Rant

I'm all for getting rid of those ridiculous Suburban Ohio lawns that people felt they needed for so long. In a place that gets about four inches of rain annually, it makes no sense to have a lawn that requires the equivalent of nine feet of rain. I see a lot of people pulling out their lawns, either through a sudden burst of sanity or, more likely, the fear of running afoul of new water restrictions. Unfortunately, too many are being replaced with blighted gravelscapes. A good xeriscape uses little or no added water once established, assists in cooling your home and adds to your property value. Three tons of gravel, haphazardly raked in front of your house, provides nothing but reflected heat and something for kids to throw. Also, it looks like shit.--F. Andrew Taylor