Calliope Center

O, To Love a Weed

Posted by Prudence Tippins on 10 March 2010 | 2 Comments

One of the things we do a little differently here at The Calliope Center is the landscaping. Or, in some spots, lack thereof. In an area as environmentally conscious as Southwest Wisconsin, on a piece of land ostensibly for recreational use (now that we've officially become The Calliope Center), we have opened ourselves up to all kinds of differing points of view. And you know what? We agree that there's validity to every one of these arguments. I'll summarize them for you:

1. Anyone who owns land should be using it to grow food. The more acreage you have, the more people you can be feeding. Whether you grow crops or livestock, if you're fortunate enough to own acreage, you have a responsibility to use it to feed people.
2. Any responsible landowner in this area will refrain from disturbing the soil and its ecosystems in any way. We need to give the soil a rest and let topsoil rebuild in order to counteract the devastating effects of decades of farming.
3. People who own land in this area should be restoring it to its original state: doing regular, controlled "burns," weeding out invasive species, and carefully replanting native grasses and wildflowers.
4. When someone drives up to a place that's holding a workshop or seminar, he or she expects it to be neatly manicured. Weeds and general wildness are off-putting. People feel a lack of care there.
5. No one should mow their lawns or acreage because the wildlife make their homes there. Many rare species of birds and butterflies are losing their habitats to mono-crops, and there are fewer and fewer wild spaces where the plant diversity offers the creatures sufficient food and shelter.

We've searched our hearts on these issues and discussed them, in a sense, with the land itself. We've tried every one of these approaches, to a certain extent, at one time or another, but we seem to have settled on a bit of a mixture.

Here's what we do at The Calliope Center...

• We use no pesticides or herbicides on our land.
• We grow hazelnuts. A few acres of our ridgetop are devoted to hybrid hazelnut bushes that (we hope) will eventually produce enough nuts for us to eat, store, and sell. We have close to 700 bushes surviving, after a few drought years early on, and though few are producing nuts yet, we give them the space they need to grow. After the first season, we have chosen not to water the plants, but the ones that have survived are growing nicely now.
• We mow an area around our house, as well as a few paths and the labyrinth. We like to have places to walk around the property. We feel that the benefit to humans of getting out in nature, which the paths promote, are on par with the benefit of wild space for animals. After all, the more humans are connected to nature, the more they will work to preserve wild spaces.
• We maintain a few gardens around the house, for both beauty and nourishment. While not all our land is devoted to food or beauty, we do appreciate both! So we culivate what we can reasonably manage ourselves.
• We leave most of our land unmanicured. To some, it is untidy or even unsightly, but to us, these fields are beautiful teachers. We've learned so much about plant succession: how the less "desirable" species of plants may take over initially, but over time concede space to allow for more diversity. We do see some invasive species rushing in, but we also see native plants taking hold. And it's obvious how appreciative the wildlife is of this approach. For now, we just watch and appreciate what comes, whether that be an outcropping of daisies or an acre of thistles. Each seems to have its place here.

Everyone needs to find his or her own balance with these things. We have neighbors who have recreated a beautiful prairie landscape through their diligence and dedication. Other neighbors run a Community-Supported Agriculture share program, filling beautiful baskets each week. These endeavors are inspiring and admirable, and we applaud their efforts!

In our case, we are interested in seeing what comes. I admit I sometimes feel the urge to go pull "weeds" in the fields, and sometimes I cannot resist mowing down an outcropping of the invasive wild parsnip. But my particular lessons seem to lie in the realm of Letting Things Be. My ego has, for years, tried to get rid of the weeds inside my own being. But as it turns out, the saying is true: "Weeds are just plants for which we haven't yet found a use."

So, if you plan a visit to our Center, please come prepared to see some burdock with its elephant-ear leaves, and some white thistle seed floating past your nose, along with some fluttery, butterfly-laden flower gardens, lots and lots of trees, and some homegrown nourishment.

And be prepared to feel loved and accepted for exactly who you are, too.