Growing Vegetables in Grass
Instead of mowing the lawn, just mow some walking paths and leave the rest wild, and throw seeds in the tall grass of your favorite flowers and stuff you can eat.
In the short time I had my own garden I experimented with different techniques of gardening and I discovered that my vegetables grew best when sown in untouched grass.
The seeds germinated faster because of the higher moisture from the dew, which slides down and goes into the soil, so it's a self-watering system even when it doesn't ever rain.
I also found frogs and lizards which otherwise wouldn't be there, the tall grass protects them from birds seeing them, and they eat the insects that eat the veggies.
It slows down evaporation because the soil is shaded and grass is always naturally paired with mycorrhizal fungi, meaning it's fungi that helps plants grow.
Often I see people walk all over their garden, compacting the soil, it's very important to have walking paths in your garden and stick to them, ideally they are swales filled with woodchips inoculated with edible mycorrhizal mushroom spores like the Garden Giant (aka King Stropharia aka Stropharia rugosoannulata) for example.
This way the walking path (ideally on contour if your land slopes) has multiple functions:
- catching rainwater so it has time to sink into the ground instead of evaporating - preventing soil from being washed away, slowing waterflow - production of edible mushrooms - reducing soil compaction since the woodchips act as a sponge and spread out your body weight over a larger area
Gardening this way you'll need much less water and no tilling required, which means less work and more time to enjoy and observe life, thus seeing the patterns and learning about how life works.
What about ticks you may wonder? The frogs and lizards eat them. And several plants and herbs can help repel ticks due to their strong scents or natural chemical compounds. Here’s a concise list of effective ones:
Lavender: Its strong fragrance repels ticks.
Rosemary: Contains oils that ticks dislike.
Garlic: Its sulfur compounds deter ticks.
Lemongrass: High in citronella, a known tick repellent.
Chrysanthemums: Contain pyrethrum, a natural insecticide.
Sage: Its pungent aroma repels ticks.
Mint (especially peppermint): Strong scent disrupts ticks. Grow in controlled areas to avoid spreading.
Marigolds: Emit a smell ticks avoid.
Eucalyptus: Its oil is a strong repellent. Plant or use diluted essential oil sprays.
