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Lawn Alternatives
There is no
"substitute" for turf grass,
though there are alternatives. This means that
there are no plants that grow to be 3"-4"
high and hold, tolerate foot traffic well, and
have the same density and feel as grass. There
are, however, several plants and hardscape items
that serve well as an alternative to lawn and
offer benefits over a lawn.
Here we present a few. You may choose to use one,
some or all, depending on the size of your property
and your preferences. Recognize that there are
others lawn alternative options and we welcome
your input on what works for you. Please look
below for sections on How to Remove Lawn and Benefits
of Lawn Alternatives.
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Hardscapes
and Groundcovers
Lawns may be replaced with hardscapes, groundcovers
or a wonderful combination of the two, which is
our preference. Hardscapes may be made of stone,
pavers, concrete, wood, recycled plastic or other
material and have the benefit of increasing outdoor
living space and offering permanance. Groundcovers
can be weaved within and/or provided as a border
to a hardscape, or grown separately. Click
here for more. |
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Seed
Mixes
Traditional lawns require frequent maintenance,
lots of water, and fertilizer. We are pleased to
carry a line of ecological seed mixes, developed
in conjuction with OSU, that are self-fertilizing,
drought tolerant and dwarf in growth characteristics.
They are exceptional for casual lawns, transitional areas, summer homes, and other places where low maintenance is key. Click
here for more. |
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Edibles
Edible landscaping is a topic that books are written
about. Our favorites include Edible Landscaping
(by the Sierra Club) and Sunset's Book of Edible
Landscaping, which are available at our store. Edible
landscaping can take many forms from something simple
such as blueberries surrounded by everbearing strawberries
and your favorite herbs, to something more elaborate.
Click
here for more. |
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Natives
Native landscaping is the current rage, and it's
about time. While many of us were taught to change
a site to support a mass-produced plant (bring in
soil, fertilizer, irrigation), we now realize that
selecting plants that evolved to grow at our site
makes a lot more sense. Livingscape offers a wide
range of native plants and the know-how to successfully
select and grow them. Click
here for more. |
Why
do we have so much lawn? One reason is that
cut grass lets us walk anywhere; it gives us infinite
pathways. As we reduce lawn to "turf areas"
or take it out entirely, we need to consider what your
new pathways are going to be: stepping stones, gravel,
cedar chips, low decks, strips of lawn, other?
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