G-CPTN

I can hear the rumble of mowers cutting lawns.

Is it only in the UK where there is such a fixation with short grass as a feature of the average garden?

As soon as the spring (and summer) arrive, great efforts (and significant cost - not to mention CO2) are expended to halt the growth of monocotyledonous green plants.

I'm sure that if there was a ban on cutting grass in non-commercial environments then there could be a reduction in the greenhouse gases that we emit (and thereby make our planet a 'greener' place).

Do urban dwellers in other continents share this predilection? Is it a sign of 'civilisation to flatten an area and plant it with members of the family Poaceae (and henceforth tend it - often with the application of water, in itself a precious resource in some regions)?

Is there an alternative that has a lower (or even equivalent) overall cost of ownership (including installation and upkeep)?

How can we justify this behaviour?

goudie

Gardening keeps Mrs G happy and that's good enough reason for me!

MagnusP

Couldn't get to sleep, huh?

I've just bought a box of <forgot name> which allegedly thickens grass while slowing down vertical growth. That might reassure you a bit.

Next garden purchase will be an air rifle as (a) the B@st@rd wood pigeons have neatly pecked off the top of all my radishes, and (b) I like pan-fried pigeon breast, even if it does taste faintly of radish.

Storminnorm

We share the same delight in lightly sauteed flying rats, Magnus.
Never use a 12bore, b*ggers the b*ggers totally, and you spend
half the meal spitting lead shot out!!
Can mess up your fillings.

MagnusP

Tell me about it. Broke a tooth on shot in a game pie a few weeks ago. That'll pay for a new exhaust on the dentist's BMW.

ChristiaanJ

Isn't there something like "Astroturf" that doesn't need cutting?

We have a patch of grass round the pool. Some of it grows over half a foot a week, at least early in the season, so it needs cutting about once a week to avoid it looking like a shaggy dog.

Now....
a) the lawnmower is nuclear-powered, and will probably be wind-powered next year,
b) the grass produces O2 in the daytime, although maybe not as much as our 15 trees,
c) the mown grass produces a useful amount of compost.

CJ

frostbite

Too bloody fast!

Despite putting off mowing to the last minute I've now had to do it twice. The brambles have made an early start and I've already had to hack at them.

Having said that, the elderly apple tree that had no visible blossom and a total of three apples last year is a solid mass of pink and white this year.

Also, a huge carpet of primroses of all varieties in parts of the garden where I've never seen primroses before.