Yesterday the ChemLawn guy was at our apartment complex spraying the grass. I was working in the Community Garden area, preparing my little patch for the upcoming tilling. I wanted to leave the area, because I'm sure that breathing those chemicals (that's the Chem part of ChemLawn) cannot be good for anyone. But, I only had a small window of opportunity to work in the garden, so I stayed. Bad choice.
The rest of the day I had a headache. Not the kind I normally have. This one wouldn't be cured by aspirin or alleve, or even sudafed. When I went outside later in the day, I noticed that he had posted little "Danger, stay off the grass" signs all over.
Now, I realize that something is needed to keep the lawn under control (as a nation, we're obsessed with controlling the grass). I appreciate that the bug population is minimized, and that the dandy lions aren't allowed to flourish (although I always enjoy a few!) and that we have a nice, green color to the lawn.
But Danger signs? Come on! And we are only one little complex in one small little town, in a medium size state, in a pretty large country. If we're doing this, I'm pretty sure that others (most others) are doing it as well.
One of the many gardening catalogs that I received this year was one that was promoting healthy grass techniques. They said that many schools and hospitals are tired of the "Danger" signs that come with Chemical Lawn control. I thought about it for awhile, and considered starting a small business that cares for lawns in a natural, normal way....but like most ideas, it came and went without me doing anything about it.
Now I'm not so sure. I'm going to look into this as something that might actually be a good idea!
And it's not just the lawns. While going through the various nursery's looking for plants, I smell the Chemical section and avoid it with a vengeance. I always get a headache if I walk down that aisle, or even near it. What alarms me is that these chemicals are available to the general public. And they use them! Driving around last week I saw numerous people out with sprayers and small machines spreading this stuff on their yards.
Am I right to be worried?
For years, I've maintained that most people with allergies are NOT allergic to grass, hay, flowers etc. They are allergic to the chemicals that are used in the growth and maintenance of these things.
Ok, it's time to stop. Otherwise I'll begin to rant, and that will give me another type of headache.
Please tell me I'm not alone. That someone out there is concerned as well. Someone? Anyone?
Tell Me Who/Where You Are!
