Let’s address the elephant in the yard: the lawn. Turfgrass is thirsty, demanding, and ecologically barren. But a bare dirt patch isn’t better. So what do you do?
Chapter 19 offers a range of solutions, from reducing your lawn to replacing it entirely.
Option 1: Keep a smaller, better lawn. If you love the feel of grass underfoot, shrink your lawn to only the area you actually use (kids play, picnics, croquet). Convert the rest to plantings. For the remaining lawn, choose a low‑water grass like tall fescue, buffalograss, or Bermuda grass (in warm climates). These need 50‑75% less water than standard bluegrass. Mow high (3 inches) to shade roots and reduce evaporation.
Option 2: No‑mow or low‑mow lawns. Fine fescues and sedges can be mowed only 3‑4 times per year, or left unmowed for a meadow look. They stay green with minimal water. Dell notes that no‑mow lawns are softer and more tolerant of shade than traditional turf.
Option 3: Lawn alternatives. For areas that look like lawn but aren’t grass, consider:
Creeping thyme – walkable, fragrant, purple flowers.
Dymondia – very low, gray‑green, tolerates light foot traffic (zones 8‑10).
Clover – stays green, fixes nitrogen, feeds bees. Needs mowing once or twice a year.
Steppables (a branded mix of low‑growing perennials) – chamomile, corsican mint, baby’s tears.
Option 4: Remove the lawn entirely. Sheet mulching (cardboard + compost + mulch) kills grass without chemicals. Then replant with native meadow, vegetable beds, or a gravel garden.
Dell also covers how to transition: start with a small test patch. You don’t have to rip out everything at once. A sustainable landscape is a journey, not a demolition derby.
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