Get Off My Lawn

Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution

Zoo, National Museum, Postal Museum, Smithsonian, Society & Culture, Art19, National Zoo, Tony Cohn, Natural History, Dc, Exhibits, Museum, American History, Exhibit, History Of The World, African American History And Culture, History, Washington, Air And Space, Pop Culture, The Smithsonian, Sidedoor, Science

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 June 2022

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nowhere in the world are lawns as revered as they are in the United States. The picture-perfect patch of grass is so deeply rooted in the American psyche it feels more like a default setting than a choice. Americans spend countless hours every year seeding, watering, mowing, and fertilizing patches of grass that don't make much sense, economically or ecologically. But why? In this episode, we dig into the history of our lawnly love to learn where the concept came from...and how we grew so obsessed.

Guests:

Cindy Brown, manager of collections, education, and access at Smithsonian Gardens

Joyce Connolly, museum specialist at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens

Abeer Saha, curator of agriculture and engineering at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

Sylvia Schmeichel, lead horticulturist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

Jeff Schneider, deputy director of Smithsonian Gardens

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello SideDorables, it's May, which means,
0:02.8	tis the season when many are dawning gardening gloves,
0:05.9	brandishing pruning shears, and heading outside
0:08.4	to take on the lawn.
0:10.7	So we thought we'd share one of our favorite episodes
0:12.7	from the SideDor library,
0:14.4	all about the roots of our American love for lawns.
0:18.0	With some practical tips thrown in as well,
0:20.3	we'll be back in two weeks with a brand new episode for you.
0:23.1	But in the meantime, pop in those earbuds while you're reading,
0:26.1	and enjoy.
0:27.1	This is SideDor, a podcast from the Smithsonian with support from PRX.
0:40.5	I'm Lizzie Peabody.
0:53.6	It's a beautiful morning for a stroll in the grass.
0:57.2	And not just any grass.
0:59.7	So in front of me is the capital building.
1:02.5	Behind me is the Washington Monument.
1:06.0	And in between is just huge swaths of green,
1:11.4	like a big green soft carpet.
1:16.4	It's the kind of grass that makes you want to kick off your shoes.
1:19.6	That's me wiggling my toes.
1:23.2	The smell of fresh-cut grass in summertime takes me right back to
	...

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