Is flower gardening a waste of resources?

Any plant is better than no plant unless it is invasive in terms of biodiversity is my outlook. They may not taste good to us, but bees will have something to pollinate. That said, if you live in a desert where water is scarce it would be better to plant things that are well adapted to the climate and don’t need much water. All that said, I personally have no interest in planting anything that’s not edible, medicinal, or psychoactive unless it has become extraordinarily rare.

Beauty is not a waste of resources.

Exactly what marinelife said. The eyes and soul need feeding as much as the stomach.

I’ve always asked why do people have lawns while there are people starving?

@marinelife It is when your water is rationed. I’ve been trying to do something with my back yard for a year and a half. But here we can only water twice a week, and during certain hours of the day. We have trouble keeping our lawn green.

When I consider the world wide water crises, a pretty backyard doesn’t rush to the top of my list for water usage.

@tinyfaery Don’t try to fight mother nature. If you live in a dry area, try xeriscaping. Lawns waste a lot of water and resources.

I rent. There is nothing I can do about that.

Can you work with the landlord? If they’re paying the water bills they might be interested in cutting back on water use.

I pay the water. I can try, but the initial cost might not appeal to them.

Well, if we would cut down on overpopulation, it wouldn’t be…

But I agree about the beauty factor. What’s the point of living in a world without flowers in our landscaping? I wouldn’t want to live in that world… (and yes, I am somewhat of an avid flower-gardener).

You should try to use flowers that are native to your region. There is always a possibility of accidentally introducing an invasive species. Purple Loosestrife, for example, was grown as an ornamental originally, but escaped from gardens and began devastating wetlands.

Beyond that, plenty of flowers have practical uses. Rosehips, for example (the fruit of the rose) have more than 10,000 times as much vitamin C, gram for gram, as oranges. I sometimes harvest them and dry them for tea. And daisies and clover are both pretty and taste delicious in a salad. It’s possible to have a wildflower garden which is just as useful as any vegetable garden.

@chris6137

I don’t follow.

What does having a lawn have to do with starving people?

Water use yes, do you mean using the land for food instead of grass?

I don’t feel guilty having a lawn, I contribute in many other ways and grow some of my own veggies too.

If someone is that hungry they are welcome to eat my grass. lol

@ SmashTheState

Nastursiums and Daylillies are awesome in salads. I have a recipe for stuffing Stella D’Oro daylillies with cream cheese, sour cream and dill. OMG! Delicious!

I believe that we have a moral responsibility to xeriscape if possible. I have no lawn but plenty of ground covers (ivy, monkey grass, etc.) and drought-tolerant trees and bushes.

@chris6137 The best way to solve the dilemma is to find an activist group that is working towards a solution to the inequitable distribution of resources and volunteer to help. May I suggest the following: waterforpeople.org wateradvocates.org globalwaterchallenge.org

@prescottman2008 No, it is not a waste of resources – all plants do their part in the cycle of life. To ease your conscience, see any of the organizations above.

I agree with suggestions to plant native flora that doesn’t require as much water. You can also look into which flowers best support certain wildlife in your area. Which native flowers attract hummingbirds or butterflies? Which plants are host plants for butterflies? I’d bet a local garden store could help you with selections.

You might also want to keep an eye out for people in the area who grow and sell local plants. There’s a lady a few streets over from us who has a huge flower garden. Each year she sets up a little stand at the end of her driveway to sell potted flowers, herbs, etc.

Even if you can’t find native flowers that appeal to you, just remember that whatever flowers you plant will provide nectar for a variety of pollinating insects. Not just bees, but also wasps. A lot of wasps are predatory as well and will kill harmful insects to feed their larvae.

@prescottman2008 You could always try companion planting with flowers. That is planting flowering plants that are a good match and help grow/protect/nourish the fruit/vegetable plant. Check these references. (“companion planting” was my search term.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants http://www.figtree.org.au/companion_planting.html http://www.gardensimply.com/comchart.shtml
(“companion planting flowers” was my search term for these.)
http://gardening.about.com/od/organicgardening/qt/Interplanting.htm http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

I hope this helps. All the best

Nothing that gives people pleasure is a waste. Otherwise you could say that all forms of art, literature and music are also a waste. People need pleasure and relaxaton in order to be happy and fulfilled.

Have you tried growing nasturtiums? They’re pretty to look at and they’re edible. Lovely peppery taste in a salad. I don’t know how much water they need though.

No, because flowers help people to stay healthy. Sick people require far more resources.

I appreciate everyone’s input. Actually the only flowers I feel the least bit guilty about are the “Dutch bulb flowers” and the roses. Since the tulips, daffodils and irises have all stopped blooming I don’t water them hardly at all. We’re not on any kind of water restrictions where I live, and everyone in this neighborhood has lots of roses. I don’t have grass, just gravel and “weeds”.I have rain barrels to catch the run-off from the roof and I use berms, depressions and the natural slope of the property to channel water as much as possible. I agree 100% about beauty being a valuable commodity. I now have a good deal of affirmation about what I already thought myself.

I was going to mention the rain catchment, but I see you have that covered. I agree that native plants are best, but would not feel guilty about the others as long as they are not invasive. One can also use mulch to hold moisture if needed. Sounds like you’ve really thought this through and the more of us who do so the better for all and the planet!

Not a waste of resources at all. If for nothing else, you’ll attract bees and birds who are much needed pollinators. The rest is up to preference. Companion planting is the way to go and you may want to consider edible flowers like nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, violas, etc.