08-02-2007, 08:13 AM
yep, gardening here is an adjustment ...
while I very much dislike using poisons and am not that big on power tools ... if you watch the "norm" of how people deal with landscaping here, you will see that the typical approach is to create a scene that can be dealt with by lawnmower, weedwhacker, hedge trimmer, putting down landscaping fabric or plastic with holes cut for individual plants, and "of course" herbicide.
That kind of gardening is neither fun nor ecologically kind but there's a reason the guys are out there with gloves, goggles, headphones and tools ... not getting hurt, bitten, rash-covered.
Hand-weeding is not the norm and with a year round weed season (no down time), it's a battle that won't be won if you have much land to take care of.
I came here from Northern California, never used herbicide, did all hand-pruning, dug planting holes with trowels and a shovel, and tending to my yard was a daily joy. Now it is pretty much a given that a yardwork session may result in bites, scratches, punctures, itching, rash ...
I begin to understand why the oldtimers in Hilo looked at our property, sighed, said "beautiful yard" and added "too much for me to take care of."
I've never been big on having expansive lawn (my California house had two TINY patches of lawn and the rest all beds and patio) ... but I get it here ... it's a good way to cover large areas of land, cheap, with islands of trees, crops, ornamentals that can be mowed around.
If you have the rainfall to support it ...
another way is to go with the wild natural look, letting it stay and cover the large areas. It's just very difficult to do traditional "bed" and "border" gardening because of the weeds. I see that style around Waimea -- because it's colder and the weeds are less brutal or because of the European influence? I'm not sure.
Are there any weed seeds that fall and don't germinate? Not in my yard!
while I very much dislike using poisons and am not that big on power tools ... if you watch the "norm" of how people deal with landscaping here, you will see that the typical approach is to create a scene that can be dealt with by lawnmower, weedwhacker, hedge trimmer, putting down landscaping fabric or plastic with holes cut for individual plants, and "of course" herbicide.
That kind of gardening is neither fun nor ecologically kind but there's a reason the guys are out there with gloves, goggles, headphones and tools ... not getting hurt, bitten, rash-covered.
Hand-weeding is not the norm and with a year round weed season (no down time), it's a battle that won't be won if you have much land to take care of.
I came here from Northern California, never used herbicide, did all hand-pruning, dug planting holes with trowels and a shovel, and tending to my yard was a daily joy. Now it is pretty much a given that a yardwork session may result in bites, scratches, punctures, itching, rash ...
I begin to understand why the oldtimers in Hilo looked at our property, sighed, said "beautiful yard" and added "too much for me to take care of."
I've never been big on having expansive lawn (my California house had two TINY patches of lawn and the rest all beds and patio) ... but I get it here ... it's a good way to cover large areas of land, cheap, with islands of trees, crops, ornamentals that can be mowed around.
If you have the rainfall to support it ...
another way is to go with the wild natural look, letting it stay and cover the large areas. It's just very difficult to do traditional "bed" and "border" gardening because of the weeds. I see that style around Waimea -- because it's colder and the weeds are less brutal or because of the European influence? I'm not sure.
Are there any weed seeds that fall and don't germinate? Not in my yard!