lawns

Lawns have a very interesting community ecology, if they aren't sprayed and watered into a monoculture, that is.  Ours has been maintained as what I call "natural" since we moved in in 2002.  It was maintained by a lawn care company before that (and there is an in-ground sprinkler system put in by the previous owner).  We don't water, and whatever can grow we let grow, including probably dozens of different kinds of weeds.  Many of the weeds flower in interesting and beautiful ways.  Overall, I think it regulates itself better than a monoculture lawn and generally needs less mowing, even in wet years.  It doesn't look like a manicured lawn, but that is a matter of aesthetics.  I like the look of our lawn better than high maintenance (which are also high carbon and water footprint) lawns.