Kill your front lawn- or at least really neglect it.
Published by Seamus Ford March 23rd, 2008 in Commentary, landscaping.
This article is about what happens if you ignore propaganda that your front lawn is supposed to look like a fairway at Cog Hill.
DO YOU REALLY CARE THAT MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOUR NEIGHBORS THINK?
Who said that a well kept home is supposed be surrounded by sea of manicured grass. Do people actually like pushing or riding a lawn mower for several hours per week?!
I admit this is my opinion, but it is a very strongly held one; I think that a broad perfectly green front lawn is vulgar.
I recognize that the kids may need a patch of grass to play on. Leave that for the back yard.
What if you just let most of the rest grow?
I live in a state nicknamed the “Prairie State”. It seems difficult to imagine, but at one time, the majority of what is now Illinois was once a vast unbroken sea of native grass and wild flowers that by the end of each summer, would rise as high as the shoulder of a man on a horse. When European settlers came in the 19th century this sea was carved up into farms and a vast ecosystem became broken and fragmented. With 20th century urban and suburban development the situation became worse as the diversity of the prairie was replaced with mono-cultures of kentucky blue grass separated by vast strips of asphalt and concrete. Birds and insects that once thrived in Illinois became increasingly rare and in some cases disappeared.
10 reasons to let your lawn go.
- Save time not having to mow grass
- Save fuel not having to mow grass
- Save water not having to water grass
- Create habitat for Birds
- Create habitat for butter flies
- Create an educational tool for your kids.
I didn’t exactly go the prairie route, but I did go ahead, dug up my entire front yard, covered it with mulch, and planted a ton of perennials that enjoy the shade, attract butterflies and birds, and just is a lot more interesting. Right now, I’m thrilling to see the daffodil and tulip sprouts poke up, reminding me that this winter WILL have an end. It’s not finished yet (is a garden ever finished), but it does have all the advantages you list above. Just takes some planning to get a mix that will put up with Wisconsin’s extreme conditions.
And even if I did worry about what the neighbors thought (like this was an issue), my springtime tulip and daffodil display is the talk of the neighborhood, and all it takes is just cleaning all the winter debris out, something I’d have to do anyway.