Convert lawn to garden
NEW MARKET, Va. — There can be splendor in the grass of a well-managed yard. Pride and prestige, too, for the exacting property owners. Turf-covered lawns promote cooling through evaporation, reduce erosion and absorb carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases blamed for climate change.
But grassy yards also can account for half of the typical household's summertime water use. They mature into carpet-like monocultures barren of birds and butterflies; need doses of herbicide and insecticide to look their best; and require regular grooming using noisy, smoky, fossil-fueled machines.
That's why some people are saying "enough," and converting their yards in whole or part from grass into gardens that require less work and are more interesting visually.
It can be a pricey path to take, however, and one strewn with obstacles, not least of which are getting the necessary clearances from city hall and the support and understanding of neighbors.
Town ordinances may prohibit planting tall ornamental grasses, for example, which can provide cover for a variety of unsavory critters and create traffic hazards by obscuring views. There also may be bans on hosting certain weeds, which are quick to colonize patches of disturbed earth, replacing native plants in the process.
As for neighbors?
"I know of one case where a homeowner let her lawn go over to perennials and wildflowers. It was lovely, but the neighbors didn't like it," said Ellen Kirby, director of Brooklyn GreenBridge, a community horticulture program sponsored by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
"The problem was that there was just one person doing it. If more people went from lawn to garden, they (neighbors) probably would enjoy the variety. Otherwise, that kind of yard sticks out like a sore thumb. You have to look at neighborhoods as integrated units and try to get others involved."
People in many urban settings are displaying a surprising willingness to adopt front yards and commons areas, Kirby said.
"Some people are elderly or simply not interested in gardening, and their neighbors ask if they can take care of it. You also can get attractive plantings going in the strips along sidewalks and in other places like (curbside and driveway) medians."
Many flowers do well when mixed with edible plants, giving growers the best of both worlds: beauty and a feast."One of my friends gave over her backyard lawn space to vegetables primarily so she could have a children's (education) program there," Kirby said. "To have community garden space or develop social connections is a great idea."Plan thoroughly, though, before peeling back any sod. Put your personality into the project so the makeover reflects your color and blending preferences, your sense of texture and scale.And do things incrementally, over several seasons or more. That takes smaller bites out of your budget and lets you incorporate design changes more easily.Building "rooms" into your yard is an easy way to proceed, said Phyllis Fitzgerald, environmental coordinator for Lawn Care for Cleaner Air, a program of the Louisville (Ky.) Metro Air Pollution Control District that promotes the minimal use of gas-powered grooming equipment."We recommend that people start small with an island, border, under a tree or a flower bed, then enlarge it a little at a time," Fitzgerald said. "That way, neighbors get used to the concept a little at a time."Another technique is going exclusively with an evergreen perennial groundcover."Lots of folks use ivy, vinca and euonymus — terribly invasive plants," Fitzgerald said. In her area, however, "a couple of landscapers use a variety of liriope, and this makes for a grasslike yard that is quite pleasing and only needs mowing once a year."
Other lawn-to-garden options:• Take your grass off life support and let the yard go natural. The thinking is that by eliminating fertilizing and watering, your lawn eventually will morph into a meadowlike cover capable of withstanding drought and tough conditions. The problem, Fitzgerald said, is that a few soaking rains can keep neglected turf growing. In the meantime, species like dandelions and chicory could pop up en masse, and they aren't yet considered desirable wildflowers in this country.• Contact your nearest university extension service office for a list of native plants and suggestions on where to find them. Some landscapers also specialize in native plants, which can be easier to grow and may have sentimental value, too.• Water fixtures are good showstoppers for passers-by: fountains, pump-driven streams or ponds with goldfish swimming about.• Multiple containers. Pots can be as attractive as the plants they hold, and are easily moved to display their blooms or catch more sun.• Turn your front yard into a tidy community garden. Neighbors can help ensure your vegetables and fruits make it safely to the kitchen, and the harvest can be shared.• Use border plants for defining the driveway or entries.• Build natural buffers: Hedgerows of different shrubs can absorb traffic noise and provide some privacy."I much prefer to garden in space you can see from the street because more people can enjoy it," Kirby said. "Passers-by often stop to ask questions. There are stress reduction and health benefits there; not only for the person doing it but also the person walking by."There's just more involvement, more intellectual stimulation with (front yard) gardens. I'm not anti-lawn. I'm just for bio-diversity."
