Monoculture
There is too much grass in the world – no, I’m not referring to the illegal kind, but rather the kind used for lawns, parks, golf courses and many other landscapes. What’s wrong with this kind of grass? If you could ask Canada Geese (grass-eaters), nothing. But if you could ask salmon, plenty.
Grass is not inherently bad; it’s just that maintaining it to a high standard often leads to the excessive use of fertilizers, chemicals and water. These run into our rivers, lakes and oceans, causing water pollution. We can make our yards more diverse, more beautiful and less toxic by landscaping them for wildlife habitat, food production and natural diversity.
The median or planting strip - between the sidewalk and street – is a good place to start. As the pictures show, there is a marked contrast between a planted median strip and a plain grass lawn. One is inherently interesting and structurally diverse, and the other, a bleak monoculture.
While strolling down the sidewalk you can eat apples from apple trees, watch birds, admire wildflowers, and enjoy fall colors from street trees – all from plantings in the median strip. One neighbor even has a bird bath hanging from his median strip tree. Another has a floral display worthy of a sidewalk wedding.
Somewhere along the line, we learned as a society that grass was the norm for landscaping. Maybe it’s time for a cultural shift to richer, more diverse, sustainable plantings. Check with your local regulations before you start planting in your median strip.
