Why do we have grass lawns?

Lawns aren’t natural. Why do so many Americans have them?
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Grass lawns are so ubiquitous in the US you would assume that they're the most natural and obvious choice for what to put in our yards. But turf grass is not only not native to the US, but it takes a lot of time, money, and resources to maintain.
Today, some cities are offering "cash for grass" programs and giving residents as much as $25,000 to replace their turf grass lawns with more environmentally sustainable options.
But some people still like green grass lawns and enjoy maintaining them, so what should they do? In this video we go through the multitude of options that yard owners have and talk to experts to see what they have to say.
Sources and further reading:
Lawn People: How Grasses, Weeds, and Chemicals Make Us Who We Are by Paul Robbins
The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession by Virginia Scott Jenkins
The American Lawn: Surface of Everyday Life by Georges Teyssot
Civilizing American Cities by Frederick Law Olmsted
Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream by Andres Duany et al.
American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn by Ted Steinberg
Scotts Lawns: Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard by Nick Christians & Ashton Ritchie
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[@juliegolick]

Even though there are plenty of beautiful, low-maintenance, low-water landscaping options out there, a lot of HOAs require their members to have grass lawns. It's infuriating!

[@jekentmenietje]

Become a member of yours and change it?

[@ThePistolKiss]

I guess this was meant to be an honest real answer but i only am capable to tale this as an bad joke because its weird that in the "land of the free" there is a group that dictates how you should keep a lawn in the first place @@jekentmenietje

[@ScytheNoire]

HOAs should be illegal

[@matthiasschaus5112]

People say they love America for its freedom and then they choose to live under an authoritarian neighborhood HOA. Its ridiculous.

[@combatcritique]

HOA?

[@mr.timeman]

"A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule." - Michael Pollan

[@WhyWorldWet]

Time to grow some fresh veggie gardens then! Freedom!

[@jeffbenton6183]

It's a great quote, but I'm such a dork that I can't get over the fact that he's saying something about plants, and his last name is Pollan.

[@fbaallied]

@@WhyWorldWet Manor Lord, 2 corpse pit-sized!

[@fbaallied]

@@jeffbenton6183 There's a term for that?🤔💭

[@andrewgagne5063]

A perfect description of lawns.

[@katethegoat7507]

It's wild to me that Americans would be so detached from their environment to not have regional variations on something this simple

[@aidenblaze123]

We do, Floridan Lawns are different from Minnesotan lawns.

[@adamt195]

@@aidenblaze123 They're both turf grass. Different varieties sure, but its nearly the same.

[@Sergeantford]

well up north their grass is frozen or something (i dont live up north), in my lawn down south its dead from the sun. That's regional variation.

[@TisiphoneSeraph]

Reminder that a lot of Americans live with HOAs who determine what they're allowed to do with their lawn and they're forced to pay into. Yes we hate them too.

[@ahastar1141]

There are most certainly regional variations on wild flowers, garden plants, and landscaping what are you talking about?

[@alyssa2891]

this didn’t even mention the NOISE all of this lawn maintenance makes. as someone who lives in a neighborhood, more days that not I get to listen to a couple hours of mowing, leaf blowing, weed eating. It makes it awful to sit outside, the thing that a lawn should supposedly inspire you to do.

[@JimGamingTV]

Reading this as I hear motors buzzing and whirring loudly outside my house

[@Jibberish18]

Bane of my existence for about 6 months of every year.

[@bcornels]

This 🎉

[@mickricereto8012]

THIS! People ask me how I can stand the “noise” in the city … working at home here is so peaceful compared to grassland suburbs 🙃

[@mauree1618]

Thank youuuuuuuuuu, we move some place nice to have some peace and quiet only to be disrupted by lawn maintenance.

[@ElvisSirinBo]

It's frustrating to hear about the growing number of homeowners' associations (HOAs) requiring specific types of lawns and enforcing strict maintenance rules. These requirements can be a significant financial burden for homeowners, as failing to comply can result in hefty fines. HOAs often have very specific guidelines and can be quite stringent in enforcing them, sometimes to the point where it feels like they are looking for any excuse to impose fines.

[@Grey-y6u]

The impact of these HOA regulations on personal finances can be substantial. Maintaining a lawn to HOA standards can be expensive, requiring regular landscaping services, irrigation, and possibly even chemical treatments to keep the grass in perfect condition. For some homeowners, this ongoing expense can strain their budgets, especially when unexpected fines are added to the mix.

[@Victoria-io7qb]

Beyond the immediate financial impact, these HOA requirements can also affect property values. While well-maintained neighborhoods can be more attractive and potentially increase property values, the cost and hassle of compliance can deter potential buyers, especially those looking for a low-maintenance lifestyle.

[@skjonas]

Oh, great. Another AI babble thread.

[@andan2293]

Imagine something in USA actually making sense or being good for environment...

[@radidov5333]

HOA should be banned !

[@kylemunley]

There's a homeowner in my neighborhood who has taken a very similar approach to their yard as Sara Bendrick discusses in your video here and I have to say, I think it's the most beautiful and interesting yard in our community and was the catalyst for me to begin talking to landscape designers about how to transition my yard into something similar. That really is a fantastic way to not only make something more eco-supportive to your neighborhood, but also add some real visual flair to your home.

[@rafaelvieira4267]

To plant plants that fight zombies, ain’t that obvious?

[@ali_die_zehnte]

So where are the plants?

[@theslimreaper]

🎵There's a zombie on your lawn 🎶

[@Perisemiotics]

not everyone has played _Plants vs Zombies_

[@John-Smith02]

You guys should talk more about low water lawns like clover lawns. Or ones similar to clover lawns that are good for pollinators, low maintenance and low water, low to the ground, and still covers the entire yard, rather than mulch or dirt covering like 70%.

[@1024gravity]

There is also a tremendous amount of work going into low water turf grass cultivars. I seeded with an elite fescue and it survives our north Alabama summer better than the areas where I have clover and wildflower. Its about understanding your options and putting down what suits your property and your use case the best.

[@ahastar1141]

I think it’s important to note that white clover is not native to the US

[@John-Smith02]

@@1024gravity that's why I said similar to clover lawns that are low maintenance too

[@NotSteve1992]

My lawn is primarily clover now. No pesticides and great for pollinators.

[@satriaamiluhur622]

I live in indonesia and in my backyard there's papaya tree, mango tree, a small 2 y/o guava tree, and several banana trees from 3 different cultivars. Free fruits during fruiting season !!!! 😂😂😂

[@spark556]

Same in Mediterranean countries

[@cnaizhen]

Countries in south east asia have tropical wet climates. We do not have watering issues (other than rare dry spells) that Americans have. We can grow all the lawns / fruit trees / whatever plants we want without much watering at all.

[@nunya___]

I'm In the S.E. USA. I have Pecan, plum, cherry, blueberry and a wild grape called Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) growing on my property. 😋

[@JohanDanielAlvarezSanchez]

Yes! We do the same here. The more and bigger the threes the better. Also big gardens with many many different species. Also in Colombia we have rain all year so is always full of colors

[@Eldrich4291]

Then the neighbours be like, "did someone say free fruit? Don't mind if I do" 👀

[@ShadoSpartan44]

the worst thing that you forgot to mention is the growing number of HOA homes require to have these kinds of lawns and you have to keep up with maintenance otherwise you get fined hundreds of dollars. You know, because HOAs have nothing better to do than find the tiniest infraction to charge you extra money

[@M-Soares]

HOAs sound like an absolute nightmare, kinda the opposite of what I would expect from the supposed "land of the free".

[@jasona2007]

@@M-Soares You're free to live anywhere else. If you picked an HOA, thats a you problem.

[@Dragrath1]

@@jasona2007 In some places like Texas that isn't an option unless you live out in the countryside. That not an option for most folks.

[@radidov5333]

HOA should be banned !

[@GaGaObession]

agreed! So glad we don’t have them in the UK

[@0ISanderI0]

As a European (Dutch specifically) it's wild to me that lawns are so desirable. The alternative shown in this video is actually the standard where I'm from, and to me looks so much nicer!

[@nueat6]

different strokes for different folks my guy.

[@DavidCruickshank]

@@nueat6 that's just a thought terminating cliche. Front lawns are terribles.

[@nueat6]

@@DavidCruickshank As someone from the US, I can see why our love for lawns might seem odd. Here, lawns are often a source of pride and a space for activities. But I totally get that everyone has different tastes and traditions. It's great to see how different cultures have their own ways of making outdoor spaces special.

[@Jviotr]

@@nueat6I’m from the US, and I hate my grass lawn. Why am I spending so much time, resources, and energy pulling up or killing the “weeds,” native plants that obviously have evolved to live easily on my soil, in favor of a plant that doesn’t even grow here natively? It’s madness, and all for an industry that shouldn’t exist, IMO. But like others, I have an antiquated HOA that insists I participate in the madness.

[@pjotrtje0NL]

Ben het helemaal met je eens - in mijn wijk heeft letterlijk niemand gras…

[@Daniellahehehe]

Local plants and grasses will always look better than grass we see in the suburbs

[@BradThePitts]

How would you recommend we play our annual Thanksgiving family football game on rocks and cacti?

[@JoseFloresEC]

@@BradThePitts have some dedicated grass area to relax in if you want sure, but that doesn't mean one has to have 100% lawn in their front/back yard. If for example, you can have 1/3 of your greenspace be a lawn (plus if you look into grass alternatives that are more drought friendly/less maintencance) and still do things you want, you could dedicate the other 2/3 of it to a diverse range of preferable native plants adapted to your local climate. When done right, a diverse landscape will look much prettier than monoculture lawn.

[@charlesliify]

​@BradThePitts so do you buy and maintain every single thing that gets used once a year? 😂

[@Game_Hero]

@@BradThePitts something called...a park?

[@tapio_m6861]

I don't understand watering your lawn. Seems like if your city's climate isn't able to provide the necessary amount of water for that plant, then that plant is not supposed to live there.

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

Yes! Exactly!

[@ahastar1141]

People water so it looks its best, most lawns without water will go dormant and comeback once the season is more favorable. Many people think their brown lawn is dead, when it’s just naturally going dormant

[@Oliver-wq8vg]

You should probably stop using your air conditioner also.

[@LutraLovegood]

@@Oliver-wq8vg With a properly designed home, you don't need active air conditioning.

[@geofflepper3207]

Obviously people water their lawns so that they will have more work to do cutting their lawns. I believe these people are also known to throw clean laundry into mud puddles so that they will have more work to do cleaning laundry.

[@michaelbyz23]

Waste of money, waste of space, waste of resources, waste of water, waste of energy, what a waste.

[@gunthead7043]

😂

[@Oliver-wq8vg]

Value is subjective.

[@robguevara7]

Accurate description of success for Americans

[@mho...]

long story short: "its an outside carpet" personally like "wild grasslands" waaay more & prefer moss'es & other flowers & "weeds" freely growing over these artificial green carpets ( wich have their charm, but more work then worth imho)!

[@theecherokeerose]

my lawn is native prairie grass on land that's never been plowed. When it's mowed, it looks like an ordinary lawn. Outside of a 2 acre zone around the house, the land that is not mowed gets harvested by a local farmer once a year for winter hay fed to cows. For agricultural property tax purposes, the county considers it to be a crop.

[@mrjohnnyjohnster3940]

I can't speak for American lawns, but I don't pay a cent for my Australian lawn. I mow my lawn by hand with a battery mower charged by my solar panels and water it with our septic water. Also, I'll bet that landscape designer doesn't have kids who need a backyard cricket green, and doesn't have to worry about snakes hiding in all that foliage.

[@djp1234]

At this point, the American dream is a van down by the river.

I just want to live like the guys in the Freedom Rock commercial.

[@Eoin-B]

Coming from the UK and Ireland, all that lawn care is pretty hilarious. We just have to cut it and that's pretty much it. There was a reason they were popular here. We had the ideal climate and soil. Italians and Spanish didn't even try to have them.

[@ikesau]

Hey Vox, I'm pretty sure lawns don't take up more land than agricultural crops in the US. The NASA Ames source (from 2005) says 128,000 square kilometers for lawns. The FAO says (in 2005) 1,689,000 square kilometres for cropland (you can see this on the OWID Land Use topic page)

[@velbythorngage]

Thank you, I had to scroll way too far to find this. There's no way lawns take more space than agriculture, just look at any satellite imagery. I wonder what they meant because this is a really outlandish claim

[@ikesau]

@@velbythorngage Yeah. Also funny how these sorts of comments don't get upvoted much. I don't care about getting votes in and of itself, it's just a shame more people won't see the correct information. Anyway, the Ames report states "According to Milesi’s estimates, more surface area in the United States is devoted to lawns than to individual irrigated crops such as corn or wheat." by which they probably meant that they think there's more grass than any other SINGLE crop as opposed to all crops combined. But even then, it's wrong. Again in 2005, according to OWID and the FAO, the US used 304,000 square kilometres of land for Maize alone. It's a zombie fact that Vox should have debunked and not repeated.

[@markthomas6794]

@@velbythorngage I've heard it before in various places. I'm not sure why people want to spread that misinformation. It's not as if we need invented facts to show that lawns are absolutely terrible. If they want an example of a major downside just talk about all the toxic algae blooms from fertilizer runoff.

[@syen9]

@@ikesau yeah I think the key word is irrigated (majority of corn and other crops grown in US are not irrigated), but Vox just said "agricultural crops" in the video which makes their claim incorrect.

[@edwardbrewis9040]

they said individual crop which probably makes them right, subtitles are wrong u just have to listen closely

[@LeaveCurious]

Soo happy you rounded is one off in the way you did. Now is the time to re-define what we consider a status symbol in our front and back gardens -> lots of native plants and a little wildlife pond! 🌿

[@PauloM-f7m]

Hey leavecurious I see you 😊

[@alexbaxter3730]

In the UK its becoming more common for home owners and councils to leave patches of green to grow wild - in some cases even seeding wild flowers, so that there is natural variation for wildlife. Really helps break up towns and cities more with these urban meadows.

[@jreed1701d]

This is relevant to the conversation, HOAs can force people to have lawns even if owners don't want it. People in my generation, those of us fortunate to get into a home, might wind up having to go with a house where there's an HOA because there's no other choice. HOA's are everywhere and have way too much power. And it's a problem.

[@manuvel1697]

wish grass wasn’t required

[@zUJ7EjVD]

Or illegal.

[@VVilde36]

@@anubis4496 You just wanna spam and run your mouth dude, what are you even doing? Why are you agreeing with overbearing pro-big gov HOAs that push the grass conformity as a way to steal property from home owners?

[@VVilde36]

If you can contact you council rep, you could get that ball rolling. Here you can get a laminate plaque that lets you overwinter "Native weeds" in small plots, and the city trimmers are supposed to spare it, tho they mess up sometimes. it's because thats where the bugs live over winter, and we have a really complex mini homesteader comm and they really need pollinators.

[@jekentmenietje]

You have an HOA probably right? You can still fight for different legislation at your HOA meetings

[@th0master]

@@anubis4496what does China have to do with anything??

[@embodythejotun]

In hot arid areas totally doesn't make sense. Here in the northern midwest, I have a lawn, but never water it because it doesn't get that hot and there's so much humidity and rain that watering is just not needed. Most people here do not have sprinkler systems or bother ever watering. Yards should reflect their environment.

[@ahastar1141]

I think people often forget how big the US and how varried our climates are. I think we use California way too much as a bench mark for the US as a whole

[@LuthienNightwolf]

Most “lawns” in the desert southwest are gravel rocks, it’s very characteristic of that part of the US. I think it looks nice especially with a few cacti and other native plants.

[@MasterVertex]

Without watching this video I can already tell you, as a person with British ancestry. A well groomed lawn is the ultimate expression of a civilized neighborhood.

[@jagandeep007]

Many people don't have place to live. But here we have so much space😮

[@Eggmancan]

Huge front and back lawns are mandated by many zoning codes. We've made a rich lifestyle the legal mandate and wonder why houses are so expensive lol

[@DellAnderson]

@@Eggmancan You hit the nail on the head! I don't think it is healthy to live in tight quarters, cheek-to-jowl with other people, but one can get extra space by having smaller homes on the same small lots and still have room around the homes gardens, lawns, and recreational projects. But many areas are zoned so you can't have a 'tiny house' on an acre of land, or even a city lot -- strict requirements regarding square feet of house, even how much drive way you can have (presumably to preserve run off but somehow there are exceptions made for downtown businesses).

[@dfdf-rj8jr]

We're not inviting more people so your Indian friends can keep stealing welfare and bringing "cultural enrichment." We have enough people ini the US as it is, we don't need more.

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

I big plus to a grass lawn is the ability to play soccer on it, I really did love that about my childhood

[@ltshazaam]

As someone who built a 800 sqft lawn this spring, because of my wife, I genuinly hate it. It does look good when it's cut, but it takes an absurd amount of work and water; and nobody takes the cut grass away.

[@jekentmenietje]

Replant with something else? It can be nice to have a few square feet of mixed grass to lay down in. Changing it up costs a little more at the start but if you do it right the lower upkeep costs pay back the investment. At the very least, get some native flowers and 'weeds' mixed in. Your lawn will stay healthier and greener for longer than monoculture and it supports pollinating insects. Mono turf grass is terrible for biodiversity.

[@JudgeDredd_]

@@jekentmenietjemaybe you missed the part where he said his wife wants it. That’s a battle.

[@jekentmenietje]

@@JudgeDredd_ yeah so? If she wants it, she can maintain it. And is she the sole one with power? Can they not get a compromise, for example only half the garden is a lawn and the other half whatever HE wants? Why does she want it?

[@JudgeDredd_]

@@jekentmenietje I’m not married but I’m not sure it works as easily as it’s typed.

[@valerie_screws_around]

@@JudgeDredd_ Why do people always act like a relationship automatically becomes a constant battle and war between the partners when they marry?? That sounds like a really unhealthy mindset for relationships

[@SamYoungnz]

We live in New Zealand and made the decision to avoid all lawns at our house. We began with decking attached to the house, native NZ plants in plant zones, a lot of vege gardens, and crushed shell on the open ground. However, we shifted to gravel as shell tracked into the house. It works well. I weed by boiling the kettle and pouring hot water on weeds when they show up. No pesticides, no watering, no hours of weekend maintenance.

[@lesterwilliamsjr649]

I find it ironic/funny how some people make it seem like so many amazing come from the USA and forget so much of the USA was built by things such as non-native plants, animals, and people.

[@dfdf-rj8jr]

what are you babbling about?

[@Dunkskins]

Always wondered this neighbours could get together turn their lawns into vegetables beans and fruits and swap with each other better for insects and free food!

[@ahastar1141]

I think for alot of people it’s the lack of desire to do yard work as a whole. Gardening is still yard work and maintaining a well stocked food garden is no small under taking

[@xtianeskay5166]

In Europe we water our lawn (but mostly the plants and bushes) with collecting rainwater.

[@NTelling]

I'm from NZ and I don't think I've ever seen anyone water their lawn here. They never stop growing. When I was renting a place while I was studying we were too lazy to mow the lawn and we ended up with a metre of grass. Not an exaggeration.

[@BurekOne]

We who? You think people from Denmark and people from Moldova do the same thing? You do realise "we" are not uniformed in how we do things?

[@Housewarmin]

Whether you have a lawn or garden, it's a status symbol. Yards take a lot of work to maintain, and whether you're fertizliing, have a pond, mulching, or mowing we all know how much money and effort it takes to get it looking great.

[@ahastar1141]

Yup, there is a big difference between I want to build something more ecological and work to maintain it vs I want to grow natives because I think it doesn’t require work. Making anything look nice requires work regardless of what you grow

[@OrganicGreens]

Maybe your lawn takes a lot of water and stuff but I have literally never watered or fertilized mine and it looks good enough. I have zoysia grass and live in Missouri.

[@casper6014]

I love green grass lawns. Its a big dream to have a nice maintained grass lawn.

[@AdityaMehendale]

KZbinr "Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't" has been saying this for a while..

[@normanmai7865]

W taste.

[@phaedrussmith1949]

That guy's cool!

[@bcornels]

Came here to recommend as well. His stuff has changed my life for the better. Hilarious and super educational about plants and ecology

[@scpatl4now]

I hate to mow grass. I finally ditched the lawn and planted perennials, annuals, and lots of mulch. It's less maintenance and I get to switch out which annuals I plant every spring. I also have no use for a lawnmower anymore.

[@Game_Hero]

imagine how much money you saved just not having a lawnmower

[@not.gonna_tellya]

While wasting water is luxury for some, many others don't even have enough water to survive 🙃

[@markthomas6794]

The idea that a low water landscape is 'less work' is only half true. Builders install sprinklers and throw down sod because it's super easy and cheap. Far more easy than landscaping. Landscaping might be low maintenance several years after it's complete but the install is usually very, very difficult if done DIY, and extremely expensive if done professionally. Plus, for the DIYers there's real knowledge required when it comes to designing the space, choosing the plants, converting irrigation, etc. I used to produce a small video series on DIY landscaping and I interviewed a bunch of homeowners who'd converted their yards from boring lawns into fully landscaped beautiful places. The DIY projects I profiled ranged in build time from a few years, up to multiple decades. Doing that work was THE thing that those people did for fun, it was their passion project. I personally landscaped my previous house on 1/3 acre. It took seven years and was still about 1/3 lawn when I finally sold the house. Water wise landscapes are always better in every way, but they're very expensive and extremely hard to build.

[@vivi_t3ch]

Honestly, I look forward to having my own kids and seeing them playing around in the grass while my wife and I enjoy a couple trees and some garden space; both vegetable and flower gardens. However I like low maintenance myself, so I've opted for the robotic electric lawn mower myself. For the amount of grass that I have to cut, a riding lawn mower makes sense to save the time, but I'm happy that robots are about the same price at this point, making it worthwhile, getting all of that time back

[@jeffamunoz]

We just moved to a new house where they were still actively building homes - we moved in and the grass didn't come with the house. I told my parents, what if we don't buy grass....like, what if it's just dirt (to avoid having to mow it). We kinda paused and thought about it....but we still got the grass. Also, wish I had met Nick Christians! I went to Iowa State University for a year.

[@lisaboban]

Good luck. Your home owners association will likely forbid that "low water" option.

[@jekentmenietje]

@@lisaboban then become active in your local community and work to change the legislation.

[@lisaboban]

@@jekentmenietje It's not legislation. It's a homeowner association which many communities require that you join. It's a uniquely US institution. Look it up.

[@Leo_Santisteban]

⁠@@lisabobanit’s not exlusive to the us, I live in Mexico and there are tons of neighborhoods in my city which require you to build a certain way, colors, size, lawn size, etc. even though the property is 100% yours

[@lisaboban]

@@Leo_Santisteban I did not know that!! I thought it was a US thing. Thanks for broadening my experience!

[@jekentmenietje]

@@lisaboban English is not my native language but you can still join the HOA board and get the community together to change the rules right

[@Harabeck]

We have grass lawns as a conspiracy against me, personally.

[@zovalentine7305]

Return to our roots of: Flowers Trees Home gardens 🌱🌲🌷🌻🌼🍓🍅🐝 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@xotwod3254]

Who doesn’t Iove that lawn mowing sound

[@mikesheahan6906]

Since I started doing "No Mow May" to help the bee population get a good start every summer, I have noticed a large number of wild strawberries growing in my yard. Now I have something more interesting than the dandelions and creeping charlie that dominate my yard.

[@Oliver-wq8vg]

A dedicated flower garden will do more for pollinators than you weed filled lawn.

[@mikesheahan6906]

@@Oliver-wq8vg You don't get it. The yard was fully loaded with little violets first, and then the wild strawberries started popping up with all these little yellow flowers, and all of this was before any flower beds were blooming. Now my yard is full of little red strawberries that the critters are enjoying, and I didn't do a thing but not mow my yard for one month. It's freaking amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend being lazy for the month of May, and let the bees enjoy what comes. What does it hurt.

[@coolnatkat]

Please Google no mow May. If you are in the US, it may not be as beneficial as you think

[@mikesheahan6906]

@@coolnatkat Did you notice that the debunker is a landscape company that makes money from mowing lawns and spraying chemicals all over them?

[@Bergamot88]

I emailed the SYSK podcast abouts this years ago. Still waiting on that podcast. Happy someone finally did this topic

[@brianfox771]

The yard with the alternative landscaping looks way better, imo.

[@jriceblue]

I grew up in Massachusetts (where everyone has a lawn) but moved to New Mexico, where every "lawn" is xeriscaped (I am surprised that word didn't come up here). ...then I moved back to MA. ...I miss the xeriscaping. :( I know a lot of NM locals claim they hate it (and perhaps they do), but, man... I miss it. It added variety and personality and seemed much more ... "natural." I hate lawns, now.

[@PaulHo]

Lawns are the dining room that nobody ever gets to use.

[@whatever_12]

A friend just put artificial lawn in it's place. He lives at the start of a street with front lawn in all houses, For days his neighbours we're slowing down and looking at him grumpily.. He says he's waiting for the neighbours to come waving pitch and folk reclaiming some real grass soon

[@brtecson]

In my first house the previous owner left a lawn fertilizer bag and a spreader so i used it and i had a very cookie cutter green lawn. then i ran out of fertilizer and went without it from then on, and my lawn looked a lot less green that year. the following year the lawn was super green with a mix of clover and grass, and I loved it. I had bluish/purpleish clover flowers occasionally that looked nice too. it was like nature gifted me a nice lawn when i stopped messing with it lol

[@velisvideos6208]

We don't. My (English) wife complains about the "lawn" that only sprouts clover, moss and assorted wild flowers. I am trying to convince her that this is the latest trend, a meadow. Thank Providence that we don't have HOAs here in Finland. Every person's castle is a castle. Of course our neighbours might stop speaking to us, but that's a small price to pay...

[@thomasbachrach]

Letting my lawn become overgrown was the most beautiful and liberating thing.

[@fritagonia]

It is such a waste of resources, time and money. And the noise pollution from lawn mowers. Why not nature let it return to a meadow, with flowers and insects. A lawn is a green desert.

[@altzana396]

I am removing the grass in my front yard by installing rain gardens and native plants/shrubs/trees. Can't wait!

[@jmckendry84]

For the "Land of the free" where the individual is paramount, a lot of Americans sure do like to sit in their lane and just do exactly what everyone else does

[@dfdf-rj8jr]

stop moaning

[@coolsteven2]

Native (and non invasive) landscaping looks way better with less maintenance. It's such a no brainer. There's so many resources out there for what would work best for your specific region.

[@Game_Hero]

it gives it a regional charm too, less copy-pasted all around

[@rokoro34]

Some specific examples of what could replace our lawns would have been more constructive.

[@bhatch]

I've read a couple of articles about this now, and they all mention (southern) California-friendly desert scaping instead of lawns. But what about those of us who don't live in SoCal?

[@mattmccallum2007]

All areas of the country have native garden style plantings that use hardly any water. Lawns have root system that extend only a few inches into the ground which is why you need to water so much to keep them from going dormant in summer.

[@ahastar1141]

⁠@@mattmccallum2007 I don’t think that’s a good generalization. A number of grass types have roots in the 4 to 6 inch zone with some grass types like tall fescue with roots well over a foot. Going dormant over the summer isn’t always a bad thing since it protects the plant as it’s conserving energy. It’s a natural process and doesn’t really hurt anything

[@mattmccallum2007]

@@ahastar1141 ok, I’ll grant that. Most turf forming species have pretty shallow roots. And yes dormancy is ok by me, but most homeowners spend the money in the water in the vain attempt to keep them green all summer.

[@ahastar1141]

@@mattmccallum2007 Some do but generally if there roots are shallow they are types that spread through rhizomes or stolons and spread aggressively helping to make them fairly hardy. Once the lawn starts going dormant for most people they should let it go. Trying to bring it in an out of dormancy isn't very healthy for the plant so you either commit to keeping it green, or let it go till the fall. I only wanted to point out the generalization because it is important that good info spreads especially on a controversial topic. Like I see alot of people say clover is a great alterative, but it has some negatives and if its white clover its actually an invasive from Europe similar to a number of grass types, so ultimately its a pot vs kettle situation.

[@migueloros891]

Plant native plants!! And have a beautiful native flower garden! It’s literally the best decision I’ve ever made:)

[@DogsRun]

I went japanese style garden in the back. Mostly rocks, pebbles, and lots of native bushes and trees that i take pleasure in trimming. Low maintenance other than that, no grass

[@Chiamex]

How about Rochester, NY, and our Olmstead parks? Including: Highland (Lilac) Park, Genesee Valley Park, Seneca Park, Maplewood Park, and he designed what he called an "emerald necklace" of parks and gardens along the Genesee River, from the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario.

[@dgtlionbarger]

Her yard was absolutely beautiful

[@shawarman112]

Extremely essential question: what hat are you wearing?

[@mattmccallum2007]

The wide brim hat with the neck flap?

[@deanpeterson_]

It's the REI Co-op Sahara Sun Hat!

[@omarrp14]

Waterings grass lawns should just be illegal

[@TheNewblade1]

As an Atlanta native I feel ashamed that it's instantly recognizable on the map just by looking at lawns. It's such a great argument too for the relative bougieness of the area.

[@Krayola143]

These videos start really good conversations, keep up the good work!

[@markmilitant]

The problem is front lawns go to any neighborhood no one uses them the back yes but the front grass no it’s so sad lawn mowing everyday to waste

[@ごん-r4e]

I've lived in the USA, Japan, and France but never noticed that houses in the latter two countries usually don't come with lawns whether rich or not. Marketing has great power really...

[@DaveWraptastic]

Maybe that's a European thing but the privacy aspect also is very important to me. I like having some bushes that obstruct my window so not everyone is staring inside whenever they walk by. Also provides shade for your house and absorbs more water to prevent flooding.

[@cheesefries7436]

I don't think having a guy who has never and will never own a lawn host this video was a good idea.

[@GayArmo]

I love my grass. My cats sit on it and enjoy it, it only covers a portion of my yard and it keeps my area cooler than asphalt, rocks, etc. I love grass!

[@utkphilobio]

Are you sure about the claim that lawns take up more area than agriculture? Agriculture uses about 44% of US land, which is dramatically higher than the 1.3% this video says is lawn. There are entire states that are basically just pure farmland. There's no way there are more lawns than that.

[@princessmiaxo]

I mean there are more houses than farmland so it's not hard to imagine?

[@andrewparker6574]

I think he was saying that lawns take more area than any other 'single' crop--like corn, barley, wheat, potatoes, etc.; rather than all crops together.

[@Ohkayy_yy]

Im happy with my garden. There’s a roman style garden that i saw use native plants that really inspired me and has continued to influence my opinion of what is beautiful (and beneficial to the ecosystem)

[@jarroddobben]

We definitely need to reimagine what the American dream looks like but that extends far beyond lawncare

[@Sendtheshutter]

Native plant garden over grass all the way!

[@Bacopa68]

The most common grass where I live is St Augustine, a native plant. It wouldn't need any water if you didn't mow it.

[@19MAD95]

Crime Pays Botany Doesn’t

[@pilotboba]

Too bad we have to deal with HoA's that don't want this. They want every house to have the same-looking lawn, the same type of grass, the same cut height etc. Yet they want every house to be a different color, I can't paint my house the same color as my next door neighbor's. As a matter of fact in my previous hood the HoA rules actually said: The homeowner will not allow weeds to grow in their lawn. Like, who am I? God?

[@aye3678]

This is a fascinating topic. Wish this vid was longer

[@Maztermilez]

I saw someone put that clover is good as it doesn't brown under dog wee and also is less maintenance.

[@ahastar1141]

Its not very traffic tolerant though. Its really good when mixed with grass, but can be a little tough to maintain if its just on its own

[@isgonrain]

Killed our lawn in Chicago last year and now have clover and native plants. The clover stops growing around 3", and the natives are full of bees and butterflies. It's pretty and zero maintenance.

[@ahastar1141]

If it’s white clover, it isn’t really native to the US…

[@hunterwilson3497]

What is the source for your claim on lawns taking up more land than agricultural crops? Are you maybe talking about a specific crop as in claimed in the UCSB study? More land than all agricultural crops is simply untrue and needs to be corrected.

[@adamr4198]

TLDR: I expend the minimum amount of resources to keep my grass going. We keep our yard as healthy as possible. Regarding my own lawn I take the approach that I will keep the grass long enough to survive dry hot Summer days. It’s up to the plants to survive. I don’t water it, fertilize it, or use chemicals. We have dandelions, clovers, and a mix of bugs. I particularly love the fireflies in the Summer.

[@MH-pe8wj]

About 2 years ago I said no more. Haven't mowed since

[@issy2luv350]

There is a house in Chino, CA behind the bank of America Bank off of Central, near the Chino H.S. where the owner turned their lawn into a museum!! She has a scarecrow, giant shoes, ..... ALL sorts of decorative displays. That house would have been perfect for this video

[@andrewchapman2024]

I like the alternative to grass that is suggested in this video. I also find the concept of suburban food forests to be appealing. But I do think that it would be nice to find a low maintenance, walkable, ground cover. Of course the problem with doing this is the fertility of the soil and also different zones will have different native walkable, ground cover. It's a task for sure.

[@VidaxTheDragonMage]

as a biologist, lawns are the absolute bane of my existence. They make everyone's lives harder both human and non-human

[@Tacom4ster]

I straight up hate lawns, waste of resources

[@mustafapahel]

Hank Hill Approves

[@MrAdomus]

In New Zealand, almost every house has a lawn of some description. Depending on how rich you are will depend on how good it looks. If you're working class, all you do is mow it every couple weeks.

[@darealbrianpark]

GREAT VIDEO. Maintaining the "green" yard will actually make you spend more money. If you want to save money, you don't have to own the "green" yard.

[@radidov5333]

HOA should be banned !

[@sptownsend999]

I know lawns get a lot of hate, and I don't necessarily want my yard to be boarder-to-boarder grass, but I do like having a soft place to lay down and look at the stars. I also liked having a nice wide greenspace to throw the frisbee with my friends when I was a kid. A lawn also gives the yard a central green theme, like a white dress shirt provides a base on which the suit and tie can be changed for different looks. To each, his own, so if anyone needs me, I'll be having my picnic lunch on the grass. 😉

[@mythicalmim]

I do very little to my lawn and I've noticed a lot more bees and butterflies and spiders and birds that have made their homes in my yard. It's very enjoyable to watch the ecosystem thrive! If you want a detailed video into the history and why lawns are so bad for the local ecosystem Shelbizleee has an amazing video on it!

[@Ghee_Buttersnaps]

Why are these videos so short. I would have gladly sat through a video twice or three times the length.

[@nunya___]

Lawns don't have to be _prefect_ or bad. My lawn in a mix of grass/clover, natural areas (Flowers,leaves,sticks,etc), a water garden and untouched forest. I water a small portion (about 3-8 times per year) in the driest part of summer. I lime, seed and fertilize every 5 years. I can't call that "Bad for the environment".

[@NathanHarrison7]

Excellent video as always. Thank you.