The Traditional Grass Lawn
The concept of the “lawn” originates from the French word “launde”, referring to a grassy woodland clearing. These early lawns were typically owned by wealthy families and the amount of work required to keep wild grasses at bay often deterred middle to low-class citizens from owning them.
With the invention of gas-powered lawnmowers and automated sprinkler systems, lawns more accessible to homeowners now than ever before, but at what cost?
The traditional lawn is equal parts simple and void of biodiversity. Grass lawns are a mono-crop that happen to be the number one most irrigated crop in America. A study conducted by NASA estimated that lawns make up 1.9% of the nation’s land use, and to keep those lawns green, it would take around 200 gallons of water per person, per day.
That’s more water than the top 7 thirstiest crops in the nation combined. For a crop that produces so much green waste from mowing, traditional grass appears as more of a liability than an asset from a zero-waste perspective.
Pros
- Aesthetically normal
- The status quo
Cons
- Water intensive
- Fertilizer hungry
- Of no use to pollinators
- Increases runoff pollution
- Produces carbon emissions and green waste from mowing
- Lawn clippings generate methane in landfills
Flowers, Ornamental Grasses, and Trees
Revitalize the negative space in your yard with all that mother nature has to offer. Flowers, ornamental grasses, trees, and mulch can make for a beautiful landscape destined to save on your water bill and beautify your landscape.
Flowers are an essential color on a gardener’s pallet. Traditional lawns are often void of quality pollen sources, requiring birds, bees, and butterflies to travel inconvenient distances in search of food. Adding native flowers to your yard is both an aesthetic booster and an ecological service to pollinator species.
Unlike traditional grass, ornamental grasses are not meant to be mowed and are generally drought tolerant. “Ornamental” comes from the extravagant floral thorns and seed plumes on display at the peak of their growing season. These pretty greens come in many different shapes and sizes with some varieties able to grow over 7 feet tall.
Trees make for excellent centerpieces and shade for plants that prefer indirect sunlight. Trees are often hardy and rootbound, making them great for soil stabilization. If you don’t already have a tree in your yard, consider looking to a local nursery to help pick out a native sapling that will eventually grow into a strong staple of the yard.
To avoid trampling over your new oasis, make sure to plan out mulch and gravel walkways in between features to maximize the yard’s accessibility.
Pros
- Reduce your lawn’s evaporative surface
- Provide resources for pollinator species
- Drought tolerance from ornamental grasses
- Use and waste less water
- Shade from trees
- Increased soil stability
- Low maintenance once established
Cons
- Reduced Foot Traffic
- Some flower species are toxic to cats
- Requires work and knowledge of native species to establish
Moss Lawns
Moss is a spectacular low-maintenance sustainable lawn option if you are interested in the lush green carpet look that grass provides. It grows practically everywhere and on everything. It even grows on trees!
While most grasses like a neutral to slightly alkaline soil pH, moss is the opposite. Mosses thrive over compacted and acidic soil (pH 5.5), which makes them a hardy crop, given enough moisture and humidity.
Accompany that moss with other shrub-like plants that enjoy similar conditions, such as ferns or the Corsicana Hellebore, and you’ve got yourself a mighty fine low-maintenance ecosystem on your hands. While a moss lawn still requires inputs of water and time for weeding, most species of moss won’t grow anywhere over 2 inches. This leaves you with plenty of free time to kick back and pawn off your lawnmower.
Mosses also work great as bedding for indoor houseplants. If you consider planting a moss lawn, we recommend that you find a variety that will thrive in your region, but please do not harvest it directly from nature as it takes a while time to establish naturally.
Pros
- No mowing maintenance required
- No need for aeration
- No need for chemical fertilizer
- Grows over surfaces that grasses cannot
- Combine with your rock garden for an ancient zen garden look
Cons
- Not suitable for heavy foot traffic
- Difficult to establish in hot or dry climates
- Needs consistent moisture and humidity
Raised Garden Beds
Use the extra yard space to grow fruits/vegetables in raised garden beds. Raised garden beds grant a strategic advantage over grounded garden beds due to their customizability.
Typically, garden beds are made from wood. While redwood is the most resistant to rot over time, reclaimed wood from your local hardware store will do just fine. Plan the size of your beds according to how much you’d like to grow. To ensure there’s plenty of drainage space for the roots of your crops, build the beds at least 12 inches high.
You can start from previously grown microgreens or anticipate the growing season and grow your produce from seeds. Our sponsor, Botanical Interests, has an extensive selection of seeds to choose from and step-by-step guides on how to maximize your garden’s success.
Raised beds have the advantage of preventing some soil born pests from affecting your crops. As for airborne pests like gnats 21qwsand fruit plies, marigold and green onions work as natural agents to ward them off.
Once established, a raised garden bed provides endless possibilities to produce food for your household. Given enough time and care, you can develop a rotating range of crops that will help you save money on water, spend less on groceries, and contribute less to landfills.
Pros
- Organic Food production
- A potential resources pollinators
- Still uses less water that grass lawns
- No mowing required
- Contribute less to landfills through composting
- No chemical fertilizers required
- Produce compostable waste at a manageable rate
Cons
- High Barrier to entry
- Requires hard work and research to be successful
- Quality food takes time to grow
Stone, Sand, and Gravel
Rock gardens are exactly what they sound like, a yard landscaped composed of rocks of varying shapes and sizes.
Rock gardens without vegetation require zero water and produce zero waste, but without vegetation, this makes them more biologically baren than a traditional grass lawn.
Luckily, invigorating a rock lawn with native cacti or flowers is an easy way to turn an arid landscape into a desert oasis of sorts. Ornamental grasses, shrubs, and moss are other welcome additions to a rock lawn.
When it comes to rock gardens you are only limited to your imagination, so let it run wild to add carve out your vision into a rock-solid landscape.
Pros
- Applicable in any climate through any season
- Lowest maintenance
- Lowest input of water
- Customizable if you’d like more or less green features
Cons
- Not as soft as having a grass lawn
- Biologically dead without vegetation
Any of the options above are great ways to add variety and value to your home. Test out any of these ideas by themselves or try a combination of them! Whatever your gardening needs are, consider visiting our affiliate, Botanical Interests, and their extensive archive of seeds and guides on how to grow them.
