I COULDN'T help but take special interest in a reader's comment recently.
He was apparently looking wistfully and sadly at his unattractive front lawn and wondering if it, the space, could be put to better use.
Occasionally someone parked a car on it and it had become a handy toilet for local dogs.
He also raised an important question about lawns, especially those in the front garden.
He asked, "why do people still have totally ignored and usually neglected lawns?".
They are after all, nothing more than water-guzzling bits of cosmetic nonsense, completely unsuited to a harsh, drought-prone Australian climate.
He then suggested that these valuable bits of garden space could be put to use growing vegetables.
Frankly, I couldn't agree more.
In fact, I've been raving on about this for at least 20 years.
And I've not only advocated digging up unwanted lawns, I've been there, done that.
However, last September I did it again with astonishing results and created a new, highly productive, fire-resistant food garden.
This is not some new, trendy fashion.
I joined thousands of others who are becoming increasingly concerned about the global economic crisis.
Many of us think it will get much worse over the next couple of years and can take even longer before an economic recovery takes place.
There is also an increasing shortage of energy and oil.
If this is true, even more people will have to take seriously this idea of turning lawns into vegetable gardens.
First of all, what is involved in lawn conversion?
My method is to first mow the grass quite hard.
Attach a grass-catcher to the mower because it can not only suck up and collect grass clippings but also bits of dead grass and thatch, usually embedded in most old lawn surfaces.
After the first cut, drag a steel-tin rake across the newly mown surface.
This forces flat weeds and prostrate grass into an upright position.
Lower the mower cutting blades right down to the maximum cutting depth, then mow the lawn again.
This scalps an old lawn, which is good.
To stop the newly exposed soil becoming bone dry, give the ground a good, slow, deep soaking, preferably in five-minute bursts to avoid wasteful run-off.
Leave for about a day before cultivation.
The easy way to cultivate an ex-lawn is to hire a rotary hoe. A good, powerful machine pulverises the remnants of old turf, turning it in to a depth of about 200mm.
Spread sheep or pulverised cow manure over the surface at the rate of a large bucketful over every two square metres. Add a good sprinkling of blood and bone and rake the surface to mix the fertilisers.
If the soil is acidic, a thick sprinkling of dolomite lime will sweeten it. Finish this initial stage by giving the cultivated area a good watering, then allow to rest.
After a week the bits of chopped-up turf will already be starting to sprout again.
So the rotary hoe - or a bit of hard steady work with a garden fork - can come in useful again.
This cultivation more or less finishes the job and the ex-lawn vegetable patch is ready for sowing or planting.
At this time of the year there is no shortage of suitable survival vegetables that grow rapidly while the soil remains quite warm and others that thrive through a cold winter.
In September I planted potatoes in what was once my lawn area and have already harvested a massive crop - almost a tonne in fact.
That's plenty for our kitchen and lots to give away to friends.
Winter crops are going in now.
In most cool and temperate districts we can still sow peas (frost-free districts); otherwise broad beans, Japanese turnips, Asian brassicas, radishes and English spinach.
And there is still time, even in cool districts, to plant strong seedlings of cabbage, cauliflower, kale, broccoli and brussels sprouts.
We can grow the best food we can eat right through winter and early spring. And as a happy bonus no more lawn to mow.
You can't get much better than that.
