It’s for this reason that many homeowners are replacing their lawns with grass substitutes. While having a lush, green lawn or colorful flower garden is a great way to make your house stand out, keeping up with the maintenance can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive job. Use NoMow ground cover plants for attractive lawns, banks, sloping sections, and landscaping. Read More . Fall is the best time to overseed any open areas that result from damage due to animals, construction activities, heavy traffic, or summer fungal diseases. Will No Mow Lawn Grow Under Black Walnut trees? It has very fine bladed, deep green leaves that have a high thatching characteristic forming lush, soft, gentle mounds. This will allow them to bounce back when trodden on. No digging holes and waiting for pots to grow together. Five minutes with a leaf blower, a quick change of annual color, and work here is done. Mowing, edging, fertilising and weeding of a lawn requires more time and maintenance than well chosen ground covers or garden beds / pavers. Daisy Flowers now available in Plant Tiles! There are several Zoysias but the Zoysia tenuifolia has the finest textured leaf and is the only one considered to be no mow. Lawn & Garden; Goodbye Grass: 13 Inspiring Ideas for a "No Mow" Backyard Americans love our lawns but let's face it: Creating a perfectly manicured yard is time-consuming. No traffic open spaces allow for some of the greatest flexibility in style and plant choices. Children love to walk and roll on the little lily pad like leaves. To encourage flowering and growth of the meadow it is recommended that the area be cut twice a year using a brush cutter. Forget grass in the shade or under a tree and replace it with a lush groundcover such as baby’s tears (Soleirolia soeirolii), kidney weed (Dichondra repens), which is a native plant and not a weed at all despite its common name, Australian native violet (Viola hederacea) or one of the mints such as pennyroyal or Corsican mint. We stock a range of popular lawn grass and a range of lawn alternative plants. With stringent water… no mowing, no watering, no fertilizers. Once established, water more deeply and less frequently. Why No Mow? In areas of light traffic it is necessary to choose plants that are tolerant of small levels of disturbance. Timber decking is a great alternative to natural grass. Due to the slow growth rate, growing Zoysia tenuifolia from pots or plugs can take a long time to achieve total coverage and you may have to undertake weeding between the plants. This requires buying or renting equipment. Each tray of plants covers 2-3 square metres and… • You can mow the lawn at any time of the year as long as the ground’s not frozen or waterlogged! When a lawn turns brown in the hottest, driest days of summer, it can mean one of two things: either the grass has gone… Founded 2001 by Evelyn J. Hadden Zoysia tenuifolia grows very slowly to about 10cm in height making it ideal for alternative lawns or on slopes. "There are any number of low-growing perennials that can be a great stand-in … Lawn 10 great alternatives to lawn Natural grass is an attractive landscaping feature, but there are plenty of affordable, low-maintenance alternatives. Don’t mow… often. Grows to around 10cm in height so usually considered no mow, Once established has moderate drought and light frost tolerance, Fertilise in Spring with a long acting fertiliser, Forms soft, green mounds that provide an interesting “puffy” appearance, Can be mown once a year for a more trimmed appearance but this is not the sort of lawn for a manicured garden as it is not suited to this sort of treatment as it takes a long time to recover, Provides a fantastic interesting architectural feature with its undulating appearance, Use in rockeries as a striking groundcover, Will grow in shadier areas where usual grasses struggle, Great around the base of specimen trees in a courtyard, Fantastic between pavers forming a low growing, green mat that softens the hardscape, Perfect for green roofs or rooftop gardens. 02:57 Lawn How to grow grass from seed Transform your garden area or nature strip with some lawn. Depending on the state of your existing lawn, you can do several things to get rid of it:1. A well selected group of ground covers are less prone to pest attack and diseases than a single lawn species. This creates chemical pollution, and could damage the soil if you plan to put new plants in th… The issue is usually the poor quality of the media in which the plants are growing. Native Violets make a Great Ground Cover! Gravel is an ideal lawn alternative, being easy to use and suitable for both traditional and contemporary garden designs. Grasses and Strappy Foliage Verandahs and decks can cost more upfront but often … Lawn Plugs are individual plants grown in plastic tray much like the way flowers or vegetables are sold, The Plant Hub Lawn Plugs come in packs of 49 plants. Want to shorten your to-do list? Zoysia tenuifolia – the favourite no mow grass! The Plant Tiles are only 22mm in depth so will require frequent small waterings until the roots penetrate the media on which they are placed. Regions such as under large trees of near eves can be given a new lease of life with the addition of low water and light requiring lawn alternatives. Escape the mundane uniformity of an artificial vegetative mat and enjoy some of the visual and aromatic delights the natural world has on offer! … Regular mowing robs the soil of its nutrients, requiring fertilisation. A mixture of grass, lilies, wildflowers and ground covers. Evelyn J. Hadden’s book Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives (Timber Press) makes plenty of arguments for replacing your grass with landscaping rocks and paving stones, with drought hardy indigenous plants, with vegetable gardens, or with shrubs and fragrant mixes of perennial and annual flowers and herbs. This is where our Plant Tiles work wonderfully as we have done the hard work for you. In the American West, many homeowners are simply giving up on their yards. Mowers contribute to carbon emissions too, even the electric ones. LessLawn.com : lawn alternatives and no mow yards Welcome to LessLawn, where you'll find information on lawn alternatives and no-mow yards to help you design a natural, soul-satisfying landscape. The low gentle mounding effect suits Japanese style gardens. Karl von Zois, an 18th century Austrian botanist, was commemorated by having the species named after him. For Heavy Traffic use the same varieties as those for areas with light traffic, but with the addition of stepping stones. Kill it with weed spray. Ground-hugging perennials like vinca, thyme, and creeping Jenny make an excellent no-mow lawn cover. These low-care mat-forming plants enhance your garden and look great. The can be planted in the same way your old fashioned lawns can be, but require less, or no, mowing, and use far less water then the more common alternatives. Home Landscaping Landscaping With Rocks Garden Inspiration Garden Ideas Patio Ideas Outdoor Ideas Backyard Ideas Dwarf Mondo Grass Gardens Little and often is the key, especially during the summer months when grass grows quickly. If desired Zoysia can be mown twice a year to train the growth habit flat like a traditional lawn. They look great, and are suitable for medium level traffic. A fragrant pick is Pearlwort (Sagina subulata) (pictured above), a moss-like groundcover with tiny white fl… All rights reserved. In many cases, No Mow will thrive under Black Walnut trees. And you create more noise and air pollution using the machine. There are some reports of Zoysia tenuifolia not being good for traffic as it is so slow in growing. Areas that are traditionally difficult to establish lawn perform well with many alternatives. A perennial favourite for no mowing enthusiasts, Zoysia tenuifolia is a low growing grass originating from South East Asia. The cut material should then be removed and composted. If you still want the look of grass, synthetic turfis a great option. no mow lawn - grass was removed, and allowed indigenous plants to grow naturally: clover, smart weed and sedum fill the space with bright colours. The optimal times to cut the meadow is in early summer after spring flowering and late autumn. No mow grass? Lawn Plugs are a low cost way to establish a new lawn or to repair and fill in bare spots in your existing lawn. But at least it’s only once, rather than weekly.2. These are areas of clumping grasses and can border a lawn area. A No Mow Lawn requires minimal care, but there are a few steps that can be taken in the fall to improve turf quality and promote better growth the following spring. I’ve always associated mowing with waste of time and energy. Here are some of the best grass alternatives on the market. Lawn Alternatives. And you have to dispose of the sod you cut out. Groundcovers Low-Maintenance Plants Lawn and Garden Landscaping Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) Groundcovers don't just provide color and interest in winter; they can also help control erosion and suppress weeds that try to sprout when the weather warms up. Artificial, synthetic and fake grass. Lawn (L) If you really want a lawn, then these plants are for you. The variety is known under several names including Mascarene grass, Korean/Japanese velvet grass, Temple grass, No mow grass, Kourai grass and even Petting grass (as people like to touch it)! Another great thing about moss is that there are so many different varieties and styles of moss to choose from … Follow Walt’s advice on the following slides. A good place to try a lawn alternative is in a shaded spot where grass is hard to grow. Plants that are used should be flexible low lying. Sweet woodruff is an edible herb, said to taste something like vanilla, and it gives … Deschampsia A fertiliser such as Seasol is useful to encourage root growth. We have a wide range of low-growing plants for different situations and growing conditions including flat lawn areas, slopes, hillsides and driveway edges. Carex species 2017 trends and our Christmas 2016 Newsletter. Clover is an easy-to-care-for lawn alternative that’s often planted as a green cover crop to fix nitrogen in the soil, but it can also act as an ideal eco-friendly landscaping option. In pots or garden beds as an alternative living mulch. A perennial favourite for no mowing enthusiasts, Zoysia tenuifolia is a low growing grass originating from South East Asia. Attract native wildlife into your garden with many butterfly, bird and insect attracting varieties available. No-Mow Zoysia also makes an ideal lawn alternative; when left to grown naturally it forms random mounds of tufted foliage, (see images). Timber decking is a great way to minimise the amount of lawn space you have. No problem: 5 low-maintenance lawn alternatives The summer has only just begun, but already communities in Saskatchewan and Alberta are in the midst of drought and appealing to homeowners not to waste water maintaining their lawns. Areas that are traditionally difficult to establish lawn perform well with many alternatives. However, replacing a large lawn in the garden of a suburban semi with a sea of gravel is rather boring, and impractical for families with children. Clover grows quickly, suppresses weeds, enriches the earth and aerates the soil with a deep root system. Showing our unique Plant Tiles of Australasian Native no mow groundcover, Dichondra repens, which makes fantastic instant alternative lawns. Sweet Woodruff. When established in a good depth (100-200mm) of quality, friable media, the plants handle moderate traffic well, actually becoming lower and denser with pressure making it an ideal alternative lawn for average household use. You can just place the Plant Tiles next to each other on your prepared media to achieve instant full coverage! Lomandra tinika, A preliminary comment by SGA: A mulched garden bed with well chosen plants requires less water to look good year round than even the toughest lawn species. A No Mow Lawn requires minimal care, but there are a few steps that can be taken in the fall to improve turf quality and promote better growth the following spring. Low maintenance is great for commercial areas. The grasses develop deep roots, … In this workshop, David Sparks[...], © 2020 Sustainable Gardening Australia. Many native options are also listed. No traffic open spaces allow for some of the greatest flexibility in style and plant choices. If you like the open feel of a lawn but don’t want the maintenance or water requirements. It has a beautiful, dense thatch of delightful, lily-pad shaped leaves that become smaller and tighter with increased light intensity. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Landscape architect Walt Ray, owner of Outdoor Studio in Atlanta, used dwarf mondo grass to create the look of a lawn but with minimal maintenance and no mowing. Ideal for people with children and/or dogs. Prairie Nursery's no-mow lawn seed is a mix of six slow-growing fescue grasses that forms a dense, tough turf. brilliant. Get loads of seasonal, sustainable gardening advice, regular news of workshops or monthly news of our Green Gardening Professionals program. Cut it out with a sod cutter. Poa species • Start with the blades on a higher setting to avoid scalping it as bare lawn gives weeds the chance to settle and grow. White Dwarf Clover. (Read more at: http://bit.ly/xGWEnn) What has your perfect green lawn done for you lately? Larger garden beds allow for tiered plantings of increasing heights, which in turn creates a greater sense of depth and space to a garden. Dichondra repens is a stunning, small leafed, Australasian native groundcover which makes a wonderful alternative lawn. Growing Conditions: Both heat and drought resistant and opposes weed invasions; plant seeds in sterile potting soil and… Which is handy if you’re trying to save money in the long run. For the most sustainable lawn, SGA prefers Autralian native grasses rather than varieties that can become invasive.…, As a qualified horticulturist, soil scientist, and all-round know-it-all when it comes to plants, I am generally asked how to grow things, rather…, Learn how you can help to create a healthier and more sustainable food system in this free online class, presented[...], Learn everything you need to know to turn your garden into a native plant oasis. Find a Green Gardening Professionals member. Overseeding. If you like the open feel of a lawn but don’t want the maintenance or water requirements. - Plant Tiles Australia Zoysia tenuifolia – the favourite no mow grass! Remember that most of Australia’s energy comes from fossil fuels. Consider the following options… No Traffic. Consider the following options…. A plush, velvety carpet of evergreen moss is a great alternative to grass, with no mowing and little to no watering needed for this drought resistant shade-lover. 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