Ideal Bite

Any tips on finding a good lawn service? I could use one too! Signed, Drowning in Grass. I actually do have a comment about mulching though. It seems to aggravate my grass allergy. Better to compost, please, if you have neighbors with grass allergies. Toshio, did everyone else go on vacation?

I'm disappointed that this tip didn't mention any of the alternatives to grass; slow-growing fescues, ground cover, rock gardens, heck, even herb gardens! Get rid of grass (which is hugely consuming of water, and pesticides if you want to keep it looking anywhere decent) and replace it with low maintenace xeriscaping. Search xeriscaping on the web for ideas.

In my opinion grass should be a thing of the past now with global warming (humans warming) the planet at an alarming rate! We don't have enough water to have the luxury of grass anymore, people you need to wake up! Look into grass alternatives. How many people do you ever see using their grass anyhow? I rarely in my entire almost 40 yrs on this planet see people actually playing on,sitting on, picnicking on their lawns. It is a waste of money for water,it's a waste of energy,and the chemicals most people dump on their lawns is causing global, human, and animal imbalances! Who the heck decided that lawns are so special? Lets be the deciders,and decide something new, out with lawns I say! What a sad over consuming American culture we have,and the reality is that we can't afford to have lawns anymore! Next time your outside open your eyes and look around, how many people do you see on their lawns?

Hello--a lawn??? Haven't had one in years!!! And if your community does not have a green waste composting program you should work to get one! Please don't talk about taking yard clippings to the dump--take action.

We heart our little lawn. Not all grass lubbers pour water and chems on their lawn either. We use a reel mower (excellent exercise) and let the clips land where they may.

Here-Here for those who say grass should be a thing of the past! It's irresponsible to do sod -- go with the alternatives and walk the kids to the park if you want to roll around on grass!

There is no grass in the parks though; since banning weed killer, all there is are knee-high thistle bushes, dandelions and goose poo. Not sure I want my son to roll around in that, though we do have fun picking the dandelion seed heads and blowing them, thereby ensuring an ongoing crop. About once a month they mow the whole mess down, and just leave the 'clippings' on the 'lawn', though the mown thistles are a hazard.

there are great indigenous species of grass, that require maybe a few mowings a season. that said, eliminating it is definitely best!

Hey JS - thanks for the ongoing comments - you always bring great buzz to our blog. But what is with all these meetings? You deserve a break at an eco-spa, my friend ;). OK, OK, just kidding - you make a great point. Clearly, we should all do more by, well, doing less. But I think this movement is still too nascent for most of the people joining it to think in those ways, and until we reach a more critical mass, a "light green" approach may just be the ticket to bringing people into the fold who will one day make the bigger changes. Catherine - oh, we're here. We just think Tosh (for some inexplicable reason) is better at writing personal ads than the rest of us. Ahem. Evelyn - bravo on the Reel mower. When your son is older, I recommend reading Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury, together.

Eliminate lawns altogether, and try planting a veggie garden. If that's not possible, or allowed due to homeowner covenants, go for planting appropriate trees, shrubs, perennials and growndcovers for your area and growing condiitons. Easier on you and the birds, etc. will love you for it. If you really do want 'lawn', try some of the native varieties, such as 'grama' or 'buffalo' grass...it's perfect here in the intermountain west. Saves water and work! Contact your local county extension office for info on what's suitable for your specific area. The folks at www.highcountrygardens.com can really help you out here!