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Coming Home to the Land:  Grooming your Outpost?  |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 3:32:07 PM
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My outpost right now is my yard. We are renting for the short term (6 months to a year). The yard has been abandoned and abused. I find trash each time I go out (cigarette butts, bottle tops, wrappers, beer cans etc).
I want Baby to have a nice place to play so I have been sweeping, cleaning, pruning, mowing, weeding etc. I also want it to look nice to my neighbors.
But today as I was sweeping up a huge pile of leaves and dust I started wondering. Do you prune your outpost? Or do you let it grow up in wild splendor around you?
I feel caught between two worlds. I would love to have a no-mow lawn like MaryJane describes in her first book, but at the same time there is something so lovely about laying back on a nice soft lawn that just can't be beat! Yet I can't get relaxed like that at a public park because I know they must use gallons of fertilizer and pesticide. Ick.
We have a hedge of wild roses that I trimmed hoping to encourage them to flower again. They are determinedly growing out of the pruning line that I cut them to which makes me happy, and I know the dust and filth needs to go.
Anyone else feel torn between wanting to have a picture perfect lawn and wanting to have a bit of the wild side as well?
Elizaray |
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Ladytrapper
outbound
32 Posts
Juanita
Nova Scotia
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 4:20:16 PM
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It is my belief that it should be a personal preference. If you like a groomed lawn, you should have it. Maybe just some of it or all of it.
Kinda like...do I shave my legs or not, the whole leg or just where it will show, one leg or two????...personal decision Ha Ha ha!
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 9:53:43 PM
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That is so funny! Now I am contemplating only shaving one leg next time! Do you think DH would notice?
I think the sheer nasty disorder that is this lawn is requiring me to make it neat as a pin. Probably when I have my own land I will have a wild garden that just grows for the joy of it without the need of pruning sheers and a no-mow lawn. Ah! I can't wait to have the choice!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2008 : 07:20:36 AM
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Oh, the shaving analogy is just TOO GOOD, Juanita - 'cause my farm and my legs are so in sync!! Right now, we're both in need of a bit of grooming. Some people seem to have such a knack for neatness; everything is always just so. Not me. As much as I love--and thrive in--a meticulous environment, I just never seem to have the time to keep it all tended perfectly. If I get part of the garden weeded, then I don't get the car cleaned out. If I get the kids' hair washed, I don't have enough time to shave my legs (never above the calf anyway!). Something's gotta slide. But I totally understand your need to get things in order, Elizaray--especially in a new environment. Once you get it tidied up, you'll be able to relax a little more.
As for a no-mow lawn, I WISH! The grass here is just relentless, so it would take a major effort (and more money than we have) to overhaul the landscaping. But we're really sick of the gas consumption it requires to mow everything. So, lately we've been contemplating a couple cows...if only we could get really tiny dwarf ones...to do the mowing. Then we'd have mowed grass and manure for compost. Maybe even milk! As if I need anything else to keep up with--ha!
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Aunt Jenny
outbound
35 Posts
Jenny
Manti
UT
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2008 : 1:32:58 PM
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I agree...I can never seem to get it all groomed and perfect at one time..my legs included!!...so I have my little "wild" areas and do the best I can. My kids love to help, but honestly they think the wild is fun.
We camped in the backyard last night and they loved it....even though that silly tent in the middle of the yard looks pretty bad..you would have to see OUR tent..very ghetto..12 years old and faded...but we love it.
Hey Jen...problem is with cows is that they only mow where they feel like mowing...and then lay on the rest...haha. I do love having my Mona..who is a Jersey. But I do stil have to mow our yard. Maybe if we lived "out" further she could have the yard to herself...well, with her little sheep friends. |
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June Bug
outstepping
75 Posts
Traci
75 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2008 : 4:33:29 PM
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What about goats? I'm not sure they could help with hairy legs , but they sure are great yard cleaner-upers and they arn't as Big as cows. I like your idea of dwarf cows Jen. Oh, I love to be silly and how cool that we can be silly together!
Traci |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2008 : 5:01:45 PM
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Unfortunately the zoning won't permit animals and if the city allowed it, I am sure my landlords wouldn't :( Bummer, huh?
Elizaray |
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Aunt Jenny
outbound
35 Posts
Jenny
Manti
UT
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2008 : 10:01:32 PM
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| That IS a bummer! I have lived where I could only have chickens (and no roosters) and it was hard. I live in a real small town with alot of animals in town now. We are only 2 blocks off the main street..but have quite a little farmette going. I would love to be further out..but not enough to move. I hate moving. |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2008 : 05:47:25 AM
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We would probably have to pay $30 per chicken per month. We already have to pay $30 a month for the pup.
Elizaray |
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Ladytrapper
outbound
32 Posts
Juanita
Nova Scotia
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2008 : 7:12:16 PM
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Just curious...why do you pay 30 bucks a month for a pup? Excuse my ignorance.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2008 : 07:09:00 AM
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Because our landlords won't let us have her on the property if we don't pay "pet rent" aka "A non refundable pet deposit each month". It stinks but I couldn't give away our dog. She and I are very interdependent on each other :D
Elizaray |
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Ladytrapper
outbound
32 Posts
Juanita
Nova Scotia
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2008 : 10:15:52 AM
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OIC...sad that they feel the need take advantage of the love for your dog for their own monetary gain. Shame on them....but so glad you can have your dog with you. :-)
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2008 : 2:34:41 PM
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Oh, we've paid SOOO many hundreds of dollars in pet deposits over the years! No Fun! Now we've got 4 dogs, 2 cats, chickens and roosters galore. That's one of the glories of property ownership, which is duly balanced out by things like faulty septics and leaky spring boxes....and yeah, as far as the cows go, I imagine they wouldn't keep a lawn nearly neat as a pin. Maybe mini donkeys? Of course we'd have to fence out the entire house perimeter, and anything else we didn't want chewed up. Jeez Louise! Life is never simple, is it??
I love being silly here too, Traci!!
Jen
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member #9
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2008 : 08:28:46 AM
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I can't wait until we can buy some land! I would much rather pay on a mortgage (gaining equity each month!) than basically throwing money away each month.
But we do have a garden and we haven't always so I am thankful for that!!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2008 : 11:11:09 AM
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I wish I could tear up the whole lawn to put in a garden, but I think the land lords might have an issue with that. Not that there is much lawn to speak of anyway....its mostly weeds! Grrr! I hate bindweed!
Elizaray |
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Coming Home to the Land: Grooming your Outpost? |
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Grooming your Outpost?
