So you’re unhappy with how much work and water your turf grass lawn takes up, but love its function. What are the alternatives?

The Native Lawn

Many turf grass lawns occupy space that was formerly inhabited by native grasses and wildflowers, so why not restore your yard to its original state? Start by establishing a mix of low growing native grasses, such as buffalo grass, and then add wildflowers. Larger bunch grasses and native perennials will make good accents for any of the edges.

Your beautiful native lawn will need little water once established, will provide habitat for many wild species, and will only need to be cut once a year to be kept clean. It can only handle mild foot traffic, so if you use your lawn more intensively, you may consider another alternative.

• Visit the Native American Seeds website for a variety of great grass and wildflower mixes, as well as more specific planting directions.
• Check out Prairie Nursery if you’re a northerner.

Hybrid Turf Lawn
The newer hybrid grass lawns are more suitable for heavier use. Turffalo, is a buffalo grass hybrid developed by Texas Tech University, that requires little water and little mowing. It only grows 4″ tall, so you could quit mowing altogether if you were in the mood. Turffalo can also handle heavy wear and a variety of sunlight conditions.

This is a great choice for those of us who spend a lot of time on our lawns and are hesitant to lose our open green play space.

The Herb Lawn
The herb lawn is a creative alternative composed low growing herbs such as clover and thyme that can handle moderate traffic and will release sweet smells wherever you step. Buy 4″ pots of low growing “Creeping” or “Magic Carpet” thyme, which will not grow over a few inches tall, and plant them at a 6-12″ spacing. Other scented and medicinal herbs such as rosemary, oregano, St. John’s wort, sage and lavender make a nice border that increases the soothing effect of the space.

• Hobbs and Hopkins out of Oregon makes some interesting custom herb lawn seed mixes that I have not had the opportunity to experiment with.
  
• High Country Gardens also has a variety of herb and native ground covers.

Fake Grass
The only situation I could recommend installing this is for athletic fields. Some people are starting to reconsider them as alternatives as water demand increases, but I’m not convinced they are worthwhile. They will hold up to the heaviest foot traffic and take no watering, but they also give nothing back. All of the previous alternatives I’ve mentioned will have a positive impact on the environment, by providing habitat and cleaning the air and water.

Design
Most importantly, when planning your antilawn, think about how you really will use the space. Try to minimize lawn area to just what you need and design more space for beds, paths, and patios. Why bother with a lawn when you can mulch it over for roses, veggies or a just a quiet place to sit and watch the neighbors mow?