"A weed by any other name : the virtues of a messy lawn, or, learning to love the plants we don't plant" by Nancy Gift

MediaPhile@evpl — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:46:00 GMT

I recall a gardening workshop where I posed a question having to do with lawns. The speaker asked what kind of grass I had and I replied "weedy grass." The audience laughed, but it was a serious reply. That was the only kind of grass I knew growing up and it is the same kind of grass I have now, so rest assured I was delighted with this book.

A blog post self-describes Dr. Gift as "an assistant professor of environmental studies and acting director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and a lawn full of weeds." I love it!

Each chapter focuses on the pluses and minuses of the various "weeds" that creep into our yards -- violets, dandelions, morning glory, etc. You won't be able to finish this short book without wondering whether you really need commercial spraying of noxious chemicals to maintain a perfect monocultural lawn -- one that doesn't contribute to the viability of insects, birds, or any other life (including that of barefoot kids).

p.s. when you read about the intensive spraying done on golf courses, you might decide to switch to a different sport.

Books Blog : books and reading, environmentalism

"A weed by any other name : the virtues of a messy lawn, or, learning to love the plants we don't plant" by Nancy Gift