Landscaping in NW DC is so...ugh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine judging the yards and gardens of anywhere right now. It’s March.

My native perennial garden is popping right now with violets, virginia bluebells and spicebush

[Anonymous]

Like so many things, this is a matter of taste IMO. I truly dislike the overly manicured look of a lot of suburban houses. I find it kind of soulless and hygienic in an off putting way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Natural / wild spaces are the thing to do now.

no it's not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine judging the yards and gardens of anywhere right now. It’s March.

My native perennial garden is popping right now with violets, virginia bluebells and spicebush

Deer are getting to my bluebells. Must cover them. First year and now I know they will eat them. The camellias were supposed to be off-limits - nope.

I just went out and bought two maypop for the arbor and a confederate jasmine for a protected north facing area, that gets sun part of the day. We'll see how those fare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find this thread hilarious. We own a SFH in NW DC. You might have scoffed at my front lawn before. The grass has some weeds in it and we only mow every 3 weeks or so in the summer. Longer grass has longer roots and is therefore more drought-resistant. Also, it’s just not a top priority for us.

I’ll never spray chemicals on my lawn to kill weeds or keep it manicured. I’ll never water my lawn unless I just overseeded it. And I’m not going to hire an overpriced landscaping company that will send a bunch of unskilled labor to mow my grass within an inch of its life and kill shrubs and trees through improper pruning (this has happened to multiple neighbors).

Fully agree with you, especially about the unskilled labor. I am now only allocating cutting the ornamental grasses. I'm pruning everything myself (big job - over an acre of beds) and will hire a teenager to help me mulch. Goal is to put in raised beds on the south side of the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are many affluent neighborhoods in NW DC. Residents are definitely doing well. However, the landscaping, yards and curb appeal in these neighborhoods are so bad.
Weed is everywhere. They don't care so much about keeping their yards nice and beautiful. No manicured lawns. You can tell that they don't value landscaping. Even the city doesn't value landscaping on the streets.
Why is that? I can't imagine this is about money and cost.
You drive in many average suburbs around here and you'll see a very different picture. Nice and beautiful manicured lawns.
Are DC residents just more nasty? I don't get it.

we live in kent and ripped out our manicured front lawn and replaced it with a garden of native plants that attracts and sustains all sorts of insects and wildlife

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like so many things, this is a matter of taste IMO. I truly dislike the overly manicured look of a lot of suburban houses. I find it kind of soulless and hygienic in an off putting way.

That’s because it is soulless and hygienic, at least when a lawn isn’t being maintained for children to play on.

Even if you’re not watering and pouring chemicals on a lawn to make an astroturf carpet, it’s being poorly used.

[Anonymous]

Lawn "weeds" are just flowers and native plants that uptight people for some reason think don't belong there. Dandelions, buttercups, henbit, purple deadnettle are all prettier and more colorful than grass and there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't be there.

The weeds aren't wrong, you're wrong.