I’d like to think that I’m ahead of my time when it comes to lawn trends, but I’m probably just lazy. I have no interest in spending time or money fighting the multitude of plants that grow in with the grass. Dandelions, crabgrass, clover and assorted weeds flourish along with my fescue and perennial rye.
Along with a dose of lawn lethargy I will admit to a serious commitment to the gardening version of “first do no harm.” Unfortunately, what has come to be thought of as conventional lawn care does a great deal of damage to the soil, our water supply, other animals and ourselves.
Others have done an extremely good job articulating the folly of a mono-culture lawn. From toxic weed killers to nitrogen run-off and beyond, the only-a-particular-type-of-grass-is-welcome turf is product and water guzzling wasteland. It is a fashion that we can no longer afford.
So how to change it around? How can we make a dandelion and crab grass filled lawn stylish? Those who think along these lines don’t have the budget of the lawn product manufacturers, so how can we possibly compete?
Our only hope is from the ground up…a (pardon the pun) grassroots movement. Celebrities might help, of course. Although it’s unlikely that Oprah, Miley Cyrus or Leonardo DiCaprio and their ilk would stop by at Whole Life Gardening, I’d like to send this message to all media personalities and common folk alike:
The latest look in lawn-wear is diversity. Pass it on.
Not only is it trendy to welcome clover and crabgrass into your lawn, but it's also very chic to have clumps of mown grass sitting around. It's SO 1950's to collect your grass clippings in bags! Leaving those cuttings to fertilize your soil is "the new black" in lawncare.
