Lawn Care/Basics for Homeowners-Lawn Care/Promise and Challenges
There
are many thousands of plant species in the world, and different species have
prevailed in each ecosystem based upon actual success in growth and reproduction.
For this reason native species are often most likely to survive and flourish
amid local soils and local precipitation. Most of our turfgrass species are
not the best qualified to survive in a given area, and require assistance, in
the form of irrigation, fertilization, and preferential "weeding"
of competing species. In particular the great majority of municipal drinking
water supply capacity is used to supply lawns with water that is fit for humans
to drink.
To make a classic American lawn flourish requires time, money, human effort, and various chemicals. It has been estimated that an average acre of American lawn costs $700 per year to maintain, not to mention direct and indirect environmental impacts.
This cost and these impacts can be reduced or eliminated, by planting native species that do not require such assistance once established. The cost of maintaining an attractive native landscape may be less than a tenth that of a classic lawn, and require no watering at all. There are literally thousands of different ways to attractively landscape using native species. For examples of these and extended discussion of the principles of native landscaping, click here
The actual process of planning or laying out a large or small landscape area
can be a matter of taste and even art. To understand some of the issues, see
the brief introduction to landscape design at:
http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/principlesoflandscapedesign.html
More specifically, the Las Pilitas commercial nursery offers a native landscape
design program for California that is well worth studying at:
http://www.mynativeplants.com/
The SmartDraw Corporation offers a downloadable commercial landscape design
program for 18-day trial use at:
http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/landscapedeck.asp?id=15498
A
lawn or landscape is not only a source of personal satisfaction and beauty,
but a personal statement. A weedy, diseased or dying lawn can be as much a source
of discomfort to your neighbors as to you. For this reason a variety of local
laws have been written governing the height of grass and sometimes even the
kind of species tolerated. Surviving prairie in suburban development has sometimes
been mown down as part of misguided "rats make poor pets" campaigns.
Just as seriously some of these laws have been used or interpreted to limit or outlaw native landscaping. Any vegetation other than the most common grass species might be considered a "weed" to be extirpated.
It is important to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate concerns leading to these laws. A badly neglected lawn in indeed an eyesore. "Native landscaping" that has not been looked after can be just as weedy and unpleasant. There have been cases where attorneys attempted to present simple neglect as an example of native landscaping.
For this reason, it is important to consult with your local officials to explain your interests and discuss what might reasonably be done. If you have a certified or at least recognized native landscape contractor, or if you have a small well-maintained native landscaped area to show, you may reasonably expect a fair hearing.
Some opposition to native landscaping may be based upon misunderstanding, fear, or a simple desire to enforce social conformity. These may require that the law be changed or abolished, usually a complex process. For this reason it is almost always best first to confer with your local officials. In many parts of the country growing familiarity and confidence in the homeowners or contractors have led to change or abolition of the laws and initiatives to promote native landscaping or xeriscaping (dry climate native landscaping)
There is an extended guide to the rationale, interpretation and limits of "weed laws" to be found at: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/weedlaws/index.html
Some
plant designations can be quite arbitrary and subjective. The clover now considered
a weed was considered a necessary part of many lawns through the 1940's. Some
plants suitable for native landscaping are commonly considered weeds, such as
Yarrow or Lamb's-Ear.
Some common "weeds" and native plants have virtues and uses beyond beauty or groundcover. Young Dandelion leaves can be a source of good salad greens, and the flowers can be made into a sweetened fermented "Dandelion Wine" Ground Ivy tea was once popular as a cure for headaches and coughs. Chicory is a famous european additive to or even substitute for coffee. Shepherd's purse was used in Germany during World War 1 as a styptic to close small wounds. The disks of many thistles were considered to be as edible and tasty as the Artichoke (of the same family).
These and other characteristics can be found in many of the different herbals available in electronic form on the Internet. Even where these uses may be safe and familiar, however (the writer has had more than one plate of dandelion salad), the status of these plants as weeds and the proliferation or movement of pesticides and herbicides may make even harvesting of your own yard hazardous. USEPA does not endorse western or oriental herbal therapy
There is a famous example of bad writing that reflects the challenges of beginning a native landscaping project:
He sprang on his horse and ran wildly off in all directions.
Native
landscaping and xeriscaping take time to establish and require time for you
to become familiar with the choice and care of the plants. An immediate transformation
of your whole home lawn may require more effort than you are prepared to give.
It can also create a temporary eyesore until the new plants are established.
Unless you are or have a xeriscaping/native landscape contractor, you would
be wise to select a modest area to begin to create a small native landscape.
This cautious approach can pay great dividends. You gain experience, and have a quality product to win the confidence of your neighbors and local officials. The Denver Master Gardeners recommend six rules for locating your landscape and selecting plants:
(After Common Sense Xeriscaping for Small Lot Owners by Margaret Kelly; Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver County, at: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Xeris/common.htm )
National
and Regional
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Landscaping with Native Plants
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/
or
http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/
Includes 500 meg downloadable video on native landscaping
An extended discussion of good and bad "weed laws" and their impact
upon natural landscaping
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/weedlaws/index.html
Going Native
Six Fact sheets from the Springfield Township Landscaping Project
http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/ecopage/springfieldtwp/
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Creating Native Landscapes in the Northern Great Plans and Rocky Mountains
http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/plants/xeriscp/index.html
Book-length .pdf publication with many practical hints
For-Wild:
Landscaping With Native Plants
http://www.for
wild.org/landscap.htm
Guidelines on the Selection of Native Plants
http://www.for
wild.org/land/ecotype.html
Turf Wars Escalate
http://www.for
wild.org/land/tufts_op.htm
National Wildlife Federation
Replace Drought Stricken Lawns in the Southeast U.S. with Local Native Plants
http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/sedrought.cfm
Colorado
Xeriscaping: Ground Cover Plants
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07230.html
Common-Sense Xeriscaping for Small-Lot Areas
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Xeris/common.htm
One of best brief statements of basic incremental steps!
Georgia
Xeriscape: A Guide To Developing a Water-Wise Landscape (large Manual)
http://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/B1073.htm
Illinois
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Landscaping With Native Plants: Illinois Resources
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/il-resor.pdf
Indiana
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Landscaping with Native Plants: Indiana Resources
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/in-resor.pdf
Minnesota
Less Lawn.Com
Major private anti-lawn pro-native plant website with many articles, plans,
etc
http://www.lesslawn.com/index.html
includes
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Short Guide to Basic Forms of Native Lawn Landscaping
http://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1010.html
North Dakota
Xeriscape Plant Selections and Ideas
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/landscap/h957w.htm
Sustainability Through Xeriscaping
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/research/1997/xeriscap.htm
Note that some recommended xeric species, such as Yarrow and Lambs-Ear, are considered weeds.
Ohio
Native Landscaping for Birds, Bees, Butterflies, and Other Wildlife
http://ohioline.osu.edu/w
fact/0013.html
Pennsylvania
Emmitsburg.net
Regional Information for Southern Adams County
Master Gardeners' website
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles.htm
includes
Wildflower Meadows: An Alternative to Lawns
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/2003/wildflower_meadows.htm
Alternatives to Traditional Lawns
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2003/alternative_to_traditional_lawns.htm
Texas
Landscape Water Conservation: Xeriscape
http://aggie
horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/xeriscape/xeriscape.html
Source book: Xeriscaping
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/Xeriscape.html
Large interactive manual on xeriscaping in Texas environments
City of Arlington
Xeriscape Guide
http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/waterdice/xeriscape.html
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
Xeriscaping to Conserve Water
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/permitting/waterperm/wrpa/xeris.html
Wisconsin
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lake National Program Office
Landscaping With Native Plants: Wisconsin
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/nativeplants/wi-resor.pdf
