Here's a book that has just hit the book stores, John Greenlee's, The American Meadow. In his own words ... "I get what lawn does from a design standpoint; it's a cool place for your eye to rest," he says. "But if you don't have to play golf on it, there are all these other great things you could consider. I drive out to the suburbs and see hundred- to 800-hundred-foot square rugs of turfgrass in various stages of looking crummy. You have to water, weed, fertilize, plug and spray them. Maybe your kids have moved out, the shade trees have grown up, the lawn's not looking all that good. Why have a crappy lawn when you can have a fabulous meadow?"
So...does this get you kind of excited? I'd love to hear what you think.
My friend, Carole and her husband, Chris, did this landscaping project themselves...they removed lawn, brought in drought tolerant plants and stepping stones leading up to that great front door. This picture was featured in the Roseville News in an article on their cash for lawns program...a program replicated in Los Angeles and Arizona, where residents are paid to remove their lawn and replace the water-hogging grass with less thirsty plant materials. Carole did this project on her own...she's a no-lawn pioneer!
