07/12/2023
How are conventional lawns contributing to society?
I grew up working in the Landscape trade, and while I did not provide ANY lawn maintenance for the majority of my career, I did learn a lot about what a conventional lawn contributes to the landscape.
What was surprising, is that other than a tailored lawn's appearance of perfection and order, and the quality of the vegetation we are walking on barefoot (do you go barefoot in your lawn?), there are no other benefits to having a large patch of grass in your landscape.
The downsides are abundant though. Grass needs to be "kept" by cutting with lawn mowers that either pollute or consume electricity. People powered lawn mowers still exist too, but I don't see many people electing to use them. Not only does keeping the grass take time regularly, it's also a labour of love. Do you love cutting grass?
If we dig a little deeper, pun intended, then we can see from the image attached the integrity we are adding BELOW THE SURFACE of our landscapes. Root systems are what holds the land together. Landscapes covered with grass are more likely to lead to erosion over time, especially in high drainage areas, like we have near the Thames River in Dorchester, Ontario.
Seeding and fertilizing the grass is another expense that is not really necessary, since grass will grow and seed itself, AND fertilizers can be costly AND toxic to animals and other plants.
So, if you hate cutting grass and do not want the continued associated cost to your pocket book, the environment and your personal time, this next bit is for you:
Landscape your yard so you no longer have grass, or much grass to keep tended.
Include native species of plants whose roots will travel DEEP over time and lead to greater integrity of our lands, which will lead to less erosion.
Look into permacultured gardens that take little maintenance.
If you really want to get connected to the Earth, consider the bugs and birds that require your new native plants for survival, and organize your landscaping upkeep so that you avoid disturbing our crawling and flying friends so they can lead happy lives too.
That is another post for another day though.
For all your landscaping needs in Dorchester, Ontario, Denver's Landscapes is here for you with one of a kind landscaping designs specifically for you, installed efficiently and affordably. Every single time.
Contact Denver for your FREE quote to see what you can do with your lawn at 519-312-2708.
