Keep Off The Grass

In my post on March 30, I introduced the National Wildlife Federation's six tips for a green garden. It's time to begin taking a look at those tips, to figure out if maybe, just maybe, it's a little easier being green than Kermit the Frog thought.

Tip #1: Reduce the size of your lawn. Better yet, consider eliminating it entirely.

Why? In a place like Florida, where we're basically a rain forest for one half of the year and a desert for the other half, grass just requires too much upkeep.

• Grass is a notoriously water-hunger monster. It takes at least an inch of water a week to keep a lawn green. We simply don't get that on a regular basis here in Florida from November through May. That means you'll have to water the lawn to keep it healthy, costing time and money. Not to mention the fact that this drought has prompted some new and very tricky watering restrictions for most of us. Do you really want to get up to turn on your sprinklers at midnight?
• Once summertime hits, at least an inch of rain a week is almost guaranteed. What does that mean for grass? It G-R-O-W-S. What does that mean for you? You M-O-W. Now, I'm sure that there are those out there who think there's nothing more fun than mowing the lawn on a 90 degree day (with 90% humidity!) but for everyone else, it's just a chore. Plus, if you're using a gas-powered mower, your carbon footprint is surprisingly large.

How? There are a lot of options out there, from creating gardens to planting groundcovers. Here in My Florida Backyard, we've eliminated over half our lawn by creating gardens full of native and Florida-Friendly plants. To see details, read my previous posts Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes and Sunshine on My Shoulders.

Level of Difficulty: There's definitely an initial investment of time here, ranking from 4 - 5 on the scale of 1 - 5 depending on what you decide to do. However, down the line, your payoff is very rewarding indeed! Our lawn maintenance is almost zero during the winter months, and during the summer months, it takes only 10 - 15 minutes a week.

So, for tip #1, eliminating your lawn, I think it's safe to say that ultimately, it actually is easier being green. Put in the work up front, and reap the benefits for years to come, like we do in My Florida Backyard.