There are a variety of methods gardeners utilize to border their flower beds, and all of them are delightful. Some might use bricks or stones, especially in states with a great deal of shiny, white quartz rock available. Some gardeners, and many landscapers, prefer to use natural borders such as liriope and ornamental grass.
Such bordering grasses require consistent monitoring and upkeep in order to prevent them from taking over the entire garden bed. Without a dutiful gardener present, some forms of this plant can take over a whole lawn. This might not be such a problem when it comes to the lawn, as it lessens the need for mowing, but it can be a serious problem if it takes over flower or vegetable beds.
There is more than one species of this flowering border plant. One, L. Spicata, is also known by the names creeping lily-turf and monkey-grass, is a runner. It is this particular species that is known for its invasiveness because it will create a thick ground cover if left to its own devices for the season.
In the case of grasses grown for ornamentation, most of these varieties are not edible for deer, buffalo, or even cows. When entire fields of indigenous, and edible, grasses get wiped out, an environmental disaster can ensue. Species of larger animals, like the deer, can potentially go extinct due to the carelessness of many gardeners.
The majority of all invasive plants are brought in from other countries, but some were simply moved from a Northern state to the South or vice versa. Sometimes this is done intentionally, albeit for reasons that are often not well thought out. Others are brought in accidentally when goods are shipped from one part of the planet to another.
One plant brought here on purpose was Kudzu. It was the first Chinese import of the American colonies, and it grows quite well in both Georgia and Alabama. The livestock it was originally intended to feed found it not to their taste, but once it was in the ground it could not be stopped.
The one good use they did find for this plant was preventing weed encroachment from the railroad lines. This is why one can see fields of the stuff emanating out from the train stations and rails. Keeping it controlled in other areas has proven to be a nearly impossible task.
Because it has literally hundreds of pounds of roots in every small patch, no human can really dig it up. Burning it is only a temporary solution, and one would wish to avoid doing that when the season is extremely dry. Bulldozing an area to around ten feet deep then discarding the dirt, or scorching it free of all life forms, is the only method of eradication which has shown promise.
Hopefully we humans have learned our lesson about moving plants from one part of the world to another. What is a well-controlled succulent in one country can become an out-of-control, seed-tossing, watery nightmare in another. Many of the plants that the Native Americans lived on are now believed to be extinct due to plants like kudzu and L. Spicata.
Such bordering grasses require consistent monitoring and upkeep in order to prevent them from taking over the entire garden bed. Without a dutiful gardener present, some forms of this plant can take over a whole lawn. This might not be such a problem when it comes to the lawn, as it lessens the need for mowing, but it can be a serious problem if it takes over flower or vegetable beds.
There is more than one species of this flowering border plant. One, L. Spicata, is also known by the names creeping lily-turf and monkey-grass, is a runner. It is this particular species that is known for its invasiveness because it will create a thick ground cover if left to its own devices for the season.
In the case of grasses grown for ornamentation, most of these varieties are not edible for deer, buffalo, or even cows. When entire fields of indigenous, and edible, grasses get wiped out, an environmental disaster can ensue. Species of larger animals, like the deer, can potentially go extinct due to the carelessness of many gardeners.
The majority of all invasive plants are brought in from other countries, but some were simply moved from a Northern state to the South or vice versa. Sometimes this is done intentionally, albeit for reasons that are often not well thought out. Others are brought in accidentally when goods are shipped from one part of the planet to another.
One plant brought here on purpose was Kudzu. It was the first Chinese import of the American colonies, and it grows quite well in both Georgia and Alabama. The livestock it was originally intended to feed found it not to their taste, but once it was in the ground it could not be stopped.
The one good use they did find for this plant was preventing weed encroachment from the railroad lines. This is why one can see fields of the stuff emanating out from the train stations and rails. Keeping it controlled in other areas has proven to be a nearly impossible task.
Because it has literally hundreds of pounds of roots in every small patch, no human can really dig it up. Burning it is only a temporary solution, and one would wish to avoid doing that when the season is extremely dry. Bulldozing an area to around ten feet deep then discarding the dirt, or scorching it free of all life forms, is the only method of eradication which has shown promise.
Hopefully we humans have learned our lesson about moving plants from one part of the world to another. What is a well-controlled succulent in one country can become an out-of-control, seed-tossing, watery nightmare in another. Many of the plants that the Native Americans lived on are now believed to be extinct due to plants like kudzu and L. Spicata.
About the Author:
When you are looking for information about liriope and ornamental grass, visit our web pages online today. More details are available at http://www.groundcovertogo.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.home/index.htm now.
No comments:
Post a Comment