Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's Turfgrass with Host Stephanie Barelman

Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's TurfgrassEpisode IntroductionIn today’s episode, Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's Turfgrass, we go over different options for replacing lawn, why you'll be happy to make the jump, and tried and true ways to replace and maintain your new landscape. Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:laurtizengardens.orgListen, Rate, and Subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentRehash our first episode if you are new to the podcast or our wonderful edible plants series here!What are Native Plants Anyway?Native Edible Plants Series with Bob Henrickson: Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Books to Read Iwigara Native American EthnobotanyWhy Lawns Aren't Sustainable or HealthyPesticide and herbicide runoff pollutes groundwater, rivers, and streamsKids are exposed to pesticide and herbicide residues while playing Birds, pollinators, and other wildlife are exposed to residues while foraging and traveling which can result in disease, illness, and death . I mentioned there is plenty of research out there. Here are some of many, many articles discussing:Protect Pollinators at Home: Alternatives to HerbicidesThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://xerces.org › blog › protect-pollinators-at-home-alt...The Risks of Pesticides to PollinatorsThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://www.xerces.org › pesticides › risks-pesticides-poll...PesticidesPollinator.orghttps://www.pollinator.org › Learning CenterNearby plants can come in contact with spray drift which can cause stunted growth, disease, and deathHaving a monoculture lawn limits local wildlife from the diverse diet it needs to survive and thriveLawn takes up space we could grow our own food and medicine! Benefits of Ditching Your LawnYou are providing habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife!You are providing bee forage if you own a beehive, and ensuring better crop pollination if you grow a vegetable garden!You will encourage the storing of some carbon below ground by using these prairie plants with incredible root systems!You can participate in citizen science by submitting sightings and other observations to projects hosted by the Xerxes Society, Pollinator Pathway, and more!You will inevitably use less water to maintain the meadow/ alt lawn as opposed to traditional lawn and landscaping!You will reduce if not eliminate mowing which is great for the environment and also great for your spouse!You will have very little weeding time after your meadow garden/ alt lawn reaches its maturity!You will save money! You can forage your lawn for wild edibles.You can harvest plant material for natural dyes. You can grow medicine.You can use other parts of prairie plants in homemade crafts: basket weaving, bee houses, pressed flowers, etc.Alt Lawn Options Native Grass and Sedge Lawns: Superior to exotic grass because they typically have better root systems and are often host plants for skippers, moths, and butterfliesBlue Grama Lawn: Blue Grama is a warm-season grass. It is drought tolerant and thrives when other exotic grasses struggle.  Height of 1-2 feet. Can seed or plug. Buffalo Grass Lawn: Buffalo grass is also warm-season grass that gets about 6 inches tall. It is very drought tolerant and long lived.Sideoats Grama Lawn: More of a meadow lawn since it does reach 2-3 feet in height Mixed Grass Lawn: You can find different mixes from different suppliers such as (50%) blue grama and (50%) buffalograss, (30%) blue grama, (30%) side oats grama, and (40%) buffalograss... There's also other formulations like habiturf which is (62%) buffalograss,(30%)blue grama, and curly mesquite (8%) Pennsylvania sedge lawn: Pennsylvania sedge forms dense mats of medium green and grows 6 to 8 inches.Plains oval sedge lawn Long-beaked sedge: Great shade lawn optionBee Lawns Let dandelions go and add in native common violet, self heal, purple poppy mallow, wild strawberry, and Micro-prairie/MeadowscapesShortgrass PrairieEclectic MeadowTallgrass PrairieGroundcover lawnsMix and match large swaths of ground covers: Plant en masse in groups of 5, 7, 9 Plants to use: BUTTERFLYWEED, PRAIRIE VIOLET, HEATH ASTER, WILD PETUNIA, WILD STRAWBERRY, PRAIRIE CLOVER, POPPY MALLOW, CAREX BREVIOR, GROUND PLUM (I'm not yelling, but lazily copying and pasting from my powerpoint...)More plants to use: Pearly everlasting, pussytoes, artemisia ludoviciana, 'snow flurry' heath aster cultivar, prairie dropseed, western yarrow Yardens: Layered mix of NATIVE shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennialsSome shrubs to use along with your choice of grasses and perennial plants: LEADPLANT, SILKY DOGWOOD, CHOKECHERRY, CORALBERRY, AMORPHA FRUCTICOSA, PRAIRIE ROSE, ELDERBERRY, PLAINS WILD INDIGO, BAPTISIA AUSTRALISLow-gro native shade gardens Use plants like wild ginger, dutchman’s breeches, heartleaf aster, mayapple, woodland phlox and others HardscapingDon’t be shy to add a crushed limestone, pea gravel, flagstone, or salvaged stone patio area to cut down on lawn space and create a relaxing place to view garden areasYou may use landscape fabric stapled underneath These patios can last ten years or more and can be installed DIYVegetable garden and other garden "rooms"An entire "room" could be made where lawn resides for a vegetable garden. Vegetable gardens are often made in a square or rectangle design, fenced to protect crops from deer or wildlife, and given paths of mulch, brick, or other material to access plant beds A place of tranquility to hoard vintage finds and favorite plants How to Ditch Your LawnCheck ordinances and HOA policiesIf you are in an HOA, get clear rules detailed about what is allowed for gardenscape/lawnsCity of Omaha “all weeds, grass, and worthless vegetation cannot reach a height of 12 inches or more….” meaning occasionally mow, weed monthly, and use cues that this is a maintained garden. Note that...