Refreshing the Rye

The Mister and I had a couple of visitors yesterday from the other side of town, and as we were giving them the "short tour" of Morrison Ranch, one of the guys asked about the grass and the water use. There are some articles in the papers today about Pima County's new restrictions on "ornamental turf" - if you can't walk on it, you can't plant it. And as the rye is overseeded on select areas in Morrison Ranch, it seems that a refresher course on the use of winter grass and water use is appropriate.

As The Mister explained to our guest, we use reclaimed water to irrigate all the common areas of turf. Perhaps we would even pass Pima County's test, because we intend all of our grass to be walked on, played on, picniced on, run on, dog-walked on; in short, used and enjoyed by the residents (with the exclusion of equine or motorized activity, of course). Further, we use some pretty complicated computer systems that are hooked up to weather stations installed throughout Morrison Ranch; they measure the moisture and the wind and calculate exactly how much water to use at different times of year for different types of grass, making the watering process extremely efficient. Having detailed our bona fides on water conservation, there are other factors to consider in this discussion.

We make no apologies for promoting aesthetics in Morrison Ranch. The turf and trees look nice and feel nice, but they also cool things down and make oxygen. Phoenix has quite a problem with PM10 - particulate matter ten, which means the particulates are 10 microns in size - otherwise known as dust. Between turf and decomposed granite, which do you suppose might contribute more PM10 to the air? How much more coal might be burned in Four Corners to provide the electricity to cool down a building surrounded by granite and concrete as opposed to the building surrounded by trees and turf?

The Mister says that it is human nature to simplify issues so that we can understand them, but we tend to leave the truth behind. Grass uses more water; that is a true statement. But all the statements in the paragraph above are true as well, and need to be weighed. To be very personal, our philosophy - which is borne of our faith - is that humankind is to be a good steward of all the resources on the earth, balanced by an enjoyment of those resources.

And for those Highland Groves residents wondering about the aesthetics of their community? Yes, we are overseeding with rye; but since the original grass was late getting in, so will be the rye. Never fear, Park Lane will soon be green again.