Chattanooga Man is Rebelling Against His City By Keeping His Lawn Untrimmed on Earth Day

Lawns aren’t mandatory in all residential properties, but when the city requires a certain layout, the costs become difficult to upkeep. Jonjon (@jonjon.jpg) on TikTok from Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been forced to maintain a lawn for his home. Now that it’s sprawling out of control, his city has issued a warning for him to trim it unless he wants to pay a $50 a day fine. Instead of complying, Jonjon is finding a workaround in the situation.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just trim the lawn and get it over with? Jonjon was served the notice on Earth Day, and he explained the irony of it all. “What do you think is the most irrigated crop in America?” He asked at the start of his TikTok clip.

Surprisingly, it’s neither wheat nor corn—staple crops in the American diet. Rather, it’s turf grass. What makes the revelation shocking is that turf grass serves no other purpose outside of aesthetic. Moreover, Kentucky blue grass, which is highly popular in American lawns, is not even native to the country.

Terrible for the environment

“It accounts for nine billion gallons of water use per day across America,” Jonjon added. He essentially debunked the notion that turf grass is good for the environment. With the amount of water used for its upkeep, clearly, it isn’t.

He further explained, “If you watered your lawn for an entire week, you’ve used the amount of water that your family would use to shower for the entire year.” The environmental threats don’t stop there. According to Jonjon, the gas-powered lawn equipment used to maintain yard space is also costly.

“A two-stroke engine like a blower or lawn mower is like a 500-mile trip in your car when it comes to emissions,” he claimed. One hour of using the said equipment is the equivalent of a 500-mile car ride.

Where does the tradition of keeping a front lawn come from?

Aside from the water and gas usage, pesticides used in front lawns to keep the grass pest-free contribute to algae blooms in natural water sources. Needless to say, Jonjon is not a fan of lawns for environmental reasons. To be forced to keep a wasteful lawn on Earth Day is the ironic cherry on top of the cake.

“The history of the modern lawn traces back to French and English aristocracy. You see, only the rich could afford to have fallow land, something that wasn’t used for agriculture or enterprise, and then actually pay to maintain it to look good,” Jonjon told TikTok. Essentially, it was meant to be kept as an idle space for visitors to admire. Green lawns are picturesque, but they’re also a status symbol for the home.

“After the suburban experiment took off in America, it became part of the American dream. Until eventually, it was codified,” he added. In Jonjon’s neighborhood in Chattanooga, he is required to have a front lawn—or what’s called a “setback.”

To combat these restrictions, Jonjon plans to add mulch circles in his lawn around native species of plants. Although difficult to distinguish with the weeds, they are much more beneficial to pollinators. He also placed a sign that said, “Please excuse the weeds. We are feeding the bees.”

But he knows that this wouldn’t be enough of a solution to convince his city government. While he is looking to cultivate native plants in his garden, it’s currently out of his means. Nevertheless, Jonjon’s situation sheds light on an issue rarely spoken of. Lawns are economically and environmentally taxing, and not everyone should be mandated to have them.

(featured image: Curtis Adams)

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