January, 2005

Has anyone ever noticed the tendency for lawns to look as though they’re part of a golf course? The overwhelming trend to display large tracts of empty, manicured grass. Remember the old Bee Hive hairdo? The hair was pulled, teased and shellacked into a high-rise helmet. (Women got away from the style in favor of a more natural look.) Today’s lawns undergo much the same procedure: fertilizer, pesticides, weed control, mow, water, re-fertilize, mow, more weed control, etc. An expensive cycle. And keep children and pets off the lawn until the chemicals dissipate. Those same chemicals that poison the insects poison the birds that eat the insects and can seep into the ground water.

There ARE alternatives.

The book Redesigning the American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony by F. Herbert Bormann, Diana Balmori and Gordon T. Geballe has had a second edition printed by Yale University Press. It’s about your lawn and creating a healthy environment for your family and the community.

In an article by Joe Reynolds from the Atlantic Highlands Herald the topic of lawn care undergoes some serious scrutiny. His research determines that the manicured lawn is susceptible to drought, and can cost as much as $400.00 per half-acre to maintain per year. He cites an example from the book where the town of Milford, CT adopted the concept of the “Freedom Lawn” in response to the anti-pollution and ecological awareness activities of Earth Day. The town holds a competition, looking for chemical-free lawns with native plantings, bird and animal habitat and even gravel driveways (which allow rainwater to sink into the ground rather than run off into the street). These “freedom Lawns” are low maintenance, more resistant to drought, promote biological diversity and are much more interesting for young and old alike.

Joe wraps up his article by challenging his readers to “be bold, be different, and stop being like most Bayshore and Two River (New Jersey) residents that have helped to contribute to 31 million acres of lawn in the United States….. Birds, butterflies, native plants and our local waterways will thank you!” This is an interesting challenge, and one  that should be explored locally as well. You can send photos of your Natural Lawn to newsletter@westmorelandconservancy.org to be featured in our newsletter, or to contact@westmorelandconservancy.org to be added to our website photos.

To read Joe Reynolds's entire article, go to http://ahherald.com/oaktrail/2002/oot020509_lawn.htm