lawn problems in Califronia

[thomas pendrake]

I recently read about people in a drought stricken town in California being threatened with fines for brown lawns and fines if they get caught watering their lawns. Despite the obvious lunacy of this situation, why do so many people want lawns that look like cow-pastures? How about beautiful Southern-style swept lawns?

 

[Chuck]

I don't think those folks know any other way than manicured grass and are afraid of changing. For instance in San Antonio we are under severe water restrictions and people are upset because their lawns are dying. So what do they do? They resod and reseed, expecting a different result with a different variety of grass. The water company is promoting xeroscaping, reducing the area of grass, planting plants that are drought tolerant etc. Even giving substantial rebates. It's rather befuddling

 

[firelily99]

I lived in a wealthy, suburban area in Connecticut for a number of years and it was appalling how almost all the open space in a yard was wasted on perfectly manicured lawns. Very static and sanitized look. They used Eco Nazis like Chemlawn to make sure every living creature was eliminated and had timed sprinklers that were on in the middle of downpours. What is the sense in that?

 

[Becky]

You're right, it does seem like a strange idea to try and force a plant to grow when it clearly isn't suited, especially if it means taking up resources which are in short supply. In the UK we certainly do not have a short supply of rain (especially here in the North West!), but if we get a dry spell then grass soon suffers - I'd always wondered how much effort must go into maintaining a lawn in a hotter dryer place.

 

[thomas pendrake]

Vast areas of the "west" in the U.S. had native grasses which can survive long periods of drought and are perfect food for the "buffalo" which is native to America' Those grasses were replaced with grasses more suited to the cow. Replant the native grass and replace the cow with the buffalo and we will have a higher yield of a more nutritious and healthier meat. Of course, unless we enter an extreme solar minimum and stop trying to end civilization with carbon-dioxide and methane induced global warming there will be nothing growing there.