Leaving it in that condition is pretty negligent, particularly if you live in a neigbourhood where others put the effort into maintaining their properties. Landscaping into something low maintenance will undoubtedly be more expensive than new sod, but would be a time saver in the long run.
Is vacuuming, mopping your floors, painting your siding, cleaning your gutters, washing your car, washing your windows, shaving, wiping your counters, etc. an irrational use of time? Owning property comes with the responsibility to maintain it and not allow it to fall into a state of disrepair. If you don't want to spend time on upkeep for your property, time to move to a condo.
I think the objection is the ideal that green lawns are objectively nice instead of being something that is completely out of place with the environment we live in.
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Yeah, it doesn't take long being a landscaper to realize there's no such thing as maintenance-free anything. And if you're a slacker-type (e.g. can't see the value in maintaining a property), it's definitely the wrong way to go.
Maintenance free just means you watch it slowly get worse and worse until it needs replacing.
Anyone have a recommendation for a landscaping outfit in town who could come out to my place and give me some advice about what to do?
I think I probably want to change the couple of feet at the back of my front yard by the house itself, maybe with some mulch and bushes or something like that, because the lawn near the house does pretty poorly and there's a window well to the basement that could bear disguising.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Leaving it in that condition is pretty negligent, particularly if you live in a neigbourhood where others put the effort into maintaining their properties. Landscaping into something low maintenance will undoubtedly be more expensive than new sod, but would be a time saver in the long run.
Is vacuuming, mopping your floors, painting your siding, cleaning your gutters, washing your car, washing your windows, shaving, wiping your counters, etc. an irrational use of time? Owning property comes with the responsibility to maintain it and not allow it to fall into a state of disrepair. If you don't want to spend time on upkeep for your property, time to move to a condo.
Yes, a terrible use of my time. That's why I pay someone to do most of those things for me. Maids are surprisingly cheap.
I agree you have to keep your yard looking respectable enough, so I'll pay someone to mow it and maybe do a spray and irrigate every couple years. But I won't waste any more money or time than I have to, so it rarely gets watered. Backyard has been converted into nearly all deck/patio/gazebo. I've never understood why lawn became such a prized possession, anyone who gives half an f%%% can maintain a lawn, but grass is in the same category as weeds to me, they are wild and can grow on their own with nearly no human interaction.
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I’m in the process of replacing my lawn with low maintenance and more climate-natural planting.
When I see people with impeccable lawns, it just looks like wasted effort to me. You could put effort into something that actually gives back to the environment and uses less water.
Not that i’d shame anyone who really loves having a lawn, it’s just something that seems very much like an example of a time gone by. I don’t think manicured lawns will be a thing in 20 years.
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Yes, a terrible use of my time. That's why I pay someone to do most of those things for me. Maids are surprisingly cheap.
I agree you have to keep your yard looking respectable enough, so I'll pay someone to mow it and maybe do a spray and irrigate every couple years. But I won't waste any more money or time than I have to, so it rarely gets watered. Backyard has been converted into nearly all deck/patio/gazebo. I've never understood why lawn became such a prized possession, anyone who gives half an f%%% can maintain a lawn, but grass is in the same category as weeds to me, they are wild and can grow on their own with nearly no human interaction.
Not caring is one thing, but pretending a nicely manicured lawn isn't way more aesthetically pleasing than the OP's lawn is ridiculous. Look at Spruce Meadows on a show day, or a nice golf course, or the grounds at the Banff Springs and compare them to a random school field or somebody's house that doesn't GAF and the well taken care of lawn is clearly more pleasant. Weeds look like crap and attract vermin. A nice lawn with an angle cut is a thing of beauty.
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Originally Posted by Peanut
It’s the watering that gets to me the most. It’s not even a native species.
Nosehill is a great example of how the city would look if we just let the native species take over again. Green for one week a year, fires for six weeks, and tumbleweed/thistle in between. Native species are ugly AF in our part of the world.
Serious question: What is wrong with watering? Water is a renewable resource. What does it matter if we water our lawns (obviously provided there aren't any water restrictions)?
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Nosehill is a great example of how the city would look if we just let the native species take over again. Green for one week a year, fires for six weeks, and tumbleweed/thistle in between. Native species are ugly AF in our part of the world.
Nosehill looks a lot better than a manicured lawn, imo. Lawns are boring.
If someone is willing to put in effort and use excess water, they should at least put it to good use and develop something interesting and vibrant.
If landscaping was like art, a well manicured lawn would be like a painting you buy from the mall. Boring and standardised, but good enough for people that aren’t the creative type.
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A good lawn means you don't have exposed soil which reduces phosphate runoff into the water system, it's all plants so you get the photosynthesis and carbon sequestration, and you can walk on it, lie on it, play games on it, etc.
A good lawn (and good landscaping for that matter) should have utility.
Not caring is one thing, but pretending a nicely manicured lawn isn't way more aesthetically pleasing than the OP's lawn is ridiculous. Look at Spruce Meadows on a show day, or a nice golf course, or the grounds at the Banff Springs and compare them to a random school field or somebody's house that doesn't GAF and the well taken care of lawn is clearly more pleasant. Weeds look like crap and attract vermin. A nice lawn with an angle cut is a thing of beauty.
Nosehill is a great example of how the city would look if we just let the native species take over again. Green for one week a year, fires for six weeks, and tumbleweed/thistle in between. Native species are ugly AF in our part of the world.
Serious question: What is wrong with watering? Water is a renewable resource. What does it matter if we water our lawns (obviously provided there aren't any water restrictions)?
We currently have limits on the amount of water framers can use for irrigation purposes based on the needs of the bow and Sasakatchewn river ecosystems. So instead of watering lawns we could increase the irritations draws for farmers and use that water to add value to the city.
I think you have a wierd dislike of nose hill. That's what the prairie looked like and has its own natural beauty. The short green grass scene nowhere in nature is what should seem offensive. Do you actually like golf courses? I find them artificial eyesores though I also have an uncommon dislike of lawns. I will concede nice lawn is better than crappy lawn.
We currently have limits on the amount of water framers can use for irrigation purposes based on the needs of the bow and Sasakatchewn river ecosystems. So instead of watering lawns we could increase the irritations draws for farmers and use that water to add value to the city.
What value would the city get from giving up an untrackable part of its water license to farmers?
I've had voles destroy my lawn the past few years during the winter. Lawn looks great in the fall then when the snow melts it's a mess.
Someone I know mentioned that there's some gadget you can put in the ground that releases a noise or vibration or something that will keep them away. Does anyone have any experience with something like that?
I've had voles destroy my lawn the past few years during the winter. Lawn looks great in the fall then when the snow melts it's a mess.
Someone I know mentioned that there's some gadget you can put in the ground that releases a noise or vibration or something that will keep them away. Does anyone have any experience with something like that?
I’m all ears. Both my neighbours won’t do anything about the voles living in their yard.
I’ve just been spot seeding in the spring and cutting my lawn short all summer and hoping they stay away. It seems to help, but winter all bets are off.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calgaryblood
Looks like you'll need one long before I will. May I suggest deflection king?
