The Grass is Greener
If you were to ask me, even 6 months ago, whether I’d care about what my yard looks like, I’d shootchya a “LOLZ. no.”
There are plenty of reasons why a highly manicured lawn has been on the “I don’t give a fuck” list. Among the reasons are the expectations that ~proper society~ has about yard aesthetics and maintenance. You familiar with #lawniarchy? Slash...ever thought about WHY we’re so obsessed with keeping an immaculate lawn?
Here’s a Cliff Notes history lesson. King Louis the XIV, or as he liked to refer to himself, the Sun God, literally seized a man’s chateau/land because it was fancy and shit, and built a *bigger version* of said chateau/land. Palace of Versailles ring a bell?
Photograph by Herb Bendicks, Alamy Stock Photo via National Geographic
The grounds of Versailles are the first historical record of a non-food-producing, non-natural, non-grazing, purely ornamental field. The “green carpet” as King Louis called it was meticulously maintained by servants who cut and weeded using scythes…
Then, other aristocrats decided they wanted to follow suit and use their surplus land, water, and human labor for displays of wealth and status.
SO, as time went on and tools like mowers came into existence, commoners could achieve the look too. Woohoo!
“Despite having no historical significance, despite the immense environmental harm, despite the extensive human and financial resources required for upkeep, still STILL we keep dutifully slogging over our lawn care.” (Celeste Davis, 2024)
Here are a few stats (from the same Celeste Davis article):
More land and water are devoted to lawns in the US than corn and wheat COMBINED.
According to a NASA study- around 200 gallons of water per-person per-day is required to keep US lawns green all year.
A THIRD of all of our clean, drinkable water is used on lawns.
The landscaping and lawn care industry in the US generated $176.5 billion in revenue in 2023
All because a French dude 400 years ago wanted to one up his friend.
Now, while I still believe the whole thing is fucked, both the origin and the continued-for-400-years parts, I’ve found myself feeling a sense of pride from watching the seeds I planted grow and turn the mud and rocks into grass.
To my defense, 1. the property is right around 3 acres and the grassy yard part I’m consistently maintaining makes up less than a third of that, 2. I’ve been raised that that’s how it has to be, and 3. my dad owned the property before me and originally wasn’t going to pass it down to me because “it’s a physically demanding house.” (Yes, he literally said that and obviously it makes me want to flex that much harder on him now that I own it).
I’m also excited to plant the native Indiana wildflower seeds in the spring to the other previous-yard section. A decision that was unnecessarily questioned by multiple boomers I was talking with. I realize some people have no choice because of things like Home Owners Associations, etc., so, I’m lucky to have total autonomy over my property. AND ALSO it’s been engrained in expectations for centuries, so I’m not judging people that have nice yards and/or spend a bunch of time and money on them. I get it.
I say all this because it’s good food for thought and I surprised myself from getting pride from my grass growing lol.
What aboutchu? What are your thoughts on manicuring yards, especially having gotten a little background on why we do it in the first place?
