A homeowner sparked a lively discussion on social media after their forested property received negative feedback from their father-in-law.
In the subreddit r/NoLawns, the homeowner shared a photo of their home, which is nestled at the end of a natural driveway surrounded by numerous mature trees.
"Father-in-law keeps saying that we need a lawn. What do you think?" the original poster asked on Reddit.
Commenters were mostly aghast at the suggestion.
"Why would you ruin that beautiful scene with a lawn?" one person said.
"You need a new father-in-law," another person joked.
"Lawns are a phony way of trying to replicate a natural setting, which you already have," someone else pointed out.
Other Redditors suggested that the OP use native plants if they wanted to add a small lawn.
In addition to providing a resting place and sustenance for pollinators, which support more than one-third of food crops worldwide, yards seeded with native species rather than water-guzzling turf save homeowners time and money on lawn maintenance, as well as reduce harmful pollution by eliminating the need for mowing and fertilizers.
Even partial lawn replacements can be beneficial, with clover a popular, affordable choice.
Then there's the matter of the OP's trees, which would have taken many years to grow to such beautiful heights. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, one mature tree soaks up more than 48 pounds of planet-warming carbon dioxide every year.
Sadly, the OP, who later revealed in a comment that they are an arborist, explained that they frequently see "pristine native properties" decimated in favor of traditional grass turf.
"Over the years, the lawns just keep getting bigger and bigger and nature keeps receding. It's very sad to see. … I'd say that most people just assume that's how it should be done," they said.
While the OP added that their father-in-law appears to be "coming around to my way of thinking" despite his previous suggestions, the commenters on the post clearly didn't need any convincing.
"Your current lawn is beautiful. Don't change anything," another person said.
"I bet this view looks amazing in spring or summer," wrote another.
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