Are We Afraid of the Forest?
Considering that Memphis would be a cool, dense, deciduous and beautiful hardwood forest if we stopped cutting the grass, why do we keep cutting the grass? Or more reasonably, why do we have so much stinking grass that we have to keep cutting?We have fields and ribbons and pockets of it everywhere, not just at our homes and parks, but everywhere, unused except for the cutting. It's boring, it's unnatural, it's environmentally taxing, but we covet it. Why?
Because grass makes us think our bungalow or ranch-style is Versailles (repeating Mrs. Greenthumbs).
Because we're afraid of the forest. The forest is wild, and wild is inappropriate.
In Memphis, the forest should be the rule, not the exception.
Labels: environment, Greening Greater Memphis, Memphis
posted by gatesofmemphis at 11:21 PM
6 Comments:
chiggers?
chiggers?
I'm somewhat confused by this post. Is this what you're getting at:
http://www.crye-leike.com/main/
browsedetail.php?region=
West+Tennessee&address=
tutwiler&mgrp=13&ln=4&tid=
memphis&mlsnum=3105981
will, exactly! I think. Wish the picture were bigger so I could be sure, and if sure, visually indulge in what looks like a cool yard. btw, I need to work on the confusion thing.
Aaron, I'm not against permanent shelter in the forest, with appropriate anti-insect defenses.
i think there is probably a fine line between overgrown/untended yards and big bushy sprawling foliage that is intended to be a bit unwieldy.
southern landscaping (and the porches!) are some of my favorite things about living here...you just inspired a new post methinks :)
When I lived in Oxford, I had a house with lots of land but no grass. The woods came right up the the house. I constantly had shade, and deer would come up within feet of my back deck. I always wondered why more houses weren't like that. There was nothing to take care of, and it was beautiful and quiet.
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