American Green - America's Fixation with its lawns

[DGUtley]

How did the plain green lawn become the central landscaping feature in America, and what is the ecological cost? I pride myself on having the best lawn in the development. I'm "losing" this year b/c I had some construction done and they just put the lawn in this late May. It won't fully mature and weed-out til spring, I think. I'll have to hide shamefully in the house this fall....

https://longreads.com/2019/07/18/ame...=pocket-newtab


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[Peter1469]

When I have a yard it will not be grass. It will be gardens and natural plants (or rocks if out west).

[Dr. Who]

How did the plain green lawn become the central landscaping feature in America, and what is the ecological cost? I pride myself on having the best lawn in the development. I'm "losing" this year b/c I had some construction done and they just put the lawn in this late May. It won't fully mature and weed-out til spring, I think. I'll have to hide shamefully in the house this fall....

https://longreads.com/2019/07/18/ame...=pocket-newtab


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I got rid of my grass. It's a total waste of water and IMO it's pretty boring looking. Landscaping with durable bug resistant plants and flagstone looks more interesting to me. However, I do understand having a nice lawn if you need a play area for children.

[donttread]

How did the plain green lawn become the central landscaping feature in America, and what is the ecological cost? I pride myself on having the best lawn in the development. I'm "losing" this year b/c I had some construction done and they just put the lawn in this late May. It won't fully mature and weed-out til spring, I think. I'll have to hide shamefully in the house this fall....

https://longreads.com/2019/07/18/ame...=pocket-newtab


Attachment 26382


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I don't get it, there are edible weeds that will just grow if you let them. Bug repellents ( to an extent) too. But we are obsessed ( well we white people are) with using water, pesticide, fertilizer and time to grow something that has no concrete value to us and that we cannot eat AND that we have to mow every week!
I'm guessing this is a first world obsession.
What was that Monkey's song? Pleasant Valley Sunday??

[DGUtley]

I don't get it, there are edible weeds that will just grow if you let them. Bug repellents ( to an extent) too. But we are obsessed ( well we white people are) with using water, pesticide, fertilizer and time to grow something that has no concrete value to us and that we cannot eat AND that we have to mow every week!
I'm guessing this is a first world obsession.
What was that Monkey's song? Pleasant Valley Sunday??

No value? Does something beautiful provide value? To me it does. I usually have a beautiful lawn. It is pretty to look at, it provides me value to know that the neighbors are jealous of my lawn. I have automatic sprinklers that water the lawn regularly and a company that comes and puts pesticides and herbicides on it regularly. We baby that lawn.

I don’t understand the “we white people” comment as the Asian guy down the street and the Black Guy across the street (Steelers Fan) both work harder at it but I had topsoil brought in when we built the house and neither have sprinklers. They are fighting an uphill battle.

[Chris]

When I have a yard it will not be grass. It will be gardens and natural plants (or rocks if out west).

And mulch. I xeriscaped years ago and have no grass. August, pretty much rainless and 100+ every day, is the only month I water some shrubs.

[Captain Obvious]

I'm not completely settled yet but when I am no lawn, no sprinklers, no mowing.

The desert doesn't play nice with lawns, they need a lot of maintenance.

I'll still need property because I have a lot of stuff but life is too short to manicure grounds.

[donttread]

No value? Does something beautiful provide value? To me it does. I usually have a beautiful lawn. It is pretty to look at, it provides me value to know that the neighbors are jealous of my lawn. I have automatic sprinklers that water the lawn regularly and a company that comes and puts pesticides and herbicides on it regularly. We baby that lawn.

I don’t understand the “we white people” comment as the Asian guy down the street and the Black Guy across the street (Steelers Fan) both work harder at it but I had topsoil brought in when we built the house and neither have sprinklers. They are fighting an uphill battle.

Yes, it has a value to you and even enhances property value as others share your like of a nice lawn.
But to the nation or world as a whole I think it's probably a negative to have so much chemically fed grass in the world. It's your house you should be able to do whatever you want with it, including choosing not to mow at all.

What I am saying is that white people are more obsessed with their lawns than other races on average. So 1 Asian and 1 black who like a nice lawn is not a suprise to me. I'm pretty sure that a smaller percentage of blacks even have lawns compared to whites. But then you knew all that didn't you?