Unintended lawn ornaments

My lawn is probably the worst part of my grounds keeping. It's patchy, full of dandelions and other weeds, and never looks that great. It also never fully recovered from 4 years ago when a landscape delivery truck driver decided to dump 24 tons of crushed limestone I had ordered (as a base for my greenhouse) on the lawn rather than on the driveway as instructed (I was at work at the time—big mistake.)

The sad part is that a bad lawn can pull down look of the whole yard. It doesn't matter how many flowers I plant along the borders because that big brown patch commands the attention.

What to do?

Should I kill it and start over with fresh seed? Throw down new sod? Frankly, I don't have the answer, which is why it sits in limbo.

But part of me wonders why I even have a lawn, and all I can think of is that it's an American tradition. Maybe it would make sense if I had kids or a dog that needed the space for play. Maybe it would make sense if I had a goat grazing on it. But right now I am maintaining it out of some sort of expectation from the neighborhood that it's the right thing to do.

"Lawn is a great Plain in a Park, or a spacious Plain adjoining to a noble Seat... As to the Situation of a Lawn, it will be best in the Front of the House, and to lie open to the neighbouring Country and not pent up with Trees."

—Miller's Gardener's Dictionary of 1733.

There was a good article in Wired Magazine last month about bio-engineering lawns, but it also touched on that same note ot the why/what for. Then again, what would be the alternative - more concrete? Dirt mounds? Corn stalks? Maybe rock gardens or sand dunes could be made to look presentable, but for the average Joe, a green lawn is easy enough and maintains an easy aesthetic value, even if not a green thumb. But it would be nice to have an alternative option...

The article is here:
http://tinyurl.com/nzrzu

-[0_0]- drew

I'm curious how you would get rid of dandilions without using anything toxic. Or for the safety of my baby am I forced to pull them out by hand? And I have a brown patch too. Like an alien ship landed and scorched the earth. Bah.