Lawns, Energy, and Health: with Spring Emerging at Last from Another Winter of Atypical Weather, It Is Time to Consider the Lawn
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Price $2.00 Because land doesn’t come with a manual. ISSN 1554-656X The Newsletter of the Ecological Landscaping Association Vol. 14 , No. 1 Spring 2007 Lawns, Energy, and Health: With spring emerging at last from another winter of atypical weather, it is time to consider the lawn. America’s love affair with large, grassy spaces has led to huge invest- ments of energy, and through synthetic maintenance regimes, an even larger detriment to our ecological health. Let us be agents of change. REINVENTING THE LAWN lawns as an important component in create “ecolawns” of ecologically stable • Alex Feleppa the landscape while exercising our mixtures that persist with fewer inputs knowledge and creativity by employing than a traditional lawn. Accepting that here is no question that lawns are alternatives to typical lawn species. grasses and broadleaf species should a fundamental part of American The reasons to choose alternatives be planted together, Cook has docu- landscapeT design. From Olmsted’s are straightforward and the methods mented gorgeous green carpets of two Central Park to our own front yards, we adopt do not have to be insur- inches or higher that require mow- lawns are an element in the landscape mountable. Picking the right plant ing every two or three weeks at most, that we rely on. From an environ- for the right site does not apply only thrive with one-third to one-quarter mental standpoint, whether urban or to our garden beds. Reduce water the amount of water, and recycle their rural, lawns reduce soil erosion and consumption by selecting species that own nutrients so that fertilizing is runoff, reduce glare, and help reduce require little or no supplemental water reduced to a one- or two-time applica- traffic noise. In terms of function and during the growing season. Matching tion. Realistically the plots take a year design, they provide a foreground, species and selections to your indi- to achieve a mature appearance, and add spaciousness to an area, help to vidual site reduces the need to over- require initial irrigation and possibly define space, accentuate other forms fertilize, allowing the use of organic a fertilizer application for success- in the landscape, and soften the look slow-release fertilizers. Planting the ful seedling establishment. The result, of hardscaped surfaces. We can accept right species, or combination of spe- however, is an ecological system that cies, and creating a healthy ecological remains stable and requires no future c o n t e n t s balance eliminates our dependence on treatments of insecticides or fungicides. 1 Reinventing the Lawn chemicals. There are both broadleaf spe- Successful ecolawns consist of a 4 Lawn and Garden Coneheads cies and alternative grasses that can be 10% mixture of legumes added to 4 New Waves in Landscape Remediation applied to the landscape while still pro- 90% grass seed. In trials white clover, 6 Growing a Green Lawn Business viding ideal texture, height, and color Trifolium album was considered too 7 Soil Food Web: Common Denominator on which we can play, sit, and enjoy. vigorous and produced more dry mat- in the Landscape Tom Cook, of Oregon State ter than was desirable, but strawberry 10 A Brave New World: Fungi and Our Future University, has worked for over ten clover, Trifolium fragiferum, proved 12 Gleanings years incorporating beneficial broad- much more useful. Without being 13 Announcements leaf legumes into lawns of perennial overly aggressive, strawberry clover 14 Unclassifieds ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass to blends well with other components, — — remaining dense, low, and compact for its dense weave as a deterrent to in- The Ecological Landscaper is pub- through the hot summer months. In vasive weed seeds. Native to American lished by the Ecological Landscaping Association (ELA). Subscriptions are both cases the only notable drawback prairies, this naturally low-growing a benefit of membership in ELA. For was that the intense flowering of perennial proves very water efficient information about ELA, contact: clover attracts bees to the lawn which and rarely needs mowing. This spe- can be a problem for bare feet. Yarrow, cies, however, is not an effective choice Achillea millefolium, was selected for its for consistently wet soils. Considered dark green foliage, rhizomatous habit, hardy from zones 3 to 5, cultivars are ELA, 60 Thoreau Street, #252 plus drought and wear tolerance. It being bred for performance in more Concord, MA 01742-2456 quickly stole the show. Providing green moist northern zones, such as ‘Tatanka’ (617) 436-5838 while the grasses begin to go dormant, and ‘Texoka’. In warmer zones red www.ecolandscaping.org yarrow mowed every three weeks cre- fescue, Festuca rubra, is another sun- ates a dense, non-flowering texture loving, drought-tolerant species. Also Talk to us! We welcome comments, letters, articles, ideas, and opinions. that surprises even the most conserva- a short, fine-textured plant, red fescue Write to us with your ideas for news- tive lawn enthusiast. A third broadleaf prefers infertile soil, so do not fertilize. letter content: of importance is English lawn daisy, Cutting back on mowing and allow- Rolf Schilling, Editor Bellis perennis. Mixed alongside clover ing it to get a little higher during the 180 Hemenway Road and yarrow, the English lawn daisy hottest months of the summer will Framingham, MA 01701 provides a strong flowering of white provide your lawn with a soft look and 508-877-3452 [email protected] to red blossoms from March through feel, while also preventing your lawn May, even while mowing on a three- from going semi-dormant. Lastly, if Send all other ELA business, includ- week cycle. Though the daisies slowly you have a full sun application with ing address changes, to the Concord dwindle in population over four or significantly more moisture, consider address listed above. sheep’s fescue, or Festuca ovina. Native The ELA board meets throughout the to both the U.S. and Europe, this fes- year in various locations in eastern cue naturally tolerates more dampness Massachusetts. All members are than buffalo grass or red fescue. welcome. Contact us for specific dates For turf style grasses in a shady and locations. environment turn to the sedges. Catlin ELA Board of Directors sedge, Carex texensis, is a fine, short President: Chris O’Brien sedge well-suited for partial to full Vice President: Dennis Collins Treasurer: Sue Storer shade. Even though considered to be Recording Secretary: Owen Wormser tolerant of sun, you might find that Carex pensylvanica, as fine as any grass. too much sun will lead to faded foliage M.L. Altobelli John Larsen Photo by Tom Smarr. Nancy Askin Bob Levite and the need for more water. Hardy Don Bishop Cathy Rooney five years the springtime flower adds from zone 6 down to zone 10, this is Joanna Campe Kathy Sargent- sparkle to our traditional green ex- an excellent choice for hot climates Karen Dominguez-Brann O’Neill Bill Jewell Sandy Vorce panses. Honorable mention goes to of the south. For the same success in Andrea Knowles Bruce Wenning baby blue eyes, Nemophila menziesii. cooler locations, turn to Pennsylva- Planted in the fall, baby blue eyes is nia sedge, Carex pensylvanica. Also a Executive Administrator : Penny Lewis stunning the following spring with its Each author appearing herein retains attractive blue flowers. The drawback original copyright. Right to reproduce or is that you will have to sow yearly to disseminate all material herein is other- enjoy this plant. wisely reserved by ELA. Please contact If you decide that a traditional turf the Editor for permission to reprint. look is what you are after, then famil- Mention of products is not intended to con- iarize yourself with these alternatives stitute endorsement. Opinions expressed in for full sun applications. Buffalo grass, this newsletter do not necessarily represent Buchloe dactyloides, forms a finely- those of ELA’s directors, staff, or members. textured blue-green turf which turns ©Ecological Landscaping 2007 gold in autumn. Spreading by seed and Festuca rubra lawn. Photo by Anike stolons, buffalo grass garners praise Schmidt. — — short, fine sedge for shady applications, alternative which, when left unmowed, Pennsylvania sedge is a strong alter- creates a soft look through the sum- Neptune’s Harvest native due to its tolerance for a wide mer. Suggest leaving the taller species Organic Fertilizers: range of soils. An amazing character- unmowed for fall and winter interest. Commercially proven. Products istic of both these sedges, as passed Always searching for new shade include: Cold processed Hydrolyzed Liquid Fish, Seaweed and Fish/Sea- on by a colleague of mine, is that they alternatives myself, here are two weed Blend, Dry and Liquid Humate, only need to be mowed two or three last clumping sedges to consider for Dry Kelp Meal and Crab Shell Fertil- times a year. The third recommenda- shadier locations. Plantain-leaf sedge, izers. Also, Liquid Garlic Spray Insect tion for this category is the finest Carex plantaginea, forms neat clumps Repellant. Our Fish is filtered through a 165-mesh screen and then through textured of the three, Carex senta, or in average soil. This species puts out a 150-micron for easy application Baltimore sedge. Very similar to Carex eye-catching seed heads early and through any type of equipment, texensis, Baltimore sedge performs holds up well when summer’s dryness including drip-tape. Our Fish has been reported to REPEL DEER! excellently in shade. For this sedge, takes hold. Mow this grass right after “Our Products Work” however, you may find that it requires more regular mowing than others. Call for FREE Finally, let’s discuss a few clumping catalog and sample grasses for both sun and shade.