James Bacon has a wonderful article on why we should hate grass ("The Grass Isn't Always Greener").
I've hated grass ever since we returned to the U.S. from Brazil when I was sixteen, and I was suddenly given the job of mowing—with a Sears push reel manual mower. It was pure drudgery, especially when the grass got long, which was often.
Once I bought my first house I bought a gas mower (what a relief). But mowing was still boring, so for fun I began to mow in patterns, and would let the grass in the center grow tall and luxuriant. My neighbor complained (probably correctly) that I would be attracting snakes to this lush area of wilderness. Still it appealed to me on deep level to see a bit of untrimmed nature.
But Bacon has a much stronger reason to rip up turf—the environment. Grass is biologically monocultural, supporting little animal life of birds or bees. Moreover, grass requires fertilizers and other chemicals that get into and destroy the Chesapeake Bay. It requires gas to run the mower and causes noxious noise externalities.
De-lawn and bring back life to your garden with trees, flower beds, and vegetable gardens. Get with the program!
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