The Grass Conspiracy!!

What is the point of grass? I'm talking about front & back lawns in our developed nations, such as America. Ever since I was young, I always thought it was a big waste. The older I got, the stronger I became in my belief.

Why don't we grow crops instead? Like parsley, or mint, or something like that? We don't have animals that eat the grass.

In fact, there is a lot of waste in water. Western America surely could benefit with the water saved from watering grass lawns. Eastern America, with more precipitation, still waters lawns occasionally, to make the grass greener than the neighbor.

There is a lot of toxic fertilizers used as well. I'm sure this is bad for the environment, polluting the water, and possible air.

Imagine how much food each household could grow, if they grew simple, easy-to-grow crops, instead of useless grass!

Don't forget the gasoline used to mow the lawns! It's a small percentage of total gasoline used, but I'm sure it still adds up.

Any thoughts?

reply to post by bettermakings


On this one, I am with you 100 percent. I have always thought the same as well.
The amount of food could be enormous, and the money saved very substantial.

What the attraction is in a perfectly manicured lawn free of all other forms of plant life is beyond me. It seems to be one of those things that is just taken for granted that you must have as good if not better lawn than your neighbor, as if that makes one bit of difference as to who you are as a person.

But unfortunately those that actually think as to how stupid this is, are in the majority, by a long shot.

Originally posted by bettermakings

Don't forget the gasoline used to mow the lawns! It's a small percentage of total gasoline used, but I'm sure it still adds up.

Any thoughts?

I've a certain survey that gas-powered lawn mowers, occupy a significant fraction of all of USAs greenhouse gas emissions.

Haven't you ever gone out and just lay down on the soft, well manicured grass and watched the stars?

How about being cooped up for a week, sick, and just when you feel better, go out and roll in your grass, feeling the touch of the earth on your body and the sun on your skin?

I would so miss that without my yard.

If your not into sports or have kids I could understand why you don't understand why lawns exist.

Not alot of people are going to steal your lawn but I can image people wandering into that garden in the middle of the night and taken food from your front yard.

It's not mandatory to have a lawn,alot of people landscape.

reply to post by bettermakings


It is due to our insane sense of keeping "some green" still in our concrete world without the effort of really using it to it's full potential.
A garden takes a lot of time and effort, and most of us are too lazy to do so.
A well manicured lawn is usually a status symbol, and kept up by someone other than the home owner. There are few exceptions.

We've only got a tiny bit of lawn in our garden, but enough to lie down, spread out and chill on.

It's always overgrown too, I love the feel of long grass..

The rest of the garden, bar a bit of patio, is given over to fruit and veg growing.. Yeah it needs attention, but the end results are just amazing

wouldn't parsley be almost the same?

also, couldn't we at least get domesticated animals to eat the grass if we do want to keep it?

I personally feel the opposite as the OP. I like nice lawns and such.

The mayans for example incorporated nature into their designs as much as possible.

I have fruit trees in my yard, along with a lawn. My backyard has a little patch of lawn boxed in, and along the outskirts of it I have fruit trees and such. I have 2 orange trees, 2 lemon trees and a persimmon tree(squirrels love them, which is good cuz I don't).

I also have a magnolia tree, and every year it blankets my entire back yard with pink flower petals. Wife loves it, it's really pretty.

I'd be pretty upset if someone wanted to come along and tear all my stuff up and force me to grow a garden out of my yard.

You know what this world needs less of IMO? People who think they know better than others and think they have the right to dictate right and wrong to others.

Originally posted by bettermakings
wouldn't parsley be almost the same?

also, couldn't we at least get domesticated animals to eat the grass if we do want to keep it?

We tried keeping chickens for eggs, like living off the lawn, but they destroyed everything!!

Took a year to get things back right..

They got sold to a friend pretty quickly! Shame, because those were some tasty eggs..

reply to post by purehughness


Here in the desert southwest, zero scapeing is incouraged by the cities and villages where I live. What with a limited water resourse, very high water bills, it only makes sense to have a yard of rocks, native plants and grasses or paved. My back yard is all garden growing commercial aspargus and herbs for the local restruants. A welcome bit of change for my meager income.

reply to post by whaaa


You could just paint your grass. I always thought that was funny.