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Lawn apologist here. I have one because my kids use it daily, and it’s easy to spend 30 minutes to mow it a few times a month instead of maintaining countless
by georgeburdell 2y ago
Lawn apologist here. I have one because my kids use it daily, and it’s easy to spend 30 minutes to mow it a few times a month instead of maintaining countless bushes in the same space. I also don’t use chemicals except fertilizer and a copper-based fungicide, so there’s a decent amount of bug life.
The real ecological dead zones are the fake grass “lawns”, that are both nutrient free and heat islands, and for some reason get tax breaks to install.
- ceejayoz 2y ago> for some reason get tax breaks to install Isn't that reason "water"?
- steveBK123 2y agoReally a regional thing. The home I grew up in up in the Northeast had 1 acre lot and not a sprinkler in sight.
- ceejayoz 2y agoWe aren't getting tax breaks for drought-resistant landscaping in the Northeast, though.
- georgeburdell 2y agoYes that’s ostensibly the reason, but I wouldn’t get tax breaks for covering my lawn with plastic bags.
- alistairSH 2y agoYeah, there's lawns and "lawns". The perfectly manufactured, 100% single grass variety, that takes lots of chemicals, water, and mowing? Terrible. Grassy area that has some clover and dandelions, gets mowed 2x month, and doesn't need watering or chemical treatment? Fine by me. Personally, I'd rather have some bushes and perennials that I trim 2x year, add much in the Spring, and that's it. And that's the way yard has been going over the last 5 years - the grass portion is smaller every year. I might just pull the plug on grass this season, dig it up, add some fresh soil, and plant some plants.
- mvieira38 2y agoYou can have it both ways though... A nice little grass play area, maybe some small soccer goals, and in the periphery of that some perennials, maybe some rosemary so the kids can pick it when helping at the kitchen? You may delimit the play area with a clover lawn too
- alistairSH 2y agoYou should be able to have it both ways, except there are neighborhoods/towns that require "though shalt have 100% Kentucky Bluegrass trimmed within 1.5"-2.75" inches length and bushes shall be aligned with building edges or property boundaries." Ideally, there should never be requirements to have a "well groomed" lawn. And incentives should be aligned to discourage overly manicured lawns (higher water costs, taxes on fertilizer, whatever else works).
- lo_zamoyski 2y agoSome also substitute grass with plants like creeping thyme.
- mvieira38 2y agoWouldn't the kids benefit from a tree or two instead of a barren wasteland of green under direct sunlight? If you do have a tree I guess the antilawn crowd doesn't mind you at all
- georgeburdell 2y agoI do have one large tree, but space is limited because much of the lawn is over underground utilities near which you really shouldn’t place trees
- AlecSchueler 2y agoSounds like the problem is that the house lacks a park or similar area within walking distance. We have a garden here but there's two grass fields running along the street along with several play parks, a large park and a small swamp area within 5 minutes walking (Netherlands).
- georgeburdell 2y agoWe have 3 parks within 1km, but it’s easier to just let them outside and play ball with minimal supervision in a safe enclosed space
- op00to 2y agoMy neighbor has zoysiagrass, and has someone spraypaint his lawn green in the winter. It's pretty hilarious. I too have zoysiagrass, but I'm cool with the dead look in the winter so that I don't worry about it in the summer when I forget to water.
- wileydragonfly 2y agoThat’s tinted fertilizer but I also find it amusing
- op00to 2y agoRight - it’s not literal paint. I don’t know the utility of fertilizer in fall/winter though. I just pay some guy to do all the stuff and I enjoy it.