Don't Kill This Lawn

Non-native turf lawns are a waste of time, energy and resources and provide little to no benefit to habitat. The reasons why they exist is complicated and multi-faceted. There is far more history and nuance when it comes to lawns than can be attributed to some classist bougie ideology. Ancient Romans had viridaria kept short by goats. Another word for lawns, one which is somewhat obsolete these days, is greensward, first appearing in the lexicon in the early 1500’s.

There are practical uses for spaces that have low-growing plants that can be easily traversed. It also helps to visually break up a space. Wading through tall plants is a sensory nightmare for people who are touch-sensitive. A yard of nothing but tall meadow is visually overwhelming without visual pauses. If the idea of having a garden space is one that includes human visitors (and it should, because people benefit from connecting with nature), it should be accessible to everyone. There is a happy medium. Not to mention, native lawns are also beneficial to habitat.

I am not here to defend the traditional turf lawns that demand a monoculture of exotic grasses (Kentucky bluegrass is not from Kentucky). I also do not recommend encouraging exotic weeds. The whole clover/dandelion thing is really meant for places where those plants are native, not the US. Here are some of the plants that grow in my native lawn, which can be walked on, mowed, etc.

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