Why We Need To Reduce Our Lawns

In the last century we began to import European turf grasses, and ever since they have been main component of the American yard. But these grasses are foreign to our climate and habitat, and to keep them healthy we have to rely on mowers, blowers, additional water, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Not only are these practices expensive and time consuming, they are also detrimental to our soil, our surface water and our wildlife. Further, they fill our air with noise and pollutants. It is time for a change.

Keep your lawn natural; mow less, water less and mow higher. Don’t blow, and allow some flowers and ‘weeds’ to grow.

Reduce the lawn to a modest area. Use only what you need for your children and pets to play on, to sit on, or to entertain.

Use more sustainable grass species. Drought resistant grasses and no-mow grasses are available.

There are many sustainable alternatives for the conventional lawn.

Replace with plantings

 Replace with ground covers

Replace with meadow

Replace with a xeriscape

Replace with a rain garden

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