This really is an interesting discussion. I'd like to support what Kate said above about committing to practices that work well for a particular location. The workability, viability, practicality and eco-friendliness of a lawn is completely different for different climates.
Down here in Florida, *where grass grows year 'round and needs weekly mowing at least 9 months of the year*, the County Extension services have been encouraging people for 15 years (that I know of, maybe more) to get rid of as much lawn as they can, because it requires SO much expensive chemical warfare, plus all the mowing, edging, fertilizing and watering here. Sarasota County has had once-weekly watering restrictions in place for at least that long, as well, which in itself limits the growing of lawns. There is no comparison, in Florida, with using other lower maintenance groundcovers, mulch, perennial natives, shrubs etc. over turf grass. "Mow what grows, if you must have lawn" is the mantra of all Florida Master Gardeners when asked about lawns here.
We have ocean and gulf water all around us, plus a porous limestone aquifer underneath our porous sandy soil here. We also have unthinkably heavy rain, measured in inches per hour, for at least 4 months of the year. Oh, and hurricanes once in a while also - over a foot of rain in 5 hours from Irma here and we really didn't get the worst of it. So every bit of chemical that is put down on the soil leaches into the drinking water source (aquifer) or runs into the rivers and sea water.
A little different than Minnesota, huh
@RpR ? Everywhere is different. We all need to understand and practice stewardship (thanks again for the good word, Kate) for our particular areas. Also, teach our kids and the children of others to be custodians of the land as well. Our survival, and certainly theirs may depend upon it.
