Men In, Lawns Out
Friday, April 07, 2006
Today, The Washington Post has an article on What's In and What's Out for the 2006 gardening season. Among the items on the list, I am happy to see lawns -- OUT! I am not a fan of labor-intensive, water-wasting, chemical-laden expanses of grass. Lawn mowers pollute more than cars. Ouch! And, though they didn't mention them in the article, don't even get me started on leaf blowers. I hate, hate, hate leaf blowers -- especially when they are used to blow a miniscule amount of dirt off a city sidewalk, with their nerve-grating buzz ricocheting off the buildings. I sometimes wish people would revisit the power of a broom. Or a rake.Also on this year's ins and outs list: Large shade trees. It really saddens me to see them called "out". I see too many suburban neighborhoods with dull stretches of grass and a squarely-groomed bush or two. I wish builders would learn how to build without chopping everything down. With shade trees, there's less of a need for wasteful watering. And here's a thought: Kids might even enjoy having a tree or two to play in.
Lastly: Men in the garden. They are in! My husband loves the garden. It helps him unwind from work. He loves being outside and building something. He loves growing things to cook with.
Men in the garden...definitely in!
Read the article: "The Ins and Outs of Gardening."
6 Comments:
I too was surprised and sorry to learn that shade trees are now "out". I think they mentioned that dwarf evergreens are now the hot new thing. But I don't see how you can even compare the two.
My big gripe against suburban landscaping is the Bradford pear (or crabapple, or cherry tree, or whatever) stuck in the middle of the front yard. In 10 years, you don't see the house, just a green blob in the yard. And this idea has been pushed on homeowners for as long as I can remember. It would be so much better to have one well-chosen, well-placed, native, deciduous tree. Enough ranting, but that article really got me going.
But I'm not sure whether I want my spouse in the garden ;-)
I'm one of those men who loves the garden - and hates leave blowers! My issue right now is actually an opportunity - my entire back yard needs a redo - homw imporvements, two dogs and lots of shade - not to mention all that grass cutting made me remember an article I saw in the Green Scene a few years ago - on growing moss as an alternative. Does anyone have a good spot to point me to? Need to gain info, where to buy, what to buy etc. how to plant and care for etc.
Thanks for your questions, Jim. I found a few resources that might be helpful to you. They are posted here.
Christa,
Thanks for the info - I ordered two fo the books from Amazon yesterday! Lots of alternaties for the lawn and the woods - I can't wait to start planning. Appreciate the help.
You're welcome. I'll be interested to hear what you decide to do and how it works out. Good luck!
If lawns are out, what does that leave for the men to do?
The man in my garden is obsessed with the grass...
see http://www.cathykeir.co.uk/blog/the-battle-for-the-garden/
to find out how things are at our house.
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