A Transplanted Gardener Article

 Transplanted Gardener Home  More Transplanted Gardener Articles  About Ginny Stibolt

Let Your Lawn Go Natural
by Ginny Stibolt

Did you ever notice how grass grows in places where you don't want it? It grows in driveways, in gardens and in between flagstones in patios and sidewalks. A natural Maryland lawn is made up of a diverse collection of these grasses and other plants that take to mowing. Without ever planting grass seed, you can have a lawn that you never need to water, fertilize or treat with herbicides.

Dozens of plant species will grow naturally in a Maryland lawn. Some plants are tolerant of dry seasons, and some will grow better in wet ones. Some will be the target of a particular grub, but others will not. So the mixture of plants in your lawn will be dynamic and will depend upon current conditions. A diverse lawn is its own ecosystem - it all works together. By definition, this type of lawn is not a meadow because it is mowed more than once a year.

What will it look like?

A self-sustaining lawn area could host more than 50 different species of plants including several grasses, onion grass, wild garlic, veronica, chickweed, wild strawberry, violet, blue-eyed grass, clover, buttercup and if the soil is acidic, various mosses. One of our native plants that might sow itself in your lawn is the Star of Bethlehem; a week after it appears, you can mow for the first time. There may be dandelion and crabgrass at first, but they should be crowded out eventually and the rest of the plants will shade them. As a rule of thumb, if it's green and takes to being cut a few times each year, then it should be a welcome part of a natural Maryland lawn. If you discover invasive plants like English Ivy and honeysuckle, you'll need to pull them up once a year or so. In the fall, rake the leaves to use as compost, but that's it for care.

First, reduce the size of the lawn area.

Limiting the size of the mowed area is a good goal. It increases the interest in your landscape, provides cover for birds and other wildlife, and reduces runoff. Choose the sloping areas and back corners to remove from your lawn first. Include mulch paths or stepping-stones and interesting features such as a pond or bench. (One of the hints to make the non-lawn landscaping work is to make some of it useable.) Increase diversity by planting a good variety of native Maryland trees, shrubs and shade-loving perennials. Again, a diversity of plantings makes your landscape eco-system self-sustaining, no matter what the weather conditions.

Escape the "Poison and Fertilize" cycle

The recommended chemicals used to produce golf course-like, mono-cultured lawns include broad-leafed weed killers (herbicides to kill plants that are not grasses), crabgrass killer (a herbicide specifically for crabgrass), and broad-spectrum insecticides to kill bugs or other organisms that burrow under the grass. Fertilizer is often added.

Because this mono-culture is so unstable, this cycle must be repeated over and over to keep the one type of grass growing and keep everything else at bay. All those poisons and nutrients from over-fertilizing will eventually empty into our waterways.

To stop this cycle, set your mower on a high setting - 3 to 3.5 inches or more. Don't mow as often - four or five times over the whole growing season. This will save time and reduce smog (gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers are big polluters.) Using the higher setting will encourage other plants to start moving in.

No watering, no fertilizer and no pesticides…will this work? Yes, but be prepared: it will take some time to develop the biodiversity. Your lawn will have some dieback, and it will be weedy looking for a while. If you can't resist doing something for the dead areas, in late September, use an iron rake to loosen the top of the soil and sow only native grass seeds: Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Sheep fescue (Festuca ovina), Crinkled hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa) and Red fescue (Festuca rubra). Grasses that evolved here have a better chance of surviving without extra watering or fertilizer.

Lawns offer outside living space for people. Healthy, diverse lawn areas offer living space for birds and animals, too, while preserving and protecting our natural environment.

Bay-Wise Gardeners

The Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners Bay-Wise Committee offers tips for making a cleaner, healthier environment right in your own back yard. Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who consult with homeowners, answer questions and provide information on creating an environmentally friendly landscape. Contact them at 410-222-6757 or by e-mail at BayWise2004@aol.com.

For more information and sources for native plants, visit www.fws.gov/r5cbfo/Bayscapes.htm

Arlington Echo, Anne Arundel County Schools' Outdoor Education Center, has developed a program for residents shows how to restore natural habitats by using examples displayed on its grounds, including bogs, native gardens, and natural shorelines. For information, see www.arlingtonecho.org

This article first written for "What's Up" Magazine in Annapolis. MD.

~ ~ ~

Ginny Stibolt is a naturalist and a gardener with a master's degree in plant taxonomy. She's written a book, "Sustainable Gardening for Florida" for University Press of Florida—it will be available in Sept. 2009. She’d like to hear from readers who have suggestions and questions. After all, there are more than a few transplanted gardeners here in northeast Florida trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t in planting zone 8/9. You may contact her or read more of her articles posted on her website: www.transplantedgardener.com.

 Transplanted Gardener Home  More Transplanted Gardener Articles  About Ginny Stibolt

© Sky-Bolt Enterprises 2001-2009

This webpage was designed and is maintained by www.sky-bolt.com