Great Post G…the ESP.

Great post!

Shirley – I will testify til my last breath!

Debbie – I understand what you are saying – playing organized sports on a lawn is as American as … as … as all those things that are so American! And a big lawn in someone’s home can be a galvanizing meeting place for the neighborhood kids, of course. BUT – you say you were the only place with the flat piece of lawn for kids to play on, and that was the local ball field. That is great that you provided that – in effect, YOU were the neighborhood park. So what did the other yards in the neighborhood look like? Since they were sloped, or small, or lacked the je ne sais quoi for organized sports, did those yards explore alternatives or did they stick with the default of lawn? Did the kids also have alternative spaces to play in that involved a different type of outdoor experience – could they build the treehouses, wander through woods, plant their first edibles, or make those little fairy houses? A rich, expansive garden is a world unto itself, and asks different things of us. For healthy, robust children, those days playing soccer in the fresh air on the best, biggest lawn around is essential. But in these days when the inner lives of our children our disappearing in the wake of video games and the constant assault of the computer and other digital distractions, those magical garden spaces that invite the mind to wander and create worlds within worlds are more valuable than ever. The alternative to a lawn is an important alternative. I am not saying that ALL lawn has to go – I’m just a big advocate of variety, of choice, of thought, and of not going with a default. The more people realize that there IS another way, another option, the better for horticultural diversity!
I have no problem with lawn – my problem is with lawn lawn everywhere and not a drop to drink! (I DO live in Southern California!)
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Debbie!

I think lawns in backyards have a place and can serve an important purpose in uniting a neighborhood. Here in my neighborhood in CT, we are not within walking distance to a neighborhood park. In fact, the closest one is probably about 10 mins. away by car. Our garden, and most importantly our lawn, was ‘the’ place to play in the neighborhood when my sons were young. We also have the trees to climb and the shrubs to hide under but ti was the lawn that was the draw.

We are one of the only homes in our neighborhood with a flat piece of grass that served as the local ball field. The game changed every day but it was not unusual to see 10 – 15 kids playing in my backyard. Baseball, wiffle ball, soccer, football – you name it and they played it. (I think I’ve had a window broken by at least 5 different kinds of balls!)

Not only did that play area bring the kids together, it also brought the adults together. The connection the kids made playing together extended beyond them. But, I have to admit, that as my kids have grown and the lawn is not used for games as much anymore, we have slowly shrunk its size. But I don’t regret having too much lawn at one point and I think every neighborhood deserves a central play spot, even if it is in someone’s back yard.