Livestock are not particularly picky when it’s time to eat, though, and as European cattle, sheep, and goats spread throughout the east coast, these native grasses disappeared. In New England, the grasses were mostly annuals, like broomstraw, wild rye, and marsh grass, and had a lower nutritional value than the grasses of northwest Europe.
These first colonists found no pasture grasses as these were not native to the eastern seaboard. The landscape that greeted the early European colonists in America had already been greatly altered by Native Americans for the purposes of hunting and fishing. It’s no wonder that Gatsby wanted Carraway’s lawn addressed: it would reflect on him in a variety of ways if it were not.īut lawns are a recent development in the human history of altering our environment. So important is this physical representative of a desired status that fines can be levied if the lawn is not maintained. Many homeowner associations have regulations to the effect of how often a lawn must be maintained. A properly maintained lawn tells others you are a good neighbor. It signifies that you care about belonging and want others to see that you are like them. To have a well maintained lawn is a sign to others that you have the time and/or the money to support this attraction. Lawns are indicative of success they are a physical manifestation of the American Dream of home ownership. Lawns connect neighbors and neighborhoods they’re viewed as an indicator of socio-economic character, which translates into property- and resale values. The state of a homeowner’s lawn is important in relation to their status within the community and to the status of the community at large. In preparation for Gatsby’s luncheon with Daisy, Gatsby is so troubled by this difference that he sends his own gardeners to take care of the offensive strip of grass.
#THE PERSON WHO SPENT MONEY LIKE WATER PATCH#
The disparity between his patch of greenery and the immaculately manicured grounds of Jay Gatsby's mansion is clear: “We both looked at the grass-there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began,” reports Carraway. In The Great Gatsby when Nick Carraway rents his house on the West Egg, he apparently spends little time on lawn care. Why do Americans place so much importance on lawn maintenance? Lawns are expensive-and some regard them as boring in their uniformity-but they are a hallmark of homeownership. It must be watered, mowed, repaired, and cultivated. This means you must be willing to care for it. It should be no more than an inch and a half tall, and neatly edged. The goal-as confirmed by the efforts of Abraham Levitt in his sweeping exercise in conformity (although it had been established well before that)-is to attain a patch of green grass of a singular type with no weeds that is attached to your home. It’s the time of year when the buzz of landscaping equipment begins to fill the air, and people begin to scrutinize their curb appeal. While urban gardeners may be planning their container gardens, in the suburbs, homeowners are thinking about their lawns. Warmer weather in the northern states means more time outside, and more time to garden. This article is a part of the Green Thumbery series, where everyday gardening meets history and science.
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