3 ms·
It is a social sensibility evolved from an earlier practice where keeping a useless lawn not used for grazing was a sign of wealth. Now everyone is doing it, a
by hosh 3y ago
It is a social sensibility evolved from an earlier practice where keeping a useless lawn not used for grazing was a sign of wealth.
Now everyone is doing it, and it turned into something expected instead of a sign of wealth long after the truly wealthy moved on to other signals of wealth. People even somehow associate it with an aesthetic. A common justification I have heard are, “I want kids to be able to have some place to play”.
It’s amazing to me how cultural ideas set and ossify.
NoLawns is going mainstream though. There are alternate ground covers (white dutch clover, or even thyme), and people are posting beautiful, tidy, but ecologically resilient and diverse non-lawn landscaping on r/nowlawns.
- nonethewiser 3y ago> It is a social sensibility evolved from an earlier practice where keeping a useless lawn not used for grazing was a sign of wealth. I'm familiar with the history but this is too reductive. I don't care about those things as evidenced by many other ways I chose (not) to maintain my image with my neighbors. But uniform, healthy, green grass looks nice. To me and many others. I don't even put in that much effort and I dont hate clover, dandelions, etc. I also appreciate the no lawn movement because it reduces maintenance.
- hosh 3y agoA lot of aesthetic senses are more personal preferences, and can change. I, too, used to think that about uniform, healthy, green grass and had the same attitude about minimal effort at maintaining a lawn. But it isn't really set in stone and people's values and aesthetic sense can change. I think many people would be surprised by how much of their own personal preferences are informed and conditioned by culture.