I had planned to develop a meadow of drought-tolerant plants in the orchard behind the farmhouse. I was working on it – identifying and maintaining the desirable weeds that were already established there, researching and planting more, hoping that these perennials would spread and add interest to that garden. Even last year, this plan was alive. However, it came to naught this year with the explosion of grass – and I do mean explosion! We have several varieties, but Mike’s plant app identifies the dominate one as “beardless wildrye.”
“Stay out of tall grass,” my old dad used to say, and this grass qualifies as tall, so I stay out of it. Who knows what lurks under that mass. It’s habitat for rodents and snakes, and it’s a fire hazard. I've tried to tell myself that it's beautiful just the way it is, but it’s crowding out desirable plants, and I find its presence daunting. I don’t want to walk through it to tend the apple trees and other plants. Further planting is impossible.
And
while I speak of the orchard / meadow, the grass is everywhere here – in the grove,
at the pond, bordering the yard, on either side of the lane, etc. And it’s not
just at our place. It IS a regional explosion of grass.
Interestingly, my research indicates this grass variety is seen as positive. However, I don’t have livestock to graze on it. I’m disappointed because my plan was to make that area into a garden. I’d like to think the grass is a temporary situation, but grass is difficult to eradicate. The soil is clay, and in summer, it’s hard as a rock. I think the only way to remove it would be to dig it out and then lay cardboard to discourage its return. I’m not sure I could take on such a project even if I would. The time comes when stooping and pulling is not a good idea if you want to continue to walk. KW
Up next: A Trip to Yellowstone Park, 1926 – A Centennial Appreciation
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