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  • From: Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Lawn
  • Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:00:32 -0700

I have three kinds of surfaces dominated by grass... 1) cut short as recreational space - clippings used to spot mulch, 2) rough cut with scythe - clippings used to spot mulch, 3) ignored until future manipulation.
I hope to transition to three slightly different kinds of grass dominated systems... 1) meadow with woody sub-shrubs edging hedgerow, 2) herbaceous meadow of different breeds rough cut for mulch or foraged for medicine/dye/herbs, 3)herbal lay dominated by grass, clover and yarrow, with flower as secondary yield.

I have been collecting local and exotic prairie species, and am considering using a couple native bunch grass as the matrix, but have a lot to learn about grass varieties to construct something that is persistent but contains niches for other species.

Paul Cereghino

mIEKAL aND wrote:

We have a number of small lawns on our various properties, and I'm not at all opposed to small green areas that are also social gathering spaces. For many years we even used pygmy goats to keep one of the lawns somewhat managed tho it never replaced the need for mowing. However I live in a dairy farming state, where a 2-5 acre front lawn is common, a sign of status (along with having the newest biggest fleet of pickups). Often these monstrous lawns will have one or two trophy trees planted in them because anything more would hinder efficient mowing. Not only that but they seem to have to be mowed weekly to make sure everything is perfectly manicured.

When I oversaw the landscape design for the Organic Valley building mentioned in the wolf spider thread, they were originally thinking of having about an 8 acre lawn in front of the building, but I & a couple others convinced the powers that be to put in 5 acres of native prairie & a paradise garden with about 30 species of edibles. There is still quite a bit of green space around the building to make the farmers (who are the owners of the coop) happy.

~mIEKAL


On Jun 1, 2007, at 12:10 AM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:


mIEKAL aND wrote:


http://www.foodnotlawns.com/

What about a nice lawn in the clearing out in your forest garden;
could be fescue or a variety of wild grasses with all sorts of herbs and wildflowers and perennials, plantain, clovers,
etc. Mow, to maintain vigor and accessability, with scythe, edge with sickle.


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