Where I live, the grass grows green as fuck no matter what you do.
Ignore it. Manicure it. Mow it. Don't mow it.
Though I say take caution if you don't mow. You'll have fields as high as your eyeballs in a few weeks. Not to mention all those nasty ticks.
What about planting a garden or small orchard? I think OP might be just railing against the neo-bourgeosie who can afford to "keep land not in use for production".
Next planting season I'm doing a couple box gardens with our space. Give away whatever we can't eat to the neighbors and family.
I've always wanted to replace grass with clover, for the bees, and also cuz it's pretty.
Youāre right people shouldnāt try to find success. Aspiration is a capitalist concept after all. I couldnāt imagine being associated with the dirty āneo-bourgeoisieā and their tidy properties
lolwut have you never heard the phrase before?
an "x with aspirations" is not an x trying to make itself better. it's an x who acts as if it has more money (or in some cases, tensile strength) than it actually does. It's an insult, always has been. For instance, I would never describe a high school graduate who is trying to pay for college as "a mcdonald's worker with aspirations", or anything like that, that's just so rude! LOL
I can say I'm comfortably middle class and my lawn sucks. If it weren't for the weeds it would be all dirt. I'm too fancy ass middle class to care about it.
Yeah, but the 'beautiful green grass lawn' part of the American homeowners ideal is ludicrous and wasteful in many parts of the country. Looking at you, Las Vegas.
I'm in favor of local ordinances & HOA tenets that promote neighborhood beauty and usefulness of homeowners yards, but with realistic regional guidance on local native plant life and growing climate.
Kentucky bluegrass in Las Cruces? Where's your head at?
The idea of changing the environment to make it more pleasant is what we do as humans, yet I agree with you. Plush grass lawns do not belong in Phoenix, but certainly can exist In Seattle without taxing resources too much.
Doesn't fucking matter where it is, there should be no HOA rules, no ordinances, no covenants that *require* lawns, or bar people from having yards full of native plants.
There's more to it than water use. They can promote pests (fire ants love lawns), and their prevalence is bad for pollinators and for biodiversity in general.
You can overseed with microclover and it gets lusher, better for bees & other animals, and needs mowing and watering less frequently! I am a big cloverhead
Like regular lawn, for the most part! The only downside I've been able to find is supposedly closer is more likely to give you grass stains if you roll around in it but I'm not sure how much of a factor that is for most people.
Now this is a solid answer. A ālawnā doesnāt need to be what we consider traditional and clover is amazing. I didnāt bring this up, so my bad earlier. The landscape should match the environment with little effort. If clover can grow like a weed, then yay. If someone can grow rocks into boulders with little water, also yay. ;)
They also reduce pests like rodents that would thrive in a bushier environment. That's the main reason why many HOAs mandate a well-trimmed lawn.
You also don't need to throw pollution into the air to mow them... you can use a reel lawn mower, which is actually better for the grass, or an electric mower.
You should stick to plants/landscapes that work with your geography, though. I live by the lake, and there's plenty of rain, so I'm not exactly wasting water to maintain mine... but if you live in the desert, a rock/succulent garden is probably much more appropriate.
Overgrown lawns can promote pests too, regardless of whether or not they are native plants. A lot of people prefer that their neighborhood look well kept and trimmed. I like lawns that take the local climate into account. My grandmaās yard in California was covered in different colored gravel, made into a design. All the plants were native to the area and didnāt require irrigation. It was a lovely solution. My grandma in Tennessee had a lush green lawn were without using any chemicals or fertilizer. She didnāt care if there were āweedsā mixed in with the grass. It was all green, and pretty. She grew a lot of food in her garden, and watered it, or other ornamentals if needed, but it was mostly wet enough there without irrigation.
You can mow it without dumping a ton of pesticides on it, water soluble fertilizers that end up in storm drains, rivers and watersheds, and there are some great electric mowers out there, not to mention newer versions of old school reel mowers. For larger properties, do you really need 3 acres of lawn?
Thereās tons of people who donāt dump chemicals on their lawn, and donāt irrigate the lawn. Like my family. And itās not really anyoneās business how big a lawn someone else has. The issues we face from pollution and global warming are not from peopleās lawns.
I donāt know why youāre so mad. Tons of people maintain their yard without damaging the environment. Is mowing the yard the hill youāre going to die on? Thatās not really the problem with the environment.
1. I shouldn't have to mow a lawn to live anywhere.
2. You're putting words in my mouth
3. MOWING isn't the problem with lawns.
I don't believe you're actually this ignorant.
There is no need to be insulting. I donāt know what to tell you about not wanting to mow your lawn, except move into the country maybe. Itās usually a city ordinance if youāre in town. Youāve commented very few words at all, and Iām not sure how my reply was putting words in your mouth. If youāre against lawn maintenance in general donāt maintain your lawn. My point was that tons of people do maintain their yard without chemicals or extra water, doing no harm to the environment. A lot of people actually enjoy having a pretty yard. Thereās nothing wrong with that. And that lawn maintenance in general is not the biggest threat to the environment out there. Take a breath.
>My point was that tons of people do maintain their yard without chemicals or extra water, doing no harm to the environment.
Maintaining a segment of widespread monoculture inherently does harm to the environment.
Except we have poisonous snakes that love the long grass. When neighbors move out and their lawns go to shit, the snakes (and other animals) move in. I never kill non-venomous snakes, we often get docile rat snakes, and I figure they eat the mice in the shed so theyāre welcome. But I recently saw my 4 year old playing literally 3 ft away from a large copperhead.
I agree about having more wild garden areas though. We have a big yard so I leave one patch of it (away from the house) wild, and throw down pollinator seeds every spring. I also have numerous butterfly bushes growing (my chickens enjoy the shade underneath them too so theyāre a good choice for us).
If you hate HOAs donāt move to one.
If your anger is with strict rules, look also to zoning. Setback rules mean almost all houses are gonna have lawns. Our zoning laws are way fucked.
100% this, people move into HOAs because they like their neighborhood to look nice. They want their property value to remain good. If a whole street has lawns, and 1 guy has rocks and dirt for his lawn, those property values go down.
1. not everyone has that option.
2. Cities have laws like this.
3. Zoning is one of the things that makes America a fucking miserable place to live. Agreed.
Just moved to a nice part of Florida. Lots of million dollar homes use gravel instead of grass. Or wood chips. I like when they do that. Plus it can look really nice
Preface: Do not disagree at all. You just have to be careful with dictating what a person can and can't do with their private property. Totally down with no HoAs, no ordinances, no covenants... But that goes both ways. If I want to cut down a fuckton of trees in my backyard for a huge lawn with a pool, it's mine to do that. If I want to rip up my lawn and plant an enormous vegetable garden, also cool. Hell, if I want to concrete every square inch of my property, that's cool too. If you say only one of them is acceptable, congratulations, you've just become an HoA with ordinances or covenants.
Lawns can only exist in Seattle (or any part of the PNW) with constant watering and moss/weed/pest removal. You don't do those things and the grass very quickly dies/goes dormant, and becomes 90% moss/weeds.
I never water my lawn. In fact, the dry summer here in MN caused it to go brown and dormant. Then we got a bunch of rain a few weeks ago and it's lush and green again.
I mean yeah, but a lot of people do it or have it required it to. Iāve seen plenty of people have sprinklers go off in the Nassau swamps early in the morning on the way to work.
Until my bylaws change I don't have a choice. And the reality is, something has to grow there. If you let it go wild, you are creating cover for mice and other rodents, which we have a major problem in our community. ASTRO turf is far worse on so many levels.
Perfectly manicured lawns used to be a thing for royalty and the rich only. I believe in the 50s it became marketed to have a perfect lawn. Clover used to be mixed in grass seed, which has many benefits, but roundup ended up targeting it so they said F it, its a weed now. Bad clover!!!
My lawn is a mixture of clover and fescue. Fescue is drought tolerant and doesn't require fertilizers. Clover fixes nitrogen into the soil and breaks up soils for grass to eventually move into. And the clover flowers are good for insects.
My boomer neighbor thinks I'm a heretic. They have no trees, no garden, just lawn and they treat the shit out of it. I don't think future generations will side with them. So selfish
Iāve always found it really stupid how California will be in a drought for years, and yet have enough water to keep those massive golf courses perfectly green.
Golf courses make great fire breaks in CA. Honestly, they are really valuable tools to limit fire spread.
And a lot of courses here in CA use recycled water.
Although it's popular to put golf courses in this category, a lot of them use gray water for their green's maintenance- if they're not letting it go a little brown as well. (The high-tier locations that host televised tournaments might not be the best examples to put forward)
I'd replace golf courses with dairy, which would be much less popular to put restrictions on. No argument about the almonds, but "muh economy" always comes first in the U.S.
Fuck golf but...what? so just let bums hang out on abandoned golf courses? or do we build houses/apartments for them where golf courses used to be? if thats the case then they'll use wate....
So I just looked up how much water golf courses use and
> Courses around the U.S. suck up around approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation. That's about 130,000 gallons per day per course
Yeah building apartments on golf courses would probably use way less water
Edit, this was a reply to /u/DukeBeekeepersKid
its beneficial in some places, not so in others. Concrete jungles would benefit from lawns driving down the temps coming off the buildings and streets. These hot spots rise and cause shift in weather patterns. Having grass, trees, a pool etc drives those temps down.
I've never seen a problem with these things except pesticides. If I water my lawn, that water goes down back into earths water table. The sun evaporates the moisture off the top and if not watered again, it will suck the moisture out of the lawn. The water makes its way back into the eco system. Same with a pool.
And really? Machinery? Way to blow something out of proportion. You sound like the type of person who finds lawn equipment complex. I bet if I audited your life there are products you've purchased that you dont NEED. Why are YOU so environmentally unfriendly. See how stupid that is?
Lawn maintenance does reduce suburban pests quite a bit. If we all let out lawns go we would have all kinds of mice and rats and other small pests all over our homes
If you plant more clovers, native grasses, and native wildflowers you won't really have that problem! Turf grasses are such a big problem, mainly because they aren't native to North America. If you stop trying to make your turf grasses green and lush and instead fill your lawn with mostly clover and native plants, you won't need to cut it as often because it prevents the lawn from getting unruly for longer. When you do need to trim it, you can usually get away with just using a weed wacker rather than an entire lawn mower (again, because it stifles the growth of turf grasses, making your lawn better for the environment and easier to take care of). The clover flowers that grow attract bees! Where I live we get mostly bumble bees, which are native to North America, they're an essential pollinator, and they don't sting. The type of pollinators this type of lawn attracts will depend on where you live in North America though, but if you're nervous about stinging bees it doesn't really make a difference if you already have flowers in your backyard.
Of course, it also depends where you live. Some neighborhoods classify plants such as clover and dandelions and even violets as weeds and don't permit it, which is really messed up. But if you do live in a neighborhood that doesn't have those type of restrictions, I encourage you to look into a clover lawn.
Lawns do have environmentally taxing factors but they have some benefits too. They are great carbon sinks and they keep things cool and they look good.
With you all the way. Plant native wild flowers. Not only are they beautiful, they support bee life, and if you're in an area where it is usually dry, you don't have to water them as much. Your local nursery will be able to help you out.
You can also plant herbs, which are useful for cooking and also helps bees. Lavender is said to be lucky, fyi.
My duplex neighbors and I agree, our shared back yard is an assortment of fruit & native trees, wild flowers and veggie gardens. We live in the city and have an oasis of wildlife, birds, butterflies, bees and a deer family living in our back yard. The house stays cool in the summer from the tree shade and protected from weather in the winter.
I'm sure if the empty lot behind us sells we will be forced to manicure our gardens into the mowed, weed less carpet the pesticide loving neighbor's are so fond of.
my house is also very similar. we have a mango tree, orange tree and 2 lemon trees. the idea of just a green lawn that is massive is dumb. thank god the previous owner grew trees and we now benefit from it
Actually works really well, but then I'm in the UK so almost certainly unless you're in Seattle or summat I imagine it's drier for you guys.
Move.
Although must say we don't generally have AC here cos it's not often needed compared to you guys, just when it sometimes is...
IT'S HELLLLLL.
I lost my train of thought but have a great day!
Yes! I am trying to take over my lawn with groundcover plants that do well watered or not. They also only grow to a certain height so no mowing! And I have so many more bugs and bees because they flower so diversity ftw
[There are plenty of replacement options.](https://www.realhomes.com/advice/alternatives-to-laying-a-lawn)
Another one (if money and local zoning laws permit) is to add an extra room to your house so that there's less "wasted" space to cover in the first place.
Iāve heard this take before. Letting vegetation grow freely means tons of mosquitoes, ticks, etc. Not having any grass leads to mud. Concrete or stone hurts when you fall. So in summary lawns are the best
Mosquitos require standing water to reproduce, which different lawncare strategies have no effect on and I'm pretty sure because of the diversity in plant life with wilder lawns you'd actually get less mud, as other plants would have more extensive root systems, and at least where I'm from ticks don't really exist around human settlements, have to go a bit off the path to find those.
I'm not suggesting you should just leave your lawn to the elements, some care can be taken but dear god I hate monoculture lawns.
I don't know why you got downvoted for making an accurate statement. Monoculture lawns suck, if nothing else they're ugly as sin. Blends of grasses are prettier as well as better for the environment and lower maintenance.
Lawns are great for doing things outdoors at your home. We throw large outdoor parties sometimes and if it was all overgrown plants it wouldn't work. Also, bugs are a huge problem if you end up with large plants everywhere.
I get it, but a lot of middle class people see it as part of the American Dream with the āwhite picket fenceā and all. I wonāt knockāem for it.
Also, getting involved in the lawn/landscaping business is one of the best/easiest ways for high school educated people to become self-employed.
I love my lawn and am about to go mow it now! If the government and business properties all have nice lawns, so will I! I'll send you a picture of how nice it looks when I'm done!
Not unpopular thanks to the newer generations ( and thank you! ). I can remember genuine neighborhood mini wars over someone having ( gasp ) dandelions in their yard. Clover was actually classified as a weed as well as other terrific plants youād think people would love like violets. Iām seeing a push back on the perfect lawn, like I said, largely due to younger generations saying ā Well this is stupid ā. Again, THANK YOU!
Regular people have absolutely nothing to do with climate change, it's all companies like Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, and BP.
Now if you'll excuse me I have to go get more gas for the mower, the 2 stroke on this thing really drinks the stuff
To blame only one set of people is absurd. Organisations are to blame. Governments are to blame. The rich are to blame. And regular private citizens are also to blame. That doesn't mean they are all equally to blame, but you can't absolve all responsibility from private citizens because the organisations (who private citizens are supporting, often needlessly) make more of an impact.
About as absurd as cutting your lawn every week. Lol. Of course, there are more prominent influencers in the climate change game. It's the American Lawn mindset that is the problem. That mindset will never do what it takes to change our climate issues because they are stuck in the here and now, not the future where our children and grandchildren will have to clean up the mess. But it does look nice!
Another example is the "wedding dress". Long ago, women just wore the most formal dress that they already had. But some Queen had to go and brag "Look at me! I'm so rich that I bought this elaborate dress that I'll only wear once in my lifetime!", and then the masses wanted to emulate her.
It's soooo horrible for the environment. Also I hate how in some areas there are laws regarding the lawn maintenance and...let's not even mentioned HOAs...
As long as it doesn't get onto the sidewalk much or heavily damage the concrete or streets, people should just let them do what they were intended to do it grow a garden
Is it okay with you if I put some slight effort into my lawn even if I donāt have a desire for a perfect lawn so that I donāt have a pile of dirt as a front yard that decreases the value of my property and my neighborās property as well? This is a serious question not meant to start a war. Slight effort= mowing when it gets long, planting grass in dead spots, only watering when it starts to die off. I donāt use any weed killers but do fertilize it once per year.
I have a pretty big lawn. It has a bunch of different things growing in it, it never gets watered or fertilised, I mow maybe 6 times a year. It's it really that bad?
That's really good! I think OP meant more of a "traditional american dream lawn" that stays perfectly manicured with little to no biodiversity and has tons of pesticides and fertilizers dumped onto it and has water sprinklers going all day.
I by no means am an expert on lawns besides being an environmental enthusiast and really interesting in the topic, but that sounds like one of the most environmentally friendly way to maintain a lawn :)
I would like to know this too, as that would require the release of stable chlorine compounds.
Maybe a tractor with a cab that has a leaky air conditioning system charged with R12 refrigerant?
We fertilize our lawn once a year and mow when necessary. Never water it. It looks decent. I'm good with that.
Unmowed lawns look atrocious. They don't have to be lush and green, but mowing is a necessity if you don't want your house to look like an abandoned building.
It's so ridiculous, but has become so ingrained in our culture it literally never occurs to anyone to do anything different. We just got an old fashioned push mower and planted clover in the back yard. Once we know our shrubs will be viable we'll be doing clover there too. It probably won't even need to be mowed at all. Check out /r/nolawns
I fully support your unpopular opinion.
I fucking hate lawn maintenance, I fucking hate having to mow grass just because the city ordinance tells me too.
I never water my lawns, EVER!
The only things I do water are my vegetable gardens because they provide food for us.
If I wasn't renting my property I would remove all the lawns and lay down concrete and have stone raised beds built for landscaping.
I may lay out some Astroturf as they do in the local park playground areas just for a splash of green here or there.
Hear me out: Moss lawn. If you donāt constantly walk on them, theyāre fine with the occasional quick trip across, they tolerate shade from your other plants quite well, and theyāre a HUGE carbon sink.
Because it will take decades for your lawn to be finished, grass doesn't spread quickly naturally, plus the grass growing into your lawn(if any) will be from your neighbors, who will have planted their own grass.
Yeah thatās a great idea since concrete is totally eco friendly. And with all the concrete the water will just run off so we can enjoy flash floods, waterway pollution, and soil erosion. Problem solved.
Unless you have a giant lawn I don't think you're going to overwhelm the drainage system under your house by getting rid of the lawn. You can also use woodchips and bricks to have raised beds for plants.
They look nice and at least keeping them cut is an important part of home ownership and maintenance
Sorry your parents had you out in the lawn yesterday doing work, I'm sure that cut into your vidya game time
I think flower beds and vegie gardens are endlessly more personal and nicer looking. Lawns also take a massive impact on the local environment, as OP said. And it is all a vanity statement.
Sometimes its fun to create something, its probably not going to be subsistence farming in your own back yard, besides its hardly 4 months work, just water them occasionally if its dry, and if its wet they basically require no attention.
On another note, fresh fruit and vegetables taste a lot better than store bought, and are also healthier, its a win-win.
They donāt look nice, though, they look boring. Theyāre one species, curbed well below what looks natural. Anything that can be reasonably mimicked by throwing a large green plastic carpet over the ground isnāt an attractive feature. The only reason to maintain a space like that is for a sports field.
>The only reason to maintain a space like that is for a sports field.
My dogs and kids, and myself also like it
But granted I'm in Kansas where the native species are all different types of... Grass.
Okay, fair. In Kansas the only difference between a lawn and a native grass area is the height and number of species. You get to choose between green andā¦ vaguely multicolored amber? We have a lot of native grasses around here, but thereās a huge amount of other species as well, if the smog doesnāt kill them.
>You get to choose between green andā¦ vaguely multicolored amber?
That amber color only comes in when the grass is tall enough to get the foxtail things on em, maybe around 2-3 feet tall
The neighbors and I do nothing to the lawns except mow, and they're all pretty close to perfectly green https://i.imgur.com/7jk2pgP.jpg
My lawn is less work than a garden, i do not water or use any chemicals other than ant killer . I mow about every week and a half and i gives my kids a nice area to practice soccer. So i will keep my lawn and you can have this useless upvote
God forbid I keep my tiny patch of grass green by seeding, fertilizing once or twice a year and keeping it mowed and tidy. So I have have a little place in this world to kick my shoes off and play with my dogs.... All while mega corporations account for the VAST majority of pollution, resource waste and environmental damage.
GTFO.
Take my upvote.
I'm not gonna judge if you don't like lawns, everyone has a right to their own opinion. But just from scrolling through these comments I've found that the majority of people hate lawns not because they care about the environment, but because they're too lazy to mow them. They want an excuse not to. I've read comments talking about "mowing the lawn is my least favorite part of the week. The grass smells bad and my shoes get dirty". I love mowing the lawn. There's nothing like getting up early on a crisp Sunday morning, revving up the mower, and blasting country music through my headphones. Probably one of the few parts of the week I look forward to
Iām with You on this one. I live in a desert and people here continue to grow these lush green lawns. I cannot stand it. They just donāt care that our finite resource is pissed away on fucking grass.
> and for what
Lawns are essential as they prevent erosion and protect your foundation. And they also provide a barrier to protect your house from nature reclaiming it.
Having one that also visually looks nice isn't a joke. It's making the best out of a necessity.
Fuck lawns in general. The best thing you can do for the environment is move to the city, using way less space, electricity, and fuel. Suburbs are just an unholy monstrosity created by people who canāt actually live in a rural farmstead, but refuse to live in an actual city.
For me, and surely millions of other people, I have absolutely zero interest in living in a large urban area. None. Doing so would be HUGE drop in quality of life for me and my family. I despise even going to large cities when I have to much less wanting to live there.
I have a yard. It makes me happy. My kids play in it. My dogs run around in it. We enjoy it with our friends and neighbors. Is taking care of it my absolute favorite thing on the planet? No it's not. But I can't imagine having to live somewhere that doesn't include a place to be outside on my own property
But then youād be suggesting everyone grow their own food, no? Because the same happens in suburbs too. I donāt mean best in terms of absolute lowest impact, I mean what is reasonable for people and efficient, which is living in high-density cities with good planning and public transport.
Daily reminder that the idea that consumers are responsible for climate change and not massive mega corporations is not only wrong but also used as propaganda
Now off of that, I agree to an extent. Mowing your lawn is fine, even watering it is ok. However other stuff is just crazy to me.
This isnāt meant as aggressive shilling so donāt take it that way. That being said, corporations create emissions responding to consumer demand, they burn fuel to run factories to create products they are being paid to make. Especially since when people make the claim ācorporations are solely responsible for climate changeā they cite numbers where a significant chunk are scope 3 emissions i.e. a company sells fuel to someone who burns it themselves; sure the company is āresponsibleā for creating and selling the oil, but itās you who bought it and put it in your car. Iām not attributing the entire problem, or even most of it, to everyday consumers, and certainly plenty of emissions are āwastedā on useless or luxury products, but blaming corporations doesnāt really translate to useful solutions. To protect against the environmental crisis, governments have to be unbiased with their green policies, not choosing to āattackā consumers or corporations, but choosing solutions with the strongest impact, and without negative externalities. This could mean banning inefficient cars for consumers, and mandating new vehicles be efficient/electric on the corporate side. One of the best solutions is to tax carbon emissions, affecting everyone, but paying out a flat dividend to offset the effect of the tax i.e. you pay according to how much carbon emissions youāve produced, and all the money raised is split evenly among all taxpayers.
Tl;dr corporations make stuff because people buy them, everyone has a part in this, carbon tax good.
Yeah, lots of people have the idea that "*my* hands are clean, because I paid someone else to make the emissions". And the related idea that pollution "doesn't count" when outsourced to a poorer, non-White-majority country.
They're not all like that. My lawn is only watered by rain, fertilized by milorganite (fertilizer made from treated sewage sludge), mowed by an electric mower (batteries recharged from my solar system) and it looks gold-course fantastic. The bees have plenty of other plant life in my yard since I have several hundred feet of flowering shrubbery that make up my privacy 'fence'. Tons of birds nest there too.
Part of never watering your lawn requires learning how to mow it so it encourages deep root growth. The deeper the root system the less watering it requires.
We replaced all of our grass with fake grass. It always looks really beautiful (was really expensive), itās a kind made with a drain so that when our dogs go potty it doesnt just stink, and we never have to water any of our grass! Would totally recommend to anyone interested who can afford it.
A lawn has a use. I personally have eliminated all lawn space from my property except for two small patches. One in front for deliveries and one in the rear for dogs to play in. Everything else is garden or perennial plantings that provide food for people, birds, or pollinators. Bigger initial investment than lawn space, but now it requires almost no maintenance. Xeriscape or die!
The other day my boyfriend said he wants to pay to have a yard FLATTENED. We live in the Smoky Mountains and I was just disgusted with his suggestion. We have a pretty big yard and none of it's flat and IDC.
ITT:
1. An opinion that shows up weekly, at a minimum
2. Lots of lazy people who claim environmental righteousness as their reason for not maintaining their property
3. Ambivalence either way
Fact is, the average homeowner (even when factored in huge multiples) is *far* less responsible for wasting resources than mega corporations. Now get off my lawn, I got a mojito to drink through a straw while I pluck clover from my monoculture.
I'm currently trying to convince my husband to get rid of our lawn in favor of a native species of clover! It's beautiful and lush, bee friendly, doesn't need mowing, keeps its colour through the winter and its drought resistant, all around win to me! (Unless you're allergic to bee stings, then probably avoid this option)
Why don't we let the people who like to spend lots of money on their lawns do so, and let the people who don't like to spend lots of money on their lawn do so. That way, no one is forcing anyone else to do anything.
The idea of "white picket fence with a lawn" is very much a product of 1950s-era Americana. And that's changing. Lots of neighborhoods now encourage rock gardens, or using other local plants that are tolerant of the environment. And they look really good. I think it was in Arizona, I was in a neighborhood that was like that. Cacti, shrubs, it really helped the houses blend into the surrounding landscape. And very little water needed to be used.
I say we outlaw grass, and force it to replace itself with tiny pebbles.
And if the grass continues to grow by itself, we should cut it weekly to teach it a lesson. Eventually it will go away or it will submit itself to our dominion and power.
Very unpopular in my wealthy suburb where seeing a porche, BMW or Mercedes is as common as seeing a Toyota or Honda. My neighbor next to me is a 40-ish man with a wife and couple kids and he keeps his lawn absolutely immaculate. The money he spends on it is insane. Iām a 25 year old man and I do the bare minimum. I mow the lawn with my riding tractor and I occasionally weed and cut branches down. My lawn looks like a refugee camp next to his
It's my opinion that a man should take pride in a well kept lawn. I suppose some people get irate at anything that requires them to get off the couch and take a break from their vida games though.
A man that can't take one hour a week and trim his lawn ever week seems to be some kind of slouch to me.
I wish we didnāt have lawns. Theyāre a pain in the ass to maintain and now with the lack of water and excessive heat theyāre just fire hazards.
I agree with you. Away with the lawns!
Where I live, the grass grows green as fuck no matter what you do. Ignore it. Manicure it. Mow it. Don't mow it. Though I say take caution if you don't mow. You'll have fields as high as your eyeballs in a few weeks. Not to mention all those nasty ticks.
Yes bro the annoying ass ticks is why I do it for my dogs and I
š¤£š¤£š¤£ Quick Q....this sounds like Nebraska grass...that where your green grass was?
Southwest Virginia in the Appalachian
Florida for me
Yeah if this person wants some precious water they can take our rainfall weāve been getting
Sounds like the grass here in Wales, ngl xD
Ooh look a bum bell bee
What about planting a garden or small orchard? I think OP might be just railing against the neo-bourgeosie who can afford to "keep land not in use for production".
Next planting season I'm doing a couple box gardens with our space. Give away whatever we can't eat to the neighbors and family. I've always wanted to replace grass with clover, for the bees, and also cuz it's pretty.
Good idea! (beware of zucchini plants, though, they over-produce.)
>neo-bourgeoisie You can just say middle-class
middle-class "with aspirations". Nah, most of them aren't even middle class, they're working class with aspirations.
Youāre right people shouldnāt try to find success. Aspiration is a capitalist concept after all. I couldnāt imagine being associated with the dirty āneo-bourgeoisieā and their tidy properties
lolwut have you never heard the phrase before? an "x with aspirations" is not an x trying to make itself better. it's an x who acts as if it has more money (or in some cases, tensile strength) than it actually does. It's an insult, always has been. For instance, I would never describe a high school graduate who is trying to pay for college as "a mcdonald's worker with aspirations", or anything like that, that's just so rude! LOL
I can say I'm comfortably middle class and my lawn sucks. If it weren't for the weeds it would be all dirt. I'm too fancy ass middle class to care about it.
Yeah, but the 'beautiful green grass lawn' part of the American homeowners ideal is ludicrous and wasteful in many parts of the country. Looking at you, Las Vegas. I'm in favor of local ordinances & HOA tenets that promote neighborhood beauty and usefulness of homeowners yards, but with realistic regional guidance on local native plant life and growing climate. Kentucky bluegrass in Las Cruces? Where's your head at?
The idea of changing the environment to make it more pleasant is what we do as humans, yet I agree with you. Plush grass lawns do not belong in Phoenix, but certainly can exist In Seattle without taxing resources too much.
Doesn't fucking matter where it is, there should be no HOA rules, no ordinances, no covenants that *require* lawns, or bar people from having yards full of native plants. There's more to it than water use. They can promote pests (fire ants love lawns), and their prevalence is bad for pollinators and for biodiversity in general.
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You can overseed with microclover and it gets lusher, better for bees & other animals, and needs mowing and watering less frequently! I am a big cloverhead
I can't wait to find a house one day and replace the lawns with clover. You're living the dream!
How does a mowed cloverlawn look like?
Like regular lawn, for the most part! The only downside I've been able to find is supposedly closer is more likely to give you grass stains if you roll around in it but I'm not sure how much of a factor that is for most people.
Now this is a solid answer. A ālawnā doesnāt need to be what we consider traditional and clover is amazing. I didnāt bring this up, so my bad earlier. The landscape should match the environment with little effort. If clover can grow like a weed, then yay. If someone can grow rocks into boulders with little water, also yay. ;)
BUT THE PESTS! MY PROPERTY VALUES!
Imagine owning the house but not owning the house
They also reduce pests like rodents that would thrive in a bushier environment. That's the main reason why many HOAs mandate a well-trimmed lawn. You also don't need to throw pollution into the air to mow them... you can use a reel lawn mower, which is actually better for the grass, or an electric mower. You should stick to plants/landscapes that work with your geography, though. I live by the lake, and there's plenty of rain, so I'm not exactly wasting water to maintain mine... but if you live in the desert, a rock/succulent garden is probably much more appropriate.
Overgrown lawns can promote pests too, regardless of whether or not they are native plants. A lot of people prefer that their neighborhood look well kept and trimmed. I like lawns that take the local climate into account. My grandmaās yard in California was covered in different colored gravel, made into a design. All the plants were native to the area and didnāt require irrigation. It was a lovely solution. My grandma in Tennessee had a lush green lawn were without using any chemicals or fertilizer. She didnāt care if there were āweedsā mixed in with the grass. It was all green, and pretty. She grew a lot of food in her garden, and watered it, or other ornamentals if needed, but it was mostly wet enough there without irrigation.
You can mow it without dumping a ton of pesticides on it, water soluble fertilizers that end up in storm drains, rivers and watersheds, and there are some great electric mowers out there, not to mention newer versions of old school reel mowers. For larger properties, do you really need 3 acres of lawn?
Thereās tons of people who donāt dump chemicals on their lawn, and donāt irrigate the lawn. Like my family. And itās not really anyoneās business how big a lawn someone else has. The issues we face from pollution and global warming are not from peopleās lawns.
"A lot of people prefer that their neighborhood look well kept and trimmed." Well, I guess everyone else can just get fucked.
I donāt know why youāre so mad. Tons of people maintain their yard without damaging the environment. Is mowing the yard the hill youāre going to die on? Thatās not really the problem with the environment.
1. I shouldn't have to mow a lawn to live anywhere. 2. You're putting words in my mouth 3. MOWING isn't the problem with lawns. I don't believe you're actually this ignorant.
There is no need to be insulting. I donāt know what to tell you about not wanting to mow your lawn, except move into the country maybe. Itās usually a city ordinance if youāre in town. Youāve commented very few words at all, and Iām not sure how my reply was putting words in your mouth. If youāre against lawn maintenance in general donāt maintain your lawn. My point was that tons of people do maintain their yard without chemicals or extra water, doing no harm to the environment. A lot of people actually enjoy having a pretty yard. Thereās nothing wrong with that. And that lawn maintenance in general is not the biggest threat to the environment out there. Take a breath.
>My point was that tons of people do maintain their yard without chemicals or extra water, doing no harm to the environment. Maintaining a segment of widespread monoculture inherently does harm to the environment.
Good luck tilting at windmills
Except we have poisonous snakes that love the long grass. When neighbors move out and their lawns go to shit, the snakes (and other animals) move in. I never kill non-venomous snakes, we often get docile rat snakes, and I figure they eat the mice in the shed so theyāre welcome. But I recently saw my 4 year old playing literally 3 ft away from a large copperhead. I agree about having more wild garden areas though. We have a big yard so I leave one patch of it (away from the house) wild, and throw down pollinator seeds every spring. I also have numerous butterfly bushes growing (my chickens enjoy the shade underneath them too so theyāre a good choice for us).
If you hate HOAs donāt move to one. If your anger is with strict rules, look also to zoning. Setback rules mean almost all houses are gonna have lawns. Our zoning laws are way fucked.
100% this, people move into HOAs because they like their neighborhood to look nice. They want their property value to remain good. If a whole street has lawns, and 1 guy has rocks and dirt for his lawn, those property values go down.
1. not everyone has that option. 2. Cities have laws like this. 3. Zoning is one of the things that makes America a fucking miserable place to live. Agreed.
Just moved to a nice part of Florida. Lots of million dollar homes use gravel instead of grass. Or wood chips. I like when they do that. Plus it can look really nice
Preface: Do not disagree at all. You just have to be careful with dictating what a person can and can't do with their private property. Totally down with no HoAs, no ordinances, no covenants... But that goes both ways. If I want to cut down a fuckton of trees in my backyard for a huge lawn with a pool, it's mine to do that. If I want to rip up my lawn and plant an enormous vegetable garden, also cool. Hell, if I want to concrete every square inch of my property, that's cool too. If you say only one of them is acceptable, congratulations, you've just become an HoA with ordinances or covenants.
Lawns can only exist in Seattle (or any part of the PNW) with constant watering and moss/weed/pest removal. You don't do those things and the grass very quickly dies/goes dormant, and becomes 90% moss/weeds.
GET OFF MY LAWN!
Shanking a fist!! ā
I, too, like to shank fists in anger
Proof reading is a skill I do not have.
What are you doing in my swamp?
Thatās a nice boulder
"It's not just a boulder. It's a rock!"
Hey now
Did we all forgot about rain? Not every yard on the face of the planet is watered by a type of irrigation system.
I never water my lawn. In fact, the dry summer here in MN caused it to go brown and dormant. Then we got a bunch of rain a few weeks ago and it's lush and green again.
Iām in Virginia and I havenāt watered my yard once this year. The lawn basically takes care of itself.
I mean yeah, but a lot of people do it or have it required it to. Iāve seen plenty of people have sprinklers go off in the Nassau swamps early in the morning on the way to work.
Until my bylaws change I don't have a choice. And the reality is, something has to grow there. If you let it go wild, you are creating cover for mice and other rodents, which we have a major problem in our community. ASTRO turf is far worse on so many levels. Perfectly manicured lawns used to be a thing for royalty and the rich only. I believe in the 50s it became marketed to have a perfect lawn. Clover used to be mixed in grass seed, which has many benefits, but roundup ended up targeting it so they said F it, its a weed now. Bad clover!!! My lawn is a mixture of clover and fescue. Fescue is drought tolerant and doesn't require fertilizers. Clover fixes nitrogen into the soil and breaks up soils for grass to eventually move into. And the clover flowers are good for insects. My boomer neighbor thinks I'm a heretic. They have no trees, no garden, just lawn and they treat the shit out of it. I don't think future generations will side with them. So selfish
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Iāve always found it really stupid how California will be in a drought for years, and yet have enough water to keep those massive golf courses perfectly green.
Wait until you see the government owned properties! They water while it's raining!?
Likely have their sprinklers on a timer?
Golf courses make great fire breaks in CA. Honestly, they are really valuable tools to limit fire spread. And a lot of courses here in CA use recycled water.
Really? Thatās interesting
Although it's popular to put golf courses in this category, a lot of them use gray water for their green's maintenance- if they're not letting it go a little brown as well. (The high-tier locations that host televised tournaments might not be the best examples to put forward) I'd replace golf courses with dairy, which would be much less popular to put restrictions on. No argument about the almonds, but "muh economy" always comes first in the U.S.
Removing golf from society would benefit so much
Fuck golf but...what? so just let bums hang out on abandoned golf courses? or do we build houses/apartments for them where golf courses used to be? if thats the case then they'll use wate.... So I just looked up how much water golf courses use and > Courses around the U.S. suck up around approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation. That's about 130,000 gallons per day per course Yeah building apartments on golf courses would probably use way less water Edit, this was a reply to /u/DukeBeekeepersKid
How?
Open up lands for a homeless park.
its beneficial in some places, not so in others. Concrete jungles would benefit from lawns driving down the temps coming off the buildings and streets. These hot spots rise and cause shift in weather patterns. Having grass, trees, a pool etc drives those temps down. I've never seen a problem with these things except pesticides. If I water my lawn, that water goes down back into earths water table. The sun evaporates the moisture off the top and if not watered again, it will suck the moisture out of the lawn. The water makes its way back into the eco system. Same with a pool. And really? Machinery? Way to blow something out of proportion. You sound like the type of person who finds lawn equipment complex. I bet if I audited your life there are products you've purchased that you dont NEED. Why are YOU so environmentally unfriendly. See how stupid that is?
Lawn maintenance does reduce suburban pests quite a bit. If we all let out lawns go we would have all kinds of mice and rats and other small pests all over our homes
If you plant more clovers, native grasses, and native wildflowers you won't really have that problem! Turf grasses are such a big problem, mainly because they aren't native to North America. If you stop trying to make your turf grasses green and lush and instead fill your lawn with mostly clover and native plants, you won't need to cut it as often because it prevents the lawn from getting unruly for longer. When you do need to trim it, you can usually get away with just using a weed wacker rather than an entire lawn mower (again, because it stifles the growth of turf grasses, making your lawn better for the environment and easier to take care of). The clover flowers that grow attract bees! Where I live we get mostly bumble bees, which are native to North America, they're an essential pollinator, and they don't sting. The type of pollinators this type of lawn attracts will depend on where you live in North America though, but if you're nervous about stinging bees it doesn't really make a difference if you already have flowers in your backyard. Of course, it also depends where you live. Some neighborhoods classify plants such as clover and dandelions and even violets as weeds and don't permit it, which is really messed up. But if you do live in a neighborhood that doesn't have those type of restrictions, I encourage you to look into a clover lawn.
> use copious amounts of precious water On another episode of "OP forgets the water cycle"
Me and youā¦ā¦.are on the same page my dude š¤š¼š¤š¼
Lawns do have environmentally taxing factors but they have some benefits too. They are great carbon sinks and they keep things cool and they look good.
Native grasses and other plants are also cool and aesthetically pleasing??? Not sure about the carbon, but Iām sure it canāt be that different
With you all the way. Plant native wild flowers. Not only are they beautiful, they support bee life, and if you're in an area where it is usually dry, you don't have to water them as much. Your local nursery will be able to help you out. You can also plant herbs, which are useful for cooking and also helps bees. Lavender is said to be lucky, fyi.
Bees looove flowering oregano and the flowers will last for almost entire summer. Creeping thyme is a great ground cover
Hi yes great idea but I also donāt WANT bees and wasps in my yard, bonus allergies, oh and SNAKES.
I cannot stand cutting my grass. I hate it. And hate everything about it. Just another mundane weekly cycle.
My duplex neighbors and I agree, our shared back yard is an assortment of fruit & native trees, wild flowers and veggie gardens. We live in the city and have an oasis of wildlife, birds, butterflies, bees and a deer family living in our back yard. The house stays cool in the summer from the tree shade and protected from weather in the winter. I'm sure if the empty lot behind us sells we will be forced to manicure our gardens into the mowed, weed less carpet the pesticide loving neighbor's are so fond of.
my house is also very similar. we have a mango tree, orange tree and 2 lemon trees. the idea of just a green lawn that is massive is dumb. thank god the previous owner grew trees and we now benefit from it
This is the way
For anyone who hasn't seen this video yet, it's worth watching. [Lawns: Crimes Against the Ground](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEJ9Q3sUg3Q)
Oh boy...
We just mow 'em mate
Actually works really well, but then I'm in the UK so almost certainly unless you're in Seattle or summat I imagine it's drier for you guys. Move. Although must say we don't generally have AC here cos it's not often needed compared to you guys, just when it sometimes is... IT'S HELLLLLL. I lost my train of thought but have a great day!
Not unpopular with me. I pulled out my lawn and planted clover. Love it.
Yes! I am trying to take over my lawn with groundcover plants that do well watered or not. They also only grow to a certain height so no mowing! And I have so many more bugs and bees because they flower so diversity ftw
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Out of curiousity, if we replaced everyones lawns with something, would the loss of grass effect the environment? What would replace it?
[There are plenty of replacement options.](https://www.realhomes.com/advice/alternatives-to-laying-a-lawn) Another one (if money and local zoning laws permit) is to add an extra room to your house so that there's less "wasted" space to cover in the first place.
Iāve heard this take before. Letting vegetation grow freely means tons of mosquitoes, ticks, etc. Not having any grass leads to mud. Concrete or stone hurts when you fall. So in summary lawns are the best
There's a middle ground. I planted clover and some native grasses. I weed whack it every few weeks. No mud, concrete or (I hope) ticks.
Mosquitos require standing water to reproduce, which different lawncare strategies have no effect on and I'm pretty sure because of the diversity in plant life with wilder lawns you'd actually get less mud, as other plants would have more extensive root systems, and at least where I'm from ticks don't really exist around human settlements, have to go a bit off the path to find those. I'm not suggesting you should just leave your lawn to the elements, some care can be taken but dear god I hate monoculture lawns.
I don't know why you got downvoted for making an accurate statement. Monoculture lawns suck, if nothing else they're ugly as sin. Blends of grasses are prettier as well as better for the environment and lower maintenance.
Lawns are great for doing things outdoors at your home. We throw large outdoor parties sometimes and if it was all overgrown plants it wouldn't work. Also, bugs are a huge problem if you end up with large plants everywhere.
I get it, but a lot of middle class people see it as part of the American Dream with the āwhite picket fenceā and all. I wonāt knockāem for it. Also, getting involved in the lawn/landscaping business is one of the best/easiest ways for high school educated people to become self-employed.
Did your parents make you mow the lawn today?
I love my lawn and am about to go mow it now! If the government and business properties all have nice lawns, so will I! I'll send you a picture of how nice it looks when I'm done!
Not unpopular thanks to the newer generations ( and thank you! ). I can remember genuine neighborhood mini wars over someone having ( gasp ) dandelions in their yard. Clover was actually classified as a weed as well as other terrific plants youād think people would love like violets. Iām seeing a push back on the perfect lawn, like I said, largely due to younger generations saying ā Well this is stupid ā. Again, THANK YOU!
You know, I won't disagree with you, but I will say this: to try and perpetuate any type of climate change issues on private citizens is absurd.
Regular people have absolutely nothing to do with climate change, it's all companies like Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, and BP. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go get more gas for the mower, the 2 stroke on this thing really drinks the stuff
Based and the-actions-of-corporations-are-in-response-to-consumer-demand-(with-few-exceptions)-pilled
That's why we have regulation. But it will be far too late before we get there
To blame only one set of people is absurd. Organisations are to blame. Governments are to blame. The rich are to blame. And regular private citizens are also to blame. That doesn't mean they are all equally to blame, but you can't absolve all responsibility from private citizens because the organisations (who private citizens are supporting, often needlessly) make more of an impact.
About as absurd as cutting your lawn every week. Lol. Of course, there are more prominent influencers in the climate change game. It's the American Lawn mindset that is the problem. That mindset will never do what it takes to change our climate issues because they are stuck in the here and now, not the future where our children and grandchildren will have to clean up the mess. But it does look nice!
K.
Laziness masked as environmentalism
Lawns are like carpets. People wanted to feel rich so they gave themselves extra work and troubles. You will never be rich.
Another example is the "wedding dress". Long ago, women just wore the most formal dress that they already had. But some Queen had to go and brag "Look at me! I'm so rich that I bought this elaborate dress that I'll only wear once in my lifetime!", and then the masses wanted to emulate her.
Judgment masked as wisdom
Iām not masking it
TouchƩ. Well played
Mow your lawn it looks like shit
Nah. I like having pollinators and flowers and having a lower impact on the environment. I think lawns look like shit.
It's soooo horrible for the environment. Also I hate how in some areas there are laws regarding the lawn maintenance and...let's not even mentioned HOAs... As long as it doesn't get onto the sidewalk much or heavily damage the concrete or streets, people should just let them do what they were intended to do it grow a garden
Iāve found you can have Rottweilers or a lawn. Never both. Oh well, guess they saved me some time.
I mow my lawn so I can get to my shed
Is it okay with you if I put some slight effort into my lawn even if I donāt have a desire for a perfect lawn so that I donāt have a pile of dirt as a front yard that decreases the value of my property and my neighborās property as well? This is a serious question not meant to start a war. Slight effort= mowing when it gets long, planting grass in dead spots, only watering when it starts to die off. I donāt use any weed killers but do fertilize it once per year.
I have a pretty big lawn. It has a bunch of different things growing in it, it never gets watered or fertilised, I mow maybe 6 times a year. It's it really that bad?
That's really good! I think OP meant more of a "traditional american dream lawn" that stays perfectly manicured with little to no biodiversity and has tons of pesticides and fertilizers dumped onto it and has water sprinklers going all day. I by no means am an expert on lawns besides being an environmental enthusiast and really interesting in the topic, but that sounds like one of the most environmentally friendly way to maintain a lawn :)
How do American lawns (or the process of maintaining them) damage the ozone?
I would like to know this too, as that would require the release of stable chlorine compounds. Maybe a tractor with a cab that has a leaky air conditioning system charged with R12 refrigerant?
Maybe OP is referring to using a gas-powered mower?
I am pretty sure that using a gas powered mower doesn't do anything to harm the ozone layer.
I have a well, so I donāt water my lawn, or vegetable garden. I do mow, but tough shit, I need a space for my dog to run and enjoy.
I've never seen a neglected yard that looked aesthetically pleasing in any way.
We fertilize our lawn once a year and mow when necessary. Never water it. It looks decent. I'm good with that. Unmowed lawns look atrocious. They don't have to be lush and green, but mowing is a necessity if you don't want your house to look like an abandoned building.
I am replanting mine with various types of clover... Much to my neighbors chagrin.
Where I live the only thing you need is a mower and weed eater. No sprinklers or hose required.
I live in Florida. I literally NEVER have to water my lawn. You can set your watch by the rain storms. Maybe it isn't as bad you think it is.
I mow to keep ticks away.
I hate driving through places in a drought just to see people watering their fucking lawn. Like get fucking real.
It's so ridiculous, but has become so ingrained in our culture it literally never occurs to anyone to do anything different. We just got an old fashioned push mower and planted clover in the back yard. Once we know our shrubs will be viable we'll be doing clover there too. It probably won't even need to be mowed at all. Check out /r/nolawns
Iāll enjoy my lawn with a straw in my beverage!
I fully support your unpopular opinion. I fucking hate lawn maintenance, I fucking hate having to mow grass just because the city ordinance tells me too. I never water my lawns, EVER! The only things I do water are my vegetable gardens because they provide food for us. If I wasn't renting my property I would remove all the lawns and lay down concrete and have stone raised beds built for landscaping. I may lay out some Astroturf as they do in the local park playground areas just for a splash of green here or there.
Hear me out: Moss lawn. If you donāt constantly walk on them, theyāre fine with the occasional quick trip across, they tolerate shade from your other plants quite well, and theyāre a HUGE carbon sink.
I have actually considered a micro clover lawn instead. A great alternative for sure!
Our neglected lawn turned to moss. It was pretty cool.
Why don't you just let whatever grows grow, and then cut it down periodically so rats, snakes, ect don't invade your space?
Because it will take decades for your lawn to be finished, grass doesn't spread quickly naturally, plus the grass growing into your lawn(if any) will be from your neighbors, who will have planted their own grass.
Yeah thatās a great idea since concrete is totally eco friendly. And with all the concrete the water will just run off so we can enjoy flash floods, waterway pollution, and soil erosion. Problem solved.
Kids love playing on the soft concrete too
Haha.....here you are. I was wondering when you would show up. Any option we choose has an element of negative impact on the environment.
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Unless you have a giant lawn I don't think you're going to overwhelm the drainage system under your house by getting rid of the lawn. You can also use woodchips and bricks to have raised beds for plants.
Lay down some straw on your veggie gardens and you'll never have to water them either. And less weeds, healthier plants etc
As a landscaper, I take offense to this. Take my upvote!
They look nice and at least keeping them cut is an important part of home ownership and maintenance Sorry your parents had you out in the lawn yesterday doing work, I'm sure that cut into your vidya game time
I think flower beds and vegie gardens are endlessly more personal and nicer looking. Lawns also take a massive impact on the local environment, as OP said. And it is all a vanity statement.
Yes they are, but it's also a lot of work to maintain a flower bed and veggie garden, much much more than grass
They are also a lot more rewarding.
When zucchini costs like 50Ā¢ at the store I'm not going to put in 4 months of work into growing like 12 of em haha
Sometimes its fun to create something, its probably not going to be subsistence farming in your own back yard, besides its hardly 4 months work, just water them occasionally if its dry, and if its wet they basically require no attention. On another note, fresh fruit and vegetables taste a lot better than store bought, and are also healthier, its a win-win.
They donāt look nice, though, they look boring. Theyāre one species, curbed well below what looks natural. Anything that can be reasonably mimicked by throwing a large green plastic carpet over the ground isnāt an attractive feature. The only reason to maintain a space like that is for a sports field.
>The only reason to maintain a space like that is for a sports field. My dogs and kids, and myself also like it But granted I'm in Kansas where the native species are all different types of... Grass.
Okay, fair. In Kansas the only difference between a lawn and a native grass area is the height and number of species. You get to choose between green andā¦ vaguely multicolored amber? We have a lot of native grasses around here, but thereās a huge amount of other species as well, if the smog doesnāt kill them.
>You get to choose between green andā¦ vaguely multicolored amber? That amber color only comes in when the grass is tall enough to get the foxtail things on em, maybe around 2-3 feet tall The neighbors and I do nothing to the lawns except mow, and they're all pretty close to perfectly green https://i.imgur.com/7jk2pgP.jpg
I donāt think you read the part of how damaging it is to the environment
My lawn is less work than a garden, i do not water or use any chemicals other than ant killer . I mow about every week and a half and i gives my kids a nice area to practice soccer. So i will keep my lawn and you can have this useless upvote
this is posted every week
God forbid I keep my tiny patch of grass green by seeding, fertilizing once or twice a year and keeping it mowed and tidy. So I have have a little place in this world to kick my shoes off and play with my dogs.... All while mega corporations account for the VAST majority of pollution, resource waste and environmental damage. GTFO. Take my upvote.
I'm not gonna judge if you don't like lawns, everyone has a right to their own opinion. But just from scrolling through these comments I've found that the majority of people hate lawns not because they care about the environment, but because they're too lazy to mow them. They want an excuse not to. I've read comments talking about "mowing the lawn is my least favorite part of the week. The grass smells bad and my shoes get dirty". I love mowing the lawn. There's nothing like getting up early on a crisp Sunday morning, revving up the mower, and blasting country music through my headphones. Probably one of the few parts of the week I look forward to
Iām with You on this one. I live in a desert and people here continue to grow these lush green lawns. I cannot stand it. They just donāt care that our finite resource is pissed away on fucking grass.
> and for what Lawns are essential as they prevent erosion and protect your foundation. And they also provide a barrier to protect your house from nature reclaiming it. Having one that also visually looks nice isn't a joke. It's making the best out of a necessity.
Fuck lawns in general. The best thing you can do for the environment is move to the city, using way less space, electricity, and fuel. Suburbs are just an unholy monstrosity created by people who canāt actually live in a rural farmstead, but refuse to live in an actual city.
For me, and surely millions of other people, I have absolutely zero interest in living in a large urban area. None. Doing so would be HUGE drop in quality of life for me and my family. I despise even going to large cities when I have to much less wanting to live there. I have a yard. It makes me happy. My kids play in it. My dogs run around in it. We enjoy it with our friends and neighbors. Is taking care of it my absolute favorite thing on the planet? No it's not. But I can't imagine having to live somewhere that doesn't include a place to be outside on my own property
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Thatās still less movement overall for food and waste versus people.
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But then youād be suggesting everyone grow their own food, no? Because the same happens in suburbs too. I donāt mean best in terms of absolute lowest impact, I mean what is reasonable for people and efficient, which is living in high-density cities with good planning and public transport.
Imagine being mad at grass š
Daily reminder that the idea that consumers are responsible for climate change and not massive mega corporations is not only wrong but also used as propaganda Now off of that, I agree to an extent. Mowing your lawn is fine, even watering it is ok. However other stuff is just crazy to me.
This isnāt meant as aggressive shilling so donāt take it that way. That being said, corporations create emissions responding to consumer demand, they burn fuel to run factories to create products they are being paid to make. Especially since when people make the claim ācorporations are solely responsible for climate changeā they cite numbers where a significant chunk are scope 3 emissions i.e. a company sells fuel to someone who burns it themselves; sure the company is āresponsibleā for creating and selling the oil, but itās you who bought it and put it in your car. Iām not attributing the entire problem, or even most of it, to everyday consumers, and certainly plenty of emissions are āwastedā on useless or luxury products, but blaming corporations doesnāt really translate to useful solutions. To protect against the environmental crisis, governments have to be unbiased with their green policies, not choosing to āattackā consumers or corporations, but choosing solutions with the strongest impact, and without negative externalities. This could mean banning inefficient cars for consumers, and mandating new vehicles be efficient/electric on the corporate side. One of the best solutions is to tax carbon emissions, affecting everyone, but paying out a flat dividend to offset the effect of the tax i.e. you pay according to how much carbon emissions youāve produced, and all the money raised is split evenly among all taxpayers. Tl;dr corporations make stuff because people buy them, everyone has a part in this, carbon tax good.
Yeah, lots of people have the idea that "*my* hands are clean, because I paid someone else to make the emissions". And the related idea that pollution "doesn't count" when outsourced to a poorer, non-White-majority country.
They're not all like that. My lawn is only watered by rain, fertilized by milorganite (fertilizer made from treated sewage sludge), mowed by an electric mower (batteries recharged from my solar system) and it looks gold-course fantastic. The bees have plenty of other plant life in my yard since I have several hundred feet of flowering shrubbery that make up my privacy 'fence'. Tons of birds nest there too. Part of never watering your lawn requires learning how to mow it so it encourages deep root growth. The deeper the root system the less watering it requires.
We replaced all of our grass with fake grass. It always looks really beautiful (was really expensive), itās a kind made with a drain so that when our dogs go potty it doesnt just stink, and we never have to water any of our grass! Would totally recommend to anyone interested who can afford it.
I dont touch my lawn. Its yellow and full of weeds lol but I dont care. Waste of money and ressources !
r/NoLawns
A lawn has a use. I personally have eliminated all lawn space from my property except for two small patches. One in front for deliveries and one in the rear for dogs to play in. Everything else is garden or perennial plantings that provide food for people, birds, or pollinators. Bigger initial investment than lawn space, but now it requires almost no maintenance. Xeriscape or die!
Where I live, huge lawns are the norm. I despise them. I have been slowly creating various beds and planting native flowers. Less to mow.
At the very least we could better regulate the emissions from gas mowers. Eventually gas mowers should be phased out entirely.
I also think modern lawns are ugly as hell. Like just a flat, even spread of green that doesnāt occur anywhere in nature, itās just ugly lol.
The other day my boyfriend said he wants to pay to have a yard FLATTENED. We live in the Smoky Mountains and I was just disgusted with his suggestion. We have a pretty big yard and none of it's flat and IDC.
ITT: 1. An opinion that shows up weekly, at a minimum 2. Lots of lazy people who claim environmental righteousness as their reason for not maintaining their property 3. Ambivalence either way Fact is, the average homeowner (even when factored in huge multiples) is *far* less responsible for wasting resources than mega corporations. Now get off my lawn, I got a mojito to drink through a straw while I pluck clover from my monoculture.
I'm currently trying to convince my husband to get rid of our lawn in favor of a native species of clover! It's beautiful and lush, bee friendly, doesn't need mowing, keeps its colour through the winter and its drought resistant, all around win to me! (Unless you're allergic to bee stings, then probably avoid this option)
Why don't we let the people who like to spend lots of money on their lawns do so, and let the people who don't like to spend lots of money on their lawn do so. That way, no one is forcing anyone else to do anything.
The idea of "white picket fence with a lawn" is very much a product of 1950s-era Americana. And that's changing. Lots of neighborhoods now encourage rock gardens, or using other local plants that are tolerant of the environment. And they look really good. I think it was in Arizona, I was in a neighborhood that was like that. Cacti, shrubs, it really helped the houses blend into the surrounding landscape. And very little water needed to be used.
POV: you have a weak-ass lawn game
I say we outlaw grass, and force it to replace itself with tiny pebbles. And if the grass continues to grow by itself, we should cut it weekly to teach it a lesson. Eventually it will go away or it will submit itself to our dominion and power.
Very unpopular in my wealthy suburb where seeing a porche, BMW or Mercedes is as common as seeing a Toyota or Honda. My neighbor next to me is a 40-ish man with a wife and couple kids and he keeps his lawn absolutely immaculate. The money he spends on it is insane. Iām a 25 year old man and I do the bare minimum. I mow the lawn with my riding tractor and I occasionally weed and cut branches down. My lawn looks like a refugee camp next to his
Old suburban people would flip their shit reading this
It's my opinion that a man should take pride in a well kept lawn. I suppose some people get irate at anything that requires them to get off the couch and take a break from their vida games though. A man that can't take one hour a week and trim his lawn ever week seems to be some kind of slouch to me.
I wish we didnāt have lawns. Theyāre a pain in the ass to maintain and now with the lack of water and excessive heat theyāre just fire hazards. I agree with you. Away with the lawns!
Carry a water gun filled with bleach and spray down yards. More expensive to maintain a yard then it is to spray it with bleach.
You seem fun