To Lawn Or Not To Lawn

My husband and I are in the process of planning and designing our new home. One of the things we have to determine is how much space we want for our front and back yards. We’re inclined to leave enough for the back so there’s room for the kids to run and play as well as for us to grow food, but we’re not really sold on the idea of having a front lawn. At the same time, we don’t really want the house so close to the street that outsiders can peer into windows even if they haven’t crossed the property line, so it seems we’ll have to think this thing through some more. Sigh. Building our house was so much easier in my daydreams.

Looking up the definition of “lawn”, I found “an area of short, mown grass in a yard, garden, or park.” It sounds harmless enough, but there has been some talk about its impracticality. There are groups that are actually pushing people to get rid of their lawns, but despite the criticism, many homeowners still choose to have lawns.

Because we have kids, we’re definitely making room for one behind our house. Not that we’re ashamed of our choice and are trying to hide it. We just think it’s a safer area for them to play

in. Since we want some space between our home and the street, we’re still on the fence on whether we’re going to have a front lawn as well or not.

Why would we want a front lawn?

- It’s nice clear space that looks neat, green and sunny.

- It provides more room for kids to play in.

- It’s easier to care for than a more involved landscape.

- It’s soft and natural as opposed to artificial turf or paving.

Why wouldn’t we want a front lawn?

- Holier-than-thous would have a grand old time attacking this choice for the amount of water the lawn consumes as well as the harmful fertilizer they’d assume was used on it.

- It’s more grass to mow and maintain.

- It’s not as visually interesting as a more elaborate garden.

- It produces more yard waste than an expanse of pavement or artificial turf.

At the end of the day, we’ll end up choosing what would be most practical for our family. Hopefully, this choice would also contribute to the aesthetic appeal of the house. If we do indulge the desire for a proper lawn, we’ll call in Green ServPro to maintain it so we can ensure quality care for our outdoors.