3 reasons to have a lawn

Nothing says "home" like a solid lawn in front of the house. A soft carpet of green grass is a fine place to play, an ecological boon and bound to lift your spirits.

Lawns are sometimes criticized by environmentalists for all the watering and chemical treatment their maintenance can require.

• But if you use restraint with chemicals and leave room in your landscape for a diverse collection of other plants, a lawn can be a valuable feature in your home's outdoor ecosystem.

• A healthy lawn absorbs rainfall six times more effectively than a wheat field, and prevents runoff and erosion of topsoil.
• Lawn grasses trap dust and dirt, and their roots (and the soil microbes they host) act as filters to capture and break down lots of different pollutants.
• An average front yard lawn has about twice the cooling capacity of the average home-size central air-conditioning unit.
• An attractive landscape with a well-maintained lawn can add 15 per cent to a home's value.

With a bit of consideration on your part, your lawn not only won't add to your allergy suffering, it may even help you breathe easier.

• The best lawn grasses won't produce pollen, either because they don't bloom at all (like hybrid Bermuda) or because regular mowing never gives them the chance.
• On the contrary, a thick lawn can trap billions of airborne pollen grains each season between its millions of long, slim leaves.
• When it rains or when you use the sprinkler, the airborne pollen is pushed down to the ground, where it remains.

Certain types of lawnmowers can help ease allergies, too.

• A rear-bagging mower traps and bags pollen along with the grass clippings.
• A well-maintained mulching mower dumps pollen below the mower along with the finely chopped clippings, and rain quickly pushes it into the soil.