Sustainability: Leadership into Action STEPABLES

A new course for the American lawn

These alternatives provide a meadow look and lower maintenance costs

from residential lawns is a major com- ponent of water pollution). As a result, attitudes about lawns J.J. SWEEN e Y J.J. are changing. Faced with smaller sites, By Elizabeth Petersen water shortages, scant time and high People love the look of a lawn, costs, consumers want alternatives to and it serves an important function in traditional lawns. “Lots of people have garden design, according to Maurice lawns they don’t want to take care of,” Horn, co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery in said Horn. Scappoose, Ore. What are they to do? “Lawns are necessary as open J.J. Sweeney, owner and head spaces on big, formal properties,” he designer of Salamander Designs in said. “In the small garden, the lawn Portland, Ore., specializes in sustain- is important as a place from which to able and water-wise landscaping. She view surrounding . It is a destina- encourages clients to consider alterna- Homeowners are showing more interest tion, a place to pause, relax and enjoy tives to traditional lawns, depending on in alternatives to the traditional turf lawn that provide beauty and walkability the garden.” their needs and preferences. without as much need to mow, water No doubt, luxuriant, green expans- “Lawn has the legitimate design char- or fertilize. Popular selections that can es have a calming, inviting effect, but acteristic of being soothing to the eye,” replace an entire lawn include wooly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus, top) lawns cost a lot. she said, “but alternatives can accomplish and Irish moss ( subulata, bottom). Lawns cost in terms of an end- that same simplicity of design.” less cycle of care (feed, water, mow; “If one is trying to avoid mowing, repeat); a slew of investments (feed, weeding, and feeding, there are many

water, mow; repeat), and negative ▲ impacts on the environment (runoff 26

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J.J. Sweeney suggests these Ecology lawn seed mixes mower setting to encourage re-- plants as viable options for Lots of lawns start in Oregon, the ing. Trimmings left on the lawn help lawn replacement biggest producer of cool-season turf grass provide nutrients. seed in the nation. So it makes sense that Recently, ProTime has been able Leptinella squalida – brass buttons Oregon academics and growers have to start adding a tiny clover to its Sagina subulata – Scotch and Irish moss tackled the problems that come with large alternative lawn mixes. Developed in Laurentia fluviatilis/Pratia pedun- scale and residential lawns. and available in limited quanti- culata – bluestar creeper At Oregon State University, now ties, small- Microclover® (Trifolium retired Associate Professor Tom Cook repens) fixes nitrogen and feeds grass Cerastium tomentosum – Snow tested for turf that would 1) stay green plants. It stays green even in drought -in-summer without the benefit of watering or fertil- and cold and looks like lawn from a Dianthus repens – species pinks izing; 2) be tough enough for kids and distance. dogs to play on everyday; and 3) not Although currently available for use Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ – need mowing. by parks, golf courses and other large- golden creeping Jenny Is such a thing possible? scale professionals, these alternative Mentha requienii – Corsican mint “We are getting closer all the time,” seed mixes are not readily available to Phlox subulata – creeping phlox said Keith Hopkins of Hobbs & Hopkins the retail market yet. Hopkins predicts Ltd/ProTime Seed in Portland, Ore. that they will reach the consumer mar- Saponaria – soapwort Hopkins works closely with devel- ket within five years. Selaginella – Peacock moss oping and marketing traditional and “Now that we have the components alternative lawn seed mixes. As alter- of naturally dwarfed grasses and micro- natives for manicured lawns, ProTime clover, consumers will soon be able offers five Ecology seed mixes and to have green lawns and reduce the options,” Sweeney said. “If one also three Alternative Lawn seed mixes. All amount of watering, feeding and mow- wants to reduce water use, there are include a mixture of genetically dwarf, ing,” he said. still many options. But if one wants a low-growing perennial ryegrass and tiny true lawn substitute, options are signifi- or small, herbaceous plants. Low growing groundcovers cantly reduced, and for a play space for “All they really have to be is Groundcovers offer additional kids, there is really only one alternative: green,” Hopkins said. options for achieving the function of an eco-lawn.” The first commercially available a lawn without the same demands. Sweeney has installed eco-lawns low-maintenance lawn seed mix, which Although few plants other than turf for clients using seed mixes developed was developed by Cook and intro- provide the tight, smooth look of lawn, by Oregon researchers. “Those who duced “ahead of its time” in 1990, was groundcovers — used with or without install and like their eco-lawns are a ProTime’s Fleur de Lawn. This longtime stepping stones to take the brunt of little less rigid about what is and is not favorite provides a “wine and cheese foot traffic — can reduce the need for a weed,” she said. look,” Hopkins said and only needs mowing, feeding and watering. occasional trimming on the highest Ketch de Kanter owns Little Prince

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Performance You Can Rely On!

Fleur de Lawn was the first commercially available low-maintenance lawn seed mix, introduced in 1990 by ProTime Seed of Portland, Ore. of Oregon, a wholesale grower of ground covers, perennials, ornamentals grasses, ferns and succulents in Aurora, Ore. He grows plants sold under the STEPABLES® program, a collection of 163 low-growing plants that are rated for tolerance to foot traffic. Demand for this type of is increasing, de Kanter said. “Everyone has a troubled spot, a place where grass won’t grow.” One plant in the STEPABLES® line is miniature Elfin thyme (Thymus serpyl- lum ‘Elfin’), which forms a tight solid mat of gray/green foliage and is rated Top Quality for heavy foot traffic. It produces pink Injection-molded flowers for four to six weeks in sum- Nursery Containers mer, tolerates drought well and requires sharp drainage. (Zone 4) Sizes #1 – #25 De Kanter decided to test Elfin thyme by planting a small lawn of it at Bamboo Poles his home. The low, green herb, planted on 12-inch centers, filled in completely. 3', 4', 5', 6' Foot traffic tolerance was tested by a Call For Information child’s birthday party. “It showed wear, but recovered quickly,” he said. and Free Samples As with lawns, weeds require atten- tion, but “even so, Elfin thyme is a showy alternative and needs less main- tenance than lawn.” De Kanter watered the thyme lawn to get it established, but in its third 1-877-587-7370 year, he applied no supplemental water 2600 Pringle Road SE (Salem, OR)

28 ▲ [email protected] • www.discountnurserysupplies.com

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and it stayed green. “In a small space, Elfin thyme is as good as a lawn if Lawn alternatives: Other resources you’re willing to work at it a bit, but it looks better if watered and fertilized,” Moss Gardening by George Schenk 1997. (Timber Press, 1997). he said. Renowned horticulturist, retired professor and ”moss guru”, David Benner started gardening Another groundcover de Kanter with moss in lieu of grass at his woodland garden in Pennsylvania in the early1960's. Since recommends for small spaces in sun then he has converted two woodland acres into a lush, cool green oasis by growing moss with is Green Carpet herniaria (Herniaria wildflowers and evergreen groundcovers. Moss Acres is owned and operated by Benner’s son, glabra ‘Green Carpet’), which is also Al Benner (http://www.mossacres.com) rated for heavy foot traffic. Tiny, tight green form an extremely dense Offering an alternative to traditional lawn care, the SafeLawns Foundation aims to change evergreen groundcover that turns red the lawn care culture of the US and Canada. Founder Paul Tukey encourages the use of non- in winter. A good option for parking toxic methods and presents a comprehensive guide for creating a lush lawn without chemicals strips, this plant doesn’t bloom, but is or pesticides in his book, (Storey Publishing). With 60,000 books in print, Tukey said, “We are tough and tolerant. (Zone 5) encouraged. This is an incredibly dynamic time of transition in the lawn care industry. There is Double Bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus an huge influx of natural weed killers.” corniculatus ‘Pleniflorus’) is a resilient Tukey and other leaders in North America’s lawn and garden alternative pesticide industry will plant that can take moderate foot traffic, gather in Seattle, June 4, 2010, for the first Northwest Lawn & Garden Pesticide Summit. de Kanter said. Tiny, dark green leaves form a dense mat that works well over

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28 JUNE 2011 ▲ DIGGER flower bulbs and combined with other perennials. The very hardy plant (Zone 4) produces double yellow flowers in late spring. Dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’) gives a “real grass look,” de Kanter said. It is super slow growing and looks good all year. The ornate dwarf grass (one to four inches, zone 7) forms tufts of short, deep green blades. Small, white, summer flowers are followed by blue berries. “‘Nana’ is terrific between pavers,” de Kanter said. STEPABLES® president Frances Hopkins, who started the program in 1990, continues to build the line with plants “in all colors, for all regions and all applications,” she said. Her favor- ite plant for lawn alternative is Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet,’ which takes a surprising amount of foot traffic and changes color about ten times a year, she said. Horn, of Joy Creek Nursery, believes that more research should be done on using groundcovers as alternatives to lawn, but he suggested trying plants that are tight and close to the ground. For a customer who wanted a lawn substitute, Horn tried using Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile ‘Flore Pleno’, zones 6-9) and had mixed results. Chamomile’s dense, tightly packed thread-like evergreen foliage is very aromatic, can be mowed and pro- duces creamy, double button-like flow- ers. When a plant would die, though, it left a hole and less than perfect look. Wooly thyme (Thymus pseudola- nuginosus, zones 5-9), a prostrate groundcover often grown between flag- stones in a path or terrace, is a favorite of Horn’s. It clings to the ground, only reaching about half-inch with an indefi- nite spread. In early summer, pink flow- ers cover the foliage. Another fine, low thyme, ‘Goldstream’ (Thymus serpyllum ‘Goldstream’, zones 5-8), stands up to considerable abuse. At Joy Creek Nursery, it is planted near the intersection of two paths where it has been frequently stepped on, is usually forgotten at water-

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ing time and still looks good. Tiny fra- grant leaves are flecked with gold, and lilac flowers appear in summer. Veronicas make great groundcov- ers too, and Horn suggests V. olten- sis, a low, gray green perennial that doesn’t run. It produces dark violet-blue blooms in spring and intermittently throughout the year. (Zones 5-8, 1 inch x 12 inches) Veronica prostrata and its offer additional options, some lower than others and some needing more water than others. Veronica prostrata ‘Trehane’ (zones 5-8, 1.5 inch x 12 inches) is a terrific mat-former with glowing yellow-green foliage and deep blue flowers in early summer. V. pros- trata ‘Aztec Gold’ PP13354 (sun to part shade, zones 3-9) has gold leaves and blue flowers in May. It only gets 3 inch- es tall with an indefinite spread. Veronica repens ‘Alba’ is also a low grower, 2 to 4 inches (zones 5-9). The ANLA Wholesale AUG. 22–24 Nursery Growers of Its dense green foliage forms a tight America present the 2011 mat and short spikes of white flowers Kick the Dirt Tours & appear late spring to early summer. Talks, Aug. 22–24 in By Growers. Portland, Oregon. Alternative options abound Be there and experience ... Interest in meadows to replace lawn is growing. U.S. grass expert John For Growers. • behind-the-scenes Greenlee wrote The American Meadow: learning Creating a Natural Alternative to the • labor-saving Traditional Lawn (Timber Press, 2009). innovations It offers rationale, instructions, plant • equipment demos unlike any other event in the lists and design suggestions for creating industry this back-to-nature solution. ATTRACTIONS In shady, moist spots, where moss NEXT EXIT SIGN UP TODAY! Log often invades grass, moss is another lawn on to www.anla.org alternative. Mosses add a soft beauty, and and click “Events” once established, require little mainte- nance for beautiful rewards. 2011 Instead of fighting a losing battle, consider accepting and encouraging moss- es as an alternative groundcover, suggests Oregon State University publication bryo- phytes.science.oregonstate.edu.

Elizabeth Petersen writes for gardeners and garden businesses, coaches stu- In cooperation with the Oregon Association of Nurseries. dents and writers, and tends a one-acre Attend the tour and then the Farwest Show, Aug. 25–27! garden in West Linn, Ore. She can be reached at [email protected].

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