“I will only miss that beautiful green lawn,” might be said by those who believe that a proper garden cannot exist without a garden that is regularly mowed and constantly watered, because it is so beautiful. On the other hand, a Swedish initiative takes pride in the aesthetics of everyday life and rewards the ugliest garden in the world. This is because such a park has a good chance of more biodiversity, and no water is wasted. The latest winner is the Tasmanian grass we never said goodbye to.
Location of the ugliest park in the world It shows an area full of hollows, interspersed with some dried tufts of grass and sun-burnt grass, almost as we imagine an unkempt semi-desert garden. But this is fully consistent with the invitation to bid.
“This is the most beautiful example of the ugliest grass for the most important issue in the world: water conservation. This is the genius of the competition. It highlights such a serious topic with humor.” It rewards those who are willing to proudly declare that their lawn is the kind of grass that It deserves looks of disgust from the neighbors – and applause from around the world,” reads the website of the Sweden-based organisation. The international judging panel also thanked all applicants for their hideous lawns and encouraged them to be proud of their ugliness.
In addition to the Australian climate, Kathleen Murray from Tasmania owes her victory to the fact that she did not water her garden at all, which was still dug up by marsupials and bandicoots, as well as sannas.
The ugliest garden in the world and its owner, Kathleen Murray – Photography: Gotland.com
Murray lives in an area with no running water, and considers rainwater collected in tanks too valuable to waste on the lawn. If he and his family run out of water, it could take up to two weeks to deliver water by tanker.
Lack of irrigation brought him some achievements. “I used to think bandicoots were monsters of mass destruction invading my garden, but now I see they've actually saved me from having to mow the lawn. I'm a fan of guilt-free weekends, especially since my ex-husband left with his lawnmower in 2016.” – IThe Guardian newspaper quoted the woman.
“You have to choose. Do you want farmers to have enough water to grow food for growing numbers of people, or do you want to play a kind of Nazi lawn contest with your neighbors to make them jealous of how green your garden is? ” revealed Murray, who now sees his garden as an extension of For a nature reserve, about the objectives of the competition: Many new species appeared there, lizards, anteaters, kangaroos, wallabies, and philander's kangaroos.
Even the neighbor's garden is browner
The “World’s Ugliest Garden” initiative was launched in 2022, when the city of Gotland in Sweden was banned from irrigation due to dwindling water supplies. According to the OECD report, the Baltic Sea island's water resources will decrease by 13 percent between 2021 and 2050. Then came the idea that the economical use of water could be promoted through dry meadows. So far, the competitions have proven effective, with water consumption in Gotland reduced by 5 percent. According to the organizers, people often take care of their lawns as a result of social pressure, because they feel that this also shows that they are in good shape.
After Gotland, other settlements in Sweden took part, then the ugly garden became popular in Canada, and now people from all over the world have joined the movement. In parts of Australia, South Africa and the United States with dry climates, so much water is sprayed that, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60 percent of household water use goes to the lawn and garden, so it would be beneficial to forego weeding in this Regions.
