Cut the Lawn!
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
It’s 90 plus degrees in Mountain Green and I’ve just finished mowing the lawn. My friend cuts the grass but she’s originally from the Midwest so maybe that’s why she cuts instead of mows. I justify the weekly pain of mowing by including it in my weekly exercise log. After all, it takes about 45 minutes if I power through it, and I can get my heart rate up (especially on the hills) so I figure it qualifies. But it makes me think, why do I need so much lawn? Instead of mowing I could be hiking, or biking, or watching golf on TV!
Lawn, grass, turf, sod, whatever you want to call it is a part of our lives. It can keep our landscape cool, but it uses lots of water; it’s great to play on but how often do we use it that way; in order to keep it gorgeous it needs chemicals to kill the weeds and give it that lovely green glow; in a world with changing climate is it the best choice for our landscapes?
According to the website eartheasy, reducing lawn size reduces water consumption, saves time and energy on lawn maintenance, decreases yard waste to be composted or taken to landfills, reduces herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, reduces air and noise pollution caused by mowers, and enhances biodiversity when other plant varieties are introduced to the area.
I started reducing our lawn size a few years ago, adding a perennial and herb garden on the south side of the house, rounding out corners and adding shrubs on the north; and in the plan for next year is a raised bed vegetable garden.
My friends in Huntsville built their home nearly 20 years ago and were ahead of the curve. Knowing how scarce and expensive the water was in their neighborhood they landscaped their entire front yard with shrubs, wildflowers and perennials. It took a few years, but now they enjoy a sea of color all summer long. It’s not maintenance free (nothing is) but uses very little water. The back of the home includes a pond, vegetable and herb gardens, and a small piece of drought-tolerant grass.
When replacing lawn you may want to consider adding ground covers, deciduous shrubs, xeriscape (drought-tolerant landscaping), and mulch. Make sure you create a yard plan first and don’t start digging without knowing what is underneath or above. Find a nursery near you to select plants that are hearty in our mountain climate and be patient as you wait for the results.
On a side note: I recently stopped at a fast food sandwich shop. Knowing this shop always slides wrapped sandwiches into a plastic bag I carried in my own reusable bag. When my sandwich was ready I told the clerk that I didn’t need a plastic bag for my double wrapped sandwich, he gave me one anyway. I said, “No, I have my own bag thank you very much.” He said I needed the plastic bag for sanitary reasons – HUH? I told him to hand it to me without the bag and I’d be responsible for my safety.
As I waited to pay I looked around the room. Ninety percent of the customers were eating their sandwich at a table. Each one of them carried their sandwich less than 15 feet from counter to table in individual plastic bags, ate their fare, and then tossed the bag into the trash. Does this really make sense when it has been proven how bad plastic bags are for our environment?
