Thursday, June 18, 2009

Clover and Craft


Quick question: What is the biggest crop grown in the US? Did you say corn? Nope. Soybean? Not even close. The biggest crop grown in the US is one that requires the most water, fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers to grow, and yet no one eats. Yep. It's grass. We are a country of lawn-obsessed citizens. We toil away each weekend for perfectly manicured sod...and to what end? Why do we waste the gas, water, and fertilizers on something that we walk on, for pete's sake!

As you can see from the photo, I do not obsess about my grass. This year, the lawn is being taken over by clover, and you know what? I love it! Clover stays green all season, it can be mowed very easily when the need arises, and the flowers attract the rabbits and keep them out of my garden. I think it looks very sweet! It reminds me of English gardens, where they sow chamomile seeds into the lawn for a dainty flowery addition.

I am a gardener, not a grass grower. When I see a huge front lawn with all that grass to mow, my first thought is "Wow, what a waste. Just think of all the gardens you could grow in that space!" My sister, Jenny, has taken the bold step of planting a front yard garden. It is a growing trend that is perplexing to neighborhood homeowners associations, with rules about yard usage. Lucky for Jenny, she doesn't live in a subdivision, and she can plant her vegetables where the sunlight is...right outside her front door.


Here's a peek at my latest needle art project. I had told myself that I'd be working on something patriotic by now, and yet here I am, still stitching flowers. I can't help myself! I still have to stitch the framing section of this project, but that should go rather quickly.

Do you think I'll be making something patriotic before Independence Day? We'll see!

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