Is it worth noting the social demands of the lawn, too? You have an obligation to your neighbors to maintain your lawn, and many communities even have penalties for home-owners who fail to do so. Another aspect of the liminality of the lawn is that, though you own it, others have some say in how it is disposed.
In this regard, consider grass as crucial in its requirement of continual upkeep. By choosing grass, the suburbanite imposes on himself a certain social requirement.
