Gardening as a Subversive Activity – Part One

First, cut the grass.

That is the first rule for GreenScaping. If you can’t accept that, don’t bother reading further. A pretty green lawn has an insatiable appetite for water and fertilizers. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates that nearly 50% of all water used by the public goes to irrigate their lawns – approximately 900 million gallons a day! That’s crazy! So that? So that you can contemplate a nice green lawn? Forgedabouit!

Actually. You need to start thinking in terms of the bigger picture. Tear up that lawn now and replace it with plants that were there before the developers ravaged them into oblivion. Or I tried. Although it is still difficult to find native species available in local nurseries, it is not impossible. Start with the yellow pages. If it falls short, go online. You will be surprised how many nurseries specialize in native plants for your region of the world. And while many organizations frown on this, if you can’t find them through nurseries, look for them on the outskirts of your development or on the outskirts of town, on nature-dug roads. Walk deep into that forest so that what you take is not lost by the prying eyes of the man. You may need to dig them up, but that’s called exercise and it’s good for you too, so bring a shovel and something to carry your saved piece of desert. Make it a family outing. If you Google your state agricultural departments to find the best eco-friendly native plants, you can make a game of who can identify the most varieties. You will find that most of them need little or no watering, fertilization, or insecticides because they reside in harmony with nature. Once you’ve replaced your chemical-dependent lawn with a “free field garden,” you will notice that your quality of life has improved. Why? You’re spending more time relaxing with your loved ones instead of worrying about finding the time and money to mow, weed, and water. Your goal should be to take care of your garden, not water it.

And let’s not forget things with a heartbeat. Butterflies, bugs, critters and more will return to entertain you and remind you of your interconnection with them and with this unique and beautiful world of scrabble.

Finally, in addition to saving money and finding more free time to relax, your self-esteem will increase because you will know that you are doing something positive for the environment. This kind of thinking will make you healthier. In fact, you may even discover a spiritual connection to the earth that you didn’t have before. Slowing down and smelling the wildflowers in your harmonious garden has that kind of effect. Who knows, with enough people uprooting your lawns and replacing them with harmonious gardens, maybe you could save the world, one neighborhood at a time.