5 ms·

I rarely see anybody standing on their lawn in my neighborhood. In Florida they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic. I think

I rarely see anybody standing on their lawn in my neighborhood. In Florida they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic. I think lawns are mainly for looks.

justinator 8y ago
I think it was mainly a status thing, in that you could afford to have vast amounts of land that weren't producing anything, and the workforce to maintain it. Like, it's something a French king would do at a Chateau to complement their rose gardens. It's just crazy to think that now it can be against the law (or at least against HOA rules) to not have a lawn. Like it's illegal to plant a vegetable garden in your front yard.
- ticmasta 8y ago
  If you can put up with the dirty looks from neighbors and resist the peer pressure, cultivate crabgrass! it's drought-resistant, grows low so never needs to be mowed and still green. I'm quite the crabgrass cultivator - my main technique is negligence and general laziness. If you live in a strata or HOA, all bets are off - maybe lobby for an astroturf exemption?
  - aplummer 8y ago
    I googled it and the top 10 links are about getting rid of it!
  - justinator 8y ago
    I live in a pretty rural part of town (off of a dirt road that leads to the main road - across the street: it's back to your usual 120,000 people city), so nothing but whatever grows naturally. Some of my neighbors raise goats and sometimes they ask us if they can graze on our yard. It's nice.
- stplsd 8y ago
  >or at least against HOA rules WTF!? I am from Europe, is this really a thing? Although,it wouldn't surprise me, watching American Movies, lawn and suburbia seems inseparable.
  - whatshisface 8y ago
    The homeowner's association has a lot of power in the US, so it is inevitable that it will be misused and used incompetently. However only in the most close-minded and controlling of suburbs can you not plant a vegetable garden.
    - stplsd 8y ago
      But what is their reasoning for this?
      - maxxxxx 8y ago
        I think it's about the looks. Everything needs to be tidy and clean.
        NeedMoreTea 8y ago
        What if someone wants tidy, clean and paved, or tidy, clean with lots of interesting shrubs and trees? Simply a case of no, a lawn it must be?
        ew6082 8y ago
        HOA's and HOA bylaws are normally mandated and created by the bank doing the construction loan. They do this to protect the value of the property while they hold interest in the remaining lots. The mortgage industry also loves this since in the end they may be stuck with a property if there is a default.
        macawfish 8y ago
        HOAs are a fascist alternative to actual community.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  "Like it's illegal to plant a vegetable garden in your front yard. " Making that illegal should be illegal.
  - justinator 8y ago
    They've made crossing the street at certain places illegal. This is the war on public spaces we've lost.
stronglikedan 8y ago
> In Florida they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic. Care to elaborate? I spent over 40 years in Florida and maintained a few lawns during that time, and I have never heard of such a thing.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  That was in a wealthier neighborhood in Vero Beach. Everybody had perfect lawns and was spraying them a lot. Nobody let their children on the lawn either.
  - stronglikedan 8y ago
    Holy moly, what a waste! Thanks for clarifying.
  - bradleyland 8y ago
    I haven't commented in over 3 years, but you're the first person I've seen mention Vero Beach on HN in the 8 years I've participated. As a Vero native, your comment resonates.
  - mixmastamyk 8y ago
    Spraying lawns with toxic chemicals so that they can't be used? What an incredible, dangerous, disgusting waste.
    - maxxxxx 8y ago
      The grass is very hard and would be really uncomfortable to step on barefoot but it looks good.
nightski 8y ago
Florida grass is awful. It's not even fun to walk in. Coming from the Midwest the lawns here are dramatically better and the grass is very nice for running around in. As kids we spent a lot of time on the lawn running through a sprinkler, playing football/sports, etc...
culot 8y ago
> they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic In my area those are called the TruGreen lawns, and they dominate much of the city 3 seasons out of the year. Those little signs that tell you to keep your living creatures off of them for a week after application, or longer depending on weather. I don't, however, think that anyone bothers to notify the squirrels, rabbits, opossum, and birds about those limitations - they will all continue to frolic on doused areas, eat and drink from those areas. Not to mention the impact on insects, the impact on the soil and water. All for what? Fewer weeds?! It's disgusting to see such callous disregard for our environment being perpetrated as a matter of routine.

I rarely see anybody standing on their lawn in my neighborhood. In Florida they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic. I think lawns are mainly for looks.

justinator 8y ago

I think it was mainly a status thing, in that you could afford to have vast amounts of land that weren't producing anything, and the workforce to maintain it. Like, it's something a French king would do at a Chateau to complement their rose gardens. It's just crazy to think that now it can be against the law (or at least against HOA rules) to not have a lawn. Like it's illegal to plant a vegetable garden in your front yard.

ticmasta 8y ago
If you can put up with the dirty looks from neighbors and resist the peer pressure, cultivate crabgrass! it's drought-resistant, grows low so never needs to be mowed and still green. I'm quite the crabgrass cultivator - my main technique is negligence and general laziness. If you live in a strata or HOA, all bets are off - maybe lobby for an astroturf exemption?
- aplummer 8y ago
  I googled it and the top 10 links are about getting rid of it!
- justinator 8y ago
  I live in a pretty rural part of town (off of a dirt road that leads to the main road - across the street: it's back to your usual 120,000 people city), so nothing but whatever grows naturally. Some of my neighbors raise goats and sometimes they ask us if they can graze on our yard. It's nice.
stplsd 8y ago
>or at least against HOA rules WTF!? I am from Europe, is this really a thing? Although,it wouldn't surprise me, watching American Movies, lawn and suburbia seems inseparable.
- whatshisface 8y ago
  The homeowner's association has a lot of power in the US, so it is inevitable that it will be misused and used incompetently. However only in the most close-minded and controlling of suburbs can you not plant a vegetable garden.
  - stplsd 8y ago
    But what is their reasoning for this?
    - maxxxxx 8y ago
      I think it's about the looks. Everything needs to be tidy and clean.
      - NeedMoreTea 8y ago
        What if someone wants tidy, clean and paved, or tidy, clean with lots of interesting shrubs and trees? Simply a case of no, a lawn it must be?
      - ew6082 8y ago
        HOA's and HOA bylaws are normally mandated and created by the bank doing the construction loan. They do this to protect the value of the property while they hold interest in the remaining lots. The mortgage industry also loves this since in the end they may be stuck with a property if there is a default.
        macawfish 8y ago
        HOAs are a fascist alternative to actual community.
maxxxxx 8y ago
"Like it's illegal to plant a vegetable garden in your front yard. " Making that illegal should be illegal.
- justinator 8y ago
  They've made crossing the street at certain places illegal. This is the war on public spaces we've lost.

stronglikedan 8y ago

> In Florida they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic. Care to elaborate? I spent over 40 years in Florida and maintained a few lawns during that time, and I have never heard of such a thing.

maxxxxx 8y ago
That was in a wealthier neighborhood in Vero Beach. Everybody had perfect lawns and was spraying them a lot. Nobody let their children on the lawn either.
- stronglikedan 8y ago
  Holy moly, what a waste! Thanks for clarifying.
- bradleyland 8y ago
  I haven't commented in over 3 years, but you're the first person I've seen mention Vero Beach on HN in the 8 years I've participated. As a Vero native, your comment resonates.
- mixmastamyk 8y ago
  Spraying lawns with toxic chemicals so that they can't be used? What an incredible, dangerous, disgusting waste.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    The grass is very hard and would be really uncomfortable to step on barefoot but it looks good.

nightski 8y ago

Florida grass is awful. It's not even fun to walk in. Coming from the Midwest the lawns here are dramatically better and the grass is very nice for running around in. As kids we spent a lot of time on the lawn running through a sprinkler, playing football/sports, etc...

culot 8y ago

> they even warned us to not let our dog on the lawn because it was so toxic In my area those are called the TruGreen lawns, and they dominate much of the city 3 seasons out of the year. Those little signs that tell you to keep your living creatures off of them for a week after application, or longer depending on weather. I don't, however, think that anyone bothers to notify the squirrels, rabbits, opossum, and birds about those limitations - they will all continue to frolic on doused areas, eat and drink from those areas. Not to mention the impact on insects, the impact on the soil and water. All for what? Fewer weeds?! It's disgusting to see such callous disregard for our environment being perpetrated as a matter of routine.