General Discussion

RobinA

(10,478 posts)

18. The Picture

Fri Apr 29, 2022, 09:20 AM

Apr 2022

of a suburban housing development with freely growing, uh...vegetation in every yard is a hard one to imagine many people getting behind any time soon. That's a BIG change in many parts of the country. It certainly would be to the Philadelphia 'burbs where I live. People have gotten far away from accepting plants growing freely and critters within a block of their houses. Hell, I know people who will happily empty a can of Raid in their kitchen rather than see an ant on a counter. I've always wondered what places really looked like back in the day before grass and mowers. Certainly not what we see today.

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Is it time to re-think having a lawn? [View all] Diamond_Dog Apr 2022 OP

Global warming and water shortages means good bye to unnecessary water hogs. Irish_Dem Apr 2022 #1

Avocados are big water drinkers jimfields33 Apr 2022 #4

Works for me. Irish_Dem Apr 2022 #5

Agree wholeheartedly jimfields33 Apr 2022 #6

Yes! n/t patricia92243 Apr 2022 #7

I think the world is going to change dramatically in the next 50 years. Irish_Dem Apr 2022 #8

love avocados. had one today Demovictory9 May 2022 #79

Yes people love avocados. Irish_Dem May 2022 #84

the scale of avocado tree irrigation versus private lawn irrigation? maxsolomon Apr 2022 #30

Selling point for buying our house underpants Apr 2022 #2

He does not give any realistic answers. "The let your lawn grow tall" is just plain patricia92243 Apr 2022 #3

I'm with you on that one. Diamond_Dog Apr 2022 #11

I have been looking into Sunshine Mimosa for a while. Can't make up my mind on it, but I would also dameatball Apr 2022 #17

I had that stuff in my yard and I think it is evil. genxlib Apr 2022 #19

Yikes. Thanks for that info. One other thing that has kept me from going with mimosa is what if dameatball Apr 2022 #31

It's a shame because it is a fascinating plant genxlib Apr 2022 #36

I agree. It is a cool plant. A nusery not too far from me has a decent size patch of it as a sample. dameatball Apr 2022 #41

I'm curious Mossfern Apr 2022 #40

I was responding to the person considering Mimosa genxlib Apr 2022 #68

North Florida, just drop in St. Augustine and forget about it JCMach1 Apr 2022 #24

Or centipede grass - it loves my red clay soil, hates fertilizer, and doesn't need much water csziggy Apr 2022 #56

We have code enforcement, no grasses or weeds above 6". Hotler Apr 2022 #25

I have around 4 to 5 acre lawn. I don't water Emile Apr 2022 #9

Similar here dwayneb Apr 2022 #28

I love that golden brown grass of August and that Emile Apr 2022 #42

I have drought resistant fescue in my lawn. Doesn't need to be watered as much dsp3000 Apr 2022 #10

My approach is to mow the grass when it needs mowed Buckeyeblue Apr 2022 #12

Mine too Freddie Apr 2022 #13

Same here Freddie. No watering or fertilizer or pesticides. Just mow it. Diamond_Dog Apr 2022 #16

I don't water or fertilize either. House of Roberts Apr 2022 #15

Me, too. I don't like chemicals in my yard. I do throw some grass seed around on thin patches. Midnight Writer Apr 2022 #37

The author must be a big fan of Coruscant Renew Deal Apr 2022 #14

If you read the article, you'd know that's not true NickB79 Apr 2022 #64

The Picture RobinA Apr 2022 #18

Lots of sand/dirt/,mud and sweeping JCMach1 Apr 2022 #22

I'd be okay not having a lawn MissMillie Apr 2022 #20

I would much rather xeriscape with native perrenials and wildflowers JCMach1 Apr 2022 #23

Desert landscape is what many of ChazII Apr 2022 #34

cement.... CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #50

We're thinking about replacing our lawn with Turf... Chakaconcarne Apr 2022 #21

What do you mean by turf? CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #49

Four homes in my neighborhood ChazII Apr 2022 #52

Artificial turf instead of grass CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #53

Bizarre is that one of the houses ChazII Apr 2022 #57

Weird. CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #60

Xeriscaping. Herbal ground cover. planting edibles. niyad Apr 2022 #26

I was at the fram/ranch supply the other day and pick up Hotler Apr 2022 #27

Way past time. That said, in GA and northcentral FL's temperate climates Hortensis Apr 2022 #29

Golf Courses need to be played on dying grass or astroturf, talk about water waste MagickMuffin Apr 2022 #32

Aside from the fertilizer use CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #48

What purpose does a lawn even have anyway? Polybius Apr 2022 #33

Stormwater runoff for one thing genxlib Apr 2022 #39

Excellent points! Polybius Apr 2022 #61

And who invented the lawn? Kaleva Apr 2022 #43

Seriously? CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #47

Yes I was serious Polybius Apr 2022 #62

Pavement over grass or even just let it be natural. CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #65

I'm just thinking of my own troubles Polybius Apr 2022 #72

Maybe you should rent. CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #76

The only downside for me is price Polybius Apr 2022 #78

green space looks good. People can lie down and on a lawn. nice for dogs to run and play Demovictory9 May 2022 #80

The article goes into history a bit . It's similar to Diamonds in that it became a status symbol JI7 May 2022 #81

We are redoing our backyard MissB Apr 2022 #35

I'm converting about half the property into a vegetable garden & orchard Kaleva Apr 2022 #44

I'm allergic to grass, so for me having to do as little yard work as possible is ideal. Initech Apr 2022 #38

My "lawn"'is a meadow DenaliDemocrat Apr 2022 #45

a good start would be CrackityJones75 Apr 2022 #46

It matters a lot where you live. hunter Apr 2022 #51

Native plants, guys. They've already adapted. Get one of those big garden books with zones... Hekate Apr 2022 #54

No. Mosby Apr 2022 #55

It's done so people can eat lettuce and fresh broccoli all year around. hunter Apr 2022 #66

Would recommend shanti Apr 2022 #58

Since returning to California I've had 2 houses.The first one, all the grass died & I covered it... Hekate Apr 2022 #59

Location, location, location! Emile Apr 2022 #63

I don't have a lawn, but use plenty of water! LeftInTX Apr 2022 #67

I hate lawns. I would grow straight moss if I could ismnotwasm Apr 2022 #69

I have an area of grass canetoad Apr 2022 #70

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! Skittles Apr 2022 #71

Much of the country has plenty of water RaDaR63 Apr 2022 #73

We have lawn but never water it, we also never apply herbicide Model35mech Apr 2022 #77

We have an acre of grass, clover and weeds. marie999 Apr 2022 #74

I don't have grass. I just have ground cover. leftyladyfrommo Apr 2022 #75

I think you could have say a 10x10, or 12x12 ft lawn for lying down in picnicking, etc. electric_blue68 May 2022 #82

It completely depends on where you live Novara May 2022 #83

Pea rock here in Key Largo. tavernier May 2022 #85

If it wasn't for crabgrass, I wouldn't have a front lawn! bif May 2022 #86