Over the last ten years, my family and I used our backyard less often. We even installed an above-ground pool during the pandemic hoping it’d get us using the yard more. Nope. The pool was a huge mistake. Not only did we suck at taking care of it, we weren’t that motivated to use it, either. That’s why this week, I started taking it down.
It’s easy enough to destroy things to remove them, like the pool and our 20+ year old rotted deck, but what am I doing to do with the new blank canvas I’ll have in my yard? My wife and I have discussed this a few times and have yet to come to anything definitive. One of the biggest reasons we tend to not use our backyard (especially in the summer) is global warming. It’s just too unpleasant to spend any time outside when temperatures are in the 90s and the air is humid (I live on the east coast close to the Atlantic).
I suppose that’s a good starting point - figuring out how to cool down the yard. Odds are, the only way to do that would be planting a big tree with a good spread of branches (so a maple or oak instead of a pine). I could add some man-made shade like building a pergola or using shade sails over sections of my yard. I like the big tree idea better but that’s going to take like 10+ years before it pays off with real shade.
My wife suggested switching from grass (if you can even consider what we have in our backyard grass) to clover. I like this idea because it looks great and requires less mowing and maintenance. It’s also better for the wildlife, or at least I think it is. I’ll have to research it more but I’ve seen it recommended in places like It’s Time to Talk About Grass. According to that site, “Clover stays low, fixes nitrogen, and leaves it in the soil for its neighbors as it dies back, and stays green throughout dry spells that brown out grass.” However, the site goes on to say, “Clover isn’t native, either - it’s a Eurasian forage legume, and honey bees like it a lot more than native bees do. So it’s a compromise.”
I like the idea of using native plants because it’s what the native fauna prefer. It seems logical to pursue this.
I have three books that’ll help me figure this out, too:
I’ll turn this dispatch into a series where I’ll share updates as I progress. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment below.
Thanks!