Rethinking Lawns

Lawns take up the same amount of land as the national parks in the continental US, and they provide very little habitat or food to pollinators and other essential insects. Furthermore, lawn maintenance sends immeasurable amounts of harmful chemicals into the environment and tons of carbon into the atmosphere. The best solution is to replace lawn with native plantings, and make any remaining lawn as ecologically useful as possible. 

As Doug Tallamy says, “in terms of biological activity, a lawn is the least productive of our plantings, yet it is the default landscaping practice in most spaces.”

Ecological Practices for Your Lawn

  • Mow every 2 – 3 weeks 
  • Allow grass height up to 3 – 4 inches
  • Longer grass harbors flowering plants useful to bees, and the grass itself will be healthier and store more carbon 
  • Research has shown that longer grass lawns do not harbor more ticks than short grass 
  • If you overseed, use seed mixes that grow slowly 
  • Leave grass clippings – they are fertilizer
  • Avoid all pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers
  • Add or allow small flowering plants 
    • Clover
    • Self heal
    • Violets
    • Bluets
  • When beneficial insects visit the lawn, birds will follow!

What about No Mow May?

It’s a great slogan to get people thinking about mowing less, accepting a shaggier appearance in the yard, and understanding that our yards can – and should – provide support to endangered species. But just avoiding mowing in May is not enough. Follow the steps above to really transform your lawn to habitat! And watch this terrific presentation from Xerces to learn more.

How to Enjoy Less Lawn!

Do you need all of the lawn in your yard? What else can you do with that space to support biodiversity? If you have kids or dogs running around, or you need space to play backyard sports or for outdoor relaxation and gatherings, you do need some lawn. But what about the rest? If no one is actually walking, playing, or gathering on the lawn, consider other options. 

  • The lowest-maintenance solution is planting native trees and bushes underplanted with native ground covers
  • Other options include a native flower garden, a native plant meadow, a copse of small native trees, or some combination
  • Some native plants can make a walkable, low maintenance alternative to a conventional lawn, especially wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) or Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

Below we provide guidance and alternatives to the traditional green carpet:

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