EASY-CARE LAWNS

ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL TURF

- LUKE MILLER

We have a cultural love of lawns in this country. It's "part of being a good neighbor and being someone who cares for your property," says Mary Meyer, PhD, professor emeritus and extension specialist for the University of Minnesota.

A lawn makes a great play area for children and dogs while keeping mud from being tracked into the house. It's invaluable for both sports and lawn games. And it's a nice way to visually frame a house and garden. But some homeowners are rethinking grass.

"Especially in the last 10 years, we see a lot more interest in the function of the lawn rather than just aesthetic appearance," Meyer notes. "If we're not playing soccer on it or using it for recreational purposes, why are we putting so much time and effort into a lawn?

" The lion's share of that time and effort goes to mowing-perhaps a couple of times a week during peak seasons, but other things factor into lawn care. "If you want a pristine lawn, it takes a lot of maintenance and a lot of input. It's the mower, fertilizer, irrigation, and maybe pest and weed control," says Meyer. "Those are a lot of environmental inputs; most of them are really negative."

Homeowners looking for more eco-friendly alternatives have plenty of options. Here are some that require less work, water and chemicals than traditional sod.

GRASSES

LOW-MAINTENANCE grass is an option for those who wish to keep a more traditional-looking lawn. Often labeled NO-MOW, "most mixes are a combo of four to seven fine fescues," says Meyer. "No-mow is great. At the arboretum, we cut it maybe twice a year. It's a good choice for areas you don't want to cut very often."

Prairie Nursery (prairienursery.com) is one national retailer of no-mow and native plant and seed mixes, including mixtures for erosion-prone areas.