Spring has sprung
Well, Spring (by my personal definition) is finally here, as evidenced by the ice finally being out on Lake Calhoun. I think the last of it disappeared sometime last night, because on the way home from work, I think there was still ice out there, but this morning, riding the bus into work, the ice was completely gone, and there were a few seagulls out on the water. It seemed everyone on the bus was helpless against view of the open water ... you'd see people look for a few seconds, then look away, only to be drawn back to it again and again. Hard to believe that not even 2 weeks ago, I saw people out walking around on the ice in the middle of Medicine Lake up in Plymouth. Then again, I think they were fools to be out there that late in the season. I didn't see any news about 3 people falling through and drowning, so I presume they made it off the lake all right. But they're still fools.
The coming of spring is also evidenced by enormous clouds of dust being kicked up by the army of leafblowers just unleashed upon Edina. Look to the horizon - you can probably see it. They're practically blotting out the goddamn sun, I swear. There are few things that I hate, but leafblowers are are near the top of that short list. They're noisy, smelly, kick up all that dust, and belch blue smoke. Seroiusly, the amount of fossil fuels used to maintain lawns (both residential and corporate) simply boggles the mind. This includes fuel for mowers, weedwhackers, leafblowers, not to mention that most fertilizers are also petroleum.
In case anyone's interested, there's a book called "The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession" by Virginia Scott Jenkins, which goes into detail about how (early in the 20th century) the concept of the lawn was sold to the American public by a combination of the US Dept of Agriculture, the US Golf Association, and the American Garden Club. (A bit of an aside - it seems Virginia Scott Jenkins also has a book about the history of the banana in America - I haven't read it, but it actually sounds quite interesting.)
Personally, I love the yards in Minneapolis that aren't lawns at all - they're landscaped with stones, bark, flowers, gardens, etc. I'm sure they're not maintenance free, in fact, I'm sure they require a fair amount of work to keep them looking nice, but at least it's human labor - quiet, clean, and petroleum free.
The coming of spring is also evidenced by enormous clouds of dust being kicked up by the army of leafblowers just unleashed upon Edina. Look to the horizon - you can probably see it. They're practically blotting out the goddamn sun, I swear. There are few things that I hate, but leafblowers are are near the top of that short list. They're noisy, smelly, kick up all that dust, and belch blue smoke. Seroiusly, the amount of fossil fuels used to maintain lawns (both residential and corporate) simply boggles the mind. This includes fuel for mowers, weedwhackers, leafblowers, not to mention that most fertilizers are also petroleum.
In case anyone's interested, there's a book called "The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession" by Virginia Scott Jenkins, which goes into detail about how (early in the 20th century) the concept of the lawn was sold to the American public by a combination of the US Dept of Agriculture, the US Golf Association, and the American Garden Club. (A bit of an aside - it seems Virginia Scott Jenkins also has a book about the history of the banana in America - I haven't read it, but it actually sounds quite interesting.)
Personally, I love the yards in Minneapolis that aren't lawns at all - they're landscaped with stones, bark, flowers, gardens, etc. I'm sure they're not maintenance free, in fact, I'm sure they require a fair amount of work to keep them looking nice, but at least it's human labor - quiet, clean, and petroleum free.
posted by equipoise at 5:29 PM
4 Comments:
I don't know what it is with leaf blowers all of the sudden, but they are everywhere. Since when did raking a 40'x128' become too difficult and require a 2-stroke internal combustion engine? I grew up in the country - my yard was about 3 acres and we managed to rake it every spring and fall.
I'm with you on lawns. I hate lawns, especially my own. I've turned most of my back yard into a garden, and I'm not far from doing the same to the front.
I hate my lawn too. I want a giant rock garden. Not sure what that will do to the resale value of the home though.
DC, you mean like a Zen rock garden? That would be sweet. When we did some landscaping at our house in Albuquerque a few years ago we considered that but then went with a more traditional xeriscape. It's fun to think about, though.
Actually I was thinking giant boulders amidst lots of tiny rocks. I don't want sand everywhere either.
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