Though I think that the expanses of turf that constitute most lawns have all the classy appeal of Astroturf, and are an generally an environmental travesty, there are some things to be said for this stuff: Prevents erosion Slows down runoff Filters water Is better than a non-permeable surface So, […]
The most e-mailed article in the NYT yesterday wasPaul Krugman’s “Who Cooked the Planet?” He calls 2010 the year in which all hope of action to limit climate change died, and notes that ironically the first half of this year has been the “hottest such stretch on record.” He blames […]
I was shocked when our timber framer, Mike Yaker, urged us to forget painting the inch-thick oak boards on our new barn. To me the prototypical barn was barn red. I have always loved to see red barns. They look great against a background or green fields, golden wheat or […]
If bugs wrote books, they would probably begin their book on the human era, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times…..” They would probably consider it a slightly scary book. I thought the Master Gardener Volunteer program (see my post Becoming a Master Gardener ) […]
Amphibians seem to be under siege these days, but in our little pond, they are thriving, so I hate to mess with success. Nonetheless, I have watched the pond pack itself more tightly every year with some kind of pondweed. I thought it was Eurasian Milfoil, but what is growing […]
This spring we purchased an officially sanctioned bluebird house to support the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW), and we placed it according to their directions. As with all real estate, location is key. A pair of bluebirds are looking for 1-3 acres of predominantly open land to call home. […]
I have a clump of dirt on my sideboard but I’m not washing it off. It’s a handful of the topsoil we just had delivered to our land for the septic system drain field and garden beds, and it’s my prized possession. I feel like I dodged a major guilt […]
I have come upon fawns lying still as statues in a stand of grass on our land. Their survival strategy seems to be to freeze, allowing me to walk right up and study their perfect ears, finely chiseled hooves and delicately dappled camo patterns. Baby animals always bring out our […]
Before we build a house on our land, we will need a septic system. The land has already passed its perc test (Doesn’t that sound cheerful? It’s 6 a.m., and at the moment, I’m not sure I feel perky enough to pass any test.) Our land is not only perky– […]
Digging in the Driftless 
