Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Anything but Crabgrass

There is one plant that I seem to be quite proficient in growing.   If we have a very rainy season, it thrives.  If there's a drought, it thrives.   If I try to pull it up, it still thrives.  I wish I were talking about clematis or foxgloves or something even remotely pretty...


The dreaded Crabgrass. 

Here you can the crabgrass taking over what is supposed to be the mulched area of my backyard.


Last week Mr. Red House and the kids went and got me a cute little red-topped bird feeder to put in the back yard.  It has been a lot of fun watching the birds, but all that crabgrass kept staring back at me.


It was time to do something about it!  
However, I noticed that all the little ground feeding birds seemed to love the crabgrass.  


I had to put in some plants to replace the crabgrass so the birds will keep hanging around the yard, some ornamental grass perhaps! There was really no option but to go buy more plants.  
(Hey, that's the story I told to Mr. Red House, and I'm sticking to it!)

So I took a trip to the plant store. 


Much better than crabgrass!


Mums, Salvia 'Sensation White', and variegated Liriope make up most of the bed next to the preexisting Buddleia 'Santana'.  I bought some sort of native grass for the other end of the bed.  It was the only one of its kind at the store and, sadly, unlabeled.


If anyone knows what kind it is, please let me know!  It has a few purplish tufted blooms on it.


Now I can enjoy the non-crabgrass section by the bird feeder, and the birds (and butterflies!) can enjoy the little garden too.

Though those sparrows and other little feeder birds do still seem to be drawn to the unweeded sections of crabgrass in the yard... enjoying the crabgrass seeds, no doubt.


And I still see a lot of crabgrass... 
Maybe I need to buy more plants?  Some more ornamental grasses?
For the birds, of course!

9 comments:

  1. You know, there seems to be more crabgrass this year than past. I usually don't have it in the yard, but did this year. You are right, it thrives everywhere it seems. Nice replacements you have there.

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  2. I'd use it as an excuse to get more plants LOL. And this time of year, everything is marked down! That stuff is nasty though, and tough to get rid of.

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  3. Grass still seems to find it's way into the beds here, even though we don't have a lawn anymore. I really like the new plants you added. I'm trying to plant more ornamental grasses in my garden too.

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  4. Oh, I definitely think that's a good reason to buy more plants and plant, plant, plant. Maybe then you'll be rid of crabgrass - at least for a few weeks! But, oh, what a glorious few weeks it would be!

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  5. Any reason to buy plants is a good reason. Looks great! Welcome to Bloomin' Tuesday! Jean

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  6. Agree with the above - any reason to buy a plant is a good one!

    The crabgrass HAS been awful this year and the birds (and bunnies at our place) do seem to love it. I've turned into a mulching maniac trying to get rid of it!

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  7. Have you tried a flame thrower for you crabgrass!!! Darned stuff...but great 'excuse' to buy more plants!! xx

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  8. A flame thrower - maybe that's what I need! I do feel at some times that it's a garden battle - me versus the crabgrass!

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  9. Oh I love that you worked in both new plants and a place for the birds to eat. Talk about lemonaide from lemons.

    Here people obsess about their lawns, and illegally sprinkling them all summer. Maybe they should just give in and relax, or plant some flowers like you did.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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