I’m in zone 5b in Michigan and this spring I’ve been working on turning the grass on my backyard hill into a meadow with native plants. I’ve been so worried about the seeds being washed away down the hill and ending up with a really lush area at the bottom, but this week I’m finally starting to see seedlings that…

I know what you mean about being focused on suicide but not having suicidal ideation yet.

I use that MI paste! It was recommended by my dentist when I had a cavity in the side of my tooth repaired, as the space between those teeth is really difficult to floss. So far, I haven’t gotten another cavity. It seems to be working? I can’t say if it helps with white spots though, as that’s not my issue.

Part of it is just estrogen’s effects on collagen, and there is not much you can do about it. The network of collagen which is the supporting structure allows some fat through. I’ve had cellulite since I was nine or ten, and I wasn’t a chubby kid.

I’ve replaced about 30% of my backyard lawn with native meadow plants for about $200 and a weekend of me doing work. I now don’t water, don’t fertilize, dont weed, don’t rake, and mow that area just once a year.

Grass doesn’t do as much for erosion control in most cases as native plant communities. I’m replacing the lawn on my hillside with a mixture of meadow plants native to Michigan, in part because the grass is suffering frost-heave damage and sliding down. The root systems of many native plants are far deeper than the…

Many people seem to think flower beds are more work, but they really aren’t if you choose the right plants for your area and soil.

It’s great that you got to take over a nice garden.

I actually feel a little overwhelmed to have some irises from my grandmother’s garden, as she passed away years ago.

It’s tough. For two years now I’ve been pulling every sprout I see and it’s just coming up ten to fifteen feet away now. If anyone has any advice tell!

Oh, I’m a renter too, I just have a very lax landlord. They basically abdicated responsibility for lawn care this year when previously they had been obligated to do it by the lease. Since our lease has changed and I have it in writing that I am to keep the yard “in good maintenance,” I can basically do whatever…

I had a heavier than normal flow, bad cramps, and some spotting for the first six months with my copper IUD. Now I still have worse cramps than I did before, but it’s worth it. I really like mine, despite the cons of a rough period.

My big projects this season are turning more of the backyard lawn into meadow style plantings with native plants, continuing to battle hedge bindweed, and adding a rain garden. I’m in zone 5b in Michigan. I have nearly finished the meadow and rain garden! I have a little remaining seed mix to use up, so that means…

Congratulations!

I also got my garden certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat! That makes me super happy. I’ve also seen an uptick in native bees and butterflies since adding more native plants. My birdbath, which I added a week ago, has already been visited by many sparrows, house finches, goldfinches,…

This year I’m trying to build a bit of meadow/prairie planting of native flowers and grasses along a fence bordering the neighbors driveway and on the far hillside of my backyard. I live in a city lot in zone 5b in Michigan. I’m expecting a shipment of purple giant hyssop, forked aster ( which is listed as…

I had an issue like that with my neighbors at my last house. Luckily there were quite a few city ordinances that they were breaking, and I was able to report them anonymously in my area. They got hit with a city mow and fine, which in my area is about $75. They started maintaining their yard a little better and got…

Seriously, the hedge bindweed is a problem. Advice?

Deterrents for rabbits: Cayenne pepper and castor oil mixture is what my mom uses and it’s worked great for forty years. If you have access to a dog, I’d recommend letting them pee around the yard, as well as brushing them and putting their fur around the perimeter. Marigolds around your vegetable patch are also a…

For a tropical look, check out hibiscus, “musa bajoo” banana cultivar, some agapanthus, some yucca (but be sure of the location as transplanting is nigh impossible), Japanese silver grass, or Japanese umbrella pine.