I Love Lawn! There. I said it. It's certainly not Politically Correct to like lawn because everyone bemoans the waste of water, the use of pesticides and fertilizers and the imported gasoline that's needed to run mowers that cut those itsy bitsy blades of grass each week from spring through fall. And I totally agree. But I still love turf even though it's not the trendy thing to do. I occasionally get out the old-fashioned "manual" push mower that my mother no longer needs.  The leaves that wind up in the grass catcher get tossed into the compost bins. It's a good workout. Better than the health club when the weather's warm. Over the years, we've removed more than one third of the lawn, replacing it with beds and borders filled with woody plants and perennials. And we don't waste water on the grass. When the weather turns hot and dry in July and August it goes dormant.  It's neither weed- nor bug-free, but that's ok. Because our lawn is a landing strip for bluebirds, robins and others who like come on in for a quick snack.

—Nina Koziol