Lawn Alternatives

Alternatives to lawn include native wildflower meadows, woodland gardens, and groundcovers.  These lawn alternatives provide more wildlife habitat and require less watering and chemical application than lawn.  Also, lawn alternatives typically allow more water to soak into them than lawn does.  Because turfgrass has a dense but shallow root system, storm water tends to quickly run off of lawns, picking up pollutants such as fertilizer and pesticide and taking them to the nearest stream.

Located at the front of our building, the native wildflower meadow replaced approximately 4,750 square feet of lawn and asphalt.  The front meadow was seeded by volunteers in the fall of 2003.  In spring of 2004, supplemental plantings were installed by volunteers.  The meadow is visited by goldfinches, mourning doves, and the occasional groundhog.  As the plants get more established and begin to flower, more critters will be drawn to the meadow.  View a list of the plants we used in the native wildflower meadow.

Below:  Black-eyed Susans put on a colorful show the first year after seeding the native wildflower meadow.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: The site before the lawn was removed.

The easiest way to create a meadow is to stop mowing and allow regeneration.  If you'd rather not wait for nature to take its course, the general process involves:

Step 1:  Choosing the site

Find an open, sunny site for a meadow.  Meadow plants prefer sunny sites, and so do butterflies!

Step 2:  Removing the lawn

Options for removing existing lawn include using a sod-cutter, covering with plastic, spraying with Roundup, or repeatedly rototilling the site.

Step 3:  Seeding or planting

Small areas may be planted with containerized perennials.  Larger areas may be seeded with a native wildflower meadow mix.  Beware of meadows-in-a-can.  They often contain invasive, non-native plants.  Instead, try to use plants that are native to Pennsylvania.  We used Ernst Conservation Seeds' Showy Northeast Native Wildflower Mix with grasses.  The best times to seed are fall and spring.  Encourage good contact with the soil by either raking the seeds in or pressing the area with a sod roller, available at rental stores.

Step 4:  Maintaining the meadow

Although they can be slow to get established, native plants are long-lived.  During the first year, when the plants reach 12-18 inches tall, weed-whack the meadow to 8 inches tall.  This will keep the undesirable plants in check.  To make sure your plants get a fair shake during their first few years, remove invasive plants which may come up.  Plants to remove may include ragweed, Queen Anne's lace, chicory, and dock.

 

Right:  Every few seasons, ClearWater burns the meadow, with the permission of Patton Township and the assistance of the Alpha Fire Company.  Here, firefighter Dave Felice ignites last year's growth and keeps the fire in check.

 

Meadows and Prairies: Wildlife Friendly Alternatives to Lawns

(Penn State Cooperative Extension)

pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh117.pdf

 

Landscaping for a Healthy Planet--Meadows

(Pennsylvania Audubon Society and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay)

www.envirolandscaping.org/specialty.htm#meadows

 

Establishing Meadow Sites

(Ernst Conservation Seeds)

www.ernstseed.com/Catalog/EstablishMeadow.htm

 

Suggested Plants for Meadows

(Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve)

www.bhwp.org/native/native_plant_info_sheets/Suggested _Plants_for_Meadows.pdf

 

Seed Catalog and Plant Sales

(Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve)