The Rise Of The Antilawn Movement In Our Neighborhoods

I'm just going to say it: Lawns are dumb. And I don't say this because I hate yard work. I like doing stuff n the yard; tending the garden, keeping things neat and clean. But, taking care if the lawn is so pointless and wasteful.

And I thought I was alone in this until I discovered that there's a whole anti-lawn movement! There are thousands of people that see absurdity of growing a carpet of non-native plants that need so much care, all for no reason other than 'it's what we do.'

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It's time for us to admit to ourselves that spending all this time and resources on maintaining a living carpet is a waste. If you want to put in the time and money to have perfect turf around your house, go for it. I'm just done with that being the default.

The only reason we all have these grass patches is because people in the 1800s wanted to try to live like British rich people. Those folks had the laws as a way to show off their wealth. They were so rich they could pay for the upkeep of lawns (lots of people and work required) and they could afford to leave these giant areas of land unproductive (we're so rich we can grow things we don't eat).

Then innovations in mowers, chemicals fertilizers, and other tools made lawn upkeep available to an increasing number of people, so more and more people wanted to live like the people they read about.

Lawn Alternatives

There are movements like No Mow May which calls for not mowing the lawn in May, that's where they get the clever name. The idea is to let the plants in your yard grow and bloom in a more natural cycle. Then you mow later in the summer.

If we did things my way, I'd just pave over part of the lawn and turn the rest into a giant garden. Well, maybe not all cement, more like Xeriscaping, with rocks, gravel or river rocks; maybe some mulch. I like a 'working' yard. A place where we do things, not just admire green plants.

The emerging way of thinking centers on turning lawns into tracts of native plants that are made for the local climate and require less water, fertilizer, and active care than imported grasses.

The native plants also have the advantage of better supporting the local insect populations, especially creatures like bees.

According to people in the know, in South Dakota we should use grasses like blue grama, sideoats grama, and buffalograss for lawns

Buffalograss would be my choice, in my very non-professional opinion. First of all, it has a cool name. Makes me feel like I'm in the old west.

But, the real benefit is that it is a plant that is from this area, so it is designed to live in this area. It doesn't need more water than the local climate provides. Making it through hot, dry spells is in its nature.

What about the neighborhood?

First, I don't care what other people think. In fact, I'm a big believer in fences. They make minding your own business easier. Although I do understand that if you choose to live in town, you have responsibilities, as well as rights, for the use of your land.

You have to keep it clean; picking up trash and such. You have to keep it in your yard, if your neighbor takes their traditional lawn seriously you have the responsibility to keep your stuff in your yard as much as you can. And keeping what does grow in your yard cut short to discourage wildlife and pests as much as possible.

Some people who are trying to move away from the traditional lawn modal advocate for replacing the grass that came with the house with things like buffalograss.

But, I support the 'Just Let it Go' method. I'm still going to mow it, not to make it look a certain way for busybodies, but to control wildlife, pests and fire danger. But otherwise have at it dandelions.

Do whatever you want with your yard. I'm going to let my lawn go wild. Let nature reclaim the dirt over the coming seasons. Let the plants grow, the bees pollinate, and my time in nature actually be in nature.