Friday, April 18, 2008

To Do List - Less Grass, Less Water

Here is a topic on a recent addition to my To-Do list. Less grass = Less water. While we don't really water our lawn, we still feel like grass isn't the best use of our property. (However, being this is suburbia, I am pretty sure my underground sprinkler-happy neighbors must love my crispy brown dormant-ness come August!) I also live on a lake, so I am concerned about letting run off, soil and other mystery items wind their way into the lake. My goal last year was less grass and more native plants, grasses and trees. I accomplished much less than half of what I intended to change, so I added this back onto my list. Why is it that the to-do list is always longer than the I've done it list? So, when I saw this article from Low Impact Living in my inbox, I was intrigued.



Creating a "rain garden" using redirected water run off from roofs, hills and driveways is appealing. Not only because this would be an area of the yard that would be converted from grass to native plants, but because it would use water directly from a source other than the hose. Interesting, much easier than a rain barrel and prettier too! And, Low Impact Living breaks the process of building a rain garden down into easy to do steps, so no excuses! Make a rain garden today!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm really torn between wanting to do this and being too freaked out to try. We're very lazy mowers and don't water, but both times last year that we let the grass go longer than every 3rd week without a cut, we found a freaky critter in the yard. First time it was a snake - the second time it was a giant RAT(!), which we found dead because our dog had killed it. Ew. I don't want my pup to get infected with something gross because we're trying to use less gas.

Maybe I'll just kill it all and put in a giant Zen-garden-sandbox for a lawn... :)

EcoBurban said...

Oh, then I have an idea for you! I am also debating a rock garden! Talk about nothing to mow or nothing to water!!! After researching the rain garden for awhile I ran across the rock garden idea... Kind of like a Zen sand garden, but without the neighbor's cats pooping in it!