Despite the original posters overly extensive post, with certain questionable content, the central point is still quite vaild. We as a nation spend more money on grass than on any other crop. That by itself should be reason enough. Read up on the history of lawns and you'll find that they were orginally created as a means of demonstrating wealth (aka, I have this big area and I can afford to do nothing with it except grow grass I can't eat) Regarding the comments of junegem13 and zachslc, you might want to read up on the legal history of this movement. As it turns out, most weed laws (ones based on hight, not on noxious weeds) are unconstitutional. Nonetheless, if you are in a city or subdivision and decide to do a wildflower meadow where there is not an reasonable ordinance, then you should notify your neighbors and the city about why you are doing and the legal preceedants. The EPA has all this information. Regarding property values, that was the original complaint neighbors made against one landowner when she converted her lawn into meadow. When they were unable to demonstrate an actual decrease in property values, the city ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. Afterwards, the neighbors decided if they couldn't beat her that they'd join her and replace their own yards with meadows. Property values in that one neighborhood are now some of the highest in the city (Specific names and places, are available if you want them). Time and time again, lawn alternatives done correctly have shown to raise values, not lower them. In Charlottesville, VA local government is working on an ammendment to exclude native meadows from our weed ordinance. Other cities are doing the same very quicky, especially since the weed ordinance as written by many localites constitutes a legal liability to local governments.

The first looks like Silene armeria. The second looks like Linaria.

You are in a very different climate, but it looks very similar to a weed we call gumweed. It gets the name because the leaves, stems, and flowers are covered in a sticky, rosin-like substance. The plant is perennial, grows a numbers of stems which get quite woody by the end of the season. Due to the rosin, livestock don't care to eat it unless goats would. It is also hard to kill in a pasture setting without killing the pasture.

I have them in my garden but I have a wild garden and I have different ideas about what makes a good plant than a lot of people. I don't water and it doesn't mind. . It comes and goes as it pleases. I do not find that it is a thug. I like the color of its leaves.