So who is going to dig all my dandelions, kill all my Virginia Creeper,
kill all my unknown kudzu-mimicing vine, all the underground root
systems, all my oxalis, all my creeping charlie, all my crabgrass, all
my lamb's ears (pull that by hand because of my violets), all my stuff
that looked like marijuana that nobody ever id'ed, my volunteer walnut
tree that refuses to give up when I whack it, and who knows what else is
lurking out there? This is my reward for my environmentally friendly,
bird-loving, pet-protectionist, self-protectionist do-nothing approach
for years. It's getting a couple apps of some broadleaf pesticide a
year and paint brushing from now on. I'd do it myself, but the tank
when full weighs 40 pounds and you wear it like a backpack. It's bad
enough I have to hand weed my wildflowers and some other spots.
I think I'll go dump all my old gasoline and chemicals in the rain drain
across the street because I don't want to waste fossil fuel, my time and
my energy driving it to the hazardous waste center where disposal is by
appointment only. I'm just kidding. I did dump gasoline in it years
ago before I knew better.
My yard is looking better every day since I got rid of most of those
weeds.
Unless we buy 100% certified organic food, we are eating products that
have been treated with chemicals by the hundreds of tons. I never will
spray my fruit trees though. One lady who wanted an apple from my tree
wouldn't let her kid pick any until I assured her they hadn't been
sprayed. Just about everything around us has one kind of chemical or
another in it.
Interesting last paragraph. Based on that logic, we're wide open to do
almost anything we want, simply because somebody else is doing it. This
reminds me of my mother's nagging: "Just because your friends do stupid
things, it doesn't mean YOU have to do them, too".
To dig out every single weed that has taken over practically your whole
yard? Just what did they do? You'd have to have them keep coming back.
And pay them, of course. I don't want to be too negative, but when I
needed my steps poured and was trying to find someone reasonable, I
called work force, nyet, they don't do that any more, called churches to
see if they had people who did cement work reasonably, couple tried, I
wasn't asking for charity, but no takers; they have more important
things to do anyway, didn't know any illegals to call, but heard some
Spanish speaking in the nicer block next down from mine while lawn work
was being done. That doesn't mean they were illegals. When I needed my
car fixed, I called the local community college. Didn't have time for
my car. It's all such a hassle.
I might try to fit in a call like that today just to do some fact
finding, but it is summer and I don't want to go vote, but I am going to
try to fit that in. And sand the fill on one of my projects, and it's
going to get near 90 so I won't make much progress on that, and it's
going to be a heck of a lot of work. It's old lead based paint, and I
don't want to sand it in the house which I sometimes do and vacuum it
all after.
Well I made a feeler call, looked in the yellow pages. We have probably
20 high schools in the area. I picked my alma mater. Couldn't find
number for principal's office. Called admin ctr. They transferred me
to special programs, "let me find out who I need to send you to, hold
on". Pause. Transfers me to lady, won't name her. Ring. ring, ring,
thought I'd get a recorder. She picks up the phone. I am specific,
kids to weed lawns without using chemicals. "No, nothing like that,
can't honestly answer". Suggested college kids or community service.
Referred me to Juvenile Court. I'm sorry but that is not an option
because I have dealt with court cases who have stolen from me and done
worse, like kill people. In my case it was checks, went to Wal Mart,
bought stuff, returned it for cash. It took some time to get myself out
of that mess and my credit union thought I might be in on it so I had to
submit handwriting samples, report to police, very humiliating on my end
actually. So I don't want kids in trouble up here, had enough trouble
with my own.
If the banks compared handwriting samples, which they don't I can assure
you from multiple experiences, there'd be a lot less stolen checks
cleared.
I don't understand everything because some topics are actually over my
head, and I don't want to invest the time to study up on everything.
Plus I skim and/or speed read. This is not high on my list of
interests. How many women read up on getting rid of weeds in their lawn
and chemicals? Their husbands take care of it (usually by spraying or
hiring places like chemlawn to do it), they go without and just try to
keep the mowing done one way or another, some can do it themselves but
they a are a small minority, or they hire somebody to use chemicals
which is fast. I've observed properties owned by women who don't have
dh's or whose dh's aren't too dear and watch tv while their wives or
gf's cut the grass. One lady was planting a hill in early spring. She
didn't prepare it, just stuck things here and there and next time I go
by there, I'll ask her how she deals with the weeds. The lady around
the corner has pretty flowers, too large a property to handle, but the
weeds are out of control and ruining her beautiful heirloom rose bush
and the whole look of the place. There's Virginia Creeper and sumac in
that bush because she can't keep up, obviously, and she's in her 30's.
That's the way it is.
Since you made at least a semi-retraction, I'll try to play nicer.
Unless you go into insult mode again. In a case like that, I'd best
just give it a rest.
A ChemLawn employee (maybe 16 years old) once told my wife that the stuff he
was about to spray on the neighbor's lawn, a liquid which the wind would've
blown onto our veg garden, was entirely safe and approved for use around
food crops. A call to his office revealed otherwise. He was about to apply
some weed stuff that was NO WAY supposed to be anywhere near vegetables.
Unfortunately, the office people told me the stuff was safe. The young
employee was stupid. The office staff was crooked & deceptive.
Interesting. As I came out from voting, I scoped out the lawn at one of
the newer and probably one of the highest achievment academically
elementary schools in the area. There were a large dandelion, some
oxalis and other weeds by the front door. In the grass, which was
neatly mowed, there was what appeared to be juvenile plaintain, stunted
clover, much of it shaded, can't remember what else, didn't notice any
dandelions. Plantain spreads out in large pancakes if allowed to grow
for a lengthy period, so I'm assuming maybe this hasn't been there so
long, or they were smart enough to import a variety with a more compact
growth habit than mine.
So I called chemlawn and asked them if they had any contracts with the
public schools. After being put on hold, I was told that the only
contract they had was for the grass on the public fields and stadium.
Leaves some questions unanswered.
No, I wouldn't want any drifting spray on my vegetables either. I don't
grow any, too much shade and what's isn't as shaded I want for flowers.
But I'm reasonably certain all the produce I buy at the supermarkets,
hit several for this and that, has been treated in one form or another.
I eat the stuff anyway except I don't like store tomatoes and sweet
corn, but occasionally buy the Roma ones. I don't like the waxy
coating. It's more expensive at the health food store and doesn't look
as nice. We have a farmer's market where you can get wonderful produce
in the summer. It's probably a mixed bag whether any of it has been
sprayed or not. The way my son's sprayer was rigged, it created a more
like a hefty squirt, I was standing near him part of the time and
didn't want any on my skin, and I was worried about my new flowers in
the back which I covered in double bags and left until the next morning,
but then it was not breezy that evening. He used to work for chemlawn,
still sprays, but is leery about possible toxic effects from it. I know
he didn't use Roundup but can't remember what it was.
To spray or not to spray, that is the question. I'll spray once or
twice a year except for the violets on the west side of the house.
Looks like violet alley.
I get rid of my weeds and keep my gardens well groomed wtihout the use
of chemicals. It's a pleasure to weed, dig in the dirt, prune, garden
in general, and I've got every single weed you mentioned plus more.
I've got many gardens around my .6 acre. It's called gardening and
it's very easy to do it without chemicals. Why you want to douse
everything with poison is beyond me. You may not be as dumb as a box
of rocks, but you certainly do sound a bit lazy.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
The poor woman made a simple remark. Why are you all picking on her. And
as for Ann. .6 acres is one very small lot. And you are probably a sweet
young thing who has no idea what it feels like to be old. Lazy? I doubt
it. I was once known as a workaholic. My daughter often accused me of
making work just for the heck of it. I am over 80 years old and I keep
plugging but I can't get much done any more. Makes me mad. But that's old
age.
Let's knock off being nasty to Lucy.
expounded:
Gee, thanx. I'm hardly a sweet young thing anymore, I'm in the second
half of my century <G>.
I hope to be in my 90's and still working in my garden. And I hope to
be fulltime in Maine by then.
Not particularly nasty, but blunt. It isn't hard to keep your yard in
order. I've got 2.5 acres up in Maine that stays quite nice, too,
given the limited amount of time we spend at that home. I just don't
like dousing the environment with chemicals because someone doesn't
want to weed. Grass it all over and mow it (and learn to love
dandelions.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
Thanks, pixi. I asked one little question and got flamed, really only
two people. I'm quite used to it. I think I'm done with this group and
most of the rest of usennet.
And by the way, by "achievement", I was referring to your amazing ability to
look things up, apparently without a small child assisting you. What's your
next trick? Brush your teeth without poking your eye out?
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