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Do you ever think about how much grass landscape sucks.
- Thread starter ItWasMeantToBe19
- Start date
Carbon emissions from lawn mowers are like one of the lowest percentage of carbon emitters. Don't drive your car for one day and you'll save more than 10+ lawnmowers would use
i think about how great they are all the time! i think about how they're expected to be maintained while also under tight water restriction by the same governing body (do NOT let water leak onto the sidewalk) and also the water utility itself! I LOVE EVERY PART OF THIS ARRANGEMENT.
There's a whole range of options between grass lawn and pavement.
Lawn sucks if you have to use mass amount of water, as it is a major source of water waste (looking at you Arizona), but here in Maryland, I guess because it rains like once a week or so, I haven't seen watering used at all.
And god damn Marylanders love their neatly trimmed lawn, and I gotta say it looks damn nice.
And god damn Marylanders love their neatly trimmed lawn, and I gotta say it looks damn nice.
Another problem is that by replacing a wide variety of plants with one species that is constantly kept at a short height, we've fucked over insects hard. Grass is a difficult food source for many of them and a short lawn provides very little shelter from predators like birds.
I live in the city, my neighbors don't even bother taking care of their yards so no one cares. I mow the lawn and edge, water the garden and plants/trees, clean up the garden beds and the sidewalk, but my grass dies every summer because it's not worth the money and time required to keep it alive.
Yes, when it's left to its own devices. When you regularly mow it, pipe in water for it, and hire landscaping crews for it, it starts becoming carbon positive.
If you want a decent sized dog then access to a grassy area is critical. Sometimes you can't even get a dog unless you have a yard.
There are always artificial turf options but they can look crappy and out of place. Maintaining a yard for a dog is standard procedure for those pet owners.
Mowing (with proper bagging and composting the clippings) is actually helpful since it encourages more vigorous growth. You're definitely right about the other two, though.
I'd hesitate to call mine a lawn as that implies some level of dedicated care; mine is a bit shaggy and wild but I don't mind. It's a football pitch, a frisbee zone, a run for the guinea pigs, a place to lie under the trees and watch the sky, a place for the birds to feed, it's full of spiders and beetles and ants and dandelions. I mow it a few times a year, never water it, still have all my limbs and digits attached etc.
Now what I'm not a big fan of is fake grass, great swathes of plastic grass in place of a real lawn.
Now what I'm not a big fan of is fake grass, great swathes of plastic grass in place of a real lawn.
I see rock gardens more and more. With local plants and wildflowers they can look very nice. They are more acceptable now too. Having that one yard in the neighborhood that was "different" isn't looked down upon anymore. Especially when their low maintenance natural yard looks better than poorly maintained grass.
We bought an electric mower and trimmer and it's like living in the future.
It doesn't vibrate your hands to death or wake up the entire neighborhood. There's also very little maintenance and you don't have to fool with fuel at all. It's just a whole lot easier and more convenient.
It doesn't vibrate your hands to death or wake up the entire neighborhood. There's also very little maintenance and you don't have to fool with fuel at all. It's just a whole lot easier and more convenient.
I live in MN where it rains enough to not water it and I use a push mower that uses no gas or even electricity.
I like my grass in the back yard for hanging out. The front yard is so small I don't really care much about it and just mow it about once a week.
No biggie.
I like my grass in the back yard for hanging out. The front yard is so small I don't really care much about it and just mow it about once a week.
No biggie.
I've seen some artificial turf yards that look pretty good, but they were specifically designed to be a fenced sports field. They use it for lawn bowling, bocce, soccer, football, lacrosse, as well as a dog run. If turf is just a grass yard replacement then it looks dumb, but turf does make a good, no maintenance sports surface.
Oh sure, that makes absolute sense. I play football on surfaces like that and they're great. But for a private lawn, I much prefer the real thing. Inevitably fake turf done privately looks a bit weird, like badly done carpet outside.
Depends on how short you mow and how often. Also leaving the clippings on the grass is fine as long as they stay on the grass. It can be natural fertilizer.
when I have to leave the city, yes. I see all the wastefulness of golf courses and giant homes with exorbitant lawns. truly wasteful and awful. My father recently replaced his entire backyard with the fake stuff and everyone always compliments him on it. It's designed well and he got to really put together his lawn. it's awesome.
The US is mostly empty space, and it rains a lot in a good chunk of it, so I don't think having a lawn here is really a waste.
I have to mow it, and treat it once per year (I enjoy it). The weather does 90% of my watering (in this state). In the last state I lived in I had to install in ground sprinklers because there was a 7 year drought on. Because of the drought I also purchased a high-efficiency washer. Even with the addition of the sprinkler system I stayed well within my water allotment, thank goodness I bought the smallest property in the neighborhood.
I agree with large lawns, but maintaining a small .25 acre lot (more .15 after the foundation) is a quality of life and safety thing in central Texas. If you don't take care of your yard it'll be full of fire ants, snakes, etc.
A Honda push mower even with assist for a lot this size takes about 3 to 4 gallons of gas per year. Its nothing compared to driving and worse air travel.
For small lots in areas with sustainanle water there are hundreds of other behavior changes that would save exponentially more. Work from home 3 days per week would save like 200x as much gas.
A Honda push mower even with assist for a lot this size takes about 3 to 4 gallons of gas per year. Its nothing compared to driving and worse air travel.
For small lots in areas with sustainanle water there are hundreds of other behavior changes that would save exponentially more. Work from home 3 days per week would save like 200x as much gas.
depends where you live, with the watering. up north grass is usually fine without watering except for new grass, and in July/August. you can get electric mowers, or even nice push reel mowers. mowing isn't dangerous at all if you know what you're doing - my mower has a clutch where if you let it go the blade stops spinning but it keeps the engine idling. good for quick emergencies. You can use rainwater barrels to water if you want.
I replaced all my lawn with Artificial turf. In AZ you have to reseed between summer and winter varieties and it's such a pain in the ass that going artificial seems to be the trend here. Does nothing to help with the heat island effect Phoenix has but damn does my lawn look good 24/7, 365
Fuck lawns. Mine looks like shit but I really want to get rid of it. One thing I noticed with my backyard last time I mowed all the dandelions was how many bees there were, that seems like a good thing to me. Why try to mess with the local plant-life?
Err in the UK you dont need to water grass LOL. OP acts like only certain american climates exist in the world
I used to hate mowing but I got a hand-me-down riding mower that I fixed myself (very proud getting it to crank). I don't water the lawn simply because we get enough rain throughout the summer months to sustain my grass in SC. Only takes 20 minutes to cut the front and back. Another 20 to weed eat (electric weed eater).
My daughter likes to play outside so I try to keep the grass low so we don't run into snakes (we have enough venomous snakes to warrant the concern).
My daughter likes to play outside so I try to keep the grass low so we don't run into snakes (we have enough venomous snakes to warrant the concern).
We just bought a house and yeah holy crap, it takes so much to maintain a lawn. It's just grass, people. But of course everyone in our neighborhood does a swell job in keeping up the lawn so we have to follow or we'll stand out like a sore thumb. I can't have Becky from next door start talking smack, can you imagine?
In the US, a lot of neighborhoods will fine you if your yard is out of control. Nevermind the trash talk from neighbors.
It's aggravating. But lately I've found that I like cutting the grass... while sitting on my ass anyway lol.
Looks ugly to me and the thought of its maintenance makes me quite unhappy.
I'd rather it all be replaced with concrete and be done with it.
I'd rather it all be replaced with concrete and be done with it.
Yeah, I don't even care. As long as it gets cut every 2 weeks I'm happy. I live in a sub-division, but there's no HOA. I pay a friend $35 every 2 weeks to cut it.
I should probably put some pine needles or mulch around the plants near my house, the old needles are long since turned grey, but I don't have the time or money to throw at landscaping.
I don't water my grass at all. It rains enough around here to keep it growing.
I'm fine with the mowing, I just get so many weeds in mine. My wife won't let me do any treatment to it because she worries that it'll make our 2 year old sick. I just cut it as short as I can often so that the weeds don't stand out. I hate it.v
I play the girl card and have my husband do it but I still like to complain.
I can understand. It can be an eyesore if everyone's lawns are fucked up. It doesn't have to be well watered or even manicured, just cut.
I live in South Australia, where everything does and turns yellow in late spring. I love the green grass landscape of winter.
I agree. Keeping a lawn around where I live is just a giant waste. When I get my own place I will seriously consider just ripping the lawn up and laying down fake grass or xeriscaping it.
