Then, without telling her they were going to do it, the lawn company that does the lawns in their neighborhood sprayed the clover and the few dandelions with a broadleaf weed killer last week.
Mom is livid! We were actually trying to do something with that soil in a non-chemical, advantageous way so that she can have plants grow there and not have these big, bare patches of soil that even stupid grass can't take hold in.
I don't know what to do now. I guess wait until the half-life or whatever of the broadleaf herbicide used passes because we won't be able to plant anything until that happens. 🤬🤬🤬
Yes, we have tried over-seeding with grass numerous times. The grass did not take. The soil is AWFUL, which is why we were trying to improve it with a nitrogen-fixating plant.
She said she doesn't want flowers in that area, but I really think throwing down some flower seeds and flagging it off is the only way to go. I'm going to start shopping for bulk native seeds that need overwintering and probably spend too much time manually removing grass clumps to cultivate those seeds. she said that they are allowed to cultivate flowers a few inches (maybe 12?) out from their sidewalks? So I'm going to use that regulation to her advantage.
The natives that I planted alongside her house after she moved in, pictured below -- which has the same exact fill soil -- are doing really well. People actually like them! She was even featured in the newsletter a few years ago. They're not a formal garden, but they are a solid pollinator garden. I'm trying to get her neighbors more on board with natives and pollinator gardens, but it is an uphill battle.
I have not had much time to devote to this crisis because I'm working every day right now, but it's on my mind because I don't like seeing my mom upset about things like this. She actually said that sometimes she regrets living in the neighborhood, even though it's the one she wanted to live in when she moved back here.
I've been trying to find an equivalent house in my neighborhood since before we moved her, but they go too fast. I have told her for years that if she did move up here, I would take responsibility for her yard work. What that means in my book is, as a little lawn as possible, and as much food and native plants as possible. She's on board.
