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  2. I Am Become a Suburban Yard Monkey

I Am Become a Suburban Yard Monkey

By drorzel on May 14, 2006.

So, after noting that yesterday morning was grey and dismal, I headed over to work to take care of some grading and other sutff, and the clouds lightened up a bit. I went out to run some errands, and the sun came out. so I headed home, and what did I do?

Yard work. Rather than, say, sitting out in the sun with a good book, I spent the nice part of the afternoon mowing the lawn, planting seeds in the herb planters over on the side of the house (my stomach is gradually improving, so I feel safe putting in some basil, sage, parsely, and cilantro), and pulling up some miscellaneous weeds. Because, of course, the neighbors will think less of me if I fail to maintain a nice lawn.

I'm so bourgeois. But not quite bourgeois enough to pay the neighbor kids to mow the lawn for me...

(Physics garden blogging seems to work for Clifford, so I figure, what the hell... The other option is exam grading.)

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Why not replace at least half your lawn with native plants? That could let you spend a lot more time reading, while feeding birds and inspiring your neighbors to save water and fertilizer.

Around here, replacing half your lawn with native plants will get you nothing but scorn, if it doesn't outright violate your HOA bylaws.

Grass is a pathetic excuse for erosion prevention, and I find it aesthetically dull, but I have submitted to it as the path of least resistance. C'est la vie.