Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Leslie Alley lives about 20 minutes from her mother, Glenda Thorne, an 84-year-old resident of Poydras Home. But in six months, the closest contact she was able to make was waving through a fence when her mom went on daily walks around the grounds of the Uptown New Orleans retirement home.

On Thursday, however, under the shade of a gazebo on the grounds, mother and daughter sat within a few arms lengths for the first time since March. Poydras Home reopened its doors to visitors this week for the first time since a statewide lockdown closed Louisiana nursing homes at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Poydras Home assisted living resident Glenda Thorne sits with her daughter Leslie Alley for the first time in months after coronavirus restrictions were relaxed at Poydras Home in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020.

I absolutely understand why the governor did it. But look, their emotional well-being is as important in their life at this stage as their physical well-being, said Alley, the French Market executive director who used to see her mother every other day after work. We very much hope this is the first of many visits.

Louisianas 270-plus nursing homes have banned visitors since the virus took hold in many of nursing homes across the United States in the early days of the pandemic. But the shutdown did not stop the spread: More than 40% of Louisiana's 5,241 confirmed coronavirus deaths were nursing home residents.

But the visitor ban had its own consequences.

More emotional outbursts, crying spells, more irritability, which is a common sign of depression, said Erin Kolb, chief executive officer of Poydras Home. Decreased appetites, weight loss, all as a result of the isolation.

At least eight residents of the Maison Orleans nursing home in Uptown New Orleans have died from the coronavirus according to records provid

Staff tried to substitute where they could, connecting families via video conference and trying to fill in the social gaps by spending one-on-one time with residents. But no one can really replace family, residents said.

Weve been in this situation for six months, said Thorne, who moved into Poydras Home about a year ago. Its a little bit overwhelming to always be with people youre not related to. You still have family you need to be in contact with.

Alley described her mom as a girls girl who loved socializing, often went to lunch with friends usually at Upperline or Clancys and visited with family frequently before the ban. She went to exerciseclass daily, took bus rides to the lake and enjoyed happy hours with residents.

Poydras Home assisted living resident Glenda Thorne walks with her daughter Leslie Alley for the first time in months after coronavirus restrictions were relaxed at Poydras Home in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020.

In March, that all stopped. When Poydras had cases of coronavirus, residents couldnt leave their rooms. Dull as dirt, her mother would say on daily phone calls.

Thorne feels fortunate to be safe. But she is ready to see family again.

The thing she says, which breaks my heart, is she doesn't want to die in there without getting to see anyone, Alley said. Youre 84 years old. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in there locked in your room?

Since coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, they've been on lockdown

Poydras Home is slowly opening up some activities, like distanced dining and outdoor visitation. To be extra cautious, it is not yet allowing indoor visits and requires plexiglass separation outdoors for some residents, depending on whether they are assisted living or nursing home residents.

Before nursing homes in Louisiana may allow visits, they must first meet criteria for case positivity rates within the parish and infection rates within the nursing home. The allowance is based on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For indoor visits, a nursing home must be free of new coronavirus cases for two weeks and the parish positivity rate must be below 10%. The federal agency recommends that visits be held outdoors when practical, where the transmission rate is proven to be much lower.

Susan Block and her daughter, Kelly Block, held mobile phone photos against the plexiglass for matriarch Betty Drury on Thursday, the first time theyve been able to see her since they held a distanced 94th birthday from the fence in early July.

In mid-April, as the surge of coronavirus patients into New Orleans hospitals started to ease, emergency room doctor James Aiken started notic

Even with the added difficulties of communicating with masks and plexiglass, the three generations joked and updated Drury on her 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Thats whom she would really love to see, Susan Block said.

Now that there are great-grandchildren, shes like, Forget all yall. I just want to see the little ones, her daughter said.

For the first time since March residents of Poydras Home were able to have in-person visitors aftercoronavirus restrictions were relaxed. The

For now, children younger than 16 are still not allowed at Poydras Home. Staff worry about the asymptomatic spread that is common among children. But they hope to lessen restrictions if they can.

We are dealing with a group of people whose days are not infinite, Kolb said. That is a sad thing, that they have lost such precious time with their family. But I know now that our families and our residents will cherish every moment they have going forward.

Emily Woodruff covers public health for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate as a Report For America corps member.

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As Louisiana nursing homes reopen to visitors: 'We very much hope this is the first of many visits' - NOLA.com

NEW GLASGOW The local mentoring project partnering with Dalhousie University and a couple of other towns has kicked off its first in-person meeting since the pandemic hit and is now ready to take the next step to help young professionals in Pictou County.

A group of mentors as well as co-ordinator for the project, Geralyn MacDonald, and executive director of Mentoring Plus Strategy of Dalhousie, Gordon Michael gathered outside of the gazebo by Glasgow Square to discuss how they can help others with mentoring and the future of the project.

The group was supposed to go back to one of the high schools in March after having visited previously to offer mentoring advice to students; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that was not able to happen. The project features eight sectors of the workforce to branch from to help cover anything that mentees might be interested in taking on.

You can see the variety of careers, said MacDonald who pointed out that in the small meeting held last week there were people in business, finance, arts, and more who were ready to offer lived advice to younger generations.

Its about social inclusion, MacDonald said. Its all about knowledge transfer.

The next step will be mentor orientations and to provide those who are interested in participating with the tools to be able to effectively mentor.

(Mentors) are really interested in addressing issues that they can provide solutions for, said Michael. It gives people a sense of purpose.

Mentors that are part of the project are excited about the opportunities that the project can bring. Jeanette Hermanson of The Green Thumb was present last week for the advisory meeting and agreed that the program was a great way to connect the community and help retirees feel more active in the community.

The first thing I think about is the wonderfulness of it, she said. This is going to be wonderful to knot the two age groups together.

Betsy Keay and her brother John Cameron were both in attendance and were pleased to have the opportunity to share the knowledge they have acquired from experience after years in their professions.

I think its incredible for the seniors; getting up there myself if I dont have something to do I go nuts, laughed Cameron. But its got to be something meaningful.

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Meeting of the minds - pictouadvocate.com

The Service of the Leaves is the first of an innovative, ongoing monthly series of experimental services designed to discover unique ways of worshipping God.

Jesse Lees Director of Music Ministries, Sarah Fox, and Associate Pastors Katarina and James von Khn Murray, are developing these original, creative worship services for those who come from a Christian faith tradition, those who are exploring their faith, and those who are simply curious.

The theme of this service comes from Isaiah 64:6, and will use poetry, hymns, and a homily delivered in an outdoor setting of changing leaves to explore what it means for all of us to fade like a leaf.

The next monthly service will take place on All Hallows-Eve (Halloween Night), tapping into the Churchs long tradition of remembering saints.

The Service of the Leaves will be held outdoors by the gazebo on the Jesse Lee campus at 207 Main Street at 4PM on Saturday, September 26. All are welcome.

Please register to attend at SignUpGenius (link: http://bit.ly/SvcoftheLeaves).

# # #

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Jesse Lee Church Offers the First in a Series of Experimental Worship Services on Saturday, September 26 at 4:00PM - HamletHub

San Diego Community News Group

An empty Newport Avenue earlier this year after the shutdown from COVID-19. / Photo by Jim Grant

A collaboration of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and The Peninsula Alliance, the new Friends of OB campaign rolled out on Sept. 25 to encourage donations to continue to enhance the eclectic beach community. The initial goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of this year. Donations will fund efforts for a cleaner, safer, and beautified Ocean Beach.

This campaign will serve as a catalyst to continue to revitalize our already vibrant community of Ocean Beach, said Dave Martin, Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and The Peninsula Alliance board member. The new project will support beautification efforts in the area, and we hope many will contribute and become a Friend of OB.

As a nonprofit, the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA) relies heavily on special events such as the Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off, Oktoberfest, and numerous smaller events and fundraisers to provide funds to enhance its programs. Due to COVID-19, OBMA has been unable to provide the additional funding needed to enhance its community programs.

The new Friends of OB campaign encourages individuals and businesses alike for help in enhancing the Clean & Safe Program by becoming a Friend of OB with a tax-deductible donation online. Those who donate will have the option to be highlighted on OBMAs monthly newsletter as well as on FriendsofOB.org.

In 2019, OBs Clean & Safe Program provided more than 20,000 dog waste bags, removed 415 stickers, maintained 22 murals, removed 505 pieces of graffiti, and cleaned up more than 33,800 cigarette butts. The new Friends of OB campaign aims to continue these actions.

We are excited to gear up for a new opportunity to generate funds and continue our efforts to better our community, said Denny Knox, executive director of the OBMA. Our beach town is open. We look to our community of Ocean Beach and to those who love this unique neighborhood to help us by contributing to our Friends of OB program efforts.

The campaign focuses on three main pillars: clean, safe, and beautification.

- Donations to the clean program funds trash removal along Newport Avenue each morning; maintaining and cleaning the trash receptacles as needed; power-washing Newport Avenue; the MAD schedules and pays for one block of Newport Avenue per month. OBMA enhances these cleaning services when possible through special event income (which is limited due to COVID) and through private donations. The OBMA also helps coordinate the removal of graffiti around town and is putting together a graffiti removal task force.

- The safe programs goal is to complement San Diego Police Departments efforts. The security team acts as an extra set of eyes and ears for law enforcement and property owners and responds to service calls in a timely fashion when they are in the business districts. The security team helps to deter aggressive panhandling and other nuisance behavior; utilize the letter of agency to remove trespassers from private property; assist with directions and information; maintain open communications with police to report ongoing issues, and add a presence in business districts to prevent undesirable behavior.

- Donations to the beautification program will fund a list of projects to keep Ocean Beach vibrant. Some of those projects include mural projects; artist utility box project; maintaining banners throughout the Newport Avenue and Sunset Cliffs banner district; holiday banners throughout the Newport Avenue and Sunset Cliffs banner district; holiday decorations throughout the downtown area; and continuous maintenance of the landscaping along Newport Avenue. In addition to the day-to-day elements, OBMA continuously works with the City on projects such as trimming palm trees, curb and light post repairs, and much more.

For those looking to get more involved, the Clean & Safe Committee Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesdays of each month at 8:30 am.

To learn more about the new program and donate, visit FriendsofOB.org. More information will also be available at the OB Farmers Market, which takes place every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. on the 4900 block of Newport Avenue between Cable and Bacon streets.

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'Friends of OB' campaign raising funds for a safe and clean community - A collaboration of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association and The Peninsula...

Maintaining a healthy, attractive yard is a year-round project. And its always good to know that when theres a task that requires equipment you do not have on hand, you can count on your local Home Depot. Whether youre trying to keep up your homes curb appeal or complete a commercial landscaping project, you can find any lawn equipment rental you may need at The Home Depot Tool Rental Center. For basic lawn care, you can rent everything from mowers and edgers to trimmers, pruners and blowers to keep your lawn the envy of the neighborhood. If youre a gardener or urban farmer, renting a tiller will help make easy work of soil prep. From light duty tillers for small gardens to mid-tine tillers for rocky, compacted soil or rear-tine tillers to plow up large gardens or your entire yard for grass seeding, weve got the equipment you need to whip your lawn or garden into shape. And, for the heavy duty yard work like brush, tree or stump removal, you can rent chainsaws, bush hogs, chippers, stump grinders and lots of other tools to do the job right. The next time you need equipment to tackle yard work around your home, check out the Tool Rental Center at your local Home Depot store.

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Lawn & Garden Equipment Rentals - Tool Rental - The Home Depot

Fall is a great time to create new garden beds. Cool, usually drier, fall weather makes it easier to work in the garden and for plants to establish. Plus, the Garden To-do list is often a bit shorter this time of year and you will get a head start on the next growing season.

Start by locating the placement, size and shape of this new garden. Always contact your local underground utility locating service at least three business days in advance. Its free and as easy as calling 811 or filing an online request. They will contact the appropriate companies who will mark the location of their underground utilities in your work area. This reduces the danger and inconvenience of accidently knocking out power, cable or other utilities while you create a beautiful landscape.

Use a rope or hose to outline the area. Avoid tight corners or creating narrow grass borders that will be difficult to mow or require hand trimming.

Once satisfied with the layout, take a soil test and decide how to kill the existing lawn and weeds as needed. A soil test will tell you how much and what type of fertilizer you will need for the plants you are growing. Testing now means you will have the information in hand when it is time to fertilize in spring.

Your efforts this fall reduce your workload next spring and shorten the time to a more beautiful landscape.

Next edge the bed. Use a shovel to dig a V-shaped trench around the border of the garden. Or rent or borrow a power edger to make larger jobs easier.

Once the edging is complete, remove healthy grass with a sod cutter and use it to fill bare spots in the lawn. Or create a planting berm or simply add it to the compost pile. Just place it green side down and wait for it to decompose.

Another method for clearing the grass is to cover the area with cardboard topped with several inches of organic mulch and wait for the grass and cardboard to decompose. You can push back the mulch and cut through the cardboard to plant immediately. Or wait to begin planting next spring after the grass and cardboard have broken down completely.

For quicker results and control of perennial weeds, try a total vegetation killer. These products kill the top and roots of the good and bad plants they touch. Read and follow label directions carefully. Start your soil preparation after the required waiting period has passed.

The next step, an important one, is soil improvement. It is easier to repair and improve the soil before you plant. Plus, time spent now yields years of good results. Add two to four inches of organic matter like aged manure, peat moss or leaf compost to the top 8 to 12 inches of soil. These materials improve the drainage in heavy clay soil and increase the water holding ability in fast draining sandy or rocky soils.

Check the labeling on the bag when purchasing these products. Make sure the product you select is USDA and STA certified to ensure quality. USDA BioPreferred certified products are derived from plants and other renewal products, providing an alternative to petroleum-based goods. Look for United States Composting Councils STA certified compost that is a renewable, consistent, high quality product made from locally available organic material.

Once you mix in the organic matter, rake the garden level and smooth. Your garden is ready to plant. Fill it with spring flowering bulbs, perennials, trees, and shrubs this fall. Or cover it with shredded leaves or other organic mulch to suppress weeds and prevent soil erosion. Use the winter to plan the garden so you will be ready to plant once spring arrives.

In either case, your efforts this fall reduce your workload next spring and shorten the time to a more beautiful landscape.

Gardening expert Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. Myers is the host of The Great Courses How to Grow Anything DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melindas Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers website is http://www.melindamyers.com.

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Melinda Myers: Create new garden beds this fall - The Union of Grass Valley

ADAMS COUNTY September is an ideal time to reseed thinning patches in your lawn or to establish a new lawn. At this time of year, the warm soil and the longer, cooler nights help prevent the seedlings from drying out as quickly and allow rapid root growth.

For our area, a mixture of perennial ryegrass/fescue/Kentucky bluegrass is recommended. Perennial ryegrass is very quick to germinate and is capable of going from scattered seed to mow-able lawn in about 21 days. It provides shade and protection to the other grass species like Kentucky bluegrass, which can take up to three weeks to get started. Fescue is heat and drought tolerant. Turf-type tall fescues have a wider leaf blade than fine fescues and are often used in seed blends where a shade loving, slow-growing or drought-resistant turf is desired. Fescues require much less water and nutrients to thrive than traditional lawn grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season grass that grows best during the fall, winter, and spring months when temperatures are cool. During the summer months if stressed for water, Kentucky bluegrass can go dormant.

Fescues and perennial ryegrass are drought tolerant and can handle heat traffic (such as dogs and kids) well. The blend of grasses provides a good mix to obtain a healthy green turf. It is recommended to use certified seed.

Steps for Renovating a Lawn. Improve thin areas by:

o Aerating, raking out dead grass.

o Overseeding, applying lawn patch products.

o Top-dressing the area with about compost.

o Keep seeded area moist.

Steps for Planting a New Lawn (Seeding):

o Get a soil test to know if any amendments are needed.

o Apply any amendments and weed-free compost over the area to be seeded.

o Rototill the site to a depth of 4-6 inches and remove rocks, clods, sticks, and other debris. Note: do not rototill wet soil.

o Rent a lawn rake/roller. Divide the seed in two parts. Apply one half (at 2 - 3 lb seed/1000 sq. ft) in one direction. Apply the second half at a right angle to the first part.

o Rake and then roll the seeded area.

o Cover lightly with a layer of mulch.

o Keep area moist until seedlings have been established (2-3 weeks).

Steps for Planting a New Lawn (Sod):

o Sod usually comes in 3-foot sections, 18 inches wide, with less than -inch of soil attached.

o Choose high quality sod that is actively growing.

o Prepare the soil as in the steps above for planting a new lawn, rototilling the area and removing any rocks, debris, etc.

o Start laying the sod along a straight edge such as next to a driveway or sidewalk.

o Unroll sod pieces tightly against each other but do not overlap.

o Using a sharp knife, cut sod pieces to fit curves or small areas.

o After the sod has been installed, roll it to ensure good contact with the soil.

o Irrigate with about one inch of water to achieve complete wetting of the sod and at least one inch of soil.

o After watering, lift up edges of sod at several locations to be sure water has penetrated the sod and soil below.

o Continue watering one or two times a day to prevent sod from wilting and keep the soil moist. As sod becomes established, gradually reduce the frequency of watering.

o Do not saturate the sod and soil to the point of standing water. New roots could begin to rot under these conditions. After sod has been mown two or three times, water deeply and infrequently depending on the weather conditions.

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Now is the time to renovate - Ritzville Adams County Journal

The year 2020 is definitely one for the history books. COVID-19, murder hornets, Hurricane Laura and now Hurricane Sally hitting our Gulf neighbors to the east.This week is no exception for our losses. LSU AgCenter offices across the state are getting call after call as lawn after lawn is experiencing devastating loss of turfgrass.Sod webworms are the main culprit this year, and fittingly, our weed and turfgrass extension specialist Ron Strahan said, The numbers are biblical. We have observed nearly every house on a single street with damage in the lawn. Cue the locusts.You might first take notice of the small moths that are light brown to dark brown with striping on the wings. You will see them flying around as you walk through your lawn or around outdoor lights at night. This is the adult of the sod webworm. The moths lay eggs on grass blades.Larvae hatch a week or so later, maturing into adult moths in three to five weeks. There can be two or more generations each year. Larvae are amber in color but become greener as they feed on the blades of grass at nighttime. They are the cause of the damage we see in the lawn.If you missed the moths but are seeing yellowing and browning patches of dead lawn, you need to inspect further to determine if it is sod webworms. One way to tell is to investigate individual grass blades. They will have a chewed appearance, with pieces of blades missing or chunks bitten out. The caterpillars are making a feast of your lawn.Another clue to look for while you are down there at ground level is the worm castings. Thats a fancy term for caterpillar poop. The castings are digested grass, and they appear as light beige pellets at the base of the plants just above the soil level.Yet another sign are the webs that are visible in the early morning when the dew is still on the ground. The water droplets from the dew will be trapped in the webbing, and this is where sod webworms get their name.If you dig thoroughly enough at the soil-grass interface, you can usually find a tiny caterpillar about - to 1-inch long and the diameter of Q-tip and the castings of the insect. Sod webworms seem to especially love St. Augustine grass.Heavy infestations can cause a feeding frenzy of birds to the lawn. If youve noticed more birds pecking around in your turfgrass, its usually an indicator that some good food nutritious sod webworm caterpillars is out there.Heavy infestations can lead to stress, causing your lawn to be more susceptible to fungal diseases such as gray leaf spot and large patch in addition to other insects such as chinch bugs and armyworms. A combination of these problems can lead to the death of turfgrass.To help control sod webworms, use an insecticide with the active ingredient bifenthrin. AgCenter entomologist Sebe Brown recommends liquid rather than granular applications for better control. You will need to retreat the lawn again in seven days to kill any newly hatched eggs. Spray will not control the moths. It is most effective on the main culprit doing the damage the caterpillar.Treat the infested areas and extend 3 to 4 feet past where you see browning. Moths will continue to lay eggs, so continue to monitor the lawn.Eggs hatch every seven days. The hopefully cooler weather of fall will slow down the generation interval but not kill the worms already in the lawn. Last years mild and short winter is likely the cause of the large populations weve seen this summer.If you are like me, you dont like to use chemicals because insecticides dont discriminate for the most part and will kill other beneficial bugs. You can let Mother Nature help you out with the birds who feast on the caterpillars instead.Additionally, consider transitioning large areas of lawn to garden beds that you fill with native plants or other ornamental perennials, shrubs and trees. Lawns, mainly turfgrass, account for 30% of water use in a typical U.S. home, so go easy on the turf in home landscapes. With water scarcity on the horizon, by reducing the size of your lawn you can reduce water consumption, water bills and the amount of time you spending mowing your grass; save fuel; lessen your carbon footprint; and expand natural ecosystems by adding diversity to your landscape.The good news, if there is any, is that the grass will recover from live stolons and roots. Water your lawn during extended periods of drought that are especially common in October here in Louisiana to help the grass recover before going into winter dormancy.Its also time to stop fertilizing the lawn and wait until spring to apply any new applications.

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Get It Growing: Sod woes | St. Mary Now - daily-review.com

When you were on your tractor last summer mowing the roadside you may have noticed a bobwhite quail run across the road, you might have been excited to see it too. What you probably didnt notice was the covey of quail chicks that you mowed right over the top of. Thats the unfortunate thing about quail, their survival strategy is to lay low and only flush when necessary. For quail, the number one cause of population declines is habitat loss; with an average lifespan of only 8 months, its crucial to provide quail with the habitat they need to make it through the season to reproduce next year. One of the best ways we can do that is by leaving our roadsides, waterways and idle areas alone.

In intensively farmed areas like where we live, some of the last habitat we have is in the roadside ditches. When you mow a roadside, not only are you potentially killing quail outright, but youre knocking out a valuable food source wildflowers. These plants attract insect pollinators which make up over 90% of the quail chicks diet for the first several weeks of their life. Later in the year, these wildflowers will go to seed and provide a crucial food source for the quail in the winter.

Mowing also knocks down crucial habitat and cover for quail. In order to make it through the winter with the snow, ice, rain and wind, quail require adequate cover from the elements. Ideally, this cover comes in two forms. Native bunch grasses such as big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indiangrass. Non-native grasses such as brome and fescue are detrimental to wildlife habitat because these are sod forming grasses and are very difficult for quail (especially chicks) to move through. Brome and fescue also choke out and out compete beneficial wildflowers which decreases plant diversity. The other type of cover quail need is brush such as dogwood or American Plum. Brush not only provides critical cover for quail during the winter, but it serves as hiding grounds from aerial predators like hawks and owls. On top of that, shrubs like American Plum, Elderberry, and even Sumac (Sumac tea is a wonderful drink to try) provide valuable fruit for people too.

You may be noticing a common theme between what I wrote this week with quail and previously with monarch butterflies. LEAVE THE ROADSIDES ALONE! Its one of the simplest things we can do to boost quail and songbird numbers and help our pollinators out too. It saves us time and money and its an easy step in conserving habitat. Thats not to say that spraying and mowing roadsides and idle areas never has its place. There are instances where we need to use those management practices for the greater good. For instance, invasive species such as Johnsongrass and Sericea Lespedeza pose a much greater threat to habitat than mowing or spraying. Even brome and fescue, which I mentioned as being wildlife unfriendly could be sprayed and planted to native plants to improve habitat for wildlife. Save those practices for when its necessary. If you do need to spray, resort to spot spraying to minimize killing of non-target species. If you want to mow the roadside by your house, consider mowing a single pass, wait until after nesting season to mow, and dont mow the grass any shorter than a foot. That way, the next time youre out on your tractor youll feel a little better when you see that covey of quail.

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Conservation Column: Leave it be | Voices | atchisonglobenow.com - atchisonglobenow.com

GENTLEMEN, lay down your lawnmowers. Theres a new school of thought taking rootan idea that would scrap the Saturday afternoon-killing mow and end the merry-go-round of chemical applications. How? Tear out the grass and replant all or part of your yard with native flora, which requires less water and less maintenance in the long run, and can foster a more functional ecosystem, to boot.

Residential lawnswhich we have 40 million acres ofare thirstier than any agricultural crop. Nationwide, we use 9 billion gallons of water for landscape irrigation each day (and as much as half of that amount is lost to inefficiencies). Many homeowners also spray with broad-spectrum insecticides, which, in addition to their health risks, can kill off the insects responsible for pollinating 90 percent of all flowering plants.

Beyond all that, the cultural relevance of the all-American lawn is an artifact anyway. As pop-historian Yuval Noah Harari has pointed out, sprawling, labor-intensive lawns were essentially a flex by Middle Age aristocrats, who used them as function-free status symbols.

New lawns require new thinking. Douglas Tallamy champions the concept well in Natures Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard (Timber Press). Tallamy, a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware, argues that beyond protected public lands, weve overlooked the importance of our own private lands, where residential yards play a key role in supporting a functioning ecosystem.

Our human footprint is so gigantic, Tallamy explains, that we cant say, Well, were going to have a functional ecosystem someplace elsethere is no someplace else.

That doesnt mean ripping out the entire lawn. Tallamy just suggests you avoid planting invasive species that do little to support insect life, the birds that eat those insects, and your local ecosystem.

It may seem cheaper to plant a patch of thirsty sod and to stock your yard with popular plants from the local box store, but, in the long run, a native landscape can actually be less expensive than a highly maintained and traditional lawn. Jack Pizzo, a Chicago landscape architect renowned for planting wildflower meadows in both corporate and residential settings, says that, During the first two, three, four years, its roughly the same cost. After that, your desired plants tend to reproduce, crowding the weeds outit looks good and doesnt require the labor.

To reduce water consumption, municipalities nationwide have rolled out cash for grass programs; the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California recently increased its rebate to $2 per square foot of grass removed. Las Vegas turf rebate has been credited for annually saving 10 billion gallons of water, playing a part in the unlikely rise of Lake Mead, the Wests largest reservoir. Online seminars offering to Convert Your Lawn to Prairie are selling out. Rewilding has become a buzzword in landscaping circles.

Where to start? Look to state and local chapters of Master Naturalists and Native Plant Societies for help and local intel. Check to see if your municipality has incentivized renovations to promote water conservation. And start shopping from sustainable-minded retailers like Native American Seed, a Texas outfit that ships alternatives like buffalo grass and wildflower-and-grass seed mixes.

Were still in the earlier stages of a mass shift, but weve gone beyond the early adopters, says Native American Seeds Bill Neiman about the growth of native and wildlife-centric landscaping. People are awakening to something that weve gone numb on, which is our total interconnectedness to all things.

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Why You Should Kill Your Lawn and Switch to Native Landscaping - Men's Journal