought tolerance. Once a month, remove the grass catcher and allow the clipping mulch to remain. The clippings will settle into the lawn and return nutrients to the soil as they decompose. I have one of the lushest lawns around and I have not fertilized or used herbicides in years. If laying in the grass is your pleasure and you live in an area with lots of bugs and flees, there are many products available now that will control them organically with cedar, or thyme oils. Enjoy!

By: Linda G.

Linda G. — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:19:22 +0000

The school district where I live posts a pesticide spraying notice at the school’s athletic fields where the children play sports, but NO ONE discontinues using the fields at this time. Complaints to the School Board and local athletic association are met with comments like, “Well, we don’t smell anything (!)…I hear they use a ‘natural poison’ (!)…you can always leave (which we do).” The collective stupidity of my neighbors continues to amaze me.

By: Jean Hollowwa

Jean Hollowwa — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:43:28 +0000

Aphids on roses and other plants can be just picked off or sprayed w/ a strong hose; no harm and no foul to anyone!!

By: sallysharon

sallysharon — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:45:43 +0000

Pulling weeds while the kids play is good for everybody…no pesticides(weed killer). You get exercise, and the kids get much needed outdoor play time. My yard was it’s most beautiful when my children were young, because i went out each day and puttered while they played.

By: Al S.

Al S. — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:22:37 +0000

Aphid eating ladybugs? Those nice ladybugs of old lore (the ones we all knew while growing up)are now those ‘Japanese Ladybeetles’ that were collected and released here (said to be a Dept of Ag project)to disastrous effect! They invade homes around here every year and worse, they do NOT eat the aphids but they will pinch you. They also seem to try ,to get into everything. Whatever happened to the kinder, gentler Ladybug? Apparently these new creatures killed ‘em all(?). I wouldn’t miss ‘em if they disappeared tomorrow.