3. I’ve heard that landscaping with native plants is hot now. I’ve got some wild plants out back that I’ve allowed to grow, so I guess I fit right into this trend.
Guess again!
“Native plant” and “wild plant” are not synonymous. In the Western Hemisphere, the former is usually defined as a plant that was here in pre-Columbian times.Many plants that grow in the wild in the Western Hemisphere,?such as dame’s rocket (middle photo), do not meet this criterion. They may have naturalized, but that does not make them native plants. Indeed, some are among the worst invasive plants; as such, they are on the “enemies list” of most native-plant enthusiasts.
4. I don’t have a lot of time for lawn care, so I need to take any shortcuts I can find. For example, when I mow the lawn, I cut the grass as short as I can. That way, it will be a while before I have to mow again.
Why this reasoning involves a landscaping myth:
There’s more that’s “short” in this statement than just a shortcut and short grass: it’s also short-sighted.In the long run, mowing in this manner will not decrease, but increase the amount of care you have to put into your lawn. Why? Because it will harm your lawn, then you’ll have to put extra time, energy and money into repairing it. Learning how high to cut your grass is a critically important step in your lawn-care education.
You can read the rest of David Beaulieu’s article at About.com
