With the right landscaping, Americans may never have to mow their grass again. Of course, that means considerably less time devoted to sweaty manual labor — and it means less fertilizer, less water, and a vastly more sustainable lawn. What’s the secret? There are several low maintenance grass alternatives. Here are just a few:
A Lawn Alternative That’s Still Green
If you want lawn cover that’s still green, moss is a surprisingly low-maintenance option — and one that resembles grass from a bit of a distance. “Moss needs no fertilizer and very little water once it’s established,” Houzz explains. What’s more, moss only grows up to a certain point. In other words, it never grows high enough to justify mowing. There is one downside: Moss doesn’t necessarily hold up well if people or pets tramp back and forth on it all day long.
A Lawn Alternative That’s Hearty
For a green and hearty option, choose clover. Clover is tough. Pets, kids, and neighbors can go ahead and walk on top of it, run through it, and otherwise do what they will. And it should be okay. It doesn’t require any special fertilizer and regular ol’ dirt or decorative topsoil will suit clover patches just fine. Use top soil with a pH of five to eight for optimal growth. It is best to plant clover lawns during early spring gardening or early spring landscaping; the plant flourishes when planted in relatively cool temperatures with consistently moist soil until it is established.
A Lawn Alternative that Adds a Bit of Color
If color is important to your ground cover and landscaping designs, select sustainable flowers or flowering greens. Blue Star Creeper, for instance, produces tons of small, blue flowers. They’re pleasing to look at, and they’re sturdy and low maintenance as well.
The 888,426 U.S. men and women working for the 401,473 landscaping companies have noticed a strong trend: regular gardeners are 25% more likely to purchase eco-friendly decorative topsoil, plants, and ground cover. Sustainable grass alternatives are the perfect way to conserve water, fertilizer, or simply spend less time mowing the grass.