[snth]

I don't believe this one. I guess it's possible it was originally true, but I don't think it's relevant now. I've lived in a house where we let the lawn go. It got very brushy and wasn't usable by us anymore. It was difficult to even walk though. AND, by that point it was too high to cut back into shape with a regular lawnmower. So I keep my lawn trimmed for the practical reason of wanting to use it.

[gbrown]

Well, sure, if you have a lawn and stop maintaining it, the result will suck. That’s not the alternative though, which is environment appropriate landscaping. Out west that’s often succulents and hardscape. Where I live in the Midwest, that’s perennial flowers and prairie.

[throwaway9870]

You don't want that near your house unless you like pests and rodents.

[gbrown]

That’s overhyped. Keep your foundation clear and dry, and the wildlife will stay in the habitat you create. I live by a forest, and when we moved in the place was surrounded by sterile lawn. We had all sorts of german cockroaches crawling in, mouse damage in the garage, mice hiding in all the outdoor equipment, etc. Since then, I’ve been waging war on the lawn, and despite obvious vole activity in the various mulched areas, the pest situation in the home is better, if anything.

[throwaway9870]

I have a pasture 20ft from my barn and no way would I want that as close to my house as my turf is. Mice, ground hogs, ticks, a gazillion insects, ground hornets, all sorts of weeds including poison ivy, wild animal poop you can't see because the vegetation hides it, so you step in it. You can't walk through it in summer in shorts unless it is mowed like grass. Forget walking barefoot.

What you describe is not replacing turf grass with pasture, which is what the parent described that I responded to.