Re: Your Yard is Evil

moswell Sun Jul 31, 2011 12:34 pm

sherryeo wrote:
don't think there's a homeowner's association - they just all apparently like their showpiece front lawns in the south

I'm from the south and I have to say that my "front lawn" (such as it is) just pretty much has to fend for itself. I've never been overly concerned with it and would not poison the earth by using massive amounts of chemicals on my lawn just to try to keep up with the neighbors.

Southerners are just as individualistic as any other region in the country and I doubt that there's anything at all that we could agree that we "all apparently like" - except perhaps actually living in the south.

. Well, there's certainly a big difference between the non HOA neighborhoods in my native DE and those in Alabama. Smile

At any rate, I agree everyone's different, but the peer pressure in my sister's town seems pretty heavily weighted towards manicured lawns!

FarmerValerie Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:01 am

One of the terms for nice big lawns in the Southern half of the U.S. is sprawling. They like their lawns to sprawl all over the place. If it has trees and various flower beds or shrubs, that is so you can take your time and meander on over to the other side. Just some terms I've picked up since being down here for 27 years now.

**gwennifer** Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:02 pm

Okay, I couldn't resist...

Here's a picture of my little guy showing what he thought of the lawn the first time I sat him on it a few weeks ago. His face says it all.

Your Yard is Evil - Page 2 Lawn10

unmadecastle Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:15 pm

gwennifer wrote:Okay, I couldn't resist...

Here's a picture of my little guy showing what he thought of the lawn the first time I sat him on it a few weeks ago. His face says it all.

Your pic made me laugh! When my boys were little they didn't like to put their feet down to touch the grass! Smile

littlesapphire Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:41 pm

That video was hilarious! But also kind of sad! I can't believe all the water and pesticides people use on their lawns. Hubby and I decided not to water, feed or spray our lawn when we moved into this house five years ago, because really, all that matters to me is that it's cut short. It's a crunchy brown right now! The only thing I water is the garden.

What kills me is how people in desert climates have lawns! Really guys? That's like me, living in wet humid mid-Atlantic, trying to have a cactus garden in my front yard. Totally unnatural.

hankyknot Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:25 pm

I don't think I've ever lived in a town that at one time or other hasn't had a "hosepipe ban" and yet every year people still pump their precious drinking water over a patch of green because "it looks nice".

And then you read about rivers being reversed out of the Great Lakes so that hotels in the desert can have big water fountains outside. There is currently more water flowing out of the Great Lakes than there is going in. Can't help but think someone should be shouting "This is our drinking water people, the majority of the worlds fresh water is right there but its being used to draw tourists to casino's and hotels, have you all gone mad?"

Lawns are the thin end of the wedge and the sooner the law see's common sense and takes away the power of the fasion police aka HOA's to enforce such madness the better in my opinion.

Dunkinjean Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:42 pm

My husband is obsessed with keeping our lawn "green" and weed free - which is hilarious. Now it is August and our lawn was a lovely beige/brown/green and he was moaning that he needs to water the lawn after all his hard work. He also stated that the lawn will never recover.

I told him the lawn will recover in the fall. That so what! Does the lawn feed us?

I told him I feel we should only use the water for the vegetable garden.

I also water my small flower garden and the new bushes/trees we planted in the spring until they are strong.

It is so funny how we "think" differently. But he has not been watering the lawn for awhile since it is still too stinking hot! I also suggested to stop any chemicals in the lawn! At least he stopped watering the lawn! 1 out of 2 isn't bad. Very Happy

Goosegirl Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:45 pm

Dunkinjean wrote: At least he stopped watering the lawn! 1 out of 2 isn't bad.

You're halfway there!

GG

Unmutual Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:09 pm

I agree with the vid. Lawns are a huge resource hog and the better kept lawns dump way too much fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides into the water table. Next year I hope to have veggies, roses, grapes and some fruit trees in the front yard. And for those people that are in the lawn business, you should probably start diversifying. Growing veggies is catching on.

Luckily, growing food in the front yard is perfectly legal in my area as long as it doesn't cause problems(blocking sidewalk/water meter/unsafe/etc.) or isn't terribly overgrown/ugly.

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