Question

[Khadgar]

Why do we mow our lawns? Why do we even have lawns? How much gas is wasted every year on this absurdity?

Billions of dollars, untold gallons of gas/oil for a nice manicured lawn. Or in the case of my lawn one that slides below the level at which the city would mow it for me and bill me.

[Jello Biafra]

I don't know. I suppose grass looks better than concrete.
Also, playing in grass is better for children.

[South Lorenya]

...if it bugs you so much, get astroturf.

[Desperate Measures]

If we didn't have lawns, how would we get people to buy a massive John Deere for their single acre property?

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Why do we mow our lawns? Why do we even have lawns? How much gas is wasted every year on this absurdity?

Billions of dollars, untold gallons of gas/oil for a nice manicured lawn. Or in the case of my lawn one that slides below the level at which the city would mow it for me and bill me.

Good question. I've heard of manually operated mowers, but how about mowers that uses renewable energy in the future, something like sunflower oil or solar power.

If we can build solar cars today, then I don't see solar-powered lawn mowers as a problem. Just needs research.

[Saige Dragon]

Why do we mow our lawns? Why do we even have lawns? How much gas is wasted every year on this absurdity?

Billions of dollars, untold gallons of gas/oil for a nice manicured lawn. Or in the case of my lawn one that slides below the level at which the city would mow it for me and bill me.

Good question. I've heard of manually operated mowers, but how about mowers that uses renewable energy in the future, something like sunflower oil or solar power.

If we can build solar cars today, then I don't see solar-powered lawn mowers as a problem. Just needs research.

My parents had an electric lawnmower years ago. You could only mow so much of the yard before you needed to go get and extension cord. But the old style manual mowers are making a comeback I believe. I think they're actually better for the lawn as well, something about how the blade of the mower cuts the grass.

[Conserative Morality]

Pour concrete over your lawn. It looks better.

[Desperate Measures]

Pour concrete over your lawn. It looks better.

So, it was you who paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

[Conserative Morality]

So, it was you who paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

No, no. Asphalt looks awful. I said concrete.

[Kryozerkia]

It may have something to do with restrictive covenants. Notably in neighbourhoods that are under continual development, or where bylaws exist to ensure uniformity in a neighbourhood. For example, there are covenants which can dictate what colour you are and are not allowed to paint your garage. Another example would be you can't let a surplus of weed accumulate. I remember reading a story in the Toronto Star where a woman didn't weed her garden and in fact had allowed it to be just wild flowers and weeds, but the city refused to allow it and sent someone to remove it.

[Ryadn]

You don't have to hose grass down after the dog pees there.

[New Limacon]

Why do we mow our lawns? Why do we even have lawns? How much gas is wasted every year on this absurdity?

Billions of dollars, untold gallons of gas/oil for a nice manicured lawn. Or in the case of my lawn one that slides below the level at which the city would mow it for me and bill me.

Finally, someone else that questions this tradition! I have no idea why we mow lawns. In the extreme, I suppose having very tall grass could be a safety hazard, but I don't know if ours can even get that long--because we mow it. It bugs me to no end why people who would never even consider living in a community that would dictate, say, what color their house was would still try to keep a well manicured lawn. I also don't like how I'm the one who always seems to end up mowing it, but that's a different issue.

[Desperate Measures]

So, it was you who paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

No, no. Asphalt looks awful. I said concrete.

Off the hook. But I'm watching you. Not only that - Joni Mitchell is watching you.

[Saige Dragon]

Actually, now that I think about it, my parents don't have any lawn. None. It's all gardens, cobblestone paths, cedar decks, mulch and shrubs. Pretty low maintenance actually.

[Fartsniffage]

Flagging over lawns increases flooding risks.

[Smunkeeville]

I didn't have a "lawn" in Tucson, it was pretty sweet, just dirt and rocks.....every few days I would go out and rake the trash from the rocks.

I have landscaping now, but I pay other people to take care of it. I don't know that it adds much other than curb appeal which really isn't useful until I sell, but meh.

I grew up in the country, we mowed our grasses because otherwise snakes could hide in them and also because sticker weeds would grow and it could hurt the animals. (I think some people call sticker weeds "burrs" in other parts of the country?)

[JuNii]

simple.

it looks good.

and then there's the fact that cutting grass after it gets too long tends to be hard on the grass. ever notice when you let the grass get long and you cut it, it's all brown? that's because you're cutting off the part that does the photosyntisis. keep doing that and you'll end up with clumps of dead grass.

also long grass tends to hide rodents and pests. we let our back yard go fallow.. and when digging up the weeds that over-ran our yard, we found networks of rat tunnels all over the place.

[Dinaverg]

My parent would get really worked up over the neighbors that didn't mow their lawn, for some unfathomable reason.