Frazz by Jef Mallett for July 12, 2022

It’s like people who move to a desert because of their allergies, and then plant roses.

I have long known that Spouse’s definition of “a weed” is “something that’s very happy to grow here that she didn’t want  growing here!” So every year, “we” pour another several $100 into another set of plants that aren’t… mostly… going to thrive. Though most years we do find two, maybe even three, that will last over winter. Once. Maybe even twice.

Back during America’s great westward migration, the whole middle of the country was referred to as the Great American Desert. Then irrigation got started, and now it’s the nation’s breadbasket. Yeah, that’s why people water their plants: to keep them alive!

Trans people, trans plants.. okay by me.

In LA you can clearly see the houses with the lush lawns and gardens but the water authority says they can’t tell how the excessive users are.

This can result in a type of Climate Change.

In my country we have an invasive species of plant, the Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica). It really thrives here, even though we try everything to eradicate it, as it grows so quick and large that the native plants are in danger.

I live in a tourist area in Northern Michigan. All I can say is that suddenly everyone wants to move here, so bye-bye wooded areas, hello yet one more hotel, along with the new chain restaurants and strip malls. Why did you come up here again? For the “up north” feeling? sigh

Kinda like in William Least Heat-Moon’s book PrairyErth. Little town in the middle of the Kansas prairie. The streets are all named stuff like Oak, Elm, etc. Xeriscape when you can.

One of my pet peeves. Phoenix should not even exist; it’s irresponsible to establish a city in an unsustainable environment.

Why do people water their plants in places where there’s no water?

Because there’s no water.

It’s discouraging to walk through a Tucson neighborhood and see little plots of lovely green grass. Lovely in Michigan, not in Arizona.

Here in mostly green central VA plants get plenty of rain most years, which you would think was a good thing. But, unfortunately, suburban folks seem to feel there is no safe green without its enemies, i.e., weeds, so there is also lots of weed killer.

As to weeds, it all depends on how you define the term. Someone once said a weed is a flower someone didn’t want there. I agree wholeheartedly.

A couple decades back, we owned some rural acreage. I stepped out of our south facing door about noon and was stunned to see stretching ahead of me our 3 acre field covered in yellow dandelion blossoms. Couldn’t get past the beauty of it. Just stood and took it in for as long as I could. I waited days until the blossoms became white feathers and blew away before I mowed. I treasure the moment and have never forgotten the feeling.

Now we live in a green suburb, and it appears ‘beauty’ is limited to sprinkler dotted golf green lawns and lots of plants and shrubs that repeat yard after yard. After a few walks, there is little that interests the eye. Somehow, although the move was necessary, we lost a treasure.

Some properties where I live are ripping out the lawn and replacing with rocks which is increasing the radiant heat that we already have due to paving…everything. Instead of planting low water use plants which the county is encouraging and even offering $ incentives. So in a large swath of suburbia there is either raise the heat index or water waste, with only a few properties that actually get it and have planted lovely low water use landscapes. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Home owners are only part of the problem. The local post office and a retirement community both have large areas of unused lawn areas that are kept green regardless of drought conditions. There are groundcover plants and low growing shrubs that once established would cut the water use and the water bill by 2/3 easily.

But if I don’t keep my lawn lush and green no matter the circumstances, then how can I prove that I’m better than the Joneses?

It can be a vicious socioeconomic and ecological circle. So many originally from and living where others went became exiles.

Drought state here – replaced lawns with native plants years ago. Love it, but they still need some water. And the first year, they need a lot until established. Hope that answers your question.

“Every answer just raises another question.” Especially if the question, little kid, is “Why?”. Eventually that leads to existential issues like the nature of reality and what really happened during the Big Bang.

Oh, heaven forbid that people add greenery to a desert.

Even natives need occasional supplemental watering to remain healthy, Frazz.The all-native California botanical garden near my home waters every day of the week in the summer- even the chaparral needs help, and the trees really appreciate it. Desert doesn’t mean plant-less, but it should mean lawn-less.

The reason why we have starlings and Chinese Pepper trees.

Whee my aunt lived in Arizona, the lawns were graveled. Some were painted green though.