<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Sam et al, here in Constance Bay Village in Ottawa, Canada, we converted to a pollinator front garden eight years ago. It looks like a wild meadow, with its few fruit trees and shrubs scattered amongst the unruly forbs. It seems wild, wild, wild, except for one small innovation Vera installed: winding annually mown pathways with stepping boards. The regularly-spaced boards are highly visible. Of course, they gradually rot into the ground but these are quickly replaced. Almost no maintenance required. The pathways fit the landscape beautifully. AND, admiring visitors, even young children, traverse the garden via the paths instinctively stepping from board to board. Seems these boards alone meet the site’s total need for neatness, stewardship and naturalness. Everyone is happy :-) <br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Sep 16, 2016, at 12:27 PM, Droege, Sam <<a href="mailto:sdroege@usgs.gov" class="">sdroege@usgs.gov</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">All<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">This week I spoke to a group of Landscape Architects. Good discussions and I pointed out that I thought one of our biggest societal problems was the perceived conflict between creating landscapes friendly to pollinators (and, btw, to all of nature) and the traditionally acceptable tended landscapes that are mowed regularly.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It turns out that this has been thought of before and likely quite deeply by landscape architects. Here is a fabulous article from the 90's: </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/1995/nc_1995_nassauer_001.pdf" class=""> http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/1995/nc_1995_nassauer_001.pdf</a></div><div class=""><br clear="all" class=""><div class="">The key point here is that people really don't necessarily NOT want natural landscapes what they want is a landscape that is clearly cared for. A naturalized landscape is often preferred, but it must be neat and fit into the norms of the culture. Of great importance is the presences of human structures (sidewalks, fences, houses, buildings etc.) that are clearly demarcated by neatly mown areas, are in good shape and show that the owner of the property takes care of their property and has done all these things on purpose.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I think it would be very useful to build into the advice we provide about plantings some elements that present shows of care and intention of those environments, else we risk alienating the very audiences we want to convert. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I also think it might be useful to have more landscape architects on board with what we do.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">sam</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> From a Country Overlooked</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">There are no creatures you cannot love.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">A frog calling at God</div><div class="">From the moon-filled ditch</div><div class="">As you stand on the country road in the June night.</div><div class="">The sound is enough to make the stars weep</div><div class="">With happiness.</div><div class="">In the morning the landscape green</div><div class="">Is lifted off the ground by the scent of grass.</div><div class="">The day is carried across its hours</div><div class="">Without any effort by the shining insects</div><div class="">That are living their secret lives.</div><div class="">The space between the prairie horizons</div><div class="">Makes us ache with its beauty.</div><div class="">Cottonwood leaves click in an ancient tongue</div><div class="">To the farthest cold dark in the universe.</div><div class="">The cottonwood also talks to you</div><div class="">Of breeze and speckled sunlight.</div><div class="">You are at home in these</div><div class="">great empty places</div><div class="">along with red-wing blackbirds and sloughs.</div><div class="">You are comfortable in this spot</div><div class="">so full of grace and being</div><div class="">that it sparkles like jewels</div><div class="">spilled on water.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> - Tom Hennen</div><div class=""><br class=""></div>-- <br class=""><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div style="text-align:center" class=""><i class=""><b class="">Bees are Not Optional</b></i></div><div style="text-align:center" class=""><i class=""><b class=""><font size="1" class="">Apes sunt et non liberum</font><br class=""></b></i></div></div></div>
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