Give your yard an eco-friendly makeover

Keeping your yard green while trying to be green can be a challenge. But there are eco-friendly ways to create and manage the yard of your dreams. Whether you want to make just a few changes or are willing to go all out, here are three strategies to consider.

You’re eco-minded, but you want grass, and lots of it. Not a problem. 

“If you want to keep a lawn, care for it organically and naturally,” says David Salman, founder and chief horticulturist at online garden supplier High Country Gardens, which specializes in water-wise and sustainable gardening. “The big-box regime of (using) weed and feed, fertilizers, pre-emergent herbicides, grub killers and fungicides — all of that is dangerous for the environment. It contaminates the water and you don’t want to be walking barefoot over a chemically treated lawn.”

Salman recommends adding organic compost, which brings both nutrients and beneficial microorganisms to improve the soil. Be sure to add it in the fall and not the summer, he advises, because compost can raise the temperature of the soil, which in turn can stress grass. “(Stressed grass) needs a lot more water,” he says.

And don’t sweat it if clover starts to take over your yard. White clover adds nitrogen to the soil, is low-growing so it doesn’t need to be mowed as often and is easy to maintain, says Chicago-area landscape designer Craig Jenkins-Sutton.

Embracing biodiversity (having more than one kind of plant growing in an area) means you don’t need chemicals to kill the “bad” weeds, says Jenkins-Sutton, who likes overseeding with clover.

“It has a nice little flower that honeybees and native bees love, and is fairly drought-tolerant,” he says.

When you do mow, adjust the cutting height so you can keep the grass 2 to 3 inches high. And don’t rake up the grass clippings — those will break down quickly and return nitrogen to the soil, Jenkins-Sutton advises.

Finally, water effectively.

You’re willing to trade in some of that grass. Here’s how:

Replacing a traditional lawn with ornamental grasses, plants and shrubs is a growing landscaping trend, says Mike Lizotte, managing partner at American Meadows, an online garden supply retailer: “One benefit is the positive environmental impact, because you’re not mowing and fertilizing. It’s also cost-effective and a lot less maintenance.”

Yes, you’ll have to periodically tend to the plants, but you’ll no longer be required to spend your weekends keeping vast expanses of grass green, weed-free and neatly manicured.

When adding any new plants to your landscape, Salman recommends putting mycorrhizal fungi, which help in nutrient and water absorption, at the bottom of the planting hole, along with organic compost. “The mycorrhizal inoculant spores germinate and the fungi begin to attach themselves to the plant roots,” he says.

Combining ground cover, upright growing perennials and ornamental grasses will give any yard a balanced and colorful look, Salman says. In addition to being easier to grow, native plants and grasses can also provide habitat for wildlife.

Milkweed and colorful asters attract monarch butterflies, while honeybees are drawn to flowering plants such as marigolds (an annual) and perennial favorites — daisies, lilac and Echinacea.

The farm-to-table movement is calling your name and you want an edible landscape. That first harvest is within reach.

Growing your own food is part of a trend that shows no signs of slowing down, Lizotte says. “People want to know where their food is coming from.”

“Edibles can and should be a part of many landscapes if there is a lot of space,” says Salman, who suggests growing edibles alongside ornamental plants for an attractive overall look. “That can be as simple as planting fruit trees or fruiting shrubs like currants or gooseberries,” he notes.

If your heart is set on growing vegetables, tomatoes and zucchini are good starter plants, Jenkins-Sutton says. Depending on your soil, raised beds or containers can be vital to getting the best results — they’re more efficient in terms of space, water and effort, and you have full control over the soil.

“If you live in an urban area and want to grow vegetables, you can assume you don’t want to use the soil that’s there. Not necessarily because of contamination, but because it will probably be over-compacted and will not drain right,” says Jenkins-Sutton, who recommends a light, airy soil that will foster root growth.