Lawn Alternatives?

Friday, April 21, 2006

In response to one of my previous posts, Jim asked about alternatives to growing lawn. He said:

"My entire back yard needs a redo - home improvements, two dogs and lots of shade - not to mention all that grass cutting made me remember an article I saw in the Green Scene a few years ago - on growing moss as an alternative. Does anyone have a good spot to point me to? Need to gain info, where to buy, what to buy, etc."

Jim, I did find a few resources that might be helpful. Check out Eartheasy's Lawn Alternatives. They suggest various types of ground covers, shrubs, and ornamental grasses.

LessLawn.com has a number of articles on ways to 'shrink your lawn' and how to create a lawnless landscape.

Colorado State University has a list of ground cover plants that do well in shade.

There is also Plant Native, which will help you find native plants for your particular area.

Finally, you may want to look at Annie Berthold-Bond's "Beautiful Alternatives to Lawns." She suggests several articles and books, including one called The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn.

Can anyone suggest other resources?