Birds, butterflies, Bugloss and Bambi

UPDATE: Burlington is still fighting naturalization. 

‘You want to fine them $10,000 a day?’ The City of Burlington fought this family’s natural garden — and then razed it anyway June, 2023 

 "As a penalty, the city had threatened an astonishing $10,000-a-day fine until the yard was remedied to their standards — a notice the city also sent to the Barneses’ mortgage company." 

 "Donnelly also represented landscape ecologist Nina-Marie Lister and her husband, Jeremy Guth, in 2020 when the City of Toronto said the front-yard meadow of their sprawling Wychwood-area home needed to be cut back. "

  ‘What kind of barbarian would mow buttercups?’: The city tried to rip up a local ecologist’s natural garden. Now she’s fighting back – Oct., 2020

"Nina-Marie Lister and her husband Jeremy Guth turned their lawn into a wildlife and pollinator paradise. But complaints from neighbours led them to lawyer up and ask the city to rethink its rules for gardens."

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 I had a man visit us, asking if our house was for sale. His wife drives into Perth for work, and she  notices a lot of deer roadkill. I explained that the deer have a large range, and wander a lot. It's safer if predators don't know where they are! Deer are crepuscular, and move around dawn and dusk.

backyard doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Said stranger also wondered why we aren't cutting the lawn. I love the wildflowers, and cut them down judiciously after they bloom. It isn't cool to have a natural lawn in many areas. A Toronto resident fought and won in 1996. Smiths Falls, for example: Couple's win forces Smiths Falls to revisit approach to 'naturalized' lawns. Where they are from, in Seattle, it is common. You see them from time-to-time in cities, but not often. They had a neighbour report them:

Last October, the couple noticed their yard was an item on the council agenda, accompanied by a 17-page report that detailed neighbours' complaints and recommended they be required to tame their yard. Council agreed, and an order was issued.

Many people have a war with dandelions. Not us! There are lots of lovely 'weeds' that bring the critters.

Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) – many insects like it, even Monarchs! They consume lots of varieties of pollen, but only lay their eggs on Milkweed. The Bugloss buds are pink, then lavender-coloured. 

I was sitting on the back deck and noticed a butterfly. 

question mark butterfly from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Eastern Comma vs. Question Mark you can tell them apart from the three dots and a dash on the Question Mark. When the wings are closed, there is a question mark.

They love our Hops vine, and often lay eggs on it. The Hops are climbing up to the roof.

 

Don't forget the birds!

There was wild splashing in the bird bath!

bird bath splash from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

tree sparrows from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Climate Change and Lawns

The NY Times had an interesting video documentary on lawns. The old photos are amazing. It was 7 minutes long, and I do not normally watch 'newspaper' videos, but this was more documentary. 

The Great American Lawn: How the Dream Was Manufactured

Coincidentally, I've been thinking about lawns. We've had some drought, again, and it does require that we manage our lawns differently.  We've since had some rain, but we have to be careful. There are many, I find, who shave their lawns closely, not giving it a chance to absorb even morning dew.

My house on Hobart had a small lawn, and I was trying to change it over to plants. To the left of the patio stones I'd replaced grass with plants. Then, we moved to Pine Glen, and then Muskoka! (This is the beautiful birdbath that was stolen from us.)


It's an excellent piece the NY Times video. During white colonial settlement, forests were felled, farmland created. The settlers cows and sheep ate the indigenous grasses that existed. In these days of Climate Change, with both flooding and drought, our thoughts must change. People are using too many chemicals to keep lawns pristeen, as well.

In the video, you can see how rich Americans began creating large lawns on large properties. They imported the romantic English and French notions of parks, as well as 'Kentucky Blue Grass' (actually a native species from Europe), in areas where biodiversity thrived. Technology changed things, as is its way. They highlight the development of cities with water systems, which meant the individuals could water more frequently and maintain a lawn. The development of lawn mowers, which meant maintenance was easier, meant that plantation owners could play lawn bowling on manicured lawns, maintained by slaves.

There are many books on lawn care, as well as hundreds of magazine articles! We've moved into a new era, however. With guerilla gardening, and rooftop gardens, etc. we know the value of looking at lawns differently.

I've been leaving our front lawn alone in spots. The wild oregano has taken over, which hosts all sorts of critters!
monarch on wild oregano from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

What people are promoting is a laissez faire attitudes. I am up for that. Now, the bugs do hide in the grasses, but it doesn't truly keep the bugs away to trim a lawn to 3". I've let the weeds grow.

This is Oliver's Lot. They kept it cut, previous owners. I've let it go and the sumac has come back, as well as the milkweeds.


In spring, I love the dandelions and wildflowers.

These are two trees I transplanted, one a spruce and the other a serviceberry.

Aside from flowers for insects, milkweed for monarchs, the reptiles and amphibians love it, as well. We have leopard frogs sitting in the lawn, eating bugs. I spotted a ribbon snake, as well.


I bet it is difficult to see it in the above photo. The clover provides sanctuary.  Photo fail, archival photos show the ribbon snake much better!


You can see in the backyard how lush the grass can be, but with climate change, it's been too dry.

 In the backyard, I create a path. The ticks like the long grasses, so a path is a good way to do this.

I've let the pumpkins have their way in the backyard. Coincidentally, I found a milkweed tussock moth, which I'd not seen before! I shall have to revise my life cycle!

I'll bet people have a hard time with this. People seem to cultivate the pristeen, manicured lawns.  Perhaps it is time for change!