I remember when my father bought his first gas-powered lawn mower. At that time, my weekend chore was to weed the dandelions in our front yard, and this ferocious-sounding machine that cut the lawn so effortlessly seemed like a great invention.
But today, trying to maintain large swathes of lush green grass is not only time consuming and expensive but it also doesn’t take into consideration conserving water, the use of gasoline and other resources. Here are some alternatives to lawns available today.
Ground covers. Low-growing perennial plants, like cranesbill, lungwort, barrenwort, plaintain lily, Japanese painted fern, lilyturf and periwinkle work beautifully when planted in large numbers and help prevent soil erosion.
Native grasses. Some grass species, often blended, are well suited for particular regions in the country. One of the native grasses, buffalo, is indigenous throughout the Great Plains and from Minnesota to Montana. It’s low growing, can handle temperatures from 30F to high heat, needs little water once established, no fertilizer and grows to only 6 inches.
Perennial grasses. If you want more of a prairie look, consider switch grass, feather reed grass, feather grass, fountain grass and purple moor grass. For low-growing groundcover grasses, sedge is your best bet. It comes in dozens of varieties from which you can find one that will suit your climate and soil requirements.
Wildflowers. These offer a magnificent array of color and contribute to biodiversity. Native wildflowers include: aster, goldenrod, blazing star, black-eyed susan, butterfly weed and perennial grasses like switch grass and big bluestem.
Trees. A grove of trees will not only eliminate the needs for a lawn but will add a welcome canopy and a shady spot for refuge on a hot summer day. Plus, planting trees is a great way to mitigate the effects of global warming.
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