Author: Anna Aquino
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you are a bee, a messy mixed species lawn is your Mona Lisa.
Who doesn’t like the look of a finely trimmed lawn? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you are a bee, a messy mixed species lawn is your Mona Lisa. Lawn, whether a manicured monoculture or a “natural” one,
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Author: Anna G. Aquino
Consider for a moment a world without weeds. We would be traipsing on bare dirt and mud as the ground erodes away underneath our feet. Thankfully weeds immediately colonize even the most inhospitable of soils, they cool the ground, keep soil microorganisms alive, and help prevent soil erosion. Their aggressive root systems, especially those with taproots, can mine minerals and moisture from deep layers of the earth, bringing them up the soil profile and making them accessible to other plants.
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Author: Anna G. Aquino
Soil organic matter is vital to a healthy ecosystem and originates from decomposing remains of organic life. It has the unique ability to increase a sandy soil’s water-holding capacity while assisting a clayey soil to drain. The subsequent improvement of soil structure reduces erosion by increasing water infiltration. Organic matter is the habitat for a vibrant soil food web whose inhabitants decompose it and provide nutrients for plants. Fertility and nutrients reside in organic matter.
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