Reduce/Replace your Lawn

Impact
Cost
  $$

Our Lawns are literally Killing Us!

In its recent report, The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) predicted that the Earth’s climate will remain stable for only 10-12 more years. How can you help to stop this catastrophe? Consider eliminating your turf grass lawn.

According to the EPA, off-road gasoline-powered equipment, such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers, emit approximately 242 million tons of pollutants annually, just as much as cars and homes! In the USA, over 40 million acres of turf grass lawns have replaced the native plants that lived on that land and the way in which we care for those lawns is causing major pollution.

Individual property owners can make an important contribution to the restoration of our ecosystem by growing less lawn grass, or replacing the grass with native plants. There are several approaches to reducing the environmental damage done by lawns and lawn care practices.

Want to see an example, right in our neighborhod? Watch this video.

Maybe you want to engage a more ecological landscaper to mow and clean up? Maybe even one who doesn't use fossil fuels? Maybe you're looking for a redesign for your garden so there will be more pollinator plants, less poison ivy and other invasives? 

 Click on the Steps to Take tab above to find

  1. Practical steps
  2. A Wayland volunteer coach to help you get started
  3. Recommendations for local business that can help

Practical steps:

  1. Mow your lawn with an electric mower. (More about electric landscaping equipment here).
  2. Stop applying water (yes, you read that right), fertilizer, pest control chemicals. This will keep pollutants out of the air, water, and soil. The lawn will adopt the normal life cycle of grass. It will be green in rainy seasons and brown in dry, hot weather. Also, here in Wayland, those lawn chemicals flow into our drinking water wells, and not watering will take pressure off our drinking waster supply.
  3. Add other short plants to your lawn. After adopting the practices in #1 and 2., add other plants that will look green when the turf grass is brown. Popular lawn companion plants include Clover, Self Heal, Violets.
  4. Replace lawn area that is not needed for play space with a native plant garden. Read about a local effort here. 

Need help?

  1. Seeking advice about ecologically healthy gardening practices? Contact our coach, local volunteer Native Plant Ambassador, Jean Milburn. Jean is Wayland’s representative to the MCA Native Pollinator Task Force.
  2. Give Lady Fern Farm a call. Lady Fern Farm consults and is specialized in native pollinator plants. Nikki demoed Winter Sowing your spring seedlings in this webinar.
  3. Visit the Eco Landscaping Association (ELA) Directory  and type MA in the State search box, and any specialties you are looking for. There are many ecologically educated landscapers in the neighborhood. The ELA  educates them and holds them to high standards.

As always, let us know how it went by leaving a testimonial in the tab above. We are always looking for vendors we can recommend.

See Testimonials
Low-low-maintenance natural landscaping!
By JanotJanuary 18th 2022

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