Against The American Lawn

“A smooth, closely shaven surface of grass is by far the most essential element of beauty on the grounds of the suburban house,” wrote American landscape architect Frank J. Scott, in his 1870 book The Art of Beautifying Suburban Home Grounds. Indeed, the suburban lawn is a national aesthetic, stapled firmly onto the face of the American Dream. From the dark, lush fescue stands of the more moderate states to the more mint-hued shades of bermuda and Saint-Augustine in the southernmost states, no matter where you go in the USA you will find lawns and accompanying lawn care companies. Be it irrigation, fertilization, aeration and overseeding, or the good old boys just mowing and blowing, lawns are responsible for something like 100 billion dollars annually.