The idea that a landscape should be this vast expanse of super green lawn is an outdated trend which is moving toward a more sustainable ideal. We all love grassy spaces, it provides space for the dog and kids to move around freely and creates a nice visual balance for the garden beds. However, you can still have this type of lawn space, it should just become a smaller space which is less labor intensive.

Lots of people spend many hours and dollars maintaining these huge green spaces when it would be better for their schedule and the environment to shrink the green. Reducing the size will let you relax and create a more natural atmosphere. Overall most homeowners apply far too much pesticide to their lawns, ten times more than farmers do to their crops. This is creating damage to our environment, in addition it is harmful to our health.

Lawns also require a lot of water which is expensive and those water costs are increasing every year. In some areas of the country this is now a major environmental issue as water levels are severely depleted.

You have alternatives to spending all of your weekend working on your lawn, these steps can be implemented over time to make your landscape easier on you, better for the environment and better for wildlife. Nature’s Friends Landscaping can help you with many aspects of your lawn care and maintenance as well as helping you make it more sustainable.

First, let your lawn grow a bit taller to support a better root system, making your grass more resilient to climate changes. Mulch your lawn clippings, this puts nutrients back into the soil. Water deeply once a week instead of multiple short sprinkles. Aerate the lawn if it is heavily compacted, this helps the soil breathe. Clover and dandelions are not the devil, they help the soil, just mow them. Test your soil so you know what it needs instead of just mindlessly applying a “5 step” program.