Landscaping Naturally

Green lawns are the staple of America's residential and commercial landscape. We spend $27 billion dollars a year - ten times more than we pay for text books to grow and maintain 20 million acres of grass. Forty million lawnmowers cause five percent of the nation's air pollution and at least thirty percent of our water is used to irrigate lawns, washing fertilizers and pesticides into rivers, lakes and streams.

Now, corporations, universities, government offices and parks around the nation are looking at an alternative to Kentucky Blue Grass. They are going back to their roots to find native prairie and wetland plants.

These grasses, flowers, forbs and sedges have adapted, over hundreds of years to our climate. They survived heat and drought, extreme cold and fire, their long roots tucked deep in the ground. They provide habitat for native birds and butterflies but discourage Canada Geese - birds that prefer lawns and open spaces.

For more, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/nativelandscaping.html

 

I would love to redo the little lawn in front of my townhome with native plants, bushes, shrubs, and no grass. Thanks for the info.
Any more resources you might point to for local/native plants we can use here in Broadlands and that would get approval from modifications committee to replace a mostly brown lawn?
Thanks!

 

Thanks for your interest. Here is a very local help for native plants and eco-friendly landscaping.
http://www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org/
I am not sure about the rules to replace your lawn. You can probably revive it. But with water shortage I would just leave it alone or minimize it. That's my dream for our lawn to get rid of most of it and just plant and mulch.
Our committee, Habitat Community Wildlife Certified, is also looking for volunteers if you are interested, let me know.

 

In general... realizing you can't be specific if you don't see a detailed plan... if I rip up half my lawn and replace with other things, will those plants require less water than grass? When I lived in Arizona I knew the answer to this question and had ZERO grass on my property. But here in this climate I'm not so sure.