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How to Cut (Out) the Grass
Here are a number of innovative options that eliminate the need for chemical warfare while winning high marks for water conservation and low maintenance. They look good, too! Buffalo grass. Ideal for those who just have to have some kind of turf, this native prairie grass (Buchloe dactyloides) does best in full sun and soil with a high clay content; it has a soft texture that invites bare feet, yet is tough enough to sod a soccer field. Some cultivated varieties ("Prairie" and "609") are slow growers, making mowing a monthly rather than a weekly chore. With a maximum height of six to eight inches, no mowing at all becomes a real possibility. Moreover, buffalo grass needs a fraction of the water required by conventional grasses such as Kentucky blue, St. Augustine, and Bermuda. Buffalo grass varieties thrive in sunny, bright climes -- only the sandy soil and rains of the Southeast can stymie its growth. Moss. Don't laugh -- if you live where it's humid and you have lots of shade, you can have a velvety soft, low-upkeep moss lawn. Can't find any moss on your property? Get some from a neighbor or in the woods, put it in a blender with buttermilk (for acidity and as a carrier), give it a few seconds at puree, and then just spray it around. In most cases, moss needn't be recruited--it volunteers. Ground covers. In hard-to-plant shady areas, native ground cover makes a lot more sense than a lawn, and there are many varieties. Try ferns and woodland flowers such as wild ginger, violets, and wild strawberry to restore and beautify landscapes. In the deserts, bamboo muhly or Mexican evening primrose are good choices. On the West Coast, plant dudleya, Douglas iris, pink alumroot, hummingbird sage, and coffeeberry fern. In Texas, sow horseherb, frogfruit, or evergreen sedges. If you're going to try ground covers, combine several varieties -- woodland flowers, ferns, low-growing leafy shrubs -- all interacting as they do in nature. It's not only prettier, it's healthier. Diversity of species is one of Mother Nature's best tricks for combating disease and infestations of garden pests. With "lawns" like these, you can keep the mower, the sprinkler, and the fertilizer spreader in the garden shed. You'll have more time for the lawn chair, the cool drink, and the comfortable satisfaction that comes from knowing that your masterful inactivity is helping to keep the environment a little healthier. 
"Cutting the Grass" by Andy Wasowski, in Sierra Magazine Photo courtesy Philip Greenspun Up to Top |
Front-yard greens not only shrink our water supply, but also help to contaminate it. A big chunk of the $8.4 billion we spend annually on lawn care goes toward the purchase of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Runoff from this deluge of pollutants gushes into water tables, rivers, and streams. Little wonder there is a growing movement for alternative lawns.