More and more people are losing interest in maintaining a home turf and are experimenting with alternative plantings. Their motivation comes from a desire to stop mowing, to conserve water, to avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and to make their yards more inviting to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
If you are considering such a change, start small. Perhaps you’ve seen one or two low-growing ground covers or a successful meadow planting of grasses and wildflowers that you’d like to try. Select a small area in your backyard and install a planting based on your interests. You’ll learn by experience how much is involved in getting rid of the grass and preparing the site for a new planting, and you’ll have the opportunity to observe the planting through all the seasons before you makeover your entire lawn.
When you consider installing an alternative, keep in mind that the appearance will be different than the evenly cropped, green, fine texture of a traditional lawn. Whether you choose ground covers or a mix of native grasses and wildflowers, the look will be more tufted and will change through the seasons.
A native plant is one that is indigenous to a specific location, which could be as small as a county or as large as a country. Because they have adapted to the soil and climate of their location, they do not need additional water or fertilizer once planted properly and well-established. Since most gardeners will be planting on ground that has been altered by development and does not have the complex interrelationship of soil, climate, plants, insects, and animals that makes the planting able to sustain itself without human manipulation, they will still need some maintenance.
Some of the nonnative, low-growing perennial ground covers have become well-adapted to particular regions in the country can also be used.
The two main choices for a full sun location are a meadow (called prairie in the Midwest and plants are much taller) and ground covers. Visit public gardens and wilderness areas to become familiar with the kinds of plants that do well in your area.
Of most importance, is knowing the ecological region in which you live and taking into consideration your soil type and climatic conditions. The reason it is important to know what your soil’s pH is and whether it is sand, loam, or clay is because plants prefer specific conditions. Select plants that will do well in your yard’s conditions. Plants located in the conditions they prefer will be stronger, have less pest and disease problems, and will require less care from you.
What you decide to plant is based on what you want and where you live. For example, if you live in the Midwest, you could install a prairie planting. But if you’re in Arizona, the environment is too dry and hot for those plants; your choice would be desert ground covers or a blend of native grasses and ground covers.
An alternative that works across the country is meadow, a planting of native grasses and wildflowers. Each area has a blend of particular species that do best. Use a mixture that is 50 percent grass and 50 percent wildflowers. If your budget is tight, increase the percentage of grasses.
Short-Grass Meadow Blends and Ground Covers for Each Region
Another alternative is ground covers. A few plants are suitable across many regions; others will work only in very specific climatic and soil conditions. You can choose one or a combination. If you use a mixture, it is best to keep each type in a large section rather than mixing them together. In general, space plants on 6- to 10-inch centers in staggered rows.
You can achieve a quicker and more uniform cover by pulling apart good-sized plants (4-inch pot at least) and planting the pieces closely than planting the large plants and waiting for them to spread.
To determine how many plants you’ll need, multiply the number of square feet of the area to be covered by the number of plants you plan to use per square foot. If plants are spaced 6 inches apart, you’ll need 4 per square foot; spaced 8 inches apart, you’ll need 2.25, and so forth. Since it takes most ground covers two years to fill in, apply mulch at planting time and replenish as needed to keep weeds out. Check the area often during the first two years and remove weeds when they are young and easy to pull.
Looking Further
For native plant lists and other information, get in touch with your state’s native plant society (www.wildones.org), botanical gardens, county extension service, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, or New England Wildflower Society.