Creating a Lawn-Free Healthy Garden

In a previous post I wrote that by adopting certain gardening practices you can take advantage of “ecosystem services”, which provide pest control, healthy soil, thriving pollinators, and more. 
As a follow-on, here are my tips and links for creating a lawn-free healthy garden:

Traditional Lawn Centered Gardens are Low on Diversity

Most traditionally designed gardens in urban areas are "lawn centric", and it's well-known how thirsty lawns are, and that's incompatible with dry climates (see my links at the end of this post, including "no-lawn" rebate programs). But in my view, there are other reasons to ditch the lawn.  The typical lawn-centered garden that is overly manicured with nary a leaf out of place is generally not very biologically diverse. Urban and suburban gardens are often designed to minimize leaf litter and emphasize a significant monoculture of lawn space. All lawns are not necessarily bad, it's the practice of using weedkillers and synthetic fertilizers that do the most harm to the ecosystem, in addition to wasting copious amounts of precious water. 

In short, the traditionally landscaped garden is low on diversity, and a healthy ecosystem is just the opposite. The goal is to strive for a balanced system where natural processes are encouraged and thrive, so that garden diseases and pests are minimized. 

Transform Your Garden 

Use the "Big Three": Edibles, Natives and Ornamentals

In my garden, a combination of California natives, ornamental plants (non-natives), and edibles make up a triad that buzzes with life. I didn’t follow a formula to arrive at this combination- it happened naturally during the process of redesigning our yards. The native plants encourage wild pollinators and other beneficial insects, and provide habitat and food. A careful selection of water-wise ornamental plants (a must in California) do the same, as do edible plants.  

In keeping with my strategy of using natives, ornamentals and edibles, here are the trees in my garden: Fruit- avocado, Meyer Lemon, a Blood Orange, Pomegranate, Santa Rosa Plum, a Pluot, a multigrafted apple; Natives- California Buckeye (Aesculus californica), Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum), Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia); Ornamental- Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin).

Some of the fruit trees require more water than the others, but mature trees with good root systems (established while they're young) and mulch around the base require less water than you'd expect. Pomegranates require very little care at all once established, and they are lovely trees of a modest size. 

Transform Your Life!

Remember, if you're not watering a thirsty lawn, you can use some of that water on plants that add much more value to your garden.

Among my edible plants I’ve included a variety of perennial culinary herbs that insects love. and they're attractive landscaping plants. Many herbs have low water requirements: oregano, sweet marjoram, sage, rosemary, winter savory, lovage and different thymes. Allowing them to flower is a perk for bees and other beneficial insects. Not only do they attract pollinators, they are essential for cooking (the flowers are edible too), and can be cut back periodically after flowering to renew their foliage.  With these attributes they are popular in gardens with Mediterranean climates like ours. 

To round out my garden habitat, tall shrubs provide a dense screen along our backyard fence and they are a favorite nesting place for local birds. They enjoy foraging on the ground where wood chips have replaced the lawns, and I provide water in two birdbaths for them (and they provide pest control and hours of entertainment!).

You can build your garden ecosystem over time as you learn more about the best plants to include for your climate zone.  It’s a lifestyle choice and gradual process of discovery. Select plants that have flowers and seeds attractive to the local wildlife.  

Remember that a healthy garden is lively with activity!

Related posts and resource links:

Urban Artichoke, more tips and gardening resources

Santa Clara County Landscape Rebate Program

Related posts:

Maximize Free Ecosystem Services in Your Garden

The Rewards of a Seedy Garden

Your Garden as Wildlife Habitat

An Inspiring Talk by Toby Hemenway (author of Gaia's Garden)

Photos: Patricia Larenas Urban Artichoke