
LAWN CARE
Author Unknown
I've fed it, watered it, mowed
it, raked it and watched a lot of it die anyway. Now I'm supposed
to winterize it? I hope it's too late.
Grass lawns have to be the stupidest
thing we've come up with outside of thong swimsuits! We constantly
battle dandelions, Queen Anne's lace, thistle, violets, chicory
and clover that thrive naturally, so we can grow grass that
must be nursed through an annual four-step chemical dependency.
Imagine the conversation The Creator
might have with St. Francis about this:
"Frank you know all about
gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there
in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle
and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance
garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand
drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting
blossoms attracted butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds.
I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I
see are these green rectangles."
"It's the tribes that settled
there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers
'weeds' and went to great extent to kill them and replace them
with grass."
"Grass? But it's so boring.
It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and
bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures.
Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?"
"Apparently so, Lord. They
go to great pains to grow it and keep it green They begin each
spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that
crops up in the lawn."
"The spring rains and cool
weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make
the Suburbanites happy."
"Apparently not, Lord. As
soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week."
"They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?"
"Not exactly, Lord. Most
of them rake it up and put it in bags." "They bag
it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"
"No, sir. Just the opposite.
They pay to throw it away."
"Now let me get this straight.
They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow,
they cut it off and pay to throw it away?" "Yes, sir."
"These Suburbanites must
be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn
up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot
of work."
"You aren't going believe
this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out
hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to
mow it and pay to get rid of it."
"What nonsense! At least
they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius,
if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to
provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall
to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in
the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot,
the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural
circle of life."
"You better sit down, Lord.
The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves
fall, they rake them into great piles and have them hauled away."
"No! What do they do to
protect the shrub and treeroots in the winter and keep the soil
moist and loose?"
"After throwing away your
leaves, they go out and buy something they call mulch They haul
it home and spread it around in place of the leaves."
"And where do they get this
mulch?"
"They cut down trees and
grind them up."
"Enough! I don't want to
think about this anymore.
Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have
you scheduled for us tonight?"
"Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's
a real stupid movie about . . ."
"Never mind I think I just
heard the whole story."