The topic of Pollan's article is actually one I've considered before. What made me start thinking about front lawns and how it was strange that Americans seemed to have such a rigid code for these tracts of grass was my in-law's move to a Washington D.C. suburb. When they moved into their new house (actually before they moved in when they were first considering the house as a potential buy) they were informed that the particular neighborhood the house was situated in had a list of guidelines and rules that all inhabitants must follow. One large chunk of these rules pertained to the maintenance of your front lawn, how you could landscape it, and what you could place in it. For instance, they are not allowed to put "garish" decorations in the front law area around the holidays...they cannot place certain types of trees in the front lawn, and I don't know what the ruling is for flowerbeds, but I would guess that anything besides the border around the house itself has to be approved by the neighborhood council. Talk about a modern day Puritan settlement!!
I don't know if it's my inherent wish to "buck the man that's putting me down" or that I just like yards with flowers, trees, and shrubs more than the immaculate, but boring front lawn of nothing but regulation code length grass, but I fully plan to have a more interesting lawn than the average person. My reaction to the "rules" of my in-laws neighborhood was strong enough that had it been I looking for a home, I probably would have refused to buy the house in that neighborhood merely based on the fact that I don't think I should have to petition for approval from a group of people who don't even know me or own my property whenever I want to plant one silly flower or shrub. Even if I don't ever decide to coat my yard with daisies, it's the principle of the thing...If I want to plant something I'm going to do it. I think I have enough sense to be trusted with my lawn...my mother stopped making me ask her for approval when I wanted to do things several years ago now. I guess in general I think people take their lawns a bit too seriously as far as living up to the rigid code of what they're "supposed" to look like. As long as it doesn't look like a junkyard, I don't really care...a meadow is fine with me.
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