Land Ethics & Invasive Species Policy
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When I garden, it is only 50% for my own benefit. The other 50% is for the environment. Each and every space is an ecosystem. We need to bring in beneficial plants, and work to eliminate harmful ones. ANY PROPERTY I WORK ON NEEDS TO HAVE A REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT PLAN FOR ALL INVASIVE PLANTS. It doesn't have to be completed all in one season, we'll take this one one bite at a time. However, every visit needs to have at least some time - even just a few minutes - devoted to invasive plant removal. The best time to have started was 10 years ago, the second best time is now.
For clarification, I am not removing every non-native plant, only those which have show to be the most deleterious to the environment. Well-behaved visitors are welcome to stay. Put another way, I have no issues with immigrants, I have issues with colonizers. For what it's worth, areas with a solid array of native biodiversity are often home to fewer ticks, so that's an added bonus! If you are concerned about what plants are invasive, I can do a walk-through of your space and let you know. I also have a list here of the ones I am most intent on removing. Why am I going full throttle toward environmental activism? With the disappointment of the 2024 election, and now that the new administration has confirmed all of the worst it has to offer, I have decided to make some shifts in how I approach gardening. 2025 is my 10th year of gardening for people aside from myself. Over that time I have made every endeavor to do so with forethought, professionalism, and conscientious considerations for the long term effects of my work. To celebrate 10 years of professional growth, I'm giving myself the gift of prioritizing decolonization. I turned 43 in January of 2025, and I won't be young and spry forever. Every moment spent putting this task on hold is another moment weighing on my conscience, and on the health of our exploited ecosystems. We did not start this problem, but as Rabbi Tarfon Pirkei Avot said 1800 years ago, "It is not up to you to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it." I won't live to see the day this mess is truly cleaned up, but, then again, it's not about me. So it with that in mind that I move forward, uncompromisingly, with my conscience tucked into my gardening tool belt with everything else. |
Plants that must go:
- Vinca minor/periwinkle/myrtle - Pachysandra - English Ivy - Yellow Archangel - Goutweed/Bishop's Weed - Butterfly Bush/Buddleia - Japanesse Knotweed - Oriental Bittersweet - Creeping Bellflower - Greater celandine - Lesser celandine - Rose of Sharon -Multifloral rose - Yellow Flag Iris - Fish mint/Houttyynia cordata/ Chameleon plant - Euonymus - various species, including winter creeper and burning bush - Barberry - Tree of Heaven/Ailanthus altissima - Day lilies/ditch lilies I'm sure I will add more to this list as time goes on, but I've got plenty to tackle already! You can peruse the following website, though it is not completely exhaustive as it does not include vinca minor or pachysandra terminalis as of Spring 2025, but it is a good place to start. |
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Also of note, I don't advise completely clearing out gardens in the fall, or total removal of leaves. Similarly, in spring I am careful about when to schedule a clean-out of last year's plants - usually late April or early May after 72 hours of temps above 50 degrees. If we can't wait until the perfect time to clean things out, my policy is that the brush needs to remain as close to the premises as possible: a brush pile or compost area, for example. The only I time throw away plant material is when it is to prevent invasive plants from re-growing. Invasive plants sometimes need to be bagged and thrown out with the regular garbage.
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If you're keen to read more on my feelings about this topic, feel free to read the blog entry about it under the blog tab.
Also of note, I don't advise completely clearing out gardens in the fall, or total removal of leaves. Similarly, in spring I am careful about when to schedule a clean-out of last year's plants - usually late April or early May after 72 hours of temps above 50 degrees. If we can't wait until the perfect time to clean things out, my policy is that the brush needs to remain as close to the premises as possible: a brush pile or compost area, for example. The only I time throw away plant material is when it is to prevent invasive plants from re-growing. Invasive plants sometimes need to be bagged and thrown out with the regular garbage.
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If you're keen to read more on my feelings about this topic, feel free to read the blog entry about it under the blog tab.
Services
Maintenance GardeningLove the look of a garden but not too keen on dirt, worms, and weeding? Set up a schedule or simply summon me as needed to maintain your garden space throughout the growing season. $30/hour.
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Vacation GardeningGoing away for an extended period of time? I can make sure your gardens are looking ship shape for when you return, keeping track of weeds, watering and dead heading. $30/hour.
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