Ditch the Lawn and Ditch Summer Mowing.

(I actually wrote most of this post a week ago but got sidetracked and didn't post it until now).
The past week, I’ve been visiting my parents back up in Northern Minnesota and helping them out with some work around the house. This of course, meant getting reacquainted with my childhood enemy, the Toro lawnmower. Growing up, my brother and I used to hate mowing the lawn-we had a pretty decent sized lawn to tackle and thought we’d much rather be playing soccer on our lawn than trimming it. While I’m still not a fan, the good news is that my parents have expanded their garden so much since my siblings and I moved out that it takes about half the time it used to.

Anyways, this got me to thinking again about the environmental impacts and implications of lawns in America and all the great alternatives to cookie-cutter lawns that exist out there. If being more green, saving money on mowers, maintenance and gas, or avoiding the weekly summer mow interest you, then read on!

I’ll begin with a quick bit from grist.org about the environmental impacts of lawns in America:
“First of all, lawns are an environmental nightmare. Lawns are America's single largest irrigated crop. They cover over 49,000 square miles, three times the area covered by corn, the next biggest crop. (By contrast, concentrated solar power plants covering an area 1/6 that size could provide 100 percent of U.S. electricity.) They drink up between 30 and 60 percent of urban freshwater and are doused with more than $5 billion in fossil-fuel-based fertilizers and $700 million in synthetic pesticides a year (numbers as of 1993; hard to find anything more recent, but we can assume those numbers have gotten much larger via the housing boom). Most of the water and fertilizers are wasted through poor doseage and timing; both wash into overburdened sewage systems. America's lawnmowers burn 800 million gallons (and spill more than an Exxon Valdez's worth) of gas a year in horribly
inefficient engines, producing up to 5 percent of total U.S. air pollution.
So anything that can replace lawns -- drought resistant landscaping, stones or gravel, or, yes, a food garden -- is a blessing.”-David Roberts, Grist columnist.

That said, what are some other options for lawn-care? Here are a few things you can do to reduce your impact while mowing or options for lawn replacement.
Option A:
Replace it. There are many things you can replace your lawn with: a vegetable garden, flower garden an orchard, native grasses, a stone paths, butterfly gardens, moss, etc. Anything that reduces the amount of surface area you have to mow will be a benefit in many ways. My parents have successfully cut out probably 40% of our lawn’s surface area and replaced it with strawberry and blueberry plants, numerous vegetable plots, flowers, trees, bushes and other shrubs. If you take the gardening route, obviously this has numerous other benefits: including having fresh, locally produced, produce right in your backyard.
-Moss also makes an excellent, very low maintenance option as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/garden/01moss.html?_r=1&ex=1210305600&en=93604bf920ba0613&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin
-Or try a Raingarden: http://sustainablecommunitysolutions.com/2008/07/30/of-rain-barrels-and-rain-gardens/

*Here’s a few suggestions for how to get rid of the old grass before replacing: http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2002/09/19/umbra-lawnkill/index.html


Option B: Keep it, but green it: Okay, there’s a reason why so many Americans love lawns, and realistically for many of us they aren’t going anywhere. Especially for those who have no public parks nearby for their kids or pets to run around in. But, at least reduce your lawns nasty impact. Here’s a few things to do: Reduce the frequency of your mowing. Use a push mower if you have a smaller lawn. Lay off the pesticides. Don’t water: this will simply make your lawn grow faster and force you to cut it more quickly. If you’re in a dry climate, let your lawn grow out longer to prevent burning and browning.

All right, that’s it for my rant on lawns. The next post will probably be a little less practical and a little more political.