About
May 2nd, 2007 by Julie Kirkwood
Julie Kirkwood and her husband bought their first house in March 2005, and with it they acquired their first lawn. Though Julie had no skills and no equipment, she decided to dive in head-first to managing the lawn herself.
Julie has been chronicling her lawn adventures and mishaps since 2005 in a weekly column called Yard Dirt, which appears in the Eagle-Tribune, Salem News, Gloucester Times and Newburyport Daily News. (For readers who are not familiar with this area, most of the newspaper’s readers live in USDA Hardiness Zone 6, though some | including Julie | are in Zone 5).
From the beginning, she has tried to avoid synthetic lawn chemicals. As a result, she has tried some bizarre organic products, such as the paste of microscopic nematode worms that lived in her refrigerator for a few days.
Though Yard Dirt gets more response than just about anything Julie writes, her main job at the newspaper is to write health and science stories.
She has a degree in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire and has been a newspaper reporter since graduating in 1998. Her first job was covering Rockport for the Gloucester Times. She covered Peabody for the Salem News for nearly four years, and then joined the Eagle-Tribune features department as a health and science writer in 2003.
Lawn care is not Julie’s only geeky hobby. She is also obsessed with knitting, handspinning yarn and raising two pet rabbits.
to “About”
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1Javier Gil said:
Hi Julie,
Great work.
In the next few weeks Crabgrass will start to grow everywhere. I would like to encourage people to use different products rather than “Roundup”. A better approach is the use of vinegar and citric acid sold under the name “Burn-out”. It is safer for pets, people and the environment and also smells good. It seems to me that people don’t know or don’t want to know the effects or the risks involved from the use of chemicals specifically pesticides and herbicides. Pesticides used on your lawn or your neighbor’s can end up inside your home. Pesticide residues are brought indoors by family members and pets. Our homes have almost none of the biological mechanisms, such as sunlight or water, that degrade pesticides outdoors. Many chemicals that degrade in days outside survive for a year indoors like 2-4 D (found in round-up), a common herbicide ingredient to kill weeds is also the ingredient in Agent Orange.
I thought I should share this information.
Happy gardening!
Javier -
2Sally O'Maley said:
Hi Julie,
Topsfield Fair has gathered with members of the Topsfield Garden Club and the Topsfield Historical Society to present a program to the fifth graders at the Proctor School to encourage tghem to grow plants to enter into the fair.
Patti Byrne, Education Coordinator for the fair, is working with Kendra Cliniff and Martha Morrison of the Garden Club to encourage Topsfield kids to take part in Topsfield Fair. On Friday, June 15, at 2:30 they will be at the Proctor School distributing more than 100 tomato plants (donated by Jim O’Brien, the fair’s general manager) to the class along with sunflower seeds and directions for entering their flowers and tomatoes into the fair this fall. Who will have the tallest sunflower or the largest sunflower head; who will present the best specimen of tomato from trellis variety to small red cherry type?
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3Kathy Wolfer said:
REally enjoyed reading your articles - as I too enjoy gardening - was really impressed by the picture of young mother & beautiful little girl mowing the lawn - you have a great week - K
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4Brenda said:
Hey Julie. Here’s to hoping your new baby is happy and healthy and you’ll be back writing your column soon! Spring is not to far away!!!!!! -B
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5Johanna True said:
Hi Julie, I live in the Newburyport area and like you, have discovered the joy of clover. Whilst my neighbor’s beautifully manicured lawns turned into straw last summer, mine remained green and lush. I too, am known as the crazy lady with the clover seed but this year my neighbors have stopped laughing at me and I think a few are headed to Essex Co Coop for some Velvet Mix and Clover!!
J True