In the spring, Americans begin preparing their yards for summer use. This preparation often includes heavy chemical treatments to the lawn's eco-system. The end result is an eye appealing lawn that is harmful to the world around us.

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Traditional lawn care has the use of fertilizers and pesticides which creates a sterile environment. Only the grass being cared for is alive. During this process, all of the life that previously existed in the grassy area is destroyed. This includes soil microbes, birds, and everything else that is living.

Beautiful outdoor spaces can be created that assist wildlife that rely on those spaces for their survival.

Why Most Traditional Lawns Are Considered Wastelands for Wildlife

To keep it looking good, the fake green carpet needs chemical treatment. Even though herbicides get rid of dandelions, they also kill clover (a bee food), violets (which support butterfly larvae), and many other plants that help the local food webs.

Grub killers kill off beneficial bugs such as earthworms and organisms in the soil and also the organisms in the soil that birds eat. Synthetic fertilizers also cause nutrients to run off the land and pollute water, leading to the death of fish that live in the water downstream of your property.

You might be surprised, but did you know that the typical suburban lawn has fewer species than a typical commercial parking lot?

Clover Lawns: The Bee Magnet

White clover used to be a common component of all lawn seed mixes. Since the 1950s, however, the herbicide companies have fooled homeowners into thinking it was a `weed`. This nitrogen-fixing plant stays green during droughts and requires no fertilizers. Most importantly, it provides food in early spring to the hungry, just-emerged-from-winter bees.

Clover lawns help save money, need 80% less maintenance than normal grass, are more soft, and need less mowing. If you prefer a more classic and sophisticated look (and still want to help pollinators), consider planting micro clover varieties.

Native Wildflower Meadows

Replace high-maintenance grasses with local species of wildflowers that will bloom throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Living ecosystems will attract hundreds of different species of insects, provide nesting and habitat material for birds, and create food webs for beneficial predators. This will help control the pest population naturally.

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Seed mixes designed for your area might include flowers like purple coneflower and black-eyed Susan, plus native grasses that don't need irrigation once established. Most wildflower meadows require mowing only twice per year.

Moss Gardens: Magic of Easy Upkeep

Moss is often found in shady areas where grass is struggling to grow, forming a bright green carpet. Moss is an excellent ‘green carpet’ as it will grow naturally and does not need any fertilizers, pesticides, or constant watering. Moss absorbs some air pollution, helps to stop erosion of soils, and creates homes for small creatures which are beneficial to gardens by keeping the pests under control.

To encourage moss growth, take out the grass and prepare the soil to be slightly acidic. Moss gardens do well, particularly under trees, where typical lawns do not. These gardens require very little maintenance and create peaceful spaces.

Ground Cover Plants

Living carpets of spreading native plants that support wildlife, such as wild ginger and creeping phlox, will replace grass. These plants, along with native sedums, provide food for pollinators and birds and cover the ground all year long.

These plants use less water than grass, are naturally weed suppressive, and most can even withstand foot traffic! To enhance the benefits to wildlife and the surrounding ecosystem, select native plant varieties.

Pollinator Pathways

Instead of keeping large continuous grass areas, think about how you can integrate continuous pathways of pollinator-friendly plants in your yard. These pathways will link all of your garden beds while providing habitat for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

To make your designs more natural and appealing, and to help seasonal change, use native flowering trees, shrubs, and perennials in flowing curves rather than straight lines. This will also help with wildlife movement.

Food Forest Understory

Establish edible ground covers like wild strawberries, ramps, or native mint varieties under fruit trees or other mature trees. These ecosystems create food for humans and wildlife and lessen lawn maintenance in these areas.

For places with some shade and little grass growing, this method creates an ideal setting that can support both your family and the local wildlife.

Native Grass Prairies

Creating habitats for grassland birds provides an opportunity to make your property look beautiful with low maintaining native prairie grasses. After you establish the native grasses, they will provide erosion control and carbon sequestration and habitat for ground-nesting birds.

Buffalo grass, little bluestem, and many other native regional species produce wonderful textures that are dynamic throughout the season. Throughout the growing season, they supply birds with seeds and small mammals with nesting materials. These grasses only need to be mowed once a year.

Making the Transition

CCritical gaff: the first thing you need to do is observe how your property grows. Take note of areas with more and less sun, moisture levels, how vegetation changes/what plants grow, etc. To make the change to your property, do it step by step to get a sense for how it works and to decrease costs over the growing season.

Because your new wildlife-friendly landscape will create its own ecosystem, you will save money in the long run because many alternatives do not require the use of fertilizers, herbicides, or even watering.

Building up your yard's ecosystem will take time, but each passing season will bring new wildlife and show new benefits of their ecosystem services!