Turning Turf Into A Living Landscape

For generations, a luscious green lawn has been synonymous with the American dream and life in suburbia. But across Maryland, homeowners are beginning to imagine something different. Imagine a yard that is full of butterflies, bees and birds; imagine an entire ecosystem living in your backyard!

The idea is simple: less lawn, more life. Replacing even a small portion of your lawn with a garden bed can make a surprisingly big difference.

So, why would someone do this? Well, first and foremost, it is great for our environment. A lawn offers relatively little food or shelter to our outside friends. A diverse garden can provide nectar for butterflies, pollen for bees, seeds for birds, and places for beneficial insects to live. Planting native coneflower and cup plants will invite the American goldfinch to your space, and butterfly milkweed will have your yard buzzing with monarchs. Native plants are especially valuable because local wildlife has evolved alongside them. Don’t forget about the soil improvements, stormwater management and erosion control as well.

There can be practical benefits, too. Less turf can mean less mowing, fewer lawn treatments, and less time spent maintaining grass that serves little purpose. A thoughtfully designed garden still requires care, especially while plants become established, but the work shifts from repeatedly mowing a lawn to tending a landscape that changes with the seasons. Aside from planting perennials, trees and shrubs, relieving your yard of a little grass also gives you the opportunity to grow your own vegetables. All the pollinators busy pollinating around your yard will help give you weeks of harvests.

Making the change does not require tearing out the entire lawn at once. In fact, starting small is often easier. Homeowners can widen an existing flower bed, create a native planting around a tree, replace turf around the mailbox or convert a sunny corner into a pollinator garden. Over time, those small spaces can grow and connect.

Got a spot in mind? Well, you do not have to wait until next spring to plant because fall is the perfect time. Planting in the fall gives the plants time to settle into their new home, grow and stretch their roots before their winter dormancy. White wood asters are wonderful native fall blooming perennials that do well in more shaded areas. Goldenrod is a Maryland classic with its waves of yellow blowing in the wind. Looking for a tree that makes a statement? Put in an eastern redbud for beautiful spring blooms!

A lawn does not have to disappear to make a difference. Start with a few hundred square feet or even a few dozen. Remove some turf, plant something useful, and just watch what wonderful things happen. Maybe even set up that trail cam you got for the holidays years ago.

A little less lawn can make room for a whole lot more life!