Lessons Learned: From lawn slaughter to ecological harmony
By Dana Cook
WSU Chelan/Douglas County Master Gardener
My first achievement as a newly minted “WSU Master Gardener” was killing the lawn in my southern-facing backyard. The criminal charge would have been lawn slaughter rather than premeditated murder. It was not intentional. I can explain.
In 2021, my husband and I moved to Wenatchee from New Orleans, where our outdoor space consisted of a cozy courtyard with a couple of satsuma trees and some mystery flowers. There was no grass, and it rained a lot. Even a broomstick planted in the ground could probably take root and flourish in Louisiana.
We bought our Wenatchee house after falling in love with its beautifully manicured, professionally landscaped half-acre of grass, trees and perennials — all of which I had no clue how to care for.
The first year was full of folly. Having never lived in a desert environment, I sought advice from the previous owners about watering the lawn. “Oh, just set the irrigation for 5 minutes twice daily,” they said. A slow but steady backyard demise ensued. The once-lush lawn’s last breath coincided with my 2023 Master Gardener graduation. So, you see, officer, it was an accident!
I began to question the value of this expanse of green in our yard. Did it make sense to pour endless amounts of (expensive!) water and chemicals into a patch of green that demanded constant mowing?
Through my Master Gardener training, I learned that while manicured lawns and meticulously curated landscapes are visually pleasing, they often work against Mother Nature rather than with her. Designing a yard purely for aesthetics is like cooking solely for flavor. Sure, it might taste good, but the lack of nutritional value will cause issues down the line.
As a Master Gardener, I’ve learned there are alternative options, such as clover, for turfgrass in our landscapes. We can design our landscape in an ecologically sound way to create a haven for the local wildlife.
I now embrace wildness. When I see a perfectly cut C-shaped chomp from a rose bush leaf, I smile, knowing that some mama leafcutter bee is building a home for her babies to come. And this brings me more joy than a flawless leaf ever would.
Speaking of bees, despite all the good PR for foreign honeybees, our native bees are critical to the health of a natural ecosystem. I support these tiny workers in my yard by eliminating pesticides and providing habitat.
I now leave the leaves to support wintering insects. Because there was so much buzzing activity late into the fall, I did not prune my lavender before the first frost. The same goes for the roses; they still stand with frozen blooms. I made these decisions based on what was best for the buzzies, not for the aesthetics of my yard.
Becoming a Master Gardener has resulted in a paradigm shift in how I manage my little corner of the world. My goal is no longer to maintain a pristine green park but to create a thriving natural habitat that is kinder to Mother Earth — and our water bill!A WSU Chelan-Douglas County Master Gardener column appears weekly in The Wenatchee World. To learn more, visit bit.ly/MGchelandouglas or call (509) 667-6540.