Water and Earth Matters

Sunflower

My family and I were just talking about St. Augustine grass and maintaining this grass in light of our water issues throughout the state.

I had already decided to bring up the issue at our next HOA meeting in hopes of starting a dialog and long range planning, since water issues will only get worse. As you know, most HOA require St. Augustine grass and want it maintained lush and green, hence abundance of water is used and chemicals. It's really upsetting to see that people are also watering daily, irregardless of the fact that it just rained.

I'll let you know if I'm called "pond scum" or "crab grass" by the HOA board at the meeting.

Pond scum or crab grass may be the nicest things you get called. I too live in an HOA community that requires SA grass. It amazes me that we have to spend the kind of money we do to maintain what is essentially a weed.

Right across the cart path behind my house is a beautiful fairway that uses probably 1/10th the water and chemicals that I have to use and it looks a whole lot better. I too plan on bringing this up just to see what the reaction is. The worst that can happen is that they vote me off the island.  

Mike Heemer

My Brothers & Sisters who display an amount of awareness & care,

I wish all of you good luck. May fortune favor the foolish, for you buck the system & the ever present nefarious mob controlled group think mentality.

Yea verily, I say unto you, back in 1984, in the land of Orange Park, where there was milk, for @ $1.19 a gallon & honey, I tired of the repeated replacement of grass that did not grow, grass that was attacked under the relentless barrage of insects & pestillentious forces to numerous to mention.  An inspiration came over me & I saw the light.  And the light said unto me, "Get up off thine arse.  Get thee to thy local home improvement center & obtain the following."  Upon receiving the instructions from on high, I did as was revealed to me.  With the might of righteousness, guiding me among the barbarian horde, I did as instructed.  I obtained ye olde landscape timbers.  I obtained pine straw mulch.  I bordered off the plague infected area & did as I was instructed.

It was not much, perhaps 15' x 15'.  A cubit here, a cubit there, who really cares.  When I finished, I looked upon my labors & rejoiced upon my compliance with the light & the word.  For the light was good.  The word was good.  It took me not long to see that within this area, less work was needed.  Less water & chemicals were needed.  I saw that it was good.  Yea, but my neighbors scoffed & laughed at me & called me names.  Nay, nay, I said.  Look upon what I was instructed to do.  Can you not see that it is an improvement?  Can you not see that is good for the environment?  Laughed they did, saying that I did not conform.

After some time, another high power, this time the US Navy, said unto my wife, "Get up off thine arse & set forth upon a journey to the land of California.  In the desert you & yours shall dwell."  We did as we were instructed & set forth on the long journey.  After some time, we came upon the land we were instructed to dwell.  Not much milk, no honey.  IT WAS A DESERT!!  But after a time, the light came upon me again.  it instructed me in the same manner as in Orange Park.  "Do as I say & ye shall prosper."  I did as commanded & the results were the same.  Laughter & derision were hurled upon me as I removed all grass & set my land upon with stones which required no water, no chemicals. But then, as I bided my time, the Spring season was set upon the land.  As the temperatures started to reach 105 degrees & my neighbors set about their lawn maintenance, I rejoiced.  Whilst they worked their burdens with much heavy sweat upon their brows, I opened my garage door, pulled up my lawn chair, lighted up a cigarette which I used at the time, drew a a deep, long, refreshing drink of beer, & proceeded to smile like the Cheshire cat.  Yea verily, I say unto you, I remained upright & dignified as required by the light.  But lo & behold, on the inside, I was laughing my butt off.  NEENER, NEENER, NEENER, you unbelieving bunch of numbnutz.

As time came to pass,  We were brought back to the land of Orange Park.  In anguish, with much weeping & gnashing of teeth, I saw that the mind set of waste & little thought of the future was still the norm.  What a bunch of schmucks!  Water was still wasted.  Chemicals were still put upon the ground only to make their way into the environment.  Precious time was wasted in caring for the land when the need was not really needed.  People scoffed at new ideas & said, "This is the way it has always been done for generations.  It is not for us to think in a new way for that is dangerous & will frighten us if we try."  What a bunch of schmucks! 

Very little in the way of enlightenment came upon the populace.  Few voices were heard except maybe for Ron Littlepage. 

Only now are we starting to hear of people who have heard the voice of the light of the future.  "BEHOLD!  Thou dost screweth up your land & your children unto many generations into the future.  Don't be a bunch of schmucks.  Start to think a bit why don't you already?"

The light seems to be upon you few.  Spread the word.  Let the word be put upon all who dwelleth in the land of Clay & beyond.  Perhaps we can still be saved.  Praise be the light & the word.

Moral of the story?  Don't be a bunch of schmucks!  JATFUR.

RichK 

AND THE PEOPLE (or at least this person) SAID AMEN! 

I think we should turn this into a screenplay (now that the strike is over), and we could produce this at the Orange Park Community Theatre!  What should we name it?

Anyway, thanks for the very picturesque story telling.  I may not be able to see you, or hear you, but I feel as if I know you anyway.  Kudos.!

Btw, do you live on CR 220?  Shortly after we purchased our home and were mowing our beautifully landscaped St. Augustine grass, and doing all the bad stuff I now rail against, I was driving down the road and noticed a very shady yard, where people were busily removing whatever grass was there, and spreading mulch over the entire front yard!  A day or two later, I drove past that house and there was a lawnmower sitting in their driveway with a for-sale sign on it.  That had to be at 8 or 9 years ago and they still have a mulched yard - no plants, just trees and mulch - much easier than what we did, but we're starting to get a handle on the weeds (plants in the wrong place). 

Thanks,
JudyB

Many thanks to both of you for braving it with the HOAs.  We need to convince the multitudes that we can live here without that SA "grass" (I use the term loosely).  When my grandchildren came from the north to visit the first year we lived here, they walked out into the yard and asked me if this was "real grass". 

We are going to be in a desperate water situation here in a few years if we don't do something now.  St. Augustine grass will just be dust in the wind when we don't have enough water to support any landscaping except what Mother Earth gives us.  Just growing the stuff uses much more water, and yes, sod growers would need to find another occupation - how about learning to install solar panels and wind turbines?  Sorry - I digress.  My purpose of this was just to thank you for educating your HOA.  Please keep us posted on their reaction. 

Thanks,
JudyB

Sunflower,

Thanks for the kudo.  Except for the version of the vision & a slight change in timeline, what I said was true.  Living in the OP area, in a subdivision with a HOA, (to which I have never joined, but that's another story) I had an area that just did not grow grass.  In addition to absolutely hating yardwork, I got frustrated having to replace the sod every season.  So I did border it out with timbers & mulch.  Then I started to expand it.  Yes, my neighbors got a few good natured laughs.  Until a week or two later.

In the real estate section of the TU, they had a story & interview with a builder who, instead of laying down the usual SA sod, was putting in various kinds of mulch.  Cypress, pine, pine nuggets, etc.  He said that he was merely answering the requests of home buyers.  He said that people worked more than 40 hr. days, this was back in the early 80's, had kids with activities plus they had their own work around the house.  The last thing they wanted to do on their precious weekends was to mow, fertilise & so on.  It must be said that at this time, the environmental effects were starting to be known but was not as yet the issue it is today.  Well, the neighbors shrugged it off, most saying something like it would look so different than any other yards.  It's important to keep this in mind because it was the beginning mindset that is still with us today.

Fast forward a few years to our transfer to the CA desert.  Same problem with one addition.  It was in the middle of a DESERT, people.  Out there, they had the kind of grass that looks like what is on a putting green & had the worst kind of underground watering wywtem.  It put out a mist.  In 110 degree heat & an average of 13% humidity, half the water is evaporated before it can get into the ground.  Well, to borrow a phrase, I kicked it up a notch.  I started to order stones by the pallet.  When I was done, I had a total of 30 tons.  15 in front, 15 in back.  I re routed the sprinkler system, put in drought resistant plants while I listened to the laughter of my neighbors.  I thought to myself, just wait.  Sure enough, just as I said in my story, the heat came & I had the last laugh.

Fast forward to moving back to OP after a 12 year absence, I was facing the same SA covered front & back yards & said enough was enough.  Over @ a 7 or 8 year period, I covered ALL of the grass with stones.  Yes, the neighbors still thought I was goofy in the head.  But over the years, I spend a fraction of the time & money water they do on yardwork & water.  I hand water my trees & bushes.  & since there are no restrictions on hand watering, when the watering restrictions do come, no problem.  When portions of their yards get burned out every year & they have to replace it in the heat & humidity, I don't.  I no longer have to put down massive amounts of fert. (Nothing going into the aquifer)& the mole crickets & chinch bugs go next door where there is plenty of food.  Even the fire ants have gone to better lawns.

The big problem is the usual mindset.  "It looks different.  No one else has that."  People seem not to be aware of an envelope, never mind thinking outside of one.  That is what people will be facing as they still continue to poison  our source of a dwindling water supply.

But we have to keep trying kids.  There's too much to loose.  Uncle Rich says, "Keep on keeping on."  Hand in there.  Hopefully, one day, more people will see the light.  JATFUR.

RichK