The Grass isn't always greener...

If you know me, you know I am not a fan of lawns. I never have been. I guess if I am honest, it is sometimes nice to have a lawn on which to play croquet or toss a ball around. But in general, I can do without.

One of my chores growing up was cutting the lawn. I also cut the grass at my Dad's office and at our church, both just for a season. I think I was quickly replaced both times because my lone goal was to make the grass shorter. I didn't much care how it looked.

I have always found cutting grass to be good thinking time. I wore ear protection as I got lost in my thoughts. However, I have never liked the waste and all of the pollution that arises from caring for grass. When I see what we as a society spend on lawn care in a year, I am amazed. And depressed. Why is the value of a home based on the lawn, and the neighbors lawns? Why do people poison the earth to make the grass look perfect and then put up signs or yell at kids to get off of their lawn? I understand that for people who manicure their lawns it is a source of pride and perhaps a blank canvas of sorts. I am not passing judgment or trying to shame, I am simply stating what works simply for me.

From my perspective, lawns are a waste.

One thing I like about Madison is that many people utilize the space around their houses as productive space. I asked Linda to capture some photos for me. Yards like these are all over the place, at least on the east side where we hang out. I feel it is much more practical to get dinner when you are done caring for your yard than to get a bag of cut grass. And frankly, I see these yards as more beautiful and I think they add more value to a house and neighborhood. In an earlier post, I commented that I didn't cut my grass in May to provide blooms for the bees. (Full disclosure: I did cut a path to the garden.) What I found along the way was eye-opening!

The wildlife that frequented my yard had food to eat. After battling the woodchuck initially for my peas, I have not had a problem. Once the weeds were tall enough, I would see her munching happily outside my fence. The same was true of the rabbits. Patches of white clover have sprung up all over and from what I can see, clover is way more appealing than peas or beans to a bunny. I witnessed deer and turkeys grazing on things in the tall grass.

When I get up during the early morning hours and look outside, I see fireflies! I haven't researched it but I think the tall weeds have something to do with it.

I have small patches of milkweed for the monarchs. I let my thistles flower and my burdock bloom. Living in the country without neighbors in view, I can get away with this.

One morning I noticed a bird flying out of the field when I walked past. Upon further investigation, I realized a field sparrow had made a nest and hatched her young. And many clusters of flowers have added splashes of color to the landscape. After dinner this evening, as I was preparing to wash dishes, I spent five minutes watching a finch eat the seeds from a dandelion-like-weed that I let flower. I have seen hummingbirds and other pollinators flitting about all day long, their songs adding a relaxing backdrop to my thoughts.

What I like best about all of this is that I was coming to these realizations from simply observing. In my excitement, I mentioned some of this to my friend Tammy. She promptly loaned me her copy of The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson. I read it cover to cover. As it turns out, there is a name for this approach. It is a movement of sorts. Upon reading the book I felt validation and I also learned some new things that I can do to tread more lightly on this earth. Instead of fighting nature, I am working with her. I am fully aware that many people visiting my yard may see it as unkempt or out of control. I see it as more balanced. And oh so much more green, in every sense of the word.