If you want to be able to walk around the garden, rather than just stare at it from the window, you're going to need gravel, concrete, or a lawn. I know which I prefer.
Someone, though I do not remember who, made the point that grasses are a highly successful parasite of the human species. The point was made in humour, but I still think it's a fascinating perspective.
I recently took over an old house and plot of land not used for ~20 years.
In that time, the main lawn is still grass dominated and fairly easy to cut. But many areas have become completely swamped with different bushes and willow.
I cut it all down twice per year but it shoots up like a jungle next year anyway.
Parts of old farm tracks have of course become unrecognizable and are slowly turning into a forest.
It's hard and tough to walk, you can't see properly as plants can grow quite tall (plus elevation differences).
I love plants; but for human enjoyment and passage between different areas on a plot of land; grass is superior. I dream of grass.
I would call it obsession but of different kind! Every green patch of gras in city has to be covered in shit and piss. People have to shit on every bit of nature, and kill all animals in sight!
I went to park, some guy was hunting ducks at pond, and after took dump at picnic area!
I admire people who still maintain their front yard, despite this constant vandalism!
My young children both love the lawn and I can tell they get a lot from interacting with it, playing on it, etc. It is a little bit of accessible greenery in my small back-garden and I don't need to water it, just mow it occasionally.
I recently tore out my lawn and co-designed a native yard with my kids. We designed a map together with very narrow wood chip paths to play on and brought in soil to create berms for height variety. They love running around playing tag or hiding from each other. Once they get older I can imagine friends will enjoy capture the flag or foam dart wars in the space.
We had one small japanese maple tree that they designated as a reading / relaxation area and have been using that too.
I think the biggest thing was the berms + paths around and over them. The topographical variety added a lot of play opportunities.
All that said we kept a small patch of grass- but it just isn't the entire yard as it was when we got our place.
I read your comment can be read as a reconfirmation of the articles thesis that we love lawns because they are always great for people where I am offering a counter-point that kids also love non-lawn yards.
Not creating an argument- just offering a different point.
I recently killed my lawn, ordered soil to create berms, and planted 100+ native plants (small ones and a few trees/bushes) all over the yard.
It has brought me so much joy! I observe so many interesting animal behaviors like birds playing on the springy yarrow flowers or bumble bees tumbling around the tiny clarkia blooms.
The three things that motivated me the most was Concrete Botany Audiobook[1], the Kill Your Lawn youtube series[2], and the interesting chats with neighbors who are interested in doing the same or have done the same.
That isn't to say it was easy or that I haven't gotten some strange comments like "your yard produces a lot of seeds that come into my lawn".
Well count me in (I wouldn't join that sub though.) Almost all lawns are just a sad approximation of a proper meadow, and could be real gardens - instead of an artificial, plain, featureless green space, they could harbour plants and be a habitat to countless animals.
Plus, the obsession some people have with mowing their lawn - I've got a particular neighbour who does it daily in the summer, for two hours I've got a constant engine roar in my ear.
Because it’s the soft, clean, forgiving carpet for loads of outdoor activities.
Just the potential for a couple of great days a year is enough for me. I’m not talking about the mega mansions that have full time gardeners and unused lawns of course.
This question is never asked by people who have kids that love football for example. And that’s a large part of the population.
10,000 years of agriculture has given us profound instincts to want to grow crops and harvest them. But you don't need to, it's a waste of your resources when you can head to the grocery store. So you grow grass that you can't eat and dutifully harvest it once a week. To satisfy that itch.
Engraved deep down in our primitive brain is the profound fear of high grass and forestry, which conceal bears, wolves, snakes, ticks and a lot of other dangers.
Thus, we have the natural inclination to raze it all and leave a very flat grass surface where no animal goes unnoticed.
This ends up translating into modern lawns a few hundreds of centuries later.
this is obviously bs, the lawn thing is mostly a north-american obsession. most people here in europe like shade and thus higher vegetation in their gardens.
No, no it doesnt. I leapt at the chance to get a robot to do it
In that time, the main lawn is still grass dominated and fairly easy to cut. But many areas have become completely swamped with different bushes and willow.
I cut it all down twice per year but it shoots up like a jungle next year anyway.
Parts of old farm tracks have of course become unrecognizable and are slowly turning into a forest.
It's hard and tough to walk, you can't see properly as plants can grow quite tall (plus elevation differences).
I love plants; but for human enjoyment and passage between different areas on a plot of land; grass is superior. I dream of grass.
A birch growing for 5 years is already 3 metres tall and will prevent anything larger from growing around it.
I went to park, some guy was hunting ducks at pond, and after took dump at picnic area!
I admire people who still maintain their front yard, despite this constant vandalism!
We had one small japanese maple tree that they designated as a reading / relaxation area and have been using that too.
I think the biggest thing was the berms + paths around and over them. The topographical variety added a lot of play opportunities.
All that said we kept a small patch of grass- but it just isn't the entire yard as it was when we got our place.
Edit: removed counter point as a phrase
I read your comment can be read as a reconfirmation of the articles thesis that we love lawns because they are always great for people where I am offering a counter-point that kids also love non-lawn yards.
Not creating an argument- just offering a different point.
It has brought me so much joy! I observe so many interesting animal behaviors like birds playing on the springy yarrow flowers or bumble bees tumbling around the tiny clarkia blooms.
The three things that motivated me the most was Concrete Botany Audiobook[1], the Kill Your Lawn youtube series[2], and the interesting chats with neighbors who are interested in doing the same or have done the same.
That isn't to say it was easy or that I haven't gotten some strange comments like "your yard produces a lot of seeds that come into my lawn".
[1]: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798317900410-concrete-botany
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npzXlugEvxM
Plus, the obsession some people have with mowing their lawn - I've got a particular neighbour who does it daily in the summer, for two hours I've got a constant engine roar in my ear.
Just the potential for a couple of great days a year is enough for me. I’m not talking about the mega mansions that have full time gardeners and unused lawns of course.
This question is never asked by people who have kids that love football for example. And that’s a large part of the population.
When done right, they are so stunning and low maintenance. They also open up more options for interesting and dramatic lighting at night.
Thus, we have the natural inclination to raze it all and leave a very flat grass surface where no animal goes unnoticed.
This ends up translating into modern lawns a few hundreds of centuries later.