Mae's blog archive

So, after the initial raping of my lawn by the dandelions this spring, I sprayed the yard with weed killer. This was necessary for my sanity. I don't love handling hazardous chemicals any day of the week though. And I have some stubborn weeds poking up through my landscaping fabric and mulch in the bare areas around my driveway. Because I want no life to take place in these areas I looked online for some organic weed control methods. I remembered in my short sustainable landscaping class that I had taken that my teacher said we could use vinegar like you can use a contact herbicide(like Roundup). So I searched the old Pinterest. And this home-made organic herbicide recipe came up. Click here to see the step by step! Allow me to re-iterate I am only using this method due to the fact that I want all lifeforms to die in the area I am using it. We just bought our first weed whacker so after the weeds hopefully perish i will pull them out and then whack the corners of our yard a...

So about that electric lawnmower....    Well... It's back to old gassy!!! <3 Maeghan

Luna Moth Actias Luna Family: Saturniidae      T he Luna Moth is a very interesting and striking critter. I have had the privilege of seeing one in person just once. It was the summer of the 17 year cicada and I was working for the YMCA of McHenry County doing before school care at Valley View Elementary School in McHenry Illinois. Valley View is surrounded by either semi hilly farmland or trees. Every morning we would do homework and play games inside until 15 minutes before the busses arrived at which point we would go outside to the playground. One morning on our way out to the playground one of the six kids in our group exclaimed “Wow! Look at that!!!” pointing towards the area where the brick wall of the building met the sidewalk. I remember turning to look and being fairly startled at the size of the creature, my knee jerk reaction was to pull the kids back until I figured out what it was. We all crouched down about 3 feet away from it and discussed what w...

Full Review: Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 amazing lawn alternatives  Author:  Evelyn J Hadden Publisher and Date:  2012 by Timber Press, Inc. Review by: Maeghan Stewart 7/13/2012 The book Beautiful No-Mow Yards was written to give people a better idea of what alternatives they have to turf grass. The major focus is on the different types of gardens one could have instead of lawn. The options include: Living carpets, Shade Gardens, Meadow and Prairie Gardens, Rain Gardens, Patios, Play Areas, Ponds, Xeric Gardens, Edible Gardens, Stroll Gardens, and Smarter Lawns. She then goes on to explain how to get physically get rid of your lawn and install your new lawn alternative. Also included is a list of different plants and their zones and their continent or region of origin. The list is separated by the different types of ground layer plants. She prefaces her book by explaining the different reasons that one would wish to be rid of their turf grass yard and the advanta...

Yeah i know. Let's get like this. Alright so the story so far... I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building and i have a cement balcony. In the past 2 years I've tried my hand at raising leafy lifeforms, mostly failing. The only survivor in my efforts has been Henry, my money tree(s) (Pachira Aquatica) I'm going to go ahead and attribute this to the fact that he is a tree and therefore retains water a little better than his deceased brothers and sisters. Awwwww there he is. Now Henry is weird. Because I bought him from Ikea and he is in fact 5 trees that have been braided together as they grew. Which looks nifty and all. Except I put him right in the window so he got a lot of sun and did very well. Which i was very excited about, especially when i could notice him growing larger even within the span of a couple days. I knew he was a bonsai tree but i only really vaugely knew anything about pruning and didnt have the heart to cut...

http://www.prairienursery.com/store/no-mow-lawn/no-mow-lawn-seed-mix#.U1w0l_ldUQo Example of No-Mow Lawn seed mix available. http://www.prairienursery.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_no_mow_info&cPath=11&products_id=303 " No Mow Lawn Establishes Quickly.  It thrives in most soil types and light conditions, but does not tolerate a dark, wet environment with heavy clay. The recommended minimum height for mowing is 3”, which may be require once or twice year mowing depending upon the preferred result.   Interlocking Fescues Form a Dense, Durable So d.  The “creeping” fescues  interlock with "bunch forming" fescues to form a dense sod that withstands moderate foot traffic and infiltration from weeds, once estblished. The fescues and their relatively deep root systems ( up to 9 ”) enhance drought-resistance by reducing water loss and reaching deeper water reserves. " Dark Green indicates that this particular grass seed mi...

What are these yellow flowers? And why did you bother putting the latin name? What a boorish show-off!! Well I will get the Latin name thing in a bit... Click below to learn more: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) I would like to start out by featuring a plant that is native to our area and also has a wide distribution. I have provided the link above for more in-depth information on it. The part that interests me the most is what lifeforms benefit from the lovely little yellow flower's presence. Taken from  http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/be_susanx.htm  : " Faunal Associations:  The composite flowers appeal to a wide range of insects, particularly bees and flies, as well as some wasps, butterflies, and beetles. The bees collect pollen or suck nectar, and include Little Carpenter bees, Leaf-Cutting bees, Green Metallic and other Halictine bees, Andrenid bees, and others. Some Andrenid bees, such as  Andrena rud...