I'm not sure if it's my recent lack of scouring the internet but it seems the vitriol towards lawns has eased up a bit lately. Some other righteous cause must have emerged amongst the blogging lawn haters. Regardless, it's time for my annual blog post in defense of the oft persecuted lawn.
Lawns have been accused of everything from polluting the environment to causing cancer. Lawns are regularly victimized for being unruly monocultures with an unquenchable thirst for water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Lawns did not invite any of this upon themselves, in fact, they would be much healthier and happier growing naturally, organically even.
Like everything else in life, lawns have become commodified. Every year, billions of dollars are spent on lawns and it can be difficult to see through the barrage of advertising for all things lawn care. Making money is the primary function of any company, so it's no surprise to see a business sell products that mask problems and create new ones (for which there happens to be another product for). Homeowners and lawn care professionals alike can get hooked on the routine of applying chemicals to sustain an artificial life support system for barely thriving grass.
How can lawns avoid the judgment cast down on them by their critics? The people who love and tend to them must be aware of the impact of every item put on a lawn. This includes but is not limited to; choosing the right grass species for the climate and location, having the soil tested, watering wisely, fertilizing with extreme care and at the proper rate, and limiting or eliminating the use of pesticides by implementing an IPM program. Better yet, go organic. Especially if your lawn is host to children and pets.
Lawns take a lot of abuse but they're pretty to look at. They provide greenspace in urban areas, absorb noise pollution, filter and reduce runoff, and remove CO2 from the air replacing it with oxygen. Lawns provide a natural, living surface for playing games, entertaining, and relaxing. A natural, healthy lawn is teeming with life and is a unique ecosystem that lends itself well to being maintained and cared for. Lawns are good for the human spirit.
Comments
Most people have no idea that lawns, grass, and turf (golf courses included) produce an enormous amount of oxygen while also filtering Co2 from the air along with many other pollutants.