Brandon Twp.- Do we really need lawns?
This is the central question of Lois Robbins? new book, Lawn Wars: The Struggle for a New Lawn Ethic.
‘To keep a healthy lawn, you need chemicals and fertilizers that are not so good for the environment,? said Robbins, who will read passages from her book on Nov. 7 at the Windsor Book Festival. ‘It’s so embedded in people’s consciousness? the manicured lawn.?
Instead, the township resident is an advocate for landscaping with plants that are native to the area and require no mowing, watering, or other care.
Robbins is well-versed on native landscaping. She is part of the volunteer group that planted the Heritage Garden next to the Old Town Hall in Ortonville and her own private property has been certified a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Her backyard is unmowed with the exception of a couple paths and clearing areas and her front yard is wild except for a small diagonal area near the house and a native garden. She says one neighbor offered to come and mow it for her, but once she explained what she was doing, they were fine with it.
In Lawn Wars, Robbins discusses the history of the lawn, noting that many people believe they got their start in Europe with feudal lords who had lots of property and sheep to keep the grass mowed. Because of this, smooth green spaces were thought prestigious, she said.
Robbins advocates at the very minimum the shrinking of lawns to serve only the minimum needs of residents? such as a place for children to play, somewhere to hang out the laundry, and perhaps mowing a space near the house to meet insurance requirements.
Lawn Wars, an approximately 180-page book, gives advice on native landscape planting, lawn shrinking and how to have a lawn that will cause less harm to the environment? including the use of slow-release fertilizers.
‘We are losing species that are going extinct at a really terrifying rate, and the primary reason is that they are losing habitat,? said Robbins. ‘They lose habitat because of development, lawns that carpet the nation, and invasive species.?
Robbins volunteers with the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy (NOHLC). In 2003 she founded the Village of Ortonville’s annual CreekFest, a celebration of Ortonville’s trout stream, and she has served as Brandon Township’s EPA Phase II Stormwater Management Educator. She was the 2009 recipient of the Oakland County’s 2009 Heritage Partner Award.
Lawn Wars: The Struggle for a New Lawn Ethic, is published by iUniverse and is available for $17.95 online at amazon.com, www.iUniverse.com, or by contacting Robbins at lois@robbinsmail.com.