Ray's Thought for the Day - Hard to Kill

The turf grass industry and associates have engendered the ideal of a beautiful monocultural lawn in many noggins. Or, humans may be pre-adapted to believe in the ideal of turf grass lawns. Or, snakes are easier to espy on turf grass lawns and therefore less likely to sneak up on innocent humans enjoying the turf grass lawn as opposed to some other vegetation cover that might conceal serpents.

Theoretically, if one "puts in" a hardy, lush, turf grass, or combination of turf grasses lawn, and maybe a winter weed seed crop, one may attain the ideal of a lawn that is comprised entirely of a turf grass or two, and a winter weed grass, like, for example, rescuegrass or a nice annual rye, to green up the lawn in the winter. Or, perhaps in some parts, the turf grass industry and associates have developed turf grasses that stay green all year, eliminating the need for grassy winter weeds.

Historically, maintenance of a turf grass lawn, has required lots of mowing, watering, fertilizing, herbiciding, fungiciding, insecticiding and maybe mechanical weeding to keep the lawn short, and monocultural or nearly so. Thus, a serious devotee of the ideal may need lots of equipment, cheap labor,and even some cash outlay to achieve the ideal and perpetuate the ideal. This is one reason for green fees, duffers.

A native weed that persists in these parts, even in lawns, is this one, basal rosette mode(Anemone heterophylla). Possibly, the seed that gave rise to this little basal rosette ascended into the stratosphere last spring, floated or glided around for a spell, and then, espying a good spot, parachuted earthward to this very spot, a gap in the turf grass. Then once ensconced in the turg grass gap, it germinated. Yepper, this species is hard to kill off entirely. Perhaps the offsping of this one shall parachute on to your lawn, anon.