Hate is a strong word but I can honestly say that I hate plastic grass! Not only does it look fake, it’s incredibly bad for the environment. (Rather than me arguing the points for and against plastic grass, there’s a great article on Plymouth University website that answers the question ‘Why are artificial lawns bad for the environment?‘.) I particularly hate the plastic grass in the photo below – it’s literally at the beach, with just the coastal path separating the property from the sand and rocks, so its very presence spoils the natural environment that surrounds it. When I walk that way, I feel angry and sad and also baffled that someone who lives in such a beautiful location has chosen to cover their front yard with a carpet of plastic. When I passed by last week, for the first time I also felt amused, because the Pied wagtail, when it realised it would find no insects in this plastic desert, raised its tail and pooped, before flying off to more productive pastures. The bird’s reaction seemed perfect to me and entirely appropriate!