Wild Violets

A few in the neighborhood think I’m crazy and amazing number completely understand my desire not to use pesticides and herbicides on my lawn. I want a beautiful yard but I also want a healthy one that the kids and critters can play one without getting sick from chemicals. I also do want the death of the Chesapeake to be on my lawn. As the latest commercials say Maryland blue crab should die to be on your plate not from nasty chemicals in the bay.

Right now my yard isn’t ready for the cover Southern Living or Martha Stewart and to be honest they may never be. I would be flattered if it was even considered for the cover of Mother Earth. I’ve been hand picking out invasive species like garlic mustard, local pest like wild strawberries, and the junipers and such the birds have been so helpful in planting through out the yard. As I just told one neighbor the good thing about the drought last summer was it made it much easier to pick out the weeds. They were the green plants. I’ve been pacing the yard yanking one unwanted guest at a time. During all of the hours of weeding I’ve made sure I haven’t pulled on wild violet. I think these little flowers are beautiful. They come up in the spring with just after the crocuses and grape hyacinths (Armeniacum Blue Spike). They pepper the yard with pretty purple and purple and white flowers. They seem to be easy to control with just regular mowing of the yard. I am hoping this is the right kind of plant diversity for a healthy and beautiful yard.