Shrinking Your Lawn

   Shrinking your lawn doesn't take magic. Fred Meyer, director of Backyard Abundance in Iowa City, can attest to that. Mowing was a chore to him, plus he sees the environmental benefits of growing his own food and the ecological benefits of a natural area he planted behind his yard that attracts bees, butterflies and birds.

      The Indian Creek Nature Center is hosting Evelyn Hadden, author of “Shrink Your Lawn,” on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, at the center at 6665 Otis Rd. SE in Cedar Rapids.  Here is more from the Nature Center on that event: Are you interested in using landscaping to lower your heating and cooling costs?  What about different ways to catch and soak up runoff before it creates pooling, erosion, and other problems?  Want to plant some edibles, create more privacy, add habitat for birds or butterflies?  Or do you just want a dose of inspiration to help you design a new garden area?  Learn about these topics and more at this colorful presentation of landscaping ideas by award-winning author Evelyn J. Hadden.  You'll encounter fresh ideas from large-scale (Stroll Gardens, Woodland Gardens) to small (Welcome Gardens, Herb Gardens, Island Beds), and you'll return to your own yard with a renewed sense of its possibilities.  Attendees will receive a list of recommended resources for exploring different strategies in more depth, plus a 20% discount on signed copies of Hadden's award-winning book, Shrink Your Lawn: Design ideas for any landscape.  Call 362-0664 to register. Members of Indian Creek Nature Center: $10  Nonmembers: $15

 More photos and a story on this topic are in the Gazette's Home section on Sunday, Sept. 20.