A lush green lawn, freshly mowed and without weeds, is something to behold.
The outfield grass of a professional baseball park or the green on a championship golf course are part of sports lore and are not achieved without much care and effort.
Such grass is also the stuff of great gardens, the blanket between floral beds.
And in the suburbs, it is the stuff of status – not the mention, it can help the resale value of homes.
Companies make millions of dollars a year selling tools and agents to those whose job or passion it is to maintain such stately presentations.
But all that is compromised in the summer by the sun, and watering restrictions, such as those in Metro Vancouver.
From June 1 to Sept. 30, sprinkling residential properties can only be done three days a week, 4 a.m. to 9 a.m., on odd or even numbered days.
Yet some sprinklers are working overtime.
After a record-dry July, some lawns are as green as they were in April, a stark contrast to the plots as golden as a Saskatchewan wheat field.
The latter is pretty in its own right, and hardly needs to be mowed. Nor does it require any more water than what falls from the sky, benefitting reservoirs in times of moderation.
These lawns deserve respect, as do their owners, for being responsible and following the rules.
We much admire the manicured green yards, and the attention they require.
But unless you are moving soon, they are a nod to vanity, and unnecessary.
Groom within reason – mow, pull weeds, water when allowed.
But for the most part, let nature take its course.
– Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News