Look at this proud little guy. How you can view the ‘Great’ Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, Winning images from our Nature Photographer of the Year competition from the last decade, The blue-banded pitta has already got its Christmas jumper on, ‘Lawn you can eat’: Native alternatives to garden staples, Hedges aren’t just ornamental but also can be used to create privacy. NATIVE AUSTRALIAN plants are currently experiencing a revival. “These are totally water-saving plants, requiring way less water than traditional turf. Founded 2001 by Evelyn J. Hadden For one person, a dandelion may represent an ugly nuisance: a blemish on an otherwise perfectly manicured lawn. New analysis of palm cockatoo populations put the bird on a downward trajectory, prompting scientists to call for a downgrading in their conservation status. Your email address will not be published. Greenlee has created many sustainable alternatives to conventional lawns. Rain gardens, which work to remove pollutants in the same manner as a forest or meadow, are a good means of reducing your impact on our planet. This is much better for the plants than a situation where the garden receives pounding rains. There are two types of plants that you can include in an edible landscape. Cuddle a little piece of Australia with our soft toy range. For a backyard with more space, Karen recommends native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum), which she says, loves a hot climate, as long as it has adequate water, and has one of best-smelling flowers around spring time. More Sustainable (and Beautiful) Alternatives to a Grass Lawn . Many herb plants make good garden bed borders. A Decrease font size. Other ornamental lawn substitutes include dichondra, scheranthus, pratia, convolvulus, pigface, some grevilleas or native violets. Required fields are marked *. Consider the following options… No Traffic. Grevillea ‘Coconut Ice’, ‘Superb’, ‘Robin Gordon’, ‘Ned Kelly’ – there are plenty of cultivars to choose from. In our last article, we detailed a few basic strategies for conserving water in our historical California drought, namely: Turning off you irrigation controller before and after rain events, Installing an on-site weather station, … According to Karen the plants also make great cut flowers, which can be soaked in water to make a delicious drink. There are numerous benefits to landscaping with plants you can eat. Edible Backyard is a series of gardening workshops run from Kath Irvine’s permaculture home garden. The silver princess and fuschia gum (Eucalyptus forrestiana), another eucalypt Karen recommends, only grows 3–5 metres tall, and it takes a long time for it to get to five metres. This one has a rock streambed as the centerpiece, with low-water perennials flanking and overflowing its sides. The plant with the most hedge potential, according to Karen, however, is the lilly pilly. are the most unexpected lawn alternatives. Trade your lawn for a lively prairie or replace it with a runoff-reducing rain garden. A family tree. Stepping stones are also popular and can greatly reduce the amount of lawn in your yard. Check out this great resource if you want additional information about rain gardens. Durability – Dutch clover is one of the toughest lawn alternatives on our list, easily withstanding normal foot traffic. Transform your yard with food, medicinal or pollinator plants, ground cover, and more. Edible landscaping can save you money. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. Entries are about to open for the 2021 competition. Tall fescues are coarser, drought tolerant and provide a … It is absolutely glorious, people just fall in love with them.” They also attract birds. Wintergreen prefers a shadier location, such as under trees, and is a bit slower growing than other ground covers. Karen recommends three native alternatives to the commonly used Japanese box (, The first is Westringia, an Aussie shrub that grows successfully in all states. Elfin thyme grows to two inches tall and is a gorgeous addition to rock gardens and container gardens, where it cascades over the sides. There are plenty of good alternatives to the classic green lawn.For example, xeriscaping and edible landscaping are excellent eco-friendly options. Perennials, which include items such as blueberries, strawberries or rhubarb, will grow and produce … Grevillea coconut ice. My name is Melinda Fulmer and I write for MSN. Importantly, grevilleas attract nectar-eating birds, such as wattle birds, as well as native insects and bees. It is absolutely glorious, people just fall in love with them.” They also attract birds. Rain gardens can up to 30 or 40% more than a grass lawn. ... Small white flowers will bloom in the spring, followed by red edible – but not tasty – berries. Incorporating nitrogen-fixing legumes such as white clover into a lawn is also beneficial for decreasing fertilizer applications. “It has silveryness that if you touch it you get silver on your hands. Vegetable garden Setting up a raised garden to grow vegetables will not only save you money on grocery shopping but also makes a great landscaping feature that will take pride of place in your backyard. Crushing and smelling them is also great to clear the nose.”. Deva Luna works for a sustainable landscape contractor, EarthCare Landscaping, in Cupertino, California, and loves to replace lawns with native plants. But what to choose? eat,” says Karen – who often uses the flowers as garnish or in salads “and they’re remarkably drought tolerant. Composed of region- and climate-specific plants that are low-growing by nature, these alternative lawns don’t need constant mowing to stay short. ), which she says, loves a hot climate, as long as it has adequate water, and has one of best-smelling flowers around spring time. By capturing clean rainwater from the driveway, roof and sidewalks and diverting it into an attractive rain garden where it can slowly filter contaminants and soak into the ground, you will help the environment by reducing the amount of runoff that runs into our waterways and public sewer systems. The plant with the most hedge potential, according to Karen, however, is the lilly pilly. “It has silveryness that if you touch it you get silver on your hands. Typically, lawn alternatives are more suitable for low–traffic areas where the plants won’t get trampled on too heavily, or to fill the gaps between pavers, a role in which they excel. Avoid growing lemongrass, Karen advises, and instead opt for lemon myrtle (, ), which is grown more easily in colder climates. What’s the damage? And I know that can't be the case. There’s a good range of small eucalypts to choose from.”. Maryland native switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), little blue stem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and yellow indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) are three great choices for sunny sites. There’s a good range of small eucalypts to choose from.”, For a backyard with more space, Karen recommends native frangipani (. Here are helpful sites on herb gardens and growing herbs. A team of researchers has found a novel way to keep foxes away from 20 precious bandicoots introduced into a Victorian conservation reserve last month. Dwarf dogwood (also called bunchberry) and herbs like thyme and oregano work as groundcovers for limited areas. Oregano. A Reset font size. Fescue grasses are tolerant of everyday wear and tear and can thrive in a variety of locations. The principle behind a rain garden is that it is a place to hold water while slowly releasing it into the soil. Add some seaside plantings and a few pieces of driftwood. Annuals, which include most common vegetables, need to be planted each year. (Image credit: Jaytee/Shutterstock), The native seed is a lot more expensive than the non-native seed, as it’s more widely produced. Ever-bearing strawberries produce fruit most of the summer and tolerate marginal soils and light shade. They are easy to make and actually quite fun, so be sure to include the kids. “It’s becoming more available, which shows the growers directly respond to what they can sell.”, Replacing European mint with native mint is also an easy swap. Many Australians have that one tree in their backyard they have a lot of affection for. In shady sites, try bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) or the grass-like Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica). This can be done simply or you can go to elaborate means to create a growing space in which you can raise food to eat. Both nurseries and florists have spotted the trend and are offering us more to choose from. It’s great to have a place for kids to play and families to gather, but it doesn’t have to be only grass. I don’t water [them] very often.”. A rock garden can be an attractive alternative to a grass lawn. Dichondra and is another alternative lawn option, which fits perfectly around stone tiles and paths, and like the native violets, needs very little water. A Increase font size. Our gardening obsessed editors and writers choose every product we review. 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. There are two types of plants that you can include in an edible landscape. Bye-Bye, Lawn: Four Great Alternatives to Grass Landscaping Give your mower—and nature—a break with these alternatives to turf. In this ultimate guide to rethinking your yard, Hadden showcases dozens of inspiring, eco-friendly alternatives to that demanding (and dare we say boring?) Many Australians have that one tree in their backyard they have a lot of affection for. PLUS receive a gift. Also known as foodscaping or front-yard farming, edible landscaping is considered a type of landscaping in which most areas of a lawn on private or public property are used to grow food. Gardening Channel. Interested in learning more about herb gardens? Annuals, which include most common vegetables, need to be planted each year. If you find yourself wondering why you’re out there mowing again and again and again, consider turning some or your entire yard into an edible landscape. Copyright © 2020. A landscape filled with berry bushes and edible ground covers, perennial vegetables, or even fruit trees is a … Home Topics Science & Environment ‘Lawn you can eat’: Native alternatives to garden staples. “People think gum trees and eucalypts are all really large but they’re not. There is no supermarket that can compete with the freshness of freshly harvested vegetables, herbs and fruits. Other ornamental lawn substitutes include Dichondra, Scheranthus, Pratia, Convolvulus, Pigface, some Grevilleas or Native Violets. ). I'm doing a story about alternatives to the front lawn, including edible landcaping, mini-orchards, courtyards and cottage gardens etc. “You can use it to make a tea, put it in different salsas, salads, place sprigs in cocktails and jugs of water. Vegetable garden Setting up a raised garden to grow vegetables will not only save you money on grocery shopping but also makes a great landscaping feature that will take pride of place in your backyard. Many also grow well in shady areas. By subscribing you become an AG Society member, helping us to raise funds for conservation and adventure projects. Australian Geographic acknowledges the First Nations people of Australia as traditional custodians, and pay our respects to Elders past and present, and their stories and journeys that have lead us to where we are today. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. ... yards where edible plants—vegetables and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs—replace a portion of turf. Lawn Alternatives. As far as feature trees go, Karen recommends Silver Princess eucalypt (. Nitrogen that is produced naturally through the use of clover is much less likely to leach from the soil then synthetic fertilizers. “They can be really tall hedges, like the. For another, the vigorous yellow flower is a nutritious edible weed that makes the ideal addition to a lunchtime salad or the perfect ingredient for an evening cup of tea. “It has silveryness that if you touch it you get silver on your hands. One of the most popular species being the the, For a taller hedge, Karen says coastal correa (. ) Explore and create with these great experiments! One of the most popular species being the the coastal rosemary (Westringia fruticosa), which sprouts dainty, white flowers. Swap it for an interactive adventure garden or convert it to a low-maintenance living carpet. Be sure to check with your local homeowner's association before replacing your existing traditional lawn — many areas have requirements and guidelines for what you can do in the front yard. Karen recommends three native alternatives to the commonly used Japanese box (Buxus microphylla) and Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum). Hedges aren’t just ornamental but also can be used to create privacy. Wintergreen. As far as feature trees go, Karen recommends Silver Princess eucalypt (Eucalyptus caesia). By Su Byron and Marty Fugate 10/1/2019 at … If you'd like to replace some or all of your lawn with ground cover plants, or fill in borders or shady spots, these edible varieties can also serve as a tasty addition to your plate. Even low-maintenance lawn alternatives need some maintenance: seasonal mowing, supplemental irrigation in times of drought and occasional weeding. Edible landscaping allows you to grow unusual items that you can’t find at the local supermarket. , a rainforest tree, and there are also dwarf lilly pilly species used quite commonly throughout Australia,” she says. ) You can choose to include chemical sprays and powders or you can adhere to producing only organic food products. They are also ideal for container gardening in pots on your patio. Weeping grass is one of the best options for a native grass lawn, according to Karen, because “it’s a hardy, drought-tolerant grass,” but she says, it can’t be cut too low with a lawn mower because it will die. It’s better suited to smaller areas. Between a lawn as front yard and an edible wilderness are many grades. The traditional green grass we use to cover our front and back yards has many disadvantages and quite honestly, very little benefit. Created to support you on your journey to becoming a food gardener, Kath will teach you how to design and run your own Edible Backyard. Have you ever wondered why we fertilize our yards and spray our grass with harmful chemicals that will make it grow faster and fuller and then gripe about the fact that we have to mow it again? Wear and tear and can thrive in a variety of locations great to clear the nose. ” create privacy the! This great resource if you buy from one of the biggest benefits of gardening for food is the exercise will! 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Soils and light shade and produce food year after year is much cheaper, because harvesting. Smells nice and is completely edible to producing only organic food products Melinda and! Easy to make a delicious drink product links, at no extra cost to you grows successfully in states... The classic green lawn.For example, xeriscaping and edible landscaping, which include most common vegetables, need to planted... With your designs and the materials you choose to include the kids and. Blueberries, strawberries or rhubarb, will grow and produce food year after year way., Karen recommends Silver Princess eucalypt (. place to hold water while slowly releasing it into soil! Karen the plants also make great cut flowers, which can be tall. Story about alternatives to a grass lawn year, depending on the winning images from the past decade as. Find at the local supermarket native alternatives to the classic green lawn.For,.
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