The most eco-friendly lawn isn’t necessarily green in hue

The smell of freshly mowed grass is synonymous with summer in most people’s minds. But the idea of a beautiful green lawn in front of every house has become objectionable to those who consider “green” a set of values rather than a color.

Environmentally speaking, grass lawns are not very “green.” Were it not for constant human intervention, most lawns would dry up, turn brown and lose ground to weeds and anthills.

For instance, it takes an extraordinary amount of fresh water to keep lawns hydrated. Mowing burns up nonrenewable fossil fuels. Lawn chemicals can be harmful to people, pets or the watershed.

However, it is possible to cultivate an eco-friendlier lawn. Solutions can range from simply watering and mowing less, to a complete rethinking of the front and back yards.

Honey, I shrunk the lawn

The most dramatic way to lessen the environmental impact of a lawn is to shrink it. “We always tell people to have lawn only where you need it for specific uses, like where the kids play or where you spread a blanket for a picnic,” says Kathy Brenzel, Sunset magazine’s garden editor.

One approach is to “whittle away at the sides,” as Brenzel puts it. Frame the lawn with shrubbery or beds, adding visual interest to the perimeter. “There are hundreds of varieties of perennials, shrubs and trees that look good bordering a property, which the neighbors won’t find objectionable,” says Tom Girolamo, author of “Your Eco-Friendly Yard” (Krause Publications, 2009). Try the dwarf varieties of these plants, which don’t require constant pruning, he adds.

Another way is to “erase the center,” says Evelyn J. Hadden, author of the book “Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives” (Timber Press, 2012). Working from the inside out, create an “island” around an existing tree or grouping of trees by replacing the grass with low-maintenance plants such as perennials, ornamental grasses and hardy ground covers. The island then becomes a focal point.

“Make the view come alive by creating a little ecosystem that attracts birds and butterflies,” she adds.

A whole new perspective

Convert unused parts of the lawn to something more practical or enjoyable, such as a vegetable or cutting garden. Slopes, which pose a challenge to mowers and typically serve no purpose, can be turned into a low-maintenance garden that will capture and absorb runoff more effectively, Hadden says.

“If you have a walkway at the base of the slope, you can see all the plants at eye level,” she adds, “so you can have nodding plants like snowdrops, with their little bells, or see in the faces of daffodils.”

It’s not necessary to take up the sod when shrinking a lawn. “Instead of rototilling, just lay heavy paper or cardboard over the area and put organic mulch over it,” Girolamo advises. Deprived of sunlight, the grass will die and decompose, and the space will be ready for the next project.

Go hard or go home

Hardscaping — like patios, paved walkways and outdoor fireplaces — provides functional spaces and can be used to create a series of “outdoor rooms,” Hadden says, with certain rooms delineated by patches of grass no larger than an area rug.

Gravel beds are often touted as an easy-care alternative to grass. But they fill up with leaves and twigs and tend to spill over their borders, says Girolamo, who is not necessarily a fan of full-blown rock gardens, either.

“Getting rock to a site is very energy-consumptive,” he says.

Since ground cover spreads and fills in a space, it can replace a large area of grass, perhaps doing away with an entire corner.

Grass be-gone

Not all low-lying ground cover is as impactful on the environment as grass. Other plants can replace or supplement grass to make a lawn more eco-friendly.

One easy adjustment to make is to stop trying to get rid of clover. “Clover kind of acts like a slow-release fertilizer. It takes a lot of the work away from us and lets nature take over the job of fertilizing the lawn,” Hadden says.

“Clover lawns are making a comeback due to clover’s drought-tolerant and low-maintenance qualities,” says Rob Wendell, CEO of Nature’s Finest Seed, a grass and wildflower seed developer based in Lehi, Utah. Clover provides nutrients, crowds out harmful weeds and has the ability to reseed itself.

“Every time you mow your lawn, you are adding clover clippings back into the ground and spurring incredible growth,” reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizer, he adds. Clover isn’t intended to replace a lawn entirely, but to grow freely among it.

On the other hand, pink chintz thyme can handle a moderate amount of foot traffic and can be used as a lawn substitute. It stays low and knits together to form a tight, dark-green mat.

Lemon thyme works for a smaller expanse or in the backyard, but be conscious that it won’t blend in with the neighbors’ yards because of its yellowish leaves. “You can walk right through it and it has a nice smell to it,” Girolamo says. “You can cook with it, and it’s a natural mosquito repellent.”

Newer grass seed varieties are bred to tolerate drought and grow low to the ground, so less watering and mowing is required. And older varieties have been significantly improved.

One example of a “greener” grass that’s gaining in popularity is buffalo grass, native to the Great Plains region. “It’s extremely drought-tolerant and thrives during the hot summer months as traditional grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass are starting to go dormant,” Wendell says. “With the development of new high-quality varieties of buffalo grass, there’s no need to worry about it looking clumpy or straggly. It produces a thick turf that only gets about 4 to 7 inches high. It’s a very slow grower and needs far less mowing than traditional lawn grasses.”

Fescues are another popular alternative. “The newer varieties we use are far superior to the varieties used in the past,” Wendell says, with a finer texture that blends more easily.