We’ve used so many bags of Canadian potting soil over the years I’m afraid Ottawa might try to open an embassy in my backyard.
Might also explain why the geese have been circling.
Ever since I decided to rip out much of the lawn and attempt something more useful, our suburban home has become a popular destination for local wildlife. (All of it.) You see, traditional lawns are really a monoculture supporting only one crop, grass. But if you grow more than Just Grass, you can create a durable polyculture hosting all kinds of animals, plants, micro-organisms and lots and lots of bugs.
Yum!
Plus, it’s pretty easy (and cheap!) to maintain a beautiful lawn of grasses, clovers, various wildflowers and a motley selection of what Big Chem calls weeds. About half of my backyard is still grass-centered but every growing season, I chip away at that percentage a few more points. Since paving over is *not* an option (or a pool–sorry, guys!), we here at What the Ducks! chose to grow other things instead. What sort of things? Hmm, how about anything and everything?!
Freed from the concept of grass domination, it turns out you can do all kinds of tasty. Which brings me back to that whole “Canada in a bag” concept. After we add each new raised bed or kitchen planter, we fill it with biome-friendly materials. And we’ve had really good luck with an organic brand our local nursery sells which just happens to be made (dug? grown? bagged?) in Canada.
So, yeah, I guess we do have a little bit of Canada out back.
Please don’t tell the geese.
Further eating, er, reading:
From National Geographic: U.N. Urges Eating Insects; 8 Popular Bugs to Try
Copyright 2014, Lori Fontanes
What the Ducks! 
lol-great post lori!!!! I love how you tackle a problem in our culture and give it a twist of humor…I don’t have anymore grass to ‘pick away’-lol. I have crammed so much in there, and you are so right when you take up the grass, your lawn become an “oasis for critters” above and below ground..this year I see woms actually crawl out and over in the soil…crazy! The soil is getting better for veggies!
Thx, sweetie!!! And thank you also for providing sanctuary to all those critters in your neck of the woods. Your soil is not only getting better for veggies, it’s getting better for everything! 🙂
Canada has also infiltrated your comments section (I’m from the Toronto area originally). Your lawn looks so lush! I can almost feel the cool grass, clover and what not under my feet 🙂
There’s quite a bit of “what not” but I don’t mind! 🙂
I wouldn’t either. It looks lovely.
That was funny! It would be a hoot if the Canadians opened an embassy on their soil, I used a lot of it in my gardens back in the day.
I would think that the ducks would take care of the bugs, but, maybe that’s why the geese are circling? The geese see ducks, and think that your backyard would make a good home for them too.
Thx!!! I guess “circling” is poetic license–geese don’t technically “circle”, more like fly overhead honking loudly–but we sure do get ’em around here since we live near some major wetlands and a public golf course. (I think golf courses must be marked specially on geese GPS systems, don’t you agree?)
Interesting, I have so many beds, I have been thinking about grassing them over. I know I never will, but that thought does occur when I am weeding. Good luck!
The only solution to less weeding–more plants!!! 🙂 Good luck to you, too!!!
That rabbit looks Canadian, though……
: D !
I spent one whole summer amending the soil in our backyard garden with peat and coconut husk fiber. It feels like putting money in the bank that’ll pay off in dividends of flowers and veggies. We may have to paint a Canadien flag on the fence as an homage 😉
:)!