Alternatives to Traditional Lawns
Looking for an alternative to a lawn? Some reasons why you may be looking to remove all or some of your lawn:
- Desire for a vegetable or flower garden.
- Reforestation/meadow creation for wildlife habitat.
- Site not suitable for a lawn.
- Dislike mowing.
Some of the alternatives to lawn include:
- Alternative groundcovers.
- Vegetable gardens or raised beds.
- Pollinator habitats, like meadows or flowerbeds.
- Natural habitats like forest patches.
- Rain gardens.
Financial Assistance
Montgomery County and the State of Maryland have some cost savings options to help you make the switch from traditional lawns:
- Rebates for rain gardens and conservation landscaping
- Free or low cost shade trees:
Resources
While the internet has many resources, it’s often hard to sort out what advice to follow. A good first step is to head to your local library, or contact local experts for guidance on what has been successful in your area. Below are a few resources to consider:
Books
- Lawns, Grasses and Groundcovers (Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening) by Lewis Hill and Nancy Hill
- Covering Ground by Barbara W. Ellis
Web resources:
- 8 Ways to Kick Your Grass Habit
- How to Establish a Clover Lawn
- Low-Maintenance Alternatives to Lawns
Mint used as groundcover. Photo by cezarfix, 123RFBooks:
- Rodales Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide by Deborah L. Martin
- Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops by Martin Crawford
- The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman
- Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
- Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway
- Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual by Bill Mollisson
- The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook by Philip A. Wheeler and Ronald B. Ward
- Building Soils Naturally by Phil Nauta
- The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way by Michael Philips
- The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food by Tanya Denckla Cobb
Web resources:
- Everything You Need To Know To Start Your First Organic Garden
- The Ultimate Guide to Organic and Susatainable Gardening
- Organic Vegetable Gardening For Beginners – 7 Tips
Vegetable gardens are a great replacement for traditional lawns. Photo by khunaspix, 123RFBooks and Resources:
- Establishing Pollinator Meadows from Seed by Eric Lee-Mäder, Brianna Borders, and Ashley Minnerath ( download PDF from Xerces Society )
- Gardening for Wildlife – a Complete Guide to Nature-friendly Gardening by Adrian Thomas
- The Wildlife Gardener. Creating a Haven for Birds, Bees, and Butterflies by Kate Bradbury
- The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy
- Urban and Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces by Catherine Zimmerman
- The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds: Creating Natural Habitats for Properties Large and Small by Stephen W. Kress
Web resources:
Black-eyed susans and purple coneflowers. Photo by greatandlittle, 123RFBooks and Resources:
- Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Designed Landscape by Nigel Dunnett and Andy Clayden
- Creating Rain Gardens: Capturing the Rain for Your Own Water-Efficient Garden by Apryl Uncapher and Cleo Woelfle-Erskine
- Backyard Forests Homeowner Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Backyard Forest (Download The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay resource)
- Montgomery County RainScapes Program
- EPA's Soak Up the Rain: Rain Gardens
- About Rain Gardens
- University of Maryland Extension: Rain Gardens
