Did you, or anyone you know, spend time mowing a lawn this past weekend ? Green expanses of shortly cropped grass have been a North American Icon since the 1950s.
Environmentalists are telling us, however, that it might be time to reconsider lawns. Each year millions of gallons of gas are spent on noisy, polluting lawnmowers. Chemicals used on lawns eventually make their way into the water supply.
Every time I see a lawn sprinkler, I think of the world’s girls and women, who collectively spend two hundred million hours every day hauling water. (UNICEF statistics)
In order to help facilitate a graceful retirement, my husband and I replaced part of our lawn. We planted Creeping Thyme, which is a lovely ground cover and blooms purple during the summer. We also placed beach rocks on the property. We retained a small lawn which my husband cuts with a light, battery operated mower.
By reducing lawns, and the maintenance they require, we can reduce our carbon footprint.

Hmmm I didn’t think about the fact that the gas from the mower gets into the ground. Good you’re using the battery operated mower. 😊
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Sweetie, it is carbon dioxide which feed the plants of the world. This eco thing is good but the climate warming is because of the Sun is heating the inner earth with Flares of cosmic rays . I do not believe in man causeing ‘climate change’. I am very grateful for your focus on you lawn. How wonderful. We in USA are not taking water from other countries And every industrial country are pumping filth into the ocean. Our God is in controle.:)
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We have several houses in our tract that have planted ivy, pachysandra, and other ground cover as grass alternatives.
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Very nice ideas. I was listening to the grumbling of a lawn mower this evening. We used to have just wild grass here in rural NL, which people fed to their livestock, but lawns arrived here in the 1970s, at the same time as indoor plumbing and electricity. 🤗
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Your lawn is beautiful. I think many a lawn mowing husband would be on board with reducing lawn maintainace. Interesting post, Sally. 😊
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Hahaha, thanks, Tina. Yes, it is nice to reduce lawnmowing, but still nice to have green ground cover that doesn’t require mowing. 🤗
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