Beautifully manicured green lawns rose to popularity in the 1950s when mothers wearing pearls and high heels were baking cookies. (Was that ever really a thing besides on television?) With the growing urbanization of America, the importance of having a beautiful lawn grew, hence the popular phrase: The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence (actually it originated from Roman poet Ovid who said, “The harvest is always richer in another man's field.” And that phrase we know about grass, came from a folk song written by Raymond B. Egan and Richard A. Whiting in 1924. What's the significance? Americans have been in love with their lawns and wanting to have a better one (and better life overall) than their neighbors. But we have abandoned something that needs to return and thankfully is growing in popularity right now---gardens of native plants and pollinators. According to the National Wildlife Federation, one in four people specifically buy native plants and that is up from only 17 percent in 2020.
What are native plants and pollinators and why should you rip up your grass in favor of them? Join me and my guest Shelly Niefert this week as we talk about these plants and much more. If you're thinking, "eh, I don't have a green thumb, this doesn't interest me." Think again, especially if you care about helping to save our planet, food supplies, and so on.
To learn more about pollinators and native plants visit the following websites: Penn State, Monrovia and check out books by Doug Tallamy, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Shelly recommends "Bringing Nature Home" and "Nature's Best Hope."
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