Lawn tastes have changed over the years. There was a time that if your lawn hadn’t been mowed in a while, you might be considered lazy. Now, people may just think you have an eco-friendly yard.
As climate change continues to cause extreme storms and affect everything from air pollution to agriculture, it’s more important than ever to consider what some people call the anti-lawn movement, or sometimes, the ugly lawn movement.
The National Wildlife Federation says approximately 40 million acres are planted as lawn in the U.S., including residential and commercial properties and golf courses; some estimates set that even higher. More homeowners are embracing lawn alternatives with the mindset that, for nature’s sake, it’s better to make their yard as natural as possible.
Some homeowners, of course, are perfectly happy with an less native yard. Who wants weeds? Who wants a skunk roaming around the backyard or a snake slithering in your grass? But for those who would like more wildlife and are looking for an environmentally friendly yard, here are some suggestions.
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Plant Native Foliage
Native plants and native flowers are those that occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem or habitat without human introduction. These plants have adapted to the water, light and other conditions in that area. If you plant species that have been growing in your neighborhood for generations, it’s better for the environment than planting something that doesn’t belong where you live. Non-native plants, often called invasive plants, sometimes thrive a little too well, growing out of control and crowding out the native species.
Consider native plants if you want to provide a habitat for wild animals like raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes and so on. If your yard is full of non-native plants, you’re not giving local wildlife much to eat. Animals passing by, like migratory birds and butterflies, will be out of luck, too.
“These native plants equal food,” says Matthew Shumar, program coordinator at the Ohio Bird Conservative Initiative, part of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Shumar is also a landscape ecologist.
Native plants are food for native animals, in large part, “because they’re host plants for a lot of native insects, especially moth and butterfly caterpillars,” Shumar says. “Those are so important for migrating songbirds.”
If you want native plants in your yard, Sarah Warner, greenhouse manager and regenerative farmer at the Case Western Reserve University Farm in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. suggests finding a locally owned nursery and asking them to steer you toward native plants. Ask if the plants have been treated with pesticides, and if they have, she recommends steering clear.
“The most important tip I can share is avoiding big box stores at all costs when purchasing plants for your landscape,” Warner says. “Typically, these plants are treated with the harmful pesticide, neonicotinoids, which kill any insect, including pollinators, on contact. These deadly pesticides can live in the soil for three to five years, killing insects each year.”
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Keep Your Land, Shrink Your Lawn
It may be difficult if you live in a homeowners association that holds you to strict standards on what your yard can look like, but “minimizing the amount of lawn you have is the best way to create a natural environment in your yard,” Warner says.
Replace the lawn with native flowers as well as native grass. Warner says doing so “can bring in a lot of insects, birds and other animals, creating a diverse ecosystem.”
It’s not an all-or-nothing scenario. You don’t have to get rid of all of the well-manicured lawn; maybe you keep half or 75%. But shrink your non-native grass lawn, and you may see more wildlife.
In recent decades especially, Shumar says, “we’ve transformed landscape from wild spaces to a very developed and well-manicured landscape.” Moving in the opposite direction gives wildlife a safe place to go.
Slow Down or Stop Using Chemicals
Many lawn care companies may not care for this idea, but chemicals and pesticides that make your yard look like a golf course simply aren’t good for the environment — especially if you do want animal visitors.
“If people love seeing wildlife and love birds, a great thing to do is to wild your yard as much as possible, and you’ll find that you don’t have to put the chemicals in your yard when you have a diversity of plants, because native plants can sort of maintain themselves,” Shumar says.
Since birds are his specialty, he uses them as an example of how a wild yard can help them compared with a lawn treated with chemicals: Birds migrating from Central and South America might nest in Canada, and so they might only be in your state for a few days a year.
But that landscaping in your yard, Shuman says, “is incredibly important for them to get from Point A to Point B, and so you can think about all of these backyards [across America] as being convenience stores or grocery stores. So a very manicured lawn might be akin to the dingiest 7-Eleven, for the birds. There’s not a lot of good food there. They might find something, but it’s going to be rough to get them where they’re going. Or you can think of a yard that has a lot of tree cover, maybe a lot of native bushes, and not a whole lot of lawn, as being more like a Whole Foods or something like that where there’s all of this great food and birds are able to stock up and fill their gas tanks.”
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3 Natural Yard Strategies
Try companion planting. Plant your vegetables and flowers in mutually beneficial arrangements. Next to the prized plant you don’t want insects to devour, plant something the pests hate. Research what can be planted in your state and what will work well, and try to keep it native, just like the rest of your yard.
“Marigolds emit a musky scent which deters insect pests, and alliums like chives and onions are natural pest deterrents,” says Lara Hermanson, co-owner of Farmscape, a Los Angeles-based company that designs, installs and manages urban farms. “Mint is used by our farm team to disrupt ant colonies.”
Adding legumes like peas, beans and clover to your garden is a great way to maximize soil health. Legumes fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduce your total fertilizer needs.
Some companion plants physically support each other, reducing the need for staking or trellising. The most well-known example of this is the three sisters model, which integrates corn, squash and beans.
Squash can also be a deterrent to vertebrate animals like raccoons, which often eat sweet corn, and interplanting with basil may help to promote tomato growth. Marigold, onion and nasturtium help reduce cabbage worms in brassica plants. Some online research will provide a wealth of ideas for your specific garden goals.
Go with the organic versions. Warner suggests looking for organic sprays to control weeds or sprays. They should be OMRI-listed, Warner says, which means they have been reviewed by the international nonprofit Organic Material Review Institute and determined to be allowed for organic use in accordance with specific organic standards.
You’ll also want to stay away from big brand name fertilizers, suggests Hermanson. “Healthy soil amended with a bunch of good organic compost can do the same job without the chemicals,” she says.
Utilize wood chips. Rather than going with organic sprays, the best way to avoid weeds in your yard “is to mulch with untreated wood chips, pine bark, organic and untreated straw,” Warner says.
Stay away from black walnut chips, Warner says, “because it steals nitrogen from soil, leaving none for plants.”
Ensuring your mulch is not dyed or treated will avoid applying harsh chemicals that can contaminate wildlife, she adds. Warner recommends visiting ChipDrop.com to see if free wood chip mulch is available in your area.
“It’s a free wood chip service that you can sign up for to obtain wood chips at any time, and you can also opt-out for black walnut,” Warner says.
A Few More Words on Eco-Friendly Yards
“Eco-friendly yards are completely obtainable for a homeowner,” says Warner. Shumar agrees. He says environmentally friendly yards can get complicated, especially if you’re trying to keep pests away, but they can be straightforward.
“It’s simple, really. You don’t have to do much,” Shumar says.
In short: Populate your land with native plants, mow less (or not at all), pull out the binoculars, take a look out your windows and let nature take care of the rest.
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How to Create an Eco-Friendly Lawn That Won’t Drive Your Neighbors Wild originally appeared on usnews.com
