Grass of the Homeland
by Bernie Paquette
I traveled far
Across oceans no less
from Europe, North Asia
and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco.
So long was the voyage
my incredible foreign thirst
-water, food, frequent replenishment
have left me dependent on constant cost, care, and an endless number of cultural practices.
I must be over-sowed, less I grow bald spots,
aerated to enable my growing feet.
Man, in his wisdom decided I needed more
and he needed less free time
thus now I endure a shearing every week
no matter how wet or dry
often increasing my desiccation.
Any leftover free time -
Edging - Hard Edge
defining a clear cut border to my nearest neighbor
who is not to attain a more Glabrous look than mine.
For what is a man if not reflective of his pride in me.
Emblematic of the dollars spent on my behalf
Dollar spot is one of many diseases I am prone to
appearing as silver-dollar-sized spots on my coat.
Let’s not even talk about Winter kill.
What man would admit to his long-standing bias against a balding rug
either upon his head or below his feet?
My friends think a poor neighbor, partner, friend am I for what I bring upon them to bear.
Weed-whip, ‘strimmer’, weed whacker, week walker, wood eater…
Call it what you will - it has no conscience nor very good eyesight
ask any flower or tree neighbor of mine.
For shearing, ah here man shows his love of big powerful machines.
Mowers
They must be loud, noisy, brutally so - carrying their roar farther than pollen in the wind.
They must spew dirty, foul, black, and blue partially burned carbon exhaust
through mufflers more cosmetic than effective.
They must hold a size vis-a-vis the smaller the yard, the bigger the mower.
For the man whose domain is short of a prairie,
a riding mower is a must.
For what is a man if not reflective of his pride in me.
To further his boast, no man will mow me on the same day as another
lest his audacious ear-splitting mowing machine is drowned out in an orchestra of two.
No concern then of missing the “sound of summer”!
Oh joy, lest we hear quiet and nature sounds and lose ourselves forevermore.
Such a wimp must be he who shears only enough of me
to guide his infrequent path upon my shoulders,
pushing an inconspicuous electric mower.
May his hearing live long and prosper, though his pride surely must be paltry.
What was here before me?
Forest
Prairie
Native plants like
buffalo grass
bluestem grass
and broomsedge.
What about Kentucky bluegrass you ask?
Brought over by colonists from its native range of Eurasia and parts of Northern Africa.
Bermuda grass - from Asia is even invasive on its namesake island.
From forest to deforestation.
From native self-care grasses to time and money-sucking imports.
From plants that help support the web of life
to monoculture desertification lawns.
(Which give deserts a bad name, since they support a great deal of life, whereas lawns support nada.)
USA, USA, USA
What of pride of the homeland, and native grasses.
Hundreds of species of grasses are native to North America.
Dozens are native to Vermont, not including many dozens of sedges.
Little Bluestem (
Schizachyrium scoparium)
Blue-gray-green, turning reddish-bronze in autumn.
Adaptable and tolerant of harsh conditions and poor soil.
Not too tall and not too short. Attracts birds, small bees, butterflies, moths, larval host.
VT Native.
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Tall, attractive, blue-green changing to green in spring,
turkey foot’ seedbeds in late summer, reddish-bronze in fall.
Strong vase shape. Utilized by native bees, butterflies, moths, larval host.
VT Native.
Prairie Dropseed (Sorobolus heterolepis)
Wispy, fragrant, graceful all seasons, hues of orange in autumn,
soft perfectly round, mounding shape in summer, fantastic color, and texture in fall.
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Ornamental bobbing flat seedbeds (called “fish on a line”) add interest.
Lime green in summer, the seedbeds mature to a golden bronze.
Very attractive in winter.
Hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa)
Attractive mounding habit - famous for airy plumes of gold and silver.
Good for partial shade - enjoy its fluffy fronds.
VT Native.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Gorgeous!
Multi-colored in late summer, great fall texture, and color.
Panicled seedbeds give an airy look. Attracts birds, bees, butterflies, moths.
VT Native.
Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Vase-shaped producing golden-yellow plumes in fall
Slightly blue-green mellowing to copper-tan after frost.
Flower spikes with bright yellow pollen sacs with a broad open habit.
Attracts native bees, birds, butterflies, moths.
VT Native
Statuesque native grasses,
or
faux “Kentucky Bluegrass”?
Constant care
or
maintenance-free?
Quiet
or
mind-blowing noise?
Fragrance of flowers and forest
or
fumes befit a truck fueling stop?
Monoculture feeding little to nothing in nature
or
Native plants feeding the web of life?
For what is man if not reflective of his pride in his native land
In the native plants, flora, animals, and birds of the sky?
Will man once again walk a gentle path through nature
or use free time to mow, water, and feed me
over an obsession for foreign plants?
