Suburban Ecology: Letting Go of Your Lawn

Written By Carolle Huber

Have you considered letting go of some of your lawn? I write about adding more native plants to your yard, but maybe you’re all out of garden beds, or maybe you never considered how much time and space you dedicate to that non-native ground cover. One way to fit more natives into your yard is to shrink that lawn!

Unless your kids or your dogs need the room to run and wrestle, you could be saving so much time and energy if you filled some of that space with plants that will bring more life to your yard.

In this article I share a step by step guide to removing some (or all!) of your lawn and have a few sample plans that show you how you can use the space to add more natives that will have a positive impact on your suburban ecosystem.

A sample plan showing one way you can balance lawn and thriving garden beds.

Carolle Huber

I have been designing landscapes for 30 years, working on large developments, subdivisions, wetlands restoration, public gardens and residential design. These days, I gravitate toward residential design and green projects, with the goal of creating beauty and inspiring awe, while doing right by the environment. Residential design allows me to indulge in planting design, as well as the more typical practice of site design, construction and drainage. As an avid gardener, I am interested in all garden styles, from the simplicity of a contemporary project to the constantly changing mixed border of an English garden.  From more urban areas such as my home town, to more open and rural areas, I enjoy creating sustainable landscapes that are particular to the surroundings, and that take advantage of existing views.   

https://www.carollehuber.com
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Suburban Ecology: In Praise of Trees