Roll Gardening & Green
“A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule.”
by Luanne Panarotti
“A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule.”
Michael Pollan
I startle awake, beads of cold sweat already forming on my brow.
I lay stock still, barely breathing; even the birds and insects seem to have hushed. Then through the eerie silence, comes the syncopated drone of rotors, growing louder and steadily nearer. They are soon joined by the deep growl of larger machines cutting merciless swaths through the surrounding landscape. Before long, the deafening roar surrounds me on all sides.
Oh good—my lawn service has arrived.
We Americans have a strange, rather codependent relationship with our lawns. Once a luxury for the rich who could afford groundskeepers to maintain them, private lawns became practical for the average American after the industrial revolution. Today, these green expanses are at the center of a six billion dollar industry. And, in pursuit of their verdancy, we apply in excess of 50 million pounds of toxic chemicals each year, allowing our children to run barefoot through carcinogens and our pets to roll around in neurotoxins. Our beloved “green” carpet is often anything but.
So how do we achieve a more sustainable yard, in this land in love with lawn?
REDUCE! Realistically assess how much lawn you need, thinking about how you use and enjoy your yard. Do you need just enough for a hammock, or your barbecue and picnic table? Enough for a series of cartwheels, or a game of bocce? Determine the lawn requirements for your lifestyle—and then, get rid of the rest. CONTINUE...
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