How America got ADDICTED to Lawns
youtu.be
If you’ve spent any time in the suburbs of North America you’ve probably marveled at some immaculate and lush green lawns at some point. But between individu...
  • hark@lemmy.worldEnglish
    18·
    10 months ago

    I hate having a lawn, it’s just a source of work that I don’t want to deal with and I don’t care for the result.

  • moistclump@lemmy.worldEnglish
    141·
    10 months ago

    Can someone (1) tldw and also (2) tell me what I should do with my big field of gravel in front of what is about to be my new home? I was thinking clover lawn…

    • Lizardon@lemmy.mlEnglish
      23·
      10 months ago

      Depends what you’re going for, but the most environmentally beneficial would be a mix of native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. A pure clover lawn is still a monoculture like a grass lawn so it’s not as good for pollinators.

      • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
        7·
        10 months ago

        I don’t weed or fertilize, and basically let whatever can grow there grow. It’s a lot of mixed grass species and a ton of clover, dandelions, and some kind of small blue flower that hugs the ground.

        People compliment me on it because it looks nice and healthy all year.

        • cassetti@kbin.social
          4·
          10 months ago

          Yep I have the same belief - if it wants to grow I’ll let it grow, I do not use any “weed-n-feed” products. I only do two main things:

          1. Lime in the fall to sweeten up the soil

          2. Organic fertilizer in the early spring.

          I let anything grow that wants to grow in the fields, and let bigger stuff grow at the edges of the property.

    • PeleSpirit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      10 months ago

      Tldr: 16th & 17th century royalty had gardens. America wealthy, especially those with slaves copied. Suburban sprawl and the invention of the lawn mower and sprinklers solidified it because suburbia wants to look the same. The lawn care industry wants it to continue.

      A rain garden is cool too, it fills in beautifully.

      • ashok36@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        10 months ago

        They also put in laws that houses have to be set back so many feet from the street. Before that, people were building up to and sometimes over the street. You have to do something with that space and lawns seemed to be an answer.

        Now, the question of whether the streets should have been there in the first place… That’s another conversation.

    • Astroturfed@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      10 months ago

      I moved into a house with a poorly maintained yard that was mostly dead 5 years ago. Threw some clover, grass and thyme seeds all over the lawn and started watering it. Some natural stuff will just pop up if there’s water and mix in. I planted some pollinator gardens and some fig trees in several spots in the yard and mostly just try to water enough for them and the mix of stuff growing as my “grass” looks decent year round. Although since it’s not uniform it grows at different rates and looks a bit rufffer if I haven’t mowed in too long.

      If you have a HOA or city that’s quick to give you warnings/fines you have to mow more often than regular grass. After a couple weeks I’ve got part of my yard that are 6+ inches tall and parts that don’t even look like they need to be mowed. Tall grass doesn’t get as much attention as that from the Karen’s that will report you to the city in my neighborhood.

  • Jaderick@lemmy.worldEnglish
    10·
    10 months ago

    I’m disappointed in this video. He’s not wrong, but he doesn’t really get into any of the environmental impacts of the invasive grasses or really cites any sources for his work (?). It comes off as more of a rant than a well researched thesis.

    • candyman337@sh.itjust.works
      English
      3·
      10 months ago

      I don’t think it was meant to be a super indepth video, it was a video to inform the average person that lawns aren’t what you think they are, and don’t have to be just grass. It’s a video that is attempting to encourage people to go out and look for alternatives and learn more, not to be the definitive “ALL issues with a lawn” video. Clearly you know more than the average person about this subject, so of course it seems lacking to you, but that’s just because you don’t necessarily fit the target demographic of the video

      • SirHambone@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
        12·
        10 months ago

        I’ve posted one video from this channel. This is not my content.

        New to Lemmy and trying to contribute interesting videos I’ve found today to /c/mealtimevideos while I make the switch from reddit. I’m subscribed to all these channels and found them on my YT feed.

        Apologies if it looks like spam - not my intention at all.