Lawn Craze

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here's a comic about the lawn craze.  Some further thoughts ...

It goes a lot farther back than postwar suburbs.  Lawns started as a status symbol among European aristocracy.

Advice to stop watering, fertilizing, mowing, etc. or to replace lawns with something else is great -- if it's legal.  In many areas it is not, and people are fined or even evicted for being unwilling or unable to keep their lawn in a manner pleasing to others. Such laws are bad for disability and bad for the environment, but those are things fewer people care about than power. Check the local level of tyranny before trying to solve lawn-related problems.

Comments

[viciousladybug]

Wow, I never thought about the history of lawns. They def seem decadent. Our lawn is rapidly turning into violets and moss. We live in a rural area with a lot of trees, so we are letting nature take over although we still have some grass yet. We never water or fertilize though...we have too many frogs, snakes, and other wonders who like it au natural!

Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith]

That sounds like you have a relatively damp forest. Those are easy to grow fun things such as ferns, liverwort, and a host of fascinating wildflowers. You might look into what is native in your area. Also, fallen log gardens are awesome for holding moisture through dry summers.