Much of Northeast Ohio has been turned into a managed landscape. So what should we manage for? The perfect, weed-free lawn that's dependent on chemicals? Or a more sustainable landscape that integrates our yards back into nature?
This section will cover efforts to restore the ecological health of the land in our own backyards.
Local resources
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Enviroscapes landscape design
Genius Loci Landscape Design
Good Nature organic lawn care
Holden Arboretum
Invasive plants in Ohio
Simple Yard Care
Ohio Prairie Nursery
Rain Garden Manual for Homeowners (PDF 2.4MB)
Riverside Native Trees
Salsbury-Schweyer landscape design
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes healthy lawn program
Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio
Urban Landscape Ecology Program - OSU
National resources
Plant for the Planet
doggie do righters
Susan Miller Says:What about pet waste? I am so curious about all the folks who have gotten on board with picking up after their dogs to help keep the stuff out of the storm sewers, but then how many plastic grocery bags with dog poop go into the landfill? It must be not unlike the number of disposable diapers! There must be a better way. There is little evidence that people are bringing this stuff into their homes and flushing it down the toilet, especially when they visit the Metroparks with the dog. Do we really believe that people are transporting this stuff back to their bathrooms?
Here's an idea http://homepage.mac.com/cityfarmer/PhotoAlbum22.html
Maybe Tori Mills can do doggie cleanup composters in addition to her rain barrel workshops.
I'll report back when I find out how big this problem might actually be. I have a call into the Cuyahoga County to discover how many dogs we should be considering...
Oh and then there may be city codes involved, too! Oh, boy!
Comments on this?
87,000 licensed dogs!!!
Susan Miller Says:The County Animal Warden says there were 87,000 dogs licenses sold last year in Cuyahoga County! But he elaborates that the stats are that 33% of households have dogs, and since the county has 1/2 a million residents we may have 165,000 dogs (not all of them with county style jewelry). Now that's a lot of dogs! I guess this is a big big issue!
Back to nature
David Miller Says:Our Metroparks has done a great job with our emerald necklace. Great strides have been accomplished with several wetlands in our area. Tearing down the Coliseum and turning it back to nature has been great watching it grow over the years.
Unfortunatly our backyards need to be managed, our grass needs to be cut short so our kids can play. A yard full of wildflowers only brings more insects and rodents closer to our home and inside. We can definately cut out the fertilizers. I like to put compost, sand and sawdust in my soil with a spreader. Airiating the lawn always helps. Composting of yard waste, and kitchen scrapes really do a great job in the front yard or the garden.
Here's a few compositors to look at. http://store.whitehallgardens.com/gardentools.html
David Miller
David Marketing Group
http://www.davidmg.com