Alternatives to Grass

Published: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 08:46:51

By: CL Fornari

You say you don't want to mow anymore? Read about replacing your lawn.

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There are many reasons to decide to move away from the traditional grass lawn. Perhaps you’re tired of using fossil fuels to mow, or want your yard to be a more friendly habitat for butterflies and bees. Maybe you want to grow some of your own food, or have a more colorful landscape. Whatever your reasons, there are several alternatives to grass.

Create paths and patio spaces first using the materials of your choice. Consider leaving spaces in a patio for softening hard edges with plants or providing places for flowers and fragrance. Allow plenty of space for tables, chairs and other seating.

When replacing grass with other plants it’s important to consider your goals and the existing conditions in the area. Are you getting rid of the lawn because you want less maintenance? If so, you must choose your plants very carefully, plant them so that they’ll fill in and choke out weeds, and be prepared to mulch and weed for a few years until that happens. Keep in mind that although some plants require less maintenance than others, there is no such thing as a landscape that requires no work at all.

Once you have your goals defined the next step is to evaluate the growing conditions. If the area gets five or more hours of sunlight per day you’ll need to choose plants that like full sun. Areas that get less than four hours of sun are considered part-shade, and those that receive little to no sunlight are full shade. Match the right plant to the amount of light you have and your gardens will grow better.

Know how much rainfall normally falls and how frequently you’re likely to water as well. Gardens that receive little to no irrigation will need a different selection of plants than an area that’s being watered or naturally damp.

Although many people start out wanting a very low groundcover, it may be more interesting to include areas where the plants are higher as well. Combining short sedums and thyme along with dwarf conifers, for example, creates a colorful, textured garden in all seasons.

It might be tempting to choose a fast spreading groundcover such as ivy or pachysandra but keep in mind that ivy can become invasive and any monoculture is vulnerable. If an insect or disease comes along that attacks that particular plant you could loose your entire planting. Using mixed shrubs, perennials and even some annuals makes the landscape less susceptible to total loss.

Finally, know that a plant that makes a good lawn alternative in one part of the country might not be hardy or could be invasive in another. If you’re gardening outside of Massachusetts check with your local extension service or garden center for suggestions. Some suggested groundcover plants for our area are: For Shade Hosta, Epimedium, Tiarella, Pachysandra procumbens (our native Pachysandra)

For part-shade or part sun Microbiota (Russian cypress), Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis (sweet box) Hakonechloa macra (hakon grass), Chrysogonum virginianum, Geranium macrorrhizum, Geranium cantabrigensis, Aster divaricatus, Heuchera varieties,Ajuga, dwarf evergreens.

For sun Prunella vulgaris, Sedum Angelina and other low Sedums, Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm', Trifolium repens (white clover - warning: spreads and self seeds!), thyme including Thymus pseudolanuginosus (wooly thyme), Spirea japonica, Green Mound Juniper, Aster ‘Woods Blue’, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry), dwarf evergreens.