Should you have a lawn or native meadow? And how to care for each.
Lawn? Clover? Native Meadow?
There are so many more options now than just planting a regular lawn. People can also choose to have clover instead of lawn, or going a whole different direction and planting a native meadow. With so many communities and towns having harsher watering restrictions, we have to choose between using the water to keep our lawns green, letting them go yellow, or finding an alternative that uses less water but can still thrive and look beautiful. Last month we talked about xeriscape, and while a fantastic option, it is not the only option.
Native Meadows
A native meadow is a field planted with herbaceous vegetation and grasses that will die down to ground level each year, and come back in the spring for the perennials chosen. There are many benefits to planting a native meadow, including food for pollinators, less water usage, lower maintenance costs, and drought tolerant. There are also many flowers, trees, and shrubs to choose from, grasses are not your only option. A few native plants to consider are:
Blue-eyed Grass
Large-leaved Lupine
Black Twinberry
Canada Goldenrod
Woolly Sunflower
Spring Gold
Ferns
The plants typically used for native meadows have a longer root system, which needs less watering. When it comes to maintenance, the meadow would only need to be cut once during the season, cutting down use on mowers, weed whackers or other lawn equipment. The optimal time to choose to mow is early spring, this takes down any weeds and gives the slower-growing perennial plants a chance to grow without being overshadowed by weeds that may grow taller. Our favorite company to buy our seed mixes from is https://satinflower.ca/pages/custom-seed, they are a Saanich local company focused on valuing nature.
Lawn Maintenance
If you choose to have a lawn, it’s important to know the right steps to take care of it. How often should you mow? How often should you be watering? And how often should you fertilize? We also have hot summers here in BC and trying to keep your lawn green or deciding to let it yellow can be a big struggle. Normally, you would mow your lawn about once a week, depending on how fast it grows. What type of lawn you have is also a consideration for how often it is maintained. There are different types of grass to pick from, clover blends, ryegrass, and fescue are great options for our area. Clover is drought tolerant, needs less mowing, and is easy to grow. Choosing a blend that still includes lawn seed gives an even higher success rate of being easy to establish and easy to care for.
Battery-operated mowers are a great alternative to gas-powered. They are better for the environment and are quieter to run. Making sure your mower blade is sharp is also an important factor to keep in mind. A dull blade can rip the grass instead of cutting it, which can open up your grass to diseases and cause stress to the lawn. The last cut of the season should be a short one. It will reduce the chance of matting and developing winter kill.
Watering
In BC it can be a delicate balance of wanting to keep your lawn nice and green all season, and conserving water by reducing watering or keeping to specific times of the day to water. Depending on your location or city, you may be on summer water restrictions that you can only water every second day, certain days of the week, or hand watering only. Watering in the early morning or later evening is the best time. For some lawns and depending on weather, once or twice a week for 25 – 30 minutes at a time is a good amount to keep lawns healthy. During the hotter months, water times may need to be increased to 4 times a week, if you choose to keep on top of watering. Some areas of BC go through drought and can end up using more water than necessary. Having trees for shade around your yard can also reduce the amount of water needed to maintain. When watering native meadows, you really only need an inch of water a week for wildflowers, including rainfall, and even less watering for the grasses.
Fertilizer
Knowing how often and which types of fertilizer can be daunting, as overfertilizing can cause lawn burn. That being said, lawns benefit from proper fertilization and promote healthy growth. The most common types are organic fertilizer, Sustane 8-2-4 all-purpose, and 4-4-4 gaia green. Three times a year is a good schedule for fertilization, early spring, summer, and fall. Using a slow-release fertilizer adds back in nutrients that get depleted through the season with mowing and temperatures.
There are so many options to choose from when it comes to yard layout. If you are unsure if you’re ready to give up on having a traditional lawn just yet, you can do a mix of both options by planting a native meadow in an area that doesn’t see as much traffic or is not being used. Planting around sitting areas or gazebos gives you the option to be surrounded by a beautiful meadow and enables you to get the most benefit from your yard. Having a yard that takes less maintenance also leaves you more time to enjoy your yard, instead of always taking care of it. If you are unsure of which option to choose, we can help you make the right decision. Contact us to help get you started.
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About Me
I am the Owner of Inherit Designs Landscaping. Since 2003, my team and I have been providing sustainable garden solutions to the Cowichan Valley and Greater Victoria. I personally hold two certifications in horticulture and permaculture and take great pride in the service I offer my clients. My family and I live on our organic flower farm called Little Bee Blooms, run by my wife. Together we are continually conducting research gardens and experimenting in many aspects of horticulture and permaculture to improve our knowledge and the operation of our businesses.