Lawns first became popular in 17th century England, and were seen as a new aesthetic norm for landscaping, as well as a status symbol. They then became popular in the US in the 19th and 20th century with the suburban boom. Lawns were seen as a balance between being in contact with nature as well as having control over it. However, they should become a thing of the past.
Luckily for the environment, lawns are becoming a thing of the past. Without lawns, that saves 75% of the water used in an American household, as they require the equivalent of 200 gallons of water per person per day. Which means that grass lawns require more water than any other crop.
Some states are already taking action! Nevada has banned them and homeowners are required to take out their lawns by 2027. Which is 4,000 acres of grass that'll be removed so up to 10 billion gallons of water will be saved. Arizona has banned lawns in new houses being built after August 15th, which is the result of 86% of water customers being onboard with the change. California, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah are paying homeowners to replace their lawns.
The best thing to replace it with would be native flowers and grasses in order to reintroduce biodiversity into your neighborhood. The root systems of native plants are much more hardy than grass, as you can see in the image above. The roots are able to dive deep into the soil in order to get the water and the nutrients they need, so less water is spent on trying to keep them alive. If you enjoy seeing birds and other pollinators like butterflies and bumblebees, you could make or get birdhouses, bee houses, and feeders! There are so many beautiful landscaping ideas that don't have a grass lawn, and that invite biodiversity. Take a look at some of the examples below;
I can totally imagine this as a little beach house next to the ocean!
Your own little jungle/desert-y oasis!
Your own little fairytale meadow in your front yard!
The possibilities are absolutely endless! If you want to help the change for a better environment, check out your local nursery to see which plants are native to your areas! And if you're in one of the states above, ask how you can get rebates!! Comment below with your thoughts on grass lawns.
(All images are not mine and belong to the rightful owners)
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