The Lawn in VOGUE

I was sitting in the hair salon waiting for my youngest son to get his hair cut and I picked up the latest copy of VOGUE.  A rare moment, relaxing, enjoying high fashion.  The ads are as intriguing as the photo spreads.  Ah, finally I get to the opening photo spread, before his hair is cut.  And, what fabulously chic couture.  The cut of that suit, the shoes, the lawn.......   Do I need to get my reading glasses out?  (Something I only to resort to on a life or death basis.)  Is that grass tall?   Do I see a weed?   Oh, *gasp* is that a bare patch of dirt under the swing?   I was so entranced with the condition of the lawn I quit looking at the clothes!  

The photo feature is in the July 2010 VOGUE.  It is titled "Magnificent Obsession."
All photos above are from a photo series photographed by Peter Lindbergh.  The series cast Ewan McGregor and Natalia Vodianova in a c. 1957 domestic drama.  If you want to see the original photos click here.  So, my interest is in the lawn.  Is it being depicted as c. 1957 or is this the lawn that will be in vogue?  With the "green" movement; green is everywhere, even in lawn care.  Groups like safelawns.org  are spreading knowledge about the danger of pesticides and synthetic chemicals in lawn care products.  What is different about this lawn in VOGUE?  Taller grass, around 2 1/2-3 1/2 inches is considered the healthy length.  Taller grass helps develop a better root system this in turn helps the grass survive drought, tolerate insect damage, and fend off disease better.  The allowance of some weeds.  This is just a personal preference.  Bare patches, well kids will be kids and dirt happens. The reason this all hit home with me; as I sat there with the VOGUE held out at that angle that allowed my 40-ish eyes to focus on which weed they had growing in their lawn, was that I had been editing my lawn photos!

Unedited lawn

Edited lawn

One area of the lawn that I photographed last week that actually needed no editing.  Now, I have a good excuse for my wayward yard it had a track hoe sitting on top of it two years ago and the lawn and I are still traumatized. 

So, which lawn do you have?  Is it photograph ready or do you edit?;)

Just a fun post for Outdoor Wednesday at Susan's site, A Southern Daydreamer.  Go over to check out all the lovely outdoor photos.

* Not to trivialize the work of safelawns.org at all.  A site well worth visiting and one that did have me thinking about the best way to reestablish my lawn.

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