[SLI-public] Sustainable Landscaping

[Lincoln Library]

We are very happy to have a "working" landscape on a large grassy area in
the front of our library.  We let a young farmer hay it regularly, and in
the fall sometimes parents chip in for a lawn service, and part of it
becomes  a soccer field.

The haying works well, and has improved the soil and crop through
manuring...so another librarian job I have is to schedule the manuring
around the afternoon outdoor programing 😂

We have not needed chemical treatments, and do accept a bit of crabgrass
etc. on the parts of the lawn closer to the building.

Wendy

On Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 10:21 AM Margaret Woodruff via SLI-Public <
sli-public at lists.suffolknet.org> wrote:

> Good morning from Charlotte VT!
> We share the Town Green here with the Town Hall and it is considered a
> municipal space.  Thanks to advocacy on the part of our garden
> coordinators, we've been able to include a number of sustainable practices
> in the lawn maintenance contracts and overall garden care:
> 1. "Raise the Blade:" http://lawntolake.wpengine.com/?page_id=13
>
> 2.  Multipurpose Library Gardens:  Our library expansion project provided
> us with an opportunity to redesign the garden spaces around the building.
> This developed into a 9-part course called "Permaculture in Action."  We
> now host a pollinator welcome garden, rain garden and food gardens. I've
> attached some photos and information below.
>
> This is a very helpful conversation!
> Margaret
>
> On Tue, Aug 22, 2023 at 4:02 PM Lisa Laico - WAR via SLI-Public <
> sli-public at lists.suffolknet.org> wrote:
>
>> Hello, everyone -
>>
>> Crowd-sourcing this question.  Our library is fortunate enough to be
>> situated on a couple of acres of property, with rather extensive lawns.
>> For three years, we did not treat the lawns with any kinds of fertilizers,
>> herbicides, etc.  It was an environmentally-minded choice.  The result
>> after 3 years was that the grass was decimated - huge patches of mud and
>> weeds caused by a grub infestation.  It was really unattractive and as a
>> practical matter, not something you'd want to have a picnic on, or even
>> stroll around.  So we resumed treatment and after 2 seasons, the lawn is
>> back.  However,  patrons are beginning to complain.  One advanced the
>> theory that peppermint oil is the cure for all our lawn problems.  I'm not
>> so sure.
>>
>> The State DEC has provided me with a list of "reduced-risk" pesticides,
>> such as microbial treatments, bio-pesticides and horticultural oils, but
>> explicitly declined to comment on their efficacy.  They also provided the
>> EPA's list of more conventional reduced-risk pesticides.
>>
>> Our pest control company does have some organic treatments but says they
>> are not for commercial applications and that we would not be happy with the
>> results.
>>
>> So:  if your library has extensive lawn and you've encountered the same
>> issue -- balancing aesthetics against the concern about safety and impact
>> on ground water, etc. -- what solutions have you found effective?  I would
>> love any feedback from anyone who's successfully navigated this.  Thank you!
>>
>> Lisa
>>
>> Lisa Laico, Director
>> Albert Wisner Public Library <https://www.albertwisnerlibrary.org>
>> 1 McFarland Drive
>> Warwick, NY   10990
>> 845.986.1047, ext. 102
>> AWPL Sustainability Team
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SLI-Public mailing list
>> SLI-Public at lists.suffolknet.org
>> http://lists.suffolknet.org/listinfo/sli-public
>>
>
>
> --
> Margaret Woodruff (she/her)
> Director
> Charlotte Library
> PO Box 120
> 115 Ferry Road
> Charlotte, VT  05445
> 802.425.3864
> Sign up for our e-newsletter
> <https://charlottepubliclibrary.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=af2563868d4f824ff446dc0ec&id=0618ff9687>
>
>
>
>
> This e-mail and any replies to it are public records unless excluded by
> the Vermont’s Public Records Act.
>
>  Charlotte Library 7.28.22-3.jpg
> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kkYOIAWFeGBd4RgOnHjHnpJ7ZXghVOgn/view?usp=drive_web>
>  Charlotte Library 7.28.22-35.jpg
> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/15M56jYV_koJ5eEGN6nQmkOX-HotOv76F/view?usp=drive_web>
>  Charlotte Library 7.28.22-36.jpg
> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v1kVJbzqHf5U35_175eGmQslB-3WNOrY/view?usp=drive_web>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SLI-Public mailing list
> SLI-Public at lists.suffolknet.org
> http://lists.suffolknet.org/listinfo/sli-public
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.suffolknet.org/pipermail/sli-public/attachments/20230823/4b0af6d4/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Outlook-avjvh3e0.png
Type: image/png
Size: 36139 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.suffolknet.org/pipermail/sli-public/attachments/20230823/4b0af6d4/attachment-0001.png>