In Support of Grass Stains

It is May 3, 2020. The world is entering its third month of the worst pandemic in a hundred years. While society idles on and businesses are forced to close their doors, we have seen a sharp increase in the demand for both new and renovated lawns. Gardens too! West Coast Seeds are currently 2 months behind on their Spring orders. Good luck getting through to them. In fact, our soil supplier sold more soil in March then all of last spring combined. There are likely many reasons for this somewhat surprising surge.

The most obvious reason is people are stuck at home and have become a little TOO familiar with their property. They don’t like what they are seeing and wish to make improvements. 

Another possibility is with the closing of restaurants and travel, people finally have some financial wiggle room to invest back in their property. 

The third reason is grass stains. 

As a kid, I grew up on the Prairies, in a tiny village, outside a small town, in rural Saskatchewan. It was glorious. I spent most of my time outdoors, skating on frozen ponds in the winter and building forts and playing kick the can in the summer. I frequently frustrated my mother by coming home late for supper covered in grass stains from head to toe. As I rushed past her to grab some grub I remember her saying something about, “never be able to get these stains out.” As a kid, I didn’t care. I was having too much fun to worry about laundry.

Over time, the stains evolved into giant holes in the knees. We used to have to earn the style we now pay big bucks for. The eighties style police didn’t embrace rips and stains so I was forced to help pay for the next pair. I barely cared. I was having the time of my life!! New jeans were simply the price of adventure. 30 years later, I’m still coming home covered in grass stains. And people pay me to do it. 

As a species, we were created in nature, by nature and for nature thus we were made for adventure, exploration and yes, grass stains. When forced to stay home, we ache for days gone by. We long to have the freedom to get back out in nature where we belong returning home with rips and stains from our various adventures.

Thankfully we can re- create these spaces at home and be reminded of simpler days, long summer nights and parents who supported our many dirt covered adventures.

The surge we’re seeing? It’s nostalgia. 

We’re returning to the place we belong.