IV: Ryegrass
A poem for peace on this grassy knoll
Good morning. Today is quartidi, the 4th of Thermidor, Year CCXXXI. We celebrate l'ivraie, the stuff lawns are made of.
💡
What should a lawn be made of, ryegrass or bluegrass? Well, the answer if you live in an area with lots of sun and little water, is no grass (or fescue, if you must), but for areas with prairie and hill biomes where grass grows naturally, the best answer for a brand new lawn is usually: both. Ryegrass grows very quickly and can tolerate a lot of foot traffic, but it's a lighter color and grows more sparsely than bluegrass, which will "fill in the gaps" and eventually overtake the ryegrass. Just starting with bluegrass can leave you with a fragile lawn for a long time, but its close cousin ryegrass is there to get the ball rolling.
Eugene McCarthy was a senator from Minnesota who unsuccessfully ran for president four times, each time primarily on his conviction that our post-World War II military interventions abroad were morally repugnant and diplomatically worthless. He was an odd duck, or would have been in today's political landscape, championing causes like dismantling both the IRS and the nuclear stockpile. He also happened to be an accomplished poet.
