They really aren’t. Even without the chemicals, they’re still incredibly water-hungry and require intensive irrigation in most climates. And even if you have some garden beds around the edges, the lawn itself is still mostly an ecological dead zone when it comes to biodiversity and habitat. Not to mention that it also requires a lot of work (often assisted by fossil-fuel-powered machinery) to maintain.
And all just for aesthetics? Or – at most – used as a dog bathroom? Lawns are still incredibly wasteful, even in the most ideal circumstances.
Do people… water lawns? Well obviously don’t grow them there then. You leave a patch of ground completely alone around here and much of what ends up growing there is still various types of grass, some of which we also use in our lawn seed mixes.
And what’s a natural alternative that’s nice to walk on barefoot in the summer?
Do people… water lawns? Well obviously don’t grow them there then. You leave a patch of ground completely alone around here and much of what ends up growing there is still various types of grass, some of which we also use in our lawn seed mixes.
For the 10% of places where something lawn-like just grows naturally, without extra watering and extra work, sure. But for the other 90% of lawns…
And what’s a natural alternative that’s nice to walk on barefoot in the summer?
I dunno. Maybe walking barefoot in the summer isn’t that important?
For the 10% of places where something lawn-like just grows naturally, without extra watering and extra work, sure. But for the other 90% of lawns…
It’s much more than 10% of the places where lawn is grown. Much of mainland Europe has native grasses used for lawns everywhere.
I dunno. Maybe walking barefoot in the summer isn’t that important?
Neither are most things, but life is about enjoying the little things, and that’s a very enjoyable one for some people. And it’s free (well at least if you’re privileged or cursed enough to have a detached home with a garden, I grew up in such a house and hey, a few decades later the same lawn is still going strong unlike the rest of the house, it’s been watered on average maybe 5 times a decade if not less).
This hatred of lawns seems like yet another super America-specific thing, as North America has a lot of dry areas I guess. You know that super controversial Kentucky bluegrass that’s not native and all the anti-lawn folk hate? It’s native to basically all of Europe, parts of Africa and parts of Asia. Most meadows here have tons of that, along with clover which is also in some lawn mixes (and great for the bees, who are also not invasive here), dandelions which nobody plants on their lawns, but are unavoidable anyway, etc. Your average lawn is basically a mix of many of the same plants that would naturally occur in a meadow, but trimmed short.
A patch left alone will become grasses again because biodiversity in the area has been eliminated and the non native grasses will out-compete native plants.
To return an area to nature requires considerable effort to ensure natives can reestablish in an area and keep invasives out.
As for walking barefoot, use paths or don’t go barefoot. Your desire to walk barefoot does not trump the need for a healthy ecosystem.
Strong disagree for all aforesaid reasons. I’d say we’re likely talking about different types of lawns when it comes down to it. Most lawns I know are a damp green rectangle that grows whether you want it to or not. It’s not an ecological villain. It’s just grass and ‘weeds’.And culturally, British gardens have always mixed lawns with borders, hedges, trees, and beds. I’ve no doubt perfect lawns are sterile and water hungry but that’s the extreme, and most aren’t that. It’s not aesthetics or a dog toilet. They’re a space that people use. An outside room.
They really aren’t. Even without the chemicals, they’re still incredibly water-hungry and require intensive irrigation in most climates. And even if you have some garden beds around the edges, the lawn itself is still mostly an ecological dead zone when it comes to biodiversity and habitat. Not to mention that it also requires a lot of work (often assisted by fossil-fuel-powered machinery) to maintain.
And all just for aesthetics? Or – at most – used as a dog bathroom? Lawns are still incredibly wasteful, even in the most ideal circumstances.
Do people… water lawns? Well obviously don’t grow them there then. You leave a patch of ground completely alone around here and much of what ends up growing there is still various types of grass, some of which we also use in our lawn seed mixes.
And what’s a natural alternative that’s nice to walk on barefoot in the summer?
For the 10% of places where something lawn-like just grows naturally, without extra watering and extra work, sure. But for the other 90% of lawns…
I dunno. Maybe walking barefoot in the summer isn’t that important?
It’s much more than 10% of the places where lawn is grown. Much of mainland Europe has native grasses used for lawns everywhere.
Neither are most things, but life is about enjoying the little things, and that’s a very enjoyable one for some people. And it’s free (well at least if you’re privileged or cursed enough to have a detached home with a garden, I grew up in such a house and hey, a few decades later the same lawn is still going strong unlike the rest of the house, it’s been watered on average maybe 5 times a decade if not less).
This hatred of lawns seems like yet another super America-specific thing, as North America has a lot of dry areas I guess. You know that super controversial Kentucky bluegrass that’s not native and all the anti-lawn folk hate? It’s native to basically all of Europe, parts of Africa and parts of Asia. Most meadows here have tons of that, along with clover which is also in some lawn mixes (and great for the bees, who are also not invasive here), dandelions which nobody plants on their lawns, but are unavoidable anyway, etc. Your average lawn is basically a mix of many of the same plants that would naturally occur in a meadow, but trimmed short.
A patch left alone will become grasses again because biodiversity in the area has been eliminated and the non native grasses will out-compete native plants.
To return an area to nature requires considerable effort to ensure natives can reestablish in an area and keep invasives out.
As for walking barefoot, use paths or don’t go barefoot. Your desire to walk barefoot does not trump the need for a healthy ecosystem.
Strong disagree for all aforesaid reasons. I’d say we’re likely talking about different types of lawns when it comes down to it. Most lawns I know are a damp green rectangle that grows whether you want it to or not. It’s not an ecological villain. It’s just grass and ‘weeds’.And culturally, British gardens have always mixed lawns with borders, hedges, trees, and beds. I’ve no doubt perfect lawns are sterile and water hungry but that’s the extreme, and most aren’t that. It’s not aesthetics or a dog toilet. They’re a space that people use. An outside room.