De-Lawning and Edible Landscaping

Here on the hill, lawns are few and far between. However, approximately 40 million acres across the U.S. are covered in lawns. An estimated 238 gallons of fresh water are needed per lawn, per day, to keep them green, making lawns the largest irrigated crop in the nation. To conserve water and decrease your monthly lawn-related expenditures, consider de-lawning a portion or all of your lawn space by replacing your turf grass with an organic garden. This will also give you a lot more to show for your efforts!

But what do you put in it's place you may ask? Why not plant fruits and vegetables? Instead of planting ornamental trees, plant fruit trees. By mixing vegetable plants and ornamental plants, you can create a lovely, lush looking garden with no lawn in site. This is much more productive than just watering a lawn.

Other excellent methods of conserving water include rainwater harvesting—by which runoff rainwater collects in rain barrels and we discussed in a previous post. Also remember that watering your garden deeply encourages deep rooting, and that watering in the evening or early morning cuts down on evaporation, leaving more water for the roots that need it.

Going green with your gardening is physically and mentally rewarding, and it also provides you with an endless supply of the freshest produce and most delicious organic food at the lowest possible cost.