Social pressures are clearly the #1 factor driving lawn-magedon.
Proof of this (other than all the great reasons you listed), is that even we admit it’s an insane waste of water to plant a lawn in the desert, we opt for a green plastic carpet look-a-like instead!
This seems to be a constant across the economic spectrum, from track houses to mega mansions.
Somehow we are choosing fake grass (anti-ecology) vs native species or food production.
Yes! Thank you. As a landscape architect this is my kind of battle. When I did residential landscape design in the Vancouver area many people requested something different to replace their lawns. Sometimes it was driven by concern for the environment, but mostly it was to reduce their home maintenance. I used rock gardens, meadow grasses, pathways between flower beds, outdoor living spaces, and micro-clover. Yarrow and thyme make good lawn replacements too if you want to keep an open green space that will tolerate some foot traffic and keep the pollinators fed. Sadly, some people insisted on synthetic turf, removing even the cooling effect of real grass. Sports fields and golf courses are actually very efficient with their watering and fertilizing, providing the right environment for the right species of grass. The overwatering and over-fertilizing come from homeowners who have an ideal in mind and won't be swayed, regardless of whether it's really the right fit.
When I lived in NH I had a pretty big lot that was cleared. It’s wasn’t really a lawn. Sometimes green. I would let it grow until late June and cut the wild flowers to bring many into the house.
After that I cut it. But no chemicals and no water. Caused some friction in and out of our home.
I just couldn’t waste money and damage our water supply for our well or damage our wild rivers that flowed at the bottom of our mountain.
Now I live in a townhouse in Colorado with a HOA and the waste on water, mowing and chemicals is embarrassing. Looks like Disneyland. But like Disneyland it’s completely fake/unnatural beauty.
Article is great Tanner! Would love transition to a more environmentally favorable yard while preserving the natural beauty. Thanks for writing about it and making me think.
100%. If you actually use your lawn as a place to play with your kids, it's a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, most people never interact with their lawns like that, though.
So good!
Social pressures are clearly the #1 factor driving lawn-magedon.
Proof of this (other than all the great reasons you listed), is that even we admit it’s an insane waste of water to plant a lawn in the desert, we opt for a green plastic carpet look-a-like instead!
This seems to be a constant across the economic spectrum, from track houses to mega mansions.
Somehow we are choosing fake grass (anti-ecology) vs native species or food production.
Time to update the cultural code.
🤦♂️
Yes! Thank you. As a landscape architect this is my kind of battle. When I did residential landscape design in the Vancouver area many people requested something different to replace their lawns. Sometimes it was driven by concern for the environment, but mostly it was to reduce their home maintenance. I used rock gardens, meadow grasses, pathways between flower beds, outdoor living spaces, and micro-clover. Yarrow and thyme make good lawn replacements too if you want to keep an open green space that will tolerate some foot traffic and keep the pollinators fed. Sadly, some people insisted on synthetic turf, removing even the cooling effect of real grass. Sports fields and golf courses are actually very efficient with their watering and fertilizing, providing the right environment for the right species of grass. The overwatering and over-fertilizing come from homeowners who have an ideal in mind and won't be swayed, regardless of whether it's really the right fit.
That's awesome Heather! Great to know about yarrow and thyme.
When I lived in NH I had a pretty big lot that was cleared. It’s wasn’t really a lawn. Sometimes green. I would let it grow until late June and cut the wild flowers to bring many into the house.
After that I cut it. But no chemicals and no water. Caused some friction in and out of our home.
I just couldn’t waste money and damage our water supply for our well or damage our wild rivers that flowed at the bottom of our mountain.
Now I live in a townhouse in Colorado with a HOA and the waste on water, mowing and chemicals is embarrassing. Looks like Disneyland. But like Disneyland it’s completely fake/unnatural beauty.
Article is great Tanner! Would love transition to a more environmentally favorable yard while preserving the natural beauty. Thanks for writing about it and making me think.
Sorry guys. Hard pass here.
I get the point about fertilizer but I can’t play sports with my kid in a flower garden.
100%. If you actually use your lawn as a place to play with your kids, it's a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, most people never interact with their lawns like that, though.