The wonderful world of horticulture and landscape painting design offers sempiternal alternative for flora metal money and arrangements . With more than 390,000 different character of vascular works on earth , which include trees , shrubs , flowering plants , herbs , and grasses , originative possibilities burst . By the room , vascular plant are those with peculiar interior tissues that move fluids throughout the plant ’s structure .
Let ’s seek something for a moment : shut down your eyes for 20 seconds and picture a beautiful outdoor scene …… Okay , back to the printed varlet . I ’m sure that everyone reading this article will have envisage something different , and I ’m fairly certain that our visualization were meet with a wide variety of attractive plants defend dissimilar sizes , condition , colors , and texture . For most of us , beauty in the botanic world conjures up a active collection of industrial plant mintage that complement each other in aesthetically pleasing mise en scene . These scenario might be formally organize , as in carefully planned cosmetic garden , or they might excogitate the informality of wild wild , such as deal hillsides cover with wildflower .
Whatever you might have imagined , I doubt it was a suburban lawn . Oddly enough , that monochromatic palette of undisturbed green sward is a recurring theme in suburbs across the United States today . How did that happen ? Well , way back in the 17thcentury , no native turfgrass subsist in this country . The English landscape painting style was quite popular then , so travelers from Great Britain and Europe fetch germ along with them when they transmigrate to America . At that clock time , lush unripe lawns symbolized wealthiness and social condition , and prominent leaders made gravid grassy areas part of unique landscape painting designs at their own abode , which captured the public ’s eye . suppose about George Washington ’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson ’s Monticello as safe examples of this approach shot . However , those lawns were hard to uphold , and sustentation required a significant amount of human labor .
A front yard with turfgrass stay a distant pipage dream for the deal until clever discoverer come up with ways to simplify upkeep . The innovation of the button lawn mower ( 1830 ) and the advent of a sprinkler attached to a lacrimation hosepipe ( 1871 ) made lawn maintenance more achievable , but still beyond what most multitude could open or be bothered with . Two maturation changed that reality : ( 1 ) the invention of the top executive lawn mower in 1919 , and ( 2 ) the beginning of planned suburban communities in the mid-20thcentury . step by step , green lawns became a dominant part of the engineer outdoor landscape for residential dwellings and neighborhoods .
Some of you might need , “ What ’s the trouble with that trend ? ” For starters , see these facts :
Perhaps those details will prompt you to excogitate possibilities beyond the lawn . perchance a passive resort that supports wildlife would be more meaningful , worthwhile , and environmentally favorable . I marvel if you could plan something for your own yard with great ecological note value than a lawn . What if you settle to get originative with one pip as an experiment ? Where would that be site ? How could you redesign that small piece of your property ? In what way would that afford up new pick for the value and use of goods and services of that space ? What might you and your family gain from that transformation ?
As you may have discovered from news show reports this twelvemonth , the Covid19 globular pandemic and internal lockdowns around the existence ushered in a new earned run average focalise on flora power and home horticulture . The International Association of Horticultural Producers ( AIHP ) put together an enlighteningfact sheetthat offers empiric evidence to support the “ unfathomed wellness benefits ” of being in nature and participating in outside horticulture activity . Their extensive research shows that :
To learn more about the pleasance of horticulture and the healing power of nature , you might need to record Sue Stuart - Smith ’s insightful Holy Scripture , The Well - Gardened Mind(Simon & Schuster , 2020 ) .
The compelling case for horticulture and spending meter outdoors in lifelike surround presents a singular chance for today ’s homeowners . Why not take steps to reinvent part of your own chiliad ? If enhance green space lead to amend physical , genial , and emotional wellness and greater human resilience when facing hard knocks , perhaps domesticize some of your lawn is worth the investment of time and vigor . If you decide to take this leap of faith to produce a tranquil haven on your prop , what are the option for that redesigned place ?
You will need a sensible plan , but before devising one , be sure you have a clear picture of what you ’ve catch out there already . Start by make a simple two - dimensional lottery of your home and the hem in space . Label what ’s there and what goes on in these spaces , such as a front paseo to introduce the house , swing set for children , field of operation in back for association football practice , shrubs beside the house for spring semblance , private road leading to your service department , etc . Next , influence the orientation of your rest home site and tot up a compass rose to indicate Frederick North , Dixie , east , and Cicily Isabel Fairfield on your drawing . This will give you a good idea of the sun ’s pathway from morning to dusk . Then , add the trees on and near your spate , so you may pronto discern the sunny and shady areas of your property . If there ’s a steep incline or sections that are difficult to cut down , label those on your lottery as well . With that sketch done , what areas propose potential to become a new place of beauty or peaceable sanctuary ?
Here are some ideas for horticulture additions :
Once you have a dedicated space in nous , consider which horticultural choice might work well in that location . think to start minuscule , so the undertaking will be more accomplishable . If your imagination comes to realization , take time to see the revitalise landscape before travel on to aspiration of larger lawn makeovers . Gardening is always a grand experiment with plenty to notice and find out , step by tone .
By the way , if you live in a suburban development , chance are there ’s a homeowner ’ association ( HOA ) . Do n’t blank out to look into restrictions that apply to lawn and gardens before proceeding with your plan . You will require to comply with rules pertaining to outdoor space and put forward any necessary letters of request or forms in rise of bring in changes . Or , meet with your HOA if you require to add a garden and are n’t sure if that ’s allowable .
Now you ’re quick to reflect on your individual preference for types of plant as turfgrass alternatives for sure sections of your yard . What industrial plant do you regain attractive ? What arrangements or innovation appeal to you ? If wildlife visits your cubic yard , will you need to protect plants from unwanted nibbles ? Every nurseryman I get it on has had at least one story to evidence about deer or rabbits greedily dining on newly - established garden plot , dashing horticultural Hope for long - term use . Your unexampled journey is decidedly a creative physical process , but it should be ground in reality .
These suggestions are ripe candidate for lawn replacement :
One more important recommendation before putting your plans into action mechanism is to arrange for a filth test . It ’s of the essence to bang how intelligent your soil is , including the pH level . This informativearticlein an earlier issue ofThe Garden Shedshares the why and how , and thispublication from Virginia Cooperative Extensiontells how to interpret soil test reports . You ’ll be surprised at what you could watch about what ’s under your feet .
Are you getting activated about the possibility ? I trust so ! If everyone out there with a lawn made a commitment to exchange just part of that turfgrass to some other horticultural selection , we ’d write stacks of clean water , cut down on chemical run - off , slenderize air pollution , corroborate wildlife , and make more sympathetic landscapes for all to prize . This small step can make a dispute in the overall wellness of the natural creation , while contributing to better human wellness . ideate what might fall out if we used the $ 16 billion per year that is currently spent on lawn care in the United States to gift in other go-ahead and projects dedicated to biodiversity and a unclouded satellite .
Online Resources
These resource provide guidance for replacing turf pot and redesign residential landscapes .
https://www.lawngonenative.com/(Rich resource with designing templates , background , industrial plant lists , and more ; an honors dissertation by a Penn . State Department scholarly person )
https://mgnv.org/turf-grass-alternatives-2020-video/(Webinar about turfgrass alternatives )
Tower Hill Botanic Garden / video - webinar - alternatives - greensward - grass - lawns/(Webinar on how to supercede your lawn )
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/lawn-alternatives(Well-researched article with photos , practiced connection , works lists , and more )
https://content.yardmap.org/learn/removing-lawn-to-make-way-for-more-habitat/(Reader-friendly clause with whole step - by - step educational activity for put back turfgrass )
www.plantnovanatives.org/”Lawn Care for Earth Renewal”(Explanatory article with good visuals to help you sail revitalizing your green blank space )
U.S.Fish&Wildlife inspection and repair / Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat & Conservation Landscaping(Descriptions of native plants for various options to support wildlife home ground )
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/nativeplants(Native plants for conservation , refurbishment , and landscaping )
www.dcr.virginia.gov/Native Plant Finder
https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/got-dry-shade-weve-got-solutions/(Plants for dry shade )
produce Native Plants into Your Garden / The Garden Shed(Where to purchase native plants in the local area , plus online sources )
Responsible Lawn Management in the Era of Climate Change / The Garden Shed
Alternative Lawns / The Garden Shed
Meadow Gardening / The Garden Shed
References
https://www.cnn.com/2025-03-20/health/how-to-start-gardening-coronavirus-wellness/index.html
http://aiph.org/aiph_new/gardening-will-keep-you-well-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
Books
Darke , Rick and Tallamy , Doug . ( 2014).The Living Landscape . Portland : Timber Press .
Jenkins , Virginia . ( 1994 ) . The Lawn . A History of an American Obsession . Washington D.C. : Smithsonian Books .
