Lawns don't make sense in parking strips and front yards where the only person walking on them is the person mowing them, Deva Luna said to a standing-room-only crowd at a recent talk sponsored by Green Town Los Altos. A small lawn would be appropriate for a children's play area in the backyard, though, she said.
Luna, horticulturist and principal designer at EarthCare Landscaping, discussed low-water alternatives to lawns.
Contrary to popular notions, a sustainable, no-mow landscape can have any style. Luna showed photos of sustainable front yards in a variety of styles, including Japanese, modern, Mediterranean, and natural. She showed examples of a range of garden types that offer more interest and liveliness than a lawn, such as children's garden, fairy garden, and butterfly garden.
Luna pointed out that succession is a key feature of sustainable landscapes, where different plants predominate as trees and shrubs grow and shade/sun patterns change. For instance, an herbal lawn with thymes in the sunny part and yerba buena and sweet woodruff in the shady part evolved as trees grew and more shade was created. The shade-loving plants gradually took over more space. The only gardens not in succession, she said, are gardens that are maintained to be always juvenile, like a lawn.
About 90% of the people who call EarthCare want low-water and low-maintenance landscapes, she said, which are not the same thing.
Meadows, for example, can require a great deal of maintenance, especially if they are not carefully planned. The primary issue is weeds, Luna said. If you have a meadow, you need a relaxed attitude around perfection and change. Preparation involves weeding, watering, cutting weeds with a swivel hoe, and repeating the whole process at least one more time.
The advantages of a no-mow lawn include seeing seasonal changes, watching flowers sway in the breeze, and creating more habitat for pollinators. Interplant with wildflowers for added interest. For instance, you can get Eco-Lawn seed, which is a mixture of fine fescues, and add clover and yarrow. Delta Bluegrass Co. sells sod that uses California native grasses; you can obtain the sod from local retailers.
Native groundcovers include the following:
Planting herbs such as thyme between stepping stones creates a permeable path. Thyme needs periodic watering in the dry season to stay lush, though.
Yarrow is the predominant plant in this sustainable lawn, which was seeded with both yarrow and red fescue the previous winter. The adjacent path and patio, carpeted with gravel, create a pleasant walking surface that enables rainwater to be absorbed on site.
© 2014 Tanya Kucak