ElGranChavez
159790
2850
100
#teach
Jun 19, 2023 7:52 AM
ElGranChavez
159790
2850
100
#teach
Shewy92
I do love veggies that taste like exhaust fumes...back yards are usually the default for gardens for this reason.
FloodingWaters
Yeah, i'll just tell Stevensen, my live-in farmer, that i keep on staff to get after it.
seir
Tempting, but been in too many places where people either trash it and/or steal any of the food being grown
neilwatkinsfromaccounting
I don’t see how it’s better water usage. Must depend on where you live. I never water the lawn and it grows like crazy. I do however have to water the veggies
Krossis
Watering plants that help bees, vs watering cut grass so it looks nice
ArmedandOverclocked
native wild flowers helps bees, and other pollinators, just as much as any veg garden while needing a lot less watering by humans .
Dagordae
Watering plants that help bees vs not watering a damn thing. Unless you live in a fairly arid climate or are fixated on the color grass does not need to be watered. Like the prior poster, I have literally never watered the lawn and find the whole idea bizarre.
Stefnos
watering grass lawns is for golfclubs and rich assholes with more money then braincells.... if grass cant surive, let it die and make way for cactis
RepostMaToast
The issue here is also location, time and waste. I have had gardens for a while but this is a lot. A southern-ish US home might be able to make this worth it. Also 8 hour work days are a myth for most people. Most of my neighbors hire someone to cut their grass. How much would this cost to outsource upkeep I wonder? Waste would be high unless this is a vegetarian or vegan household. People like to think they will eat their entire garden, but they get impatient and just go to the cheaper market.
TCGView
But Karen , the president of the HOA, thinks it makes the area look trashy. Yeah, growing food is trashy, apparently.
ghettobutter
Agree however I’d venture a guess that many don’t (a) have the time and (b) the money
TsubakiTragic
I would wager it takes more money and effort to maintain a pristine lawn than it does a veggie patch or an english rambling garden.
ghettobutter
Pristine, agreed. As someone who has a small veggie patch (and a shitty lawn) I’m out there every morning, watering if needed, weeding, staking, what have you. Needless to say the soil prep, the lumber, building the beds, getting good plants (starting from seeds takes too much time for me, sue me)— it’s real effort. Which I love! And I’m lucky enough to be able to do it on my own.
TsubakiTragic
Mate, I'm useless at vegies except for tomatoes. Tomato seeds last 3 months in my compost bin and then sprout wherever I put compost... same same capsicums (bell peppers). Best wishes for you little piece of heaven.
vamos92
that's not a lawn
or0b0ur0s
The two people working 65+ hours a week, each, to afford that house don't have the time, energy, or spare money for that garden. Not that the lawn isn't an expense, too, but still.
risqueorindecent
whatsisname
Lawns are a colossal pain in the ass. Many gardens like that are in fact easier to maintain than lawns.
or0b0ur0s
Just not the one depicted. I could hear some advice. I hate gardening & lawn care and despite its tiny size, mine is an endless pain in the arse. I won't have the money to pave it over or replace it with stones or the like anytime soon, but I might swap out some things, put in ground cover if I knew what I was doing.
SeeYaLaterMethamphetaGator
I'm letting the white clover take over my lawn as its very persistent in my area, is more drought tolerant and doesn't need much maintenance at all. I love the look of these!
SeeYaLaterMethamphetaGator
not my lawn, just an example. Mine's still coming in :)
WellAckchually
If you're not too concerned about how much food you get out of it, maintaining a garden that is well-suited to your climate is not that hard. What makes it hard is 1. trying to make plants produce as much as possible and 2. growing plants that evolved in different climates
WellAckchually
I do have a vegetable garden that takes a lot of my energy, but most of my garden is clover and native plants and all I do is mow it about once a month
or0b0ur0s
Well that makes a lot of sense. I'll keep that in mind for the day I inevitably find myself in a nursery asking for "low-maintenance ground cover"
Bojovnik84
Nah, mowing my lawn takes an hour, tending a garden takes entirely too much time. What you should say, is we need to stop using so many chemicals to maintain a lawn or a garden, because that shit is causing problems.
pr3viso
Alternate option: trees.
depressedscientist
Except I don’t like having them near the roads. The cars throw up nasty dust from the roads onto the plants.
Malkiot
It can certainly be a concern. Urban soils have higher heavy-metal concentrations than other soils and the concentration goes up with proximity to roads. These heavy metals end up in the roots, steam and leaves of plants (less in the fruit). So, I'd be concerned with that.
depressedscientist
The road salts here in Ohio are a pretty heavy dust in the summer.
ephemerella
Lol do you even know how much work this is??
MyCatIsMissingAnEar
Compared to weekly mowing, spreading weed killer, spreading pesticides, weed whacking, etc? At least the garden work pays off in good eats
drgonzo67
Don't know why you got so downvoted for this... Just wanted to show my support!
MyCatIsMissingAnEar
Me either, lol. The hive mind is grumpy today I guess.
dontrike
Who mows weekly?
MyCatIsMissingAnEar
...everyone in the Midwest?
dontrike
Grass doesn't grow that quick. I've mowed mine twice in the last 2 months, mostly due to lack of rain, but because it's not that important.
TetraNordeh
3 of those are not weekly occurrence.
lemmerustlethosejimmies
Mowing and weed whacking for a house like that would take maybe 30-45 minutes. Grow one of these beautiful gardens if you desire but don't pretend like both options take remotely the same amount of time, effort, and expense.
SidewalkWidflower
Have kids who live to run outside, our "lawn" looks pretty lovely and green year round. Not many people have noticed it's mostly short weeds (also helps we live in a pretty humid place)
goodisunpopular
And for people who can't garden, we need more wild/native plants adapted to live without human watering or fertilizing.
kepattRunner
I wish I had the time and energy. I think that’s a huge factor for the majority of the population
Zapathasura
Grass lawns are a monoculture which can lead to an unsustainable environment.
Skizzlesnap
Yep. Totally personal lawns and not giant monolith corporations growing thousands upon thousands of acres of the same crop.
whatsisname
Turf grass is the most grown "crop" in the USA. The amount of acerage dedicated to non-crop grass is more than 4x that used for corn. https://scienceline.org/2011/07/lawns-vs-crops-in-the-continental-u-s/
gtotherizzle
Has led*
LTareyouserious
These lawns are why we no longer see fireflies like we had growing up. But that "Best Lawn" award though ...
gtotherizzle
I still do, but was saddened and confused, when I learned that my wife (originally from So Cal) saw her first lightnin' bug since she was a kid a few years ago...in her mid 40's
cyanideremark
Can be said of a lot of new suburbs in my city
dghughes
Most lawn grass is always a mix of three species: ryegrass, fescue, and bluegrass. Warm places like Florida if a high end home may just use one species like Bermuda grass but it's expensive and high maintenance.
lelevup
Then go to mine, have friends at the local saloon, find the mayor's purple shorts, marry someone, go to the desert...
DaBaDoop
*stardew theme intensifies*
januarylover
Where I live I'd have to water that veggie patch 3x a day and spend weekends working it. In hot areas, succulents, low-water grasses are better? Planting what's native to your area is a good idea too.
allthingsgreatandsmall
While I completely agree, it tales a lot of work and time for your garden to look like that.
katemads
And money … 😕
12visionsdancing
Yeah, I'm not doin' that. Can I just plant wildflowers or something?
WreckitRolf
forgotiwasfine
And money and knowledge
rouzuki
Most underrated comment of the lot.
sprinklemetimbers
Two working parents and two kid under 3. I’m really trying to keep the kids alive, the plants don’t stand a chance
lemmerustlethosejimmies
15-20 minutes of mowing vs God knows how many hours of tending, maintaining the plots, weeding, fertilizing, harvesting, dealing with pests, damage from large animals like deer, let alone the expense of building those plots.
flack9099
and pesticides and insecticides and lots or water too
SeeYaLaterMethamphetaGator
I'm letting the clover overtake my lawn. I love the look of clover lawns. Aside from mowing 2-3 times a year and an occasional edging, they're maintenance free.
afatrollofmyown
And a lot of water. And it only looks like that for a few months of the year. Most of our favorite things to eat are annuals, they die and come back, and the garden looks shitty for 3-4months of the year.
avastmehearty
My raind garden was pretty low maintenance, much less than mowing, but the plants were chosen to not run wild… I get what you mean about deer though, here in my new town they eat almost everything, I put up a mesh fence and the garden suddenly burst out after years of being chewed down to the nubs
avastmehearty
We mainly grew asters, goldenrod and California fuschia… there was a hummingbird who posted up in the tree and drove off the others, he was so fierce! ❤️😂
BeeWoman
Here in the Netherlands it's been hip to just rid your garden of any plants and tile it. As a result we don't have insects left, the cities are at least 10 degrees hotter and we already have lingering water shortage (while we live UNDER the sea ffs).
spitfires2000
Last time I was in the Netherlands it was still dry tho ;-)
haroldmann
Here in the U.K. lazy are opting for AstroTurf lawns. You cannot scream how tasteless and detached of a human you are because of this
mormacil
I got so annoyed when a house near me has a nice corner house with double the garden size and they tore out all the plants and ordered tiles
DoctorFacebutt
We need insects tho..
cosonfused
fake. I've been to the Netherlands and i haven't seen anyone living in a pineapple.
IKnowWhatsInPandorasBox
Thankfully in some municipalities they now have actions to get the tiles ripped out. They will come and bring you proper soil and take away the stones if you ask them. Hope it helps!
TsubakiTragic
sometimes humanity just gives me the irrits.
mormacil
Will note that's not the cause of the water shortage. The main cause is keeping the groundwater artificially low so farmers can work in the wet winter. downside it doesn't work well with a changing climate. Tiles do cause more flooding during heavy rainfall though beyond being ugly and harmful to the ecology.
BeeWoman
Agree, definitely not the cause. It does absolutely help though to let any water into the ground instead of into the sewer system (the result of petrified gardens). Also better to disconnect your rain pipes from the sewer.
Sokonomi
Well sorry, I'd like to come home after another 9 hour workday and NOT have the neighbors moan about how overgrown my garden is.
WoopDeFrickenDoo
Finally, I can read about someone with problems other than America
mrpink83
"tile it"? like turning it into a patio/walking area?
BeeWoman
afatrollofmyown
But .... WHY
SeeYaLaterMethamphetaGator
Holy! was not expecting that from The Netherlands
mrpink83
Yikes. "Pave paradise, put up a parking lot" :(
BeeWoman
iwyrm
Eh. Mine would be full of weeds, either way.
Andtheworldwentwhite
'wild'...weeds are a social construction! Just as long as it makes you happy and isn't actually harming anyone (undermining property etc.) For example nettles are great for many reasons including pollinators. I love weeds.
Hammerwell
Kudzu for everyone!
afatrollofmyown
I see your kudzu and I raise you bindweed.
unluckyandbored
Hell the weeds are the only thing keeping my lawn green at this point.
Andtheworldwentwhite
...and it's probably healthier for it.
unluckyandbored
I personally don't mind it all that much. The city on the other hand is less pleased. I've gotten a couple nastygrams about it, so I do the bare minimum to keep them off my ass.
cyberimg
Doing your duty for the bees and plant diversity.
allcluedup
Weeds can be killed easily with boiling hot water from a kettle, inexpensive and non toxic
cyberimg
Or, hear me out, you can pull them or use a hoe (the polite kind), which is even less expensive and even less damaging to the environment (energy of boiling water)
allcluedup
You could make a solar heater perhaps to boil the water , now there's an idea, make it from recycled parts perhaps?
Strostkovy
Or you can just let whatever plants grow
Krossis
Some weeds are dangerous to keep around, like horse weed
marthafarquar
Trouble is that in "The Land Of The Free ®" the types of lawns outside 27% of occupied homes are decided by their HOA's.
remotelogcabin
John Oliver did a great piece on HOAs https://youtu.be/qrizmAo17Os
Deeldee
HOA's can KMA!
abbeyrosemama
I would say that folks could join their HOA and encourage change… but I did that and it hasn’t worked. Instead of the trees I picked out to replace trees recently removed- they just installed some flowers. Short term thinking and they won’t listen to me (someone with 9 years of commercial property management experience)
TheoFromSteam
Other places without HOAs also need people with free time or their own home. The world that has lots of wild gardens does not really fit in the capitalist society the majority of people have to live in.
Richter12x2
We need a law that prevents HOAs from requiring non-native plants.
otamolot
Fck HOAs.
FlyingGiantElk
My only experience with HOAs is through stories I listen to on YT, and damn am I glad for that. HOAs seem to attract wannabe fascists with control issues, especially the ones trying to force non-HOA homes nearby to submit to them.
NotMyUsualOnlineName
Considering HOAs were started as a way to keep certain groups of people out of neighborhoods (mainly Jews and African-Americans), it's not really surprising that's the kind of people they attract.
Atomic2
Its getting worse too. Something like 70% of new homes in the US have an HOA. Builders love building new communities with HOA
bunnyrut
When looking for homes we absolutely refused to look at any that had HOAs. I'm the one paying to live here, no one else gets to tell me what to do with my property. It's baffling that people allow this to happen. And PAY for it to happen.
LychFinderGeneral
I'm not sure how it is in other states, but in Florida you have the right to a "wild" lawn of native plants. HOA can't stop you (they'll try, but they can't force the issue).
CrazyCatLad
No HOA in our development of about 40 houses, thankfully. They're not welcome here.
kushezz
Not in US, but I live in an apartment block - 44 owners in the same building. We can't get people to respond to important stuff, nevermind campaigning for how much I hate the lawn.
johneventually1
So you all own the building equally?
LivingDecomposition
HOAs should be illegal. Fuck anyone who wants to tell me what to do with my house, and FUUUCK anyone having the ability to put a lien on it for not complying
ShotgunFatality
HOAs have a positive side though. I'm glad my neighbor can't paint their house neon pink. I'm also glad they can't have 15 non functional vehicles in their front yard. HOAs are there to protect house values. And yes they can definitely be over the top in some cases.
HomerSimpsonsGreatestFear
It is not your business what color someone else paints their house. It's their house.
HomerSimpsonsGreatestFear
They make sense for condominiums, as there is common area / exterior maintenance to consider. That's it.
Dagordae
Also those type b lawns take WAY more work. Like, massively different scale of investment. A basic grass lawn takes less than an hour a week to maintain and that’s in the spring when the grass is going crazy.
causality
I'd really like a good guide on "here are the crops that will grow in your climate with 1 hour per week of care. Here are the ones you can grow with 2, 3, 5, 10" etc. The internet has ironically made it harder to find plants that tolerate local weather conditions.
EruditeAphrodite
(U.S. advice) Contact your local extension office . ( Google by country) and your local Master Gardener program. Both of these services can offer that kind of advice.
EruditeAphrodite
County, not country. Thank you autocorrect.
BongoBum
I’ve heard of organizations that will do all the planting and maintenance if they get to keep most of the harvest. Urban farming is really important to help decrease land use and to feed future populations.
ipushbuttons
Sounds fine until someone from that organization gets injured on your property or they damage a utility line that runs under your property while digging or some such and you suddenly find yourself liable for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. No good deed goes unpunished.
johneventually1
It sucks, but that's accurate. Still, it seems like a decent idea of the group is safe, organized, and insured. Ugh, this timeline is dumb
waterdragun
But you can’t eat grass
glacialbae
But I don't need to. Particularly if I'm only spending an hour a week taking care of it.
quaggie
And veggies don't pay rent.
waterdragun
But they are delicious. And time outside amongst plants is always a good thing.
BobbyBobbston
Was fucking amazed when I learned about HOA's and just how much they get to decide. It's insane, especially with the United States' "Freedom"-obsession
TheAngryMarineBiologist
Unfortunately to huge swathes of the USA 'Freedom' doesn't actually mean being free, it just means being allowed unrestricted access to guns and having the ability to use slurs without reprecussions.
haroldmann
I’m U.K. based and was just reading some stuff because why not, one guy was saying that is HOA required TWO Virginia Live oaks on the front of the house. They are monster trees!
paintingagency
Plant two oaks. Let them grow for 5 years, then secretly kill them. Plant two new oaks...
paintingagency
People gave up a lot of things just to keep Blacks out of their neighbourhoods in the 60's.
WorkLurker
Exactly this.
mormacil
The only weird part about HOAs is using them outside of condominiums.
AgainstMethod
They make sense in plenty of situations. I've got one that manages several common property issues in a set of townhouses and its great.
Hypothesist
In theory it makes sense. You neighborhood can drastically effect you home value. Appearances matter, and it’s the single largest investment most will make.. some HOAs are absolute fucks though
tr26
In TX a while back, over 10% of all foreclosures were HOA. No judge required!
Akintunde
Yep. I learned over the last year how much a shit neighbor can fuck everything up. But starting an HOA is just too risky because you know that eventually it'll be controlled by the shittiest people there are.
ThelmaTidwell
Our POA (property owners since we have a huge number of lots owned just for lake access) has been wrapped up in a lawsuit with the owner of the golf course that sits in the middle of the subdivision for 10+ yrs. So much of our assessments go to lawyers fees vs. actual maintenance of roads, common ground, lakes, etc. But they’ll fine you for having a car w/an expired license in your drive faster than the state patrol will.
marsilies
What's the lawsuit about? Is it something important, or would you be ok if they dropped the case?
krslvsasuka101
I lived under a HOA once, here are some of the rules: Trash cans cannot be visible from the street on non-trash days. You cannot change your mailbox to a different style. You can't paint your front door a different color. You cannot have a trailer visible from the street. You cannot have a commercially lettered vehicle on your driveway (even if that is your job and your company vehicle). If your grass is over 6" tall, they will send someone to mow it and send you the bill as well as a fine.
afatrollofmyown
There's quite an option for malicious creativity there. Construct an obnoxious covering for the trash cans, place it over them on non-trash days. Regs say nothing about a plaid painted door, only a "different color", if you can see a trailer from the street, put camo netting and a spider man wacky tube arm guy over it, no one will look at the trailer, and so on.
paintingagency
If you act out, Jim the 70 yo HOA president will paint your mailbox at night, then ticket you for breaking the mailbox rule.
thejon
My HOA has far less strict rules. Trash can thing exists but only enforced if someone's just leaving it there 24/7. Be a full day late and no one cares. No restriction on mailbox or door colors, that's just odd. The only thing they really enforce is grass mowing and not having mold on your siding, and even that is incredibly lax. HOA fees are 99% funding the maintenance of common spaces and pool, plus a small admin fee. They certainly can be hellish, but plenty are NBD
LuLuPennyAndOdium44
HOA are mini city councils
tchrbrian
24 / 7 presence
tr26
Worse.
sadbitterkitten
Or, if you live in a rain deprived area (looking at you Nevada) landscaping with rock, sand and natural plants is a better option too.
DidItForScience
Nevada does seem to have extensive xeriscaping from what I've seen out there. I didn't see a single green lawn and I've been three times.
LaronX
Don't seal the ground. Don't be a fucking Idiot that does a plastic lined rock garden
scatcatt
I always use 100% natural plants
Marsmallowmancer
Looks better too. I guess I can understand the appeal of a fresh, trimmed lawn, but ultimately it's so boring.
ensensu
Largely the appeal of a lawn comes from being a fake rich person who is constantly threatened by the home owners' association to do it or else they get inordinate power over the person who pays the property tax and upkeeps the property.
MorrighanWolf
deciduous trees/plants can help with that
probationaryperiod
Even better: https://naturalbuildingblog.com/greening-us-deserts-80-year-old-swales-near-tucson-arizona/
kawkamawaq
This!
numonster
I'm going to be renting from a friend. He's said I can do what I want with the back garden, let's go! Low growing flowering plants!! Make those bees happy!
faiah
My mom tried gardening during Covid... caterpillars ate all the leaves, lol.
numonster
Oops, well, means there were happy butterflies at least?
Sharook
I liked to think this but every time I found a caterpillar munching my garden over the last few years; I've googled it and it's always been from bloody moths!
numonster
Moths are good too! Good for the ecosystem~
aPokal
Look up what's actually native to your corner and not just suited for the climate. Even your local gardener might be unaware. Invasive plants are a long-term cost.
numonster
Don't worry! My SO has 10 green thumbs and is besties with the local witchy-foraging-herbalist. I'll be going to them for advice.
Bergegaard
Plantet a decent field with wild flowers for the bees this year. Can't wait for them to eventually bloom
numonster
Bet it'll be glorious! When they do if you post a pic maybe tag me if you remember~
Bergegaard
Reading on the packaging I don't think they'll bloom 'till next year, and I hardly remembered posting this last night. If I remember I'll tag you but don't keep your hopes up :-D Got around 8 acres of fields that nobody uses and I want to make it all in to flower fields eventually. Wild flowers though, so I don't have to do anything other than mow a few times a year so they drop their seeds
N4k3dSN4K3
Nevada has made all nonfunctional greenery illegal. If you have it to look pretty, it’s illegal. If it serves some purpose (I.e. food garden, pet relief, etc.), it’s okay. Couple that with Nevada’s water reclamation efforts being second to none, I think you should be looking at other states; might I recommend California, or, if your political persuasion prevents you from looking too critically at that state, Arizona.
DidItForScience
Every state along the Colorado river.
Canofminus
*Xeriscaping, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority will give property owners money for every square foot of grass they replace with xeriscaping or fake grass. New laws also limit the size of residential pools.
ElusiveThing
That's a really awesome initiative. Prettier and environmentally conscious. A good one.
SarcasticComment
I like how residents can't have pools but no one stops the casinos from having monstrous ones
Canofminus
Residents can have pools, but they capped the square footage. I forget the actual numbers, but most residential pools are well below that cap.
SarcasticComment
still hilarious that Circa has a gigantic pool on the roof with a view of the Nevada water authority building
tasteslikechaos
Did the same type of thing in AZ too. In 2006 80% of lawns in the Phoenix area has a lawn, today that number is under 15%. And "lawn shaming" is becoming more ans more common in desert areas. (I.e. stop wasting water you POS)
CyanideBreathMint
Need to start desert life shaming…
tasteslikechaos
80% of homes lol*
andexer
Landscaping with native plants is ALWAYS a better option than lawns, even in very wet areas.
aPokal
Grass is native in a lot of areas. Even some in rather dry zones.
AgainstMethod
The grass used in lawns isn't, though.
Matsuuu
But it is in some places. Lots of lawn grasses grown naturally in Europe and in northern Africa. I would guess American species would work fine in there, but it's different what people want to do.
TinyLiehon
But what if your lawn isn't lawnshaped afterwards?
Mistruths
That's what the Lawnmower 4.0 is for! It makes your Crop look bigger.
gggihgg
One of those requires a lot more time snd money to maintain than the other.
MyCatIsMissingAnEar
The green lawn? Definitely.
TetraNordeh
Lol no. Gardens take daily maintenance.
MyCatIsMissingAnEar
Mine doesn't and I grow everything from flax for spinning linen, pumpkins, pak choi, carrots, beans, corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, etc... the list goes on and on... it's a lot of work at first but it's kinda just water and forget from there. Some occasional weeding or de-bugging, especially on the squash. That's it though. Def no where near daily work
TetraNordeh
I'm only growing tomato, cucumber, green beans, and some herbs in planters, and it's daily work.
MyCatIsMissingAnEar
I recommend some drip-irrigation hoses and a rain barrel with a timer on the spigot then. Aside form planting, harvesting, and very occasional weeding, I do nearly nothing with my garden. My garden is never completely weed free and really the only bugs I have problems with are potato beetles and squash bugs but even then, most of the time I don't both de-bugging anything in the garden.
JAPONfan
multicultures? yes. food grown righht next to road? I don't think so.
darkninja2992
Honestly, i'd forsee a lot of roadkill from animals who are trying to get at the food, but freak out and run into the road when a car comes
Flamingnub
My first thought as well run off has all sorts of nastiness in it.
sowhat4
If it was next to a road, the owners would never taste the produce as it would all be stolen as soon as it was ripe. Sweet peppers are $2 a piece where I live. Lettuce almost $2 a bunch.
BirdieBones
I saw a documentary about a lemon stealing whore once
KinkExpert
As someone with fruit trees in the front yard... They never even make it to ripe. I don't even know if our apple trees can make full grown apples because they always get taken before they make it.
katimius
i guess it depends on what your growing. as someone who has an ornage tree and a lemon tree: take em. i cant ever finish em or give em away quickly enough and they aint cheap. i hate the guy who'd let his grapefruits rot on the ground and yell at people who're tryna take the ones that are still good.
Guillo1985
That yes, but my parents have figs and lemons, and they rarely get to taste any because of people taking them while still green
katimius
that's just ignant. My condolences to your parents.
GTAlex74
You'd be amazed by how many farms grow crops right next to highways.
JAPONfan
But it's not the mayority of crops that are close to road. Also such crops undergo cleaning proces after harvest than just washing in the sink. Mostly due to chemicals used in growing said crops.
TetraNordeh
Uhhh, most crops aren't cleaned before being sent to grocery stores, unless you're buying pre-processed stuff that's already cut up.
GTAlex74
And even if it's cleaned, it's just gonna be with water.
Leithoa
That drainage ditch is there to keep road runoff from getting to the crops.
pablo1669
Within 6 inches? No.
dannishadow
In PA and NJ, I've seen crops grown right up to (within a couple of feet of) the road. Mostly corn, though I don't really recognize any other sort of crop.
AussieInsects
All in Australia too lmao they totes-McSpiders-do
kushezz
Oh they absolutely do. And they're motorways cutting right through crop fields too. High traffic and cargo. I'd pick food grown near a residential access road any day.
HOAMTH
Your home won't be 6 inches from a highway either. Residential areas typically have low traffic so it'll be fine.
raknor88
Negative. The second may be more environmentally friendly, but the top one is far less work.
[deleted]
[deleted]
Dagordae
So everyone MUST garden because you can’t but really want to? That’s pretty self centered of you. Why should everyone be required to share your hobbies? Especially when you’ve never actually done it.
Spiderbutts
If I had a gigantic yard I'd re-wild it with paths and such and let native plants and trees have it. If some of those native plants and trees bore fruit and veggies, so be it, but I'm not really into gardening. I help my mom with hers and it's just an insane amount of work. Gardening is not the only hobby and people can do what they want with their lawns. If I wanted to grow my own food I'd probably get an indoor hydroponics setup. My hobby is hiking, so I'd want my yard to be a forest.
Hortman68
Not if you do it right. Start with legumes and fruit trees. Then add perennial veggies.
TheArtistFormallyKnownAs
Absolutely, the garden needs different height layers of vegetation to manage a natural microclimate. Start with tall (vines, trees) before moving down to eventually below-ground (tubers, roots).
Matsuuu
But grass don't need any of that. It just grows. Some moss might grow in shadow places, but who cares.
TheArtistFormallyKnownAs
In lots of locations, grass does need a lot of attention to grow. It sounds like you don't have to worry about that in your location, which is fortunate compared to others.
Dagordae
So it doesn’t take a lot of work just so long as you start by putting in a lot of work. And presumably ignore maintenance time, I’ve seen what happens when even well established gardens are left on their own.
whatsisname
Are you saying that lawns just miraculously start growing on their own?
olympiashannon
In some areas, certainly lawns just grow. It's what exists around your house naturally, and you have to mow occasionally to be able to walk around. My lawn is grass, clover, plantain, camas, dandelion, moss, geranium, and various wildflowers. I'm in the PNW, so I never water, weed or fertilize ever. Couldn't stop it from growing if I tried.
whatsisname
TIL that a developer or landscaping company tearing up the land, planting grass seeds to laying sod, and spraying down chemicals to get the grass started is what "naturally" happens. Also, your "lawn" isn't a lawn, it's an alternative to one. Lawns aren't just "flatish green areas", they are grass specifically.
skipweasel
*fewer - but yes.
rokucitymayor
*much more less
caliphax
Oldenoughtoknowbetterbutdont
Or "we need less lawn"
pachyderm
Well done
Shelby82
You are technically correct.
G0MeatCube
LoniceraStimpyvirens
Came here to say this. Thank you
InfOracle
Fewer‽ I barely know her!
ButterfaceTaintClown
shhhh!!! you can't call him that, not here!
Gotnobrain
That’s hilarious.
RustyRedbeard
Or her
DoTheDartman
Or them.
012310
I think less is correct. Fewer refers to countable nouns; ‘lawns’ are not countable unless you’re looking at a specific area.
Gunslinger8912
This isn't correct. Each lawn IS a discrete, countable instance, regardless of the sample area. There are either 20 lawns in a neighborhood, or thousands across the country - nevertheless, still countable. If they were talking about "landscaping" instead of lawns, that is an uncountable quantity and "less" would be appropriate
ScratchJohnson
"Lawns" is plural though right? So they are countable. I guess the specific area can be whatever you like. I think the post is referring to every lawn in the world etc.
PourMeAPuppersPlease
Jaxotea
It's not a real rule it was made up by one guy in Victorian era who was neither a linguist or etymologist. Ref Head of the Oxford English Dictionary in an interview with BBC R4.
wurth
OP felt the allure of alliteration, and it blinded them to better grammatical greatness
jruddy74
thatiscomedygoldrightthere
We need more fewer, and less less.
thelegendofthetwistednavigator
You're being pedantic about that but not about "lawn"? The word everyone is looking for is "garden". The definition of the word "lawn" is literally "an area of short, regularly mown grass in the garden of a house or park"
matts11
I think it works here, given the implied message that lawns are better replaced with productive gardens. I don't think anyone here is arguing that the second picture qualifies as a "lawn."
thelegendofthetwistednavigator
Then they should have probably captioned it using a different word
Suovetaurilia
Perhaps yard is better since it can cover both types of use of the space. Your yard can contain a lawn or a garden.
thelegendofthetwistednavigator
Yard is particular to the USA, it's a colloquialism which isn't really used much elsewhere
Theory89
We just call them all gardens in the UK. A garden can have a lawn in it but we would never describe one as just a lawn. We do call them that for bowls and croquet.
Suovetaurilia
Fair point
Theory89
We just call them all gardens in the UK. A garden can have a lawn in it but we would never describe one as just a lawn. We do call them that for bowls and croquet.
2shortplanks
“Less” is correct here. The author isn’t making the point about the absolute number of lawns but rather each lawn should be closer in style to the latter example and less like the former.
NearHereThere
Nah, if that's what they meant, it would be 'less lawn', not 'less lawns'
Rulesy
The words are in the wrong order for that to be the intention. It would need to be "We need lawns less like this ... and lawns more like this".
FlatPlutoSociety
I don't think so. If that were the case, it would say "We need lawns that are less like this." That said, it's a dumb grammatical quibble.
calledwylch
It's technically correct, the best... etc.
TheDaharMaster
Don’t they mean the same thing tho
calledwylch
Damn, you beat me to it. To my superior Grammar Nazi: Sig Heil!
Joylove
Second one isn’t a lawn either.
ArandomDane
Very absolutist of you... Fewer is used for countable items. While less used in less specific context such as area. So less lawn, allows for replanting part of a lawn... Fewer lawns require complete abolishment of a lawn to achieve and may the gods help you if your replanting leads to 2 separate lawns areas as then you have created a larger number of lawns!!!
BryanTenn
And yet you understood exactly what they meant. Communication worked.
Abfallkonto
Ah, the Ebonics argument, which I’m sure you would support fully.
BryanTenn
And you support the strawman argument, obviously.
InnocentValley
Hear at this location, you compact grub. Language is practicable in a great quantity of procedures. However, that abstains from signifying its existence as flawless or coherent at each one of the hours.
BryanTenn
InnocentValley
Precisely
PlaceHolderTitle
epicdiehard
Take me to grammar jail!
PlaceHolderTitle
You are sentenced to the other jail
pak0chu
Is the second picture even a lawn tho? Wouldn't that be called a garden?
AgainstMethod
Yeah, and it's a ton of work for not that much food, so neither is a great option unless you've got a gardening hobby.
whatsisname
You know what else is an unreasonable amount of work: fucking lawns.
waterdragun
Growing your own food is never a bad idea
AgainstMethod
If you've got the time and energy, sure.
matts11
Lawns are still comprised of plants just like any other form of garden. If you have the time and resources to maintain grass, there will be other plants that you'd be able to maintain.
olympiashannon
The only thing I do to my grass is mow three times each spring. I didn't plant it, don't weed, fertilize or spray it. Never water it, ever. It's just what grows naturally on the ground around my house. Switching to gravel or other plants would be a huge expense and effort.
AgainstMethod
Yeah, there's a middle ground between the two pictures.
Lifk
As a french , what is the rule behind that ? I probably make this mistake 15 time a day
Rugras
People only really know the correct way from watching Game of Thrones.
Hufflepufflerine
ArandomDane
Fewer is used for countable items, less is used in less specific context such as area. So less lawn in correct in this context. Unless you believe OP care about the number of lawns and not the area used for food vs grass.
mykepossner
He must be talking about the number of lawns because he used lawns, plural. Otherwise it’s just be “less lawn”
ArandomDane
One or the other is wrong, and I would love to hear the reasoning behind your belief in it been "less" and not the use of plurality. For me, it makes sense the area would be the important part not the number of lawns. A 100foot lawn abolished fully would not spark more joy than a 100foot of a 200foot lawn replanted.
Mistruths
It's not actually a rule, just an old 1770 grammarian's preference that was taken as one.
HypnagogicHallucinations
tyr2180
That’s how grammatical rules are made. As opposed to syntactic rules.
Mistruths
Syntax is part of grammar.
Jaxotea
But it is one book that no professional linguist or Etymologist would reference. The spread of this rule was what the Head of the Oxford English Dictionary was most annoyed by.
justbecauseimparanoiddoesntmeanyourenotouttogetme
I’m the same with mieux and meilleur! (Australian who loves French but sucks at it :)
NepLeet
Amount = less. Number = fewer. Amount of water. Less water. Number of trees. Fewer trees.
koby
What if the amount of trees is not countable?
Wmcmwa
If you chop a bunch of trees down, you have fewer remaining trees, less forest
matts11
In theory, they're still countable objects even if to try and count them would be incredibly unreasonable, so you'd still say "fewer trees."
whatsisname
No such thing. You could, if you had the time, go through and count each and every one. That's what countable means. "Forest" on the other hand, is not countable. Fewer trees == less forest.
Septcanmat
‘Forest’ is an interesting example because it can actually be used both ways. Forest can refer to an amount of area of vegetation, so there can be less of it. But forests are also countable geographic regions, and so there can be fewer of them.
AeroEngineer
Exactly. Everyone is using water as an example, so let's stick with that- "less water" or "fewer water molecules". The molecules are distinct items/units, so we use "fewer"
gandraw
Depends if it's individually countable or not. Less water, but fewer apples.
DoTheDartman
If the noun is countable and in the plural form, use fewer. Fewer lawns, less water. One way to remember is that the plural “s” at the end of the noun should not go with “less”. That’s too many Ss. When I see “ten items or less,” or “less cars”, I know it’s wrong because of the Ss.
ScottyTBone
I was today years old when I learnt this. Thanks internet stranger!
raifsevrence
I was today years old when I saw this and immediately disregarded it because I won't remember it and don't really care anyways.
Carlillo
"." ... for a friend, of course.
EranaSeva
Learned something today! Learned English as a teen and didn't much use it a lot till adulthood. Thanks!
16bitStarbuck
Similarly, my daughter can't get "much vs many" correctly and it drives me crazy. I explain if it's something ending in an "s" use "many." I've probably gently corrected her 1000 times but she has some mental block or habit.
thetonestarr
HA my daughter does this too. How old is yours? Mine is 11 and still does it.
16bitStarbuck
Mine just turned 8 and I'm certain she'll still be doing it at 11, probably 21 too, lol. I'm just waiting for the day when it clicks, but that day may never come. I'll be gently correcting her until the day I die though, lol.