Rebecca Chesin
Plymouth, Minnesota

It has been two years now since I removed all the grass in my half-acre suburban yard. A grant from my city to put in some native plants in part of my front yard was the instigating factor. The City of Plymouth's commitment to maintaining good water quality in this part of the Land of 10,000 Lakes was inspiring and I set to with high energy. I had felt uneasy for some time about the environmental costs of keeping a turf lawn. In fact, I got so excited at the idea of a low maintenance, wildlife supporting landscape that I decided to landscape the entire yard.

The first year alone I put in over 1100 seedlings and 60 shrubs and trees. I had some help from family and friends, and of course my ever-willing Labor Pool (a.k.a. husband), but still — oh, my aching back! And every ache and pain, every scratch and mosquito bite has been worth it. From the high drama of discovering aster yellows, through the constant battle against weed incursions, to the gentle wonder of watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon, my garden has been a constant source of suprises, joys, frustrations, and lessons.

I hope that for many years I will continue to grow with my garden. Tending to the plants and all the chores a garden needs has brought me a greater appreciation of the seasons and life's cycle from birth to death, and back to birth. I feel blessed to have this opportunity. But I wouldn't mind it if the squirrels suddenly learned to weed.

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