Lawn Care/Basics for Homeowners-Lawn Care/Promise and Challenges

Cheap, Clean and Beautiful: Potentially

There are many thousands of plant species in the world, and different species have prevailed in each ecosystem based upon actual success in growth and reproduction. For this reason native species are often most likely to survive and flourish amid local soils and local precipitation. Most of our turfgrass species are not the best qualified to survive in a given area, and require assistance, in the form of irrigation, fertilization, and preferential "weeding" of competing species. In particular the great majority of municipal drinking water supply capacity is used to supply lawns with water that is fit for humans to drink.

To make a classic American lawn flourish requires time, money, human effort, and various chemicals. It has been estimated that an average acre of American lawn costs $700 per year to maintain, not to mention direct and indirect environmental impacts.

This cost and these impacts can be reduced or eliminated, by planting native species that do not require such assistance once established. The cost of maintaining an attractive native landscape may be less than a tenth that of a classic lawn, and require no watering at all. There are literally thousands of different ways to attractively landscape using native species. For examples of these and extended discussion of the principles of native landscaping, click here

The actual process of planning or laying out a large or small landscape area can be a matter of taste and even art. To understand some of the issues, see the brief introduction to landscape design at:

The actual process of planning or laying out a large or small landscape area can be a matter of taste and even art. To understand some of the issues, see the brief introduction to landscape design at:
http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/principlesoflandscapedesign.html

More specifically, the Las Pilitas commercial nursery offers a native landscape design program for California that is well worth studying at:
http://www.mynativeplants.com/

The SmartDraw Corporation offers a downloadable commercial landscape design program for 30-day trial use at:
http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/landscapedeck.asp?id=15498

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Live and Let Live: Coexisting With Neighbors and "Weed Laws"

A lawn or landscape is not only a source of personal satisfaction and beauty, but a personal statement. A weedy, diseased or dying lawn can be as much a source of discomfort to your neighbors as to you. For this reason a variety of local laws have been written governing the height of grass and sometimes even the kind of species tolerated. Surviving prairie in suburban development has sometimes been mown down as part of misguided "rats make poor pets" campaigns.

Just as seriously some of these laws have been used or interpreted to limit or outlaw native landscaping. Any vegetation other than the most common grass species might be considered a "weed" to be extirpated.

It is important to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate concerns leading to these laws. A badly neglected lawn in indeed an eyesore. "Native landscaping" that has not been looked after can be just as weedy and unpleasant. There have been cases where attorneys attempted to present simple neglect as an example of native landscaping.

For this reason, it is important to consult with your local officials to explain your interests and discuss what might reasonably be done. If you have a certified or at least recognized native landscape contractor, or if you have a small well-maintained native landscaped area to show, you may reasonably expect a fair hearing.

Some opposition to native landscaping may be based upon misunderstanding, fear, or a simple desire to enforce social conformity. These may require that the law be changed or abolished, usually a complex process. For this reason it is almost always best first to confer with your local officials. In many parts of the country growing familiarity and confidence in the homeowners or contractors have led to change or abolition of the laws and initiatives to promote native landscaping or xeriscaping (dry climate native landscaping)

There is an extended guide to the rationale, interpretation and limits of "weed laws" to be found at: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/weedlaws/index.html

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If Life Sends You Lemons: Herbal Value of Weeds and Native Landscape

Some plant designations can be quite arbitrary and subjective. The clover now considered a weed was considered a necessary part of many lawns through the 1940's. Some plants suitable for native landscaping are commonly considered weeds, such as Yarrow or Lamb's-Ear.

Some common "weeds" and native plants have virtues and uses beyond beauty or groundcover. Young Dandelion leaves can be a source of good salad greens, and the flowers can be made into a sweetened fermented "Dandelion Wine" Ground Ivy tea was once popular as a cure for headaches and coughs. Chicory is a famous european additive to or even substitute for coffee. Shepherd's purse was used in Germany during World War 1 as a styptic to close small wounds. The disks of many thistles were considered to be as edible and tasty as the Artichoke (of the same family).

These and other characteristics can be found in many of the different herbals available in electronic form on the Internet. Even where these uses may be safe and familiar, however (the writer has had more than one plate of dandelion salad), the status of these plants as weeds and the proliferation or movement of pesticides and herbicides may make even harvesting of your own yard hazardous. USEPA does not endorse western or oriental herbal therapy

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The Grand Principal: Start Small

There is a famous example of poor writing that reflects the challenges of beginning a native landscaping project:

He sprang on his horse and ran wildly off in all directions.

Native landscaping and xeriscaping take time to establish and require time for you to become familiar with the choice and care of the plants. An immediate transformation of your whole home lawn may require more effort than you are prepared to give. It can also create a temporary eyesore until the new plants are established. Unless you are or have a xeriscaping/native landscape contractor, you would be wise to select a modest area to begin to create a small native landscape.

This cautious approach can pay great dividends. You gain experience, and have a quality product to win the confidence of your neighbors and local officials. The Denver Master Gardeners recommend six rules for locating your landscape and selecting plants:

• Choose a location that reduces waste. Consider removing a few feet of the grass along the driveway and sidewalk. Plant these areas with non thirsty ground cover plants, small shrubs or perennial flowers. This allows these buffer areas to soak up water from lawn watering that normally would fall on the pavement and run off into the street.
• Choose a "problem" location that would be difficult for a conventional lawn. For example, consider replacing the lawn on steep slopes with a rock garden, tiered wall, or low spreading evergreens. As with pavement buffer plantings, the water that runs down the slope from other parts of the yard will be captured by these plants.
• Choose locations that match plants of similar needs, for ease and economy. Try to group flowers and other plants so the yard is organized into different water use zones. Grouping or "zoning" plants with similar water requirements allows you to meet their high, medium or low water needs so some plants in the group are not over watered while others are under watered. To further conserve moisture, use mulches between shrubs, flowers and in the vegetable garden.
• Choose tools and utilities appropriate for the new area. For example, seek out an inexpensive, labor saving drip or soaker water system for non turf areas.
• Choose logical, manageable reductions to your turf area. You may have more lawn than you want. It makes sense to remove turf from narrow, hard to water strips and replace it with pretty, drought tolerant plants. It also makes sense to remove turf from between and behind shrubs; replace it with mulch.
• Choose plants that fit the slope, lighting and color of your yard. Walk through your yard and use your imagination. Give it a second look. You will come up with ideas of your own. Be realistic about time and money. Xeriscaping slowly lets you allocate both over a span of years.
• Study and choose from a wide range of possible plants. There are a lot of books out there, and if you don't find what you need, ask the nursery or landscape experts. Find out the sun/shade requirements, cost, maintenance needs, and water requirements of the plants you're considering. Ask also about flower color and blooming time, leaf color and shape.

(After Common Sense Xeriscaping for Small Lot Owners by Margaret Kelly; Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver County, at: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Xeris/common.htm )

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Sources for Native Landscaping and Xeriscaping Information

National and Regional
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Landscaping with Native Plants
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres
or
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativelandscaping.html 
Includes 500 meg downloadable video on native landscaping

An extended discussion of good and bad "weed laws" and their impact upon natural landscaping
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/weedlaws/index.html

Going Native
Six Fact sheets from the Springfield Township Landscaping Project
http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/ecopage/springfieldtwp/

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Creating Native Landscapes in the Northern Great Plans and Rocky Mountains
http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/plants/xeriscp/index.html
Book-length .pdf publication with many practical hints

Preservation and Restoration of Native Communities
Guidelines on the Selection of Native Plants
http://www.for-wild.org/land/ecotype.html

For-Wild:Landscaping With Native Plants
http://www.for-wild.org/landscap.html

Guidelines on the Selection of Native Plants
http://www.for wild.org/land/ecotype.html

Turf Wars Escalate
http://www.for wild.org/land/tufts_op.htm

National Wildlife Federation

Replace Drought Stricken Lawns in the Southeast U.S. with Local Native Plants
http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/sedrought.cfm

Colorado
Xeriscaping: Ground Cover Plants
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07230.html

Common-Sense Xeriscaping for Small-Lot Areas
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Xeris/common.htm
One of best brief statements of basic incremental steps!

Georgia
Xeriscape: A Guide To Developing a Water-Wise Landscape (large Manual)
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/B1073.pdf

Illinois
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Landscaping With Native Plants: Illinois Resources
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/il-resor.pdf

Indiana
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Landscaping with Native Plants: Indiana Resources
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/in-resor.pdf

Minnesota
Less Lawn.Com
Major private anti-lawn pro-native plant website with many articles, plans, etc
http://www.lesslawn.com/index.html
includes
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Short Guide to Basic Forms of Native Lawn Landscaping
http://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1010.html

North Dakota
Xeriscape Plant Selections and Ideas
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h957w.htm

Sustainability Through Xeriscaping
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/research/1997/xeriscap.htm

Note that some recommended xeric species, such as Yarrow and Lambs-Ear, are considered weeds.

Ohio
Native Landscaping for Birds, Bees, Butterflies, and Other Wildlife
http://ohioline.osu.edu/w-fact/0013.html

Pennsylvania
Emmitsburg.net
Regional Information for Southern Adams County
Master Gardeners' website
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles.htm
includes
Wildflower Meadows: An Alternative to Lawns
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/2003/wildflower_meadows.htm

Alternative to Traditional Lawns
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2003/alternative_to_traditional_lawns.htm

Texas
Landscape Water Conservation: Xeriscape
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/xeriscape/xeriscape.html

Source book: Xeriscaping
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/Xeriscape.html
Large interactive manual on xeriscaping in Texas environments

City of Arlington
Xeriscape Guide
http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/waterdice/xeriscape.html

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
Xeriscaping to Conserve Water
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/permitting/waterperm/wrpa/xeris.html

Wisconsin
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lake National Program Office
Landscaping With Native Plants: Wisconsin
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/wi-resor.pdf

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Page Updated June 29, 2005