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Controversial opinion: Privately owned lawns (not gardens) are an abomination. It is the only other 'weed' that's made it. Grass consumes a lot of water + manpo

by screye 6y ago

Controversial opinion: Privately owned lawns (not gardens) are an abomination. It is the only other 'weed' that's made it. Grass consumes a lot of water + manpower, while providing almost nothing in return. Lawns in public places makes sense. They get enough use to be justifiable. But, private lawns are so underused that even stepping on some is considered impolite. Most privately owned lawns are too little to do anything useful with, besides being a summer hangout for a backyard grill. We could grow trees & plants in the same area, get shade, better soil retention, a cooling effect and have a real ecosystem going. IMO, it looks prettier too. Lawns are not Greenery. They are merely green, but they are the locusts of the plant world. Historians will look back at the American Dream as THE cultural idea that kick started an era of gross unsustainability.

orthecreedence 6y ago
I recognize that this is a somewhat controversial opinion, especially given the downvotes you had when I stumbled across the comment, but I want to say that I agree and think our current views towards lawns, grass, and weeds are a point of cultural insanity. I grew up in northern MN, and routinely people would spray disgusting pesticides in their lawns that would drift across the neighborhood, all to get rid of dandelions. Why? Dandelions are flowers, and not just regular flowers, but ones that kids like me enjoyed kicking or blowing on when they went to seed. These people created dead zones for plants and animals all for some bizarre aesthetic that doesn't even look good. I'm hoping newer generations will find big lawns as ugly and gag-inducing as I do. Get rid of your lawn. Fill the space with gardens, mini-farms, and native pollen-producing plants.
asdff 6y ago
This is what I like about where I live. People are trying to get productivity out of their lawns and outdoor spaces. They are growing fruit. They are growing weed. It's where they store bulky items like kayaks, and surfboards, and grills, and their kids playset. They have some sort of side hustle going on in the front or the back yard that might look like hell from the street, but it's totally that person's thing. One neighbor has their lawn littered in sculptures they've produced from found objects and granite. Another works on their project cars. Someone nearby has roosters. Some even keep bees. It's a part of your life you can make yours and work on continually without having to hire someone to bust out a wall or look at the wiring, along with the required paperwork to city hall that entails. It's both your farm and your workshop. All of this happens when you strip the regulation from the lawn. In many cities in the U.S., you can get cited if you don't maintain your lawn to the standard of the city code. You might not be able to do something as simple as grow vegetables in front of your house at all.

by screye 6y ago

orthecreedence 6y ago

I recognize that this is a somewhat controversial opinion, especially given the downvotes you had when I stumbled across the comment, but I want to say that I agree and think our current views towards lawns, grass, and weeds are a point of cultural insanity. I grew up in northern MN, and routinely people would spray disgusting pesticides in their lawns that would drift across the neighborhood, all to get rid of dandelions. Why? Dandelions are flowers, and not just regular flowers, but ones that kids like me enjoyed kicking or blowing on when they went to seed. These people created dead zones for plants and animals all for some bizarre aesthetic that doesn't even look good. I'm hoping newer generations will find big lawns as ugly and gag-inducing as I do. Get rid of your lawn. Fill the space with gardens, mini-farms, and native pollen-producing plants.

asdff 6y ago

This is what I like about where I live. People are trying to get productivity out of their lawns and outdoor spaces. They are growing fruit. They are growing weed. It's where they store bulky items like kayaks, and surfboards, and grills, and their kids playset. They have some sort of side hustle going on in the front or the back yard that might look like hell from the street, but it's totally that person's thing. One neighbor has their lawn littered in sculptures they've produced from found objects and granite. Another works on their project cars. Someone nearby has roosters. Some even keep bees. It's a part of your life you can make yours and work on continually without having to hire someone to bust out a wall or look at the wiring, along with the required paperwork to city hall that entails. It's both your farm and your workshop. All of this happens when you strip the regulation from the lawn. In many cities in the U.S., you can get cited if you don't maintain your lawn to the standard of the city code. You might not be able to do something as simple as grow vegetables in front of your house at all.