What is "low maintenance?"

In a message dated 7/15/99 6:01:31 PM Central Daylight Time, 
Barry_Garcia@monterey.edu writes:

<< medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
  >>

-- BEGIN included message

  • To: p*@nevco.k12.ca.us
  • Subject: Re: What is "low maintenance?"
  • From: B*@monterey.edu (Barry Garcia)
  • Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 15:52:53 -0700
paul@nevco.k12.ca.us writes:
>I think this is an intriguing topic for the group to discuss. [Medit
>gardeners typically have lower irrigation goals; this is one of the
>author's 7 principles/guidelines that define "low maintenance."] Is
>there such thing as a "low maintenance" garden? Is it "low maintenance"
>achieved when only weeding, light annual pruning and minimal
>supplemental irrigation are needed to keep the plant community going?

For me, low maintenance means that i dont have to prune bushes each week
end, mow the lawn (Which we took out :) ), constantly weed, and keep
plants looking formal and rigid. For me, my garden is low maintenance.
Even though i often have to watch weeds, i have plants that dont need a
lot of attention. To some (Like my grandmother) that is too much work :).
>
>Does the size of the garden factor in? How much space can one gardener
>"minimally" maintain? If you have to use herbicides, fungicides or a lot
>of fertilizer, is it high maintenance?

I think so. I would consider landscaping and maintaining my backyard to be
high maintenance (Its currently a weedy 100 X 70 foot lot right now). If i
did get it all landscaped and planted, i would have to spend each week end
out there watching for weeds that pop up (like kikuyu and iceplant). I
also think if you use a lot of herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizer that
is high maintenance. I only use herbicides when they are needed (such as
with the area in my front yard that is waiting for some manzanita and
ceanothus bushes to be planted)

>
>Given the scarcity of water and rapid destruction of native vegetation
>and soil in many parts of the world, I think there are some ethical
>issues involved here. As gardeners, we take on certain responsibilities
>to care for the land and its ecology. I supposed you could argue that,
>prior to their conquest by outsiders, various indiginous people have
>achieved master gardener status for their ability to live in harmony
>(and maintain) a plant community for the benefit of both the plants and
>humans.

I think this is very true. I think the natives were master gardeners
because they knew how to make use of the native plants and make a living.
Often people want gardens that look like those back east -green and lush
and full of thursty plants-, yet they do not understand that the plants
they see in gardens there aren't very suited to this area (some are, some
arent, like Azaleas).  I think if people care about the areas they live
in, they would consider planting natives, or at least plants that are
suited to their environment. 

____________________________________________________________________      
         
       "I found love on a two way street, and lost it on a lonely highway"
   ____________________________________________________________________

-- END included message

Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index