They are evil. They must be eradicated. They are a blight.
I’m talking about weeds, dandelions specifically. We’ve been persuaded that a lawn dotted with dandelions is a bad thing. It’s clearly not the fashion to have a yard filled with dandelions.
But maintaining a monoculture lawn takes effort. Unless you know what you’re doing and are vigilant, it also requires chemicals.
With municipalities around the capital region restricting garden pesticide use because of health concerns, I am seeing a lot more dandelions dotting lawns, including mine. They bother me a bit, but I’m trying to accept them. The lawn-fashion police will not dictate to me, I’ve timidly whispered.
Yes, part of my effort to embrace dandelions is because of laziness. But I have gone to the effort of scanning make-your-lawn-better-without-chemical websites. I’ve found this consensus:
— A healthy lawn will crowd out the weeds.
— Go for a taller cut.
— Aerate.
— Dig out problem areas and put in native plants appropriate to the conditions.
— Water deeply and infrequently.
Maybe I’ll just let the dandelions grow. They might become all the fashion.
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My colleague Dave Bly says you should eat the weeds.
The Capital Regional District website has guidance on lawn care, and summarizes things in five top tips.
The Safelawns website has how-to videos.
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