It’s All Connected – Volume 1 – April 12, 2023

A Guaranteed Trifecta!

Are you a betting person? Well, we have a sure bet to talk to you about this week: lose the lawn and you will save time, save lots of money, and be a climate hero. It’s a win, win, win and it’s actually easy.

Lawns require watering, mowing, fertilizing, seeding and reseeding, and it’s a never ending cycle, draining you of time and money. Did you know that in the United States lawns take up space equivalent to the state of Florida? That’s a lot of grass which actually isn’t very green from an environmental perspective. Turf grass, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, is native to Europe, hence it requires lots of help looking good.

If you aren’t quite ready to lose the lawn, then “be lazy” and try out this low maintenance lawn trend.

Remember, large lawn care companies spend millions to convince us that beautiful lawns are a mainstay of home ownership. But, these companies are peddling chemicals that are full of neurotoxins and carcinogens. Our children and pets play on these lawns.

Curb appeal doesn’t only apply to a large boring expanse of green grass. In fact, trees and bushes absorb heat and lower the temperature around your home during the summer. Add in some native grasses and wildflowers and your yard will be a low-maintenance, water saving, pesticide free ecosystem full of happy bees, birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

All of this adds up to the perfect trifecta:

– saving money since you can stop watering, fertilizing, and using pesticides

– saving time as there is no need to mow, water, or haul the clippings to the trash

– saving the environment because your new native plants help support birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators

Food Deserts in Nature

Monoculture refers to an area where there is one predominant organism, such as a crop field or a lawn. The issue with a monoculture is that one plant creates a nutrient drain on the soil which then necessitates chemical interventions that damage other organisms. The cycle continues in perpetuity as long as one plant type remains in place by human design.

Lawns are monocultures and a food desert for pollinators. Despite the manicured look, lawns serve as nothing more than an asphalt parking lot for our flying friends. Take the pledge and begin rewilding your lawn or part of it. Add in some native plants and let the magic happen.

There are many resources to help you get started, even a small patch of native plants can make a difference. See below for resources to help with native plant selection, and check with your local water department for more tips and potential rebates!

Native plant finders: Audubon, National Wildlife Federation, Calscape, Homegrown National Park