Y is for Yardwork

Y is for Yardwork

I have done a bit of yardwork during my growing up years.  I was mostly responsible for cutting the grass.  During a number of years we lived on a farm that had a lot of grass.  We had a ride-on lawn mower at it took me at least 3 hours to mow the grass every week.  From this I have developed a strong dislike for lawn mowing.  At our place here in the city we have a very small patch of grass and I have a rotary push mower and I can mow the lawn in about 20 minutes.

I would like to reduce the work on my lawn even further my getting a movable rabbit pen and grazing meat rabbits on my lawn.  My wife is currently against the idea, but I think there are a lot of benefits to this.  The first being obvious is that I do not have to mow any more, the second is that it is fertilized, the third is that it the grass is stimulated to grow my natural methods. 

We take a similar approach to what few garden beds we have.  If I am going to put in plants into those beds then I need to be able to harvest some produce from them.  One of the easiest things to grow is herbs, and fresh herbs are so good in food that I am a big fan, they also bring in beneficial insects that will either pollinate my other plants or insects that will eat the insects that want to harm my other plants.

One of the common complaints that I have heard about the region of Calgary Alberta is that the season is too short and that you cannot grow anything here.  While it is true that we are in a Zone 3 area the biggest problem that I have encountered is the soil.  The beds at our house are dead.  There is no organic matter or life in them at all.  Soil needs to be living, but through constant turning and addition of both fertilizers and herbicides we have managed to kill the soil.  I am endeavouring to bring my soil back to life, so that it can sustain me.

Share some of your insights into yardwork and gardening in the comments below.

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