Lawn and Order--That's a Lot of Grass

Continuing on the earlier stream about lawn care...

From Common Dreams

The average lawn is a flat, featureless, artificially maintained environment heavily dependent on synthetic chemicals. The chemicals used in lawn care also have a seedy history. Pesticides, for
example, are little more than nerve agents derived from stockpiled toxins developed during World War Two.

Lawns are holdovers dating from the Middle Ages when the French aristocracy
began converting otherwise productive fields into pleasure grounds, he says.
In gardening-mad England, later generations of the bourgeoisie displayed
their newfound wealth in similar fashion, planting rose beds and
establishing luxuriant green lawns.

This historical trend would have far-reaching repercussions for middle-class
home owners in the 21st century who are willing to spend hundreds of dollars
every year on the upkeep and maintenance of their lawns. According to a 2002
economic impact study published by the University of Florida, the lawn care
and turf industry generated a staggering 57 billion dollars annually and
employed 800,000-plus people.

Using satellite and aerial imagery, research scientists from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration have calculated that approximately
162,000 square kilometers of the United States is covered in turf -- an area
roughly three times larger than any irrigated crop currently under
cultivation. And lawns are thirsty, consuming approximately 270 billion
gallons of water a week in the U.S. -- enough to irrigate 327,000 square
kilometers of organic vegetables.

A Shout Out to the Backyard Abundance Group in Iowa City who know how to grow lawns that are spectacular, sustainable, and healthy.