by Pat Merewether

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2012

I fought the lawn and the lawn's gone! I didn't get rid of it overnight, but over the course of a few years I replaced most of it. Green lawns became popular in Victorian England in the 1800's because they were a reflection of the wealth of the owner. Grass lawns were (and are) labor intensive and had to be clipped by hand. So, the more green lawn you had, the more wealthy you appeared. Unfortunately the fad caught on and spread to the United States and became a symbol that a family had 'made it'.

Lawns are still labor intensive, expensive to maintain and poisoning the planet when you consider that grass gives little back to the earth and takes a load of nutrients and water. So, consider a few alternatives when planning the landscape of your property.

Ground covers

Two large old maple trees live in our front yard and it was nearly impossible to keep any grass alive beneath them. One year i purchased a few Creeping Myrtle (Vinca Minor) vines and planted them at the four corners of the front lawn. Over time the filled in the area and it's green all year round. The autumn leaves mulch the ground cover and I don't have to rake them! Pachysandra, Bishop's Weed, Sweet Woodruff are all excellent choices for ground covers. Sweet Woodruff has beautiful sweet scented white blossoms in the spring. These ground covers crowed out weeds and require very little maintenance. They may need a bit of water during a long dry spell, but that's it.

Stone and rocks

If you have a hot, sunny front yard, consider landscaping with natural stone and rocks and plant draught tolerant plants among them. Yucca, cactus (even in cold climates there are cactus that will thrive) and succulents will require no upkeep or watering and as long as there's plenty of sun and good drainage they'll look great for years.

Cottage garden

Consider a colorful cottage garden instead of grass. Perennials such as Hollyhocks, Foxglove, Daisies, Black Eye Susans, Phlox and many other plants will either reseed themselves or spread on their own and fill in a sunny relatively fertile soil in no time. Use a good compost and a heavy layer of mulch and the plants will be healthy and repel pests and the weeds will be few.

Add a few herbs and vegetables among your flowers. Herbs such as thyme, chives and oregano make lovely edges to a garden and improve the flavor and nutrition of your diet. Swiss chard is colorful and very good for you. Add a tomato plant, some broccoli or even corn and have fun with it.

Do yourself and the planet a favor and replace your lawn with ground cover, rocks, cactus, flowers or even herbs and veggies and do yourself and the planet a favor!

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