Planning a Practical Lawn

Hello World!  Welcome Friends!  The lawn is often one of the most under-planned and under-utilized parts of our home. Many developers and buyers alike think of it as nothing more than some green space for recreation and beauty, and if we’ve done a good job getting it to grow, we’ve achieved all that we really need to achieve.

While it’s true that a well-established lawn and a beautiful ornamental landscape will provide those benefits to us, we are missing out on some other important advantages of a good lawn if that’s the only value we see. Lawns can do so much more than keep us from tracking mud in the house.

Erosion Control

We think of erosion as something that happens on farms or construction sites, but it can happen anywhere that there is soil. Our driveways, gutter downspouts, sidewalks, and more can allow water to move rapidly onto the ground. If there isn’t a solid stand of grass present, the soil will erode.

This problem can really become pronounced when we’ve had any kind of digging or excavating done, such as to install underground utilities, remove tree stumps, or do other construction. When you’re having this type of work done, make sure the contractor includes seed & erosion control products with the project.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that we need acres and acres of land and a huge garden to grow our own food, so we just decide to buy everything at the store. The fact is that it doesn’t take much space at all to grow a lot of produce. 

Small-space gardening is very popular today, with many resources available to people who’d like to get into producing food in an urban environment. On just a small patch of ground, you can grow almost any type of vegetable, many different fruits, and lots of culinary herbs for your family’s use. As an added bonus, you’ll know exactly what chemicals have been used on your food–or you can choose to use none at all, without buying pricey organic stuff in the store.

Environmental Benefits

Our lawns can be a wonderful ecological oasis if we manage them correctly. The lack of habitat and food sources for honeybees is a real threat to human life, so you can plant flowers that attract and nourish these important insects. You’ll see bees around, of course, but they will be so busy gathering nectar that they won’t disturb you. You may also get regular visits from butterflies and hummingbirds.

Of course, not everything that flies is beautiful or beneficial to us. Got mosquitoes? Your lawn can work with you on that, too. Planting citronella, lemongrass, and other mosquito-unfriendly plants can help to keep these biting beasts away from you and your kids. The right combination of these plants and management of standing water will keep you from reaching for the insect repellent as often.

Your kitchen can double as a library at homework time, and your dining room can be the office when it’s time to pay bills. If we understand that about our indoor spaces, why can’t we understand it about the yard and other outdoor areas? Making our lawn into a functional space that helps preserve natural resources, provides our families with pure foods, and keeps pests under control lets your lawn be so much more than just a chore each week.

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Make it Pretty Monday

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