Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Maintaining a Lawn
It seems to be an American tradition to have a green front lawn at every house. And while it is a popular option, it isn’t always the best space or the most beautiful way to landscape your front yard. If you are looking to create a beautiful and climate friendly front yard, you have many options besides grass that can help your space to look amazing while also being kind to the environment and making sure that your front yard is as low maintenance as possible.
Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Maintaining a Lawn: Moss
If you like the green color of grass but not the environmental impact, choosing to have moss in your front yard can be a great option. Moss is green and vibrant, but it requires less watering to stay green and is a versatile option for ground cover. Moss won’t work in every climate, but if it is a good fit for your area, it will make your yard a comfortable and beautiful place to spend your time. Moss is also great because it doesn’t require mowing of any kind and can stand up to at least a little bit of walking across its surface.
Native Plants
Another option is to use the plants that naturally grow in your area to create a front yard that is both beautiful and environmentally friendly. By using native plants, you automatically know that the water you get naturally from rain should be enough to keep your yard looking great throughout the seasons. Native plants will also be accustomed to the amount of sunlight in your area and the other natural parts of your climate. Your local nursery can walk you through native plant life and the benefits of each type so you can cultivate a yard that is full of local plant life that will be well suited to the changing weather in your area.
Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Maintaining a Lawn: Stone
If you are looking for a flat and durable surface, you should look no further than stone as the perfect choice for your yard. Stone requires essentially no maintenance and can stand up to whatever strain you put on it. You can design your stone yard to have a beautiful pattern and a look that matches well with the style of your home. You can use huge sprawling pieces with natural patterning or mix things up with a variety of stones that all come together to create a useful space that also looks great. With a stone yard, you do need to be careful about potential dangers like ice in the wintertime.
Gravel
Gravel is becoming an increasingly popular option that many people are turning to instead of grass. This is because there are many different kinds of gravel that can take the place of a water-intensive lawn. You can choose gravel in a variety of colors and textures to help your yard to look good and to be an environmentally friendly place in your area. Many people with gravel yards use boundaries to set up sections of different colors and styles of gravel that come together to make a beautiful and appealing space. You can really design your gravel yard to look any way that you want it to.
Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Maintaining a Lawn: Micro Clover
Another green (both in color and environmental impact) option is micro clover, this tiny plant packs a huge punch and can make for a soft playable lawn without the downsides of traditional grass. Clover also blooms, which means that for part of the year you will have a yard full of pretty purple flowers. Because clover has deep roots, it is much more able to withstand the waterless times of a drought, which makes it a great option in many areas throughout the country. By doing a little research on your end, you can find out if clover is an option that could work for your home.
Bark
If you like the look of gravel but have bad memories of childhood injuries in graveled playgrounds, bark might be an option that can really work for you. Bark makes for great ground cover that is softer and more fall friendly than gravelly alternatives. If you have kids running around your yard all year long, bark can be a great addition to your space that makes you and your family a little more comfortable running around and playing. Bark also comes in many different shades, so you can choose an option that matches well with your home. It is also possible to incorporate bark with another ground cover option for more variety.
Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Maintaining a Lawn: An Eco-Lawn
If you are really attached to the idea of grass, there are options out there that can help you to meet in the middle. Eco lawn mixes are made of strong grasses that grow very slowly. This means that they require less water to grow as well as needing less mowing since they grow so slowly. If you are attached to having grass but want to start lessening your carbon footprint this can be a great way to get the best of both worlds. Your local hardware store or nursery will often have many options available to keep your lawn looking great and less severely impacting the environment.
Synthetic Grass
One great choice is the synthetic grass that is widely available and comes in many different shades and textures. Modern synthetic grasses look better and can take more wear and tear than they ever could in the past. Since this option is very low maintenance, it can be a great choice for people who are looking for a balance between environmental friendliness and ease. You should be able to find a huge variety of options that all help you to keep your yard looking great without wasting water.
Grass has been a popular yard option for a very long time, but it isn’t the only option you have available. As more and more people become invested in improving their relationship with the environment, it is likely that these alternatives will become far more common. Now is the time to start thinking about making your lawn a bit more friendly to the world around you.
Read this next: The Benefits of Reducing Your Home’s Carbon Footprint
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