Lawn culture is the problem, not lawns by Elizabeth Licata

And lawn culture is still very much an issue.

My front “yard;” a lawn would never thrive here, even if I wanted one. Later, shade perennials will fill it in.

Otherwise, why would garden centers still be selling so much weed ‘n’ feed? I know from online discussions I see regularly, with gardening a hot Facebook topic every spring and summer here, that people still have lawns and don’t feel at all guilty about having them. What they feel guilty about is that their lawns are not perfectly emerald green and weed-free. Why else would they be asking about how to get rid of clover and other “invaders?”

Otherwise, why would I be able to drive through neighborhoods—and not just the suburbs either—and see green spaces dotted with multiple yellow warning signs that indicate recent chemical applications?

Otherwise, why would I be able to google any combination of “weed” and “lawn” and find page after page of search results, most absolutely guilt-free about offering the perfect bag of lawn treatment. (And I’m not sure the “organic” remedies are much of an improvement.)

It would be disingenuous to pretend that “perfect lawn” culture is not still very strong throughout the US. It’s true that most of the gardeners I know don’t subscribe to it; they mow what grows when they think of it and don’t worry a bit about what’s coming up besides turfgrass. But I can’t live in that bubble. I dislike lawn culture, not lawns.  Lawns are fine as an entity; I may find them kind of boring, myself, but I get that they are useful. Not for insects though, if lawn culture has its way.

Lawn culture is the problem, not lawns originally appeared on Garden Rant on May 17, 2018.

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