I’m halfway to no lawn. Our entire front yard is gardens – mostly trees and bushes. It’s fabulous. Our backyard, while small, is mostly gardens and decks. However, we still have a small patch that I mow a few times each summer. It’s only a few because in recent years, with water restrictions, it’s toasted brown by July. Our deck is on last legs and when I rebuild, I’d love to expand it along with expanding the gardens and removing the grass altogether. When I walk my neighborhood, I notice most lawns are ugly brown by July so IMO, no point anymore for that reason plus many more. Here are my 10 reasons I consider having a lawn an absurdity. Oh yeah, it’s not as if we live in a hot climate. It’s Vancouver, BC… one of the wettest places around. If grass isn’t good here, it’s no good anywhere lol.
9. Water restrictions end up with useless, ugly yard
We have severe water restrictions every summer. I no longer pay attention. They’re so restrictive, I’ve given up watering the lawn. Most people in our region have. In fact, it looks bad now if you have a lush, green lawn because it means you’ve breached the water restrictions. There are so many great garden options and landscaping options that look great year-round with water restrictions.
8. Mowing a lawn is a drag
Even my small patch which takes 15 minutes to mow is a hassle. I have to get the mower out. I bought a battery mower (which is awesome BTW) but it requires mental energy to remember to charge the batteries. Once I’m done mowing, I need to empty the bag into the organics bin. Yeah, I know this not exactly a huge, onerous operation but all told, it’s 30 minutes of my time I could be doing something else. Most people have a far larger lawn spending an hour mowing. I couldn’t imagine that. Yes, I could hire a service, but now my useless lawn is costing me money.
7. Beyond water restrictions it’s work and money to keep beautiful
I’m certainly no lawn whisperer. I don’t put the time in necessary. The result is even in Spring when it’s lush and green, it’s not the prettiest lawn. In order to get it looking golf-course-like, I’d have to invest fertilizer, perhaps plant more and invest the TLC to get it ship-shape. Some people get a kick out of working toward the perfect lawn. It’s not my thing.
6. Attracts pests to boot
While lawns might look pristine, they do little to support local wildlife. Instead of attracting bees, butterflies, or birds, lawns invite pests like mosquitoes, ants, moles, grubs and ticks that thrive in watered environments. It’s absurd that so much effort is spent on maintaining a space that does more harm than good to local ecosystems.
5. It’s a monoculture desert
I didn’t know this until I did some research for this brief, fun but serious article. Lawns are typically monocultures, where only grass grows, and little biodiversity is supported. It’s absurd that vast areas of land are dedicated to one single plant type, offering no refuge for insects, pollinators, or animals that contribute to a healthy ecosystem.
4. Little to no recreational value
I have kids and they don’t use the lawn. We have two great parks nearby with all the space we could ask for if we want to fly the drone, play soccer, run around. In fact, when we do toss the football or baseball, we do it on our fairly large, flat driveway. Go figure. The only thing that gets used in our backyard by kids other than the deck is the trampoline. The trampoline is a daily staple in their lives and that sits on a concrete slab (formerly a hot tub slab created by the couple that sold us the home).
3. Make money with an ADU instead of sinking money into your lawn
More and more towns are making it easy to build additional dwelling units (ADUs) on their suburban lots. Ours included. I’m not sure how much better this is for the neighborhood (more vehicles on the street) but at the end of the day, more affordable housing is needed so I’m all for it. It can also be an outstanding investment. Alternatively, ADUs can be used for guests, office, recreation, a place for grown kids… it offers so much potential. We have an in-law suite which is fabulous. I’m not opposed to building an ADU down the road.
2. Decks and patios look better and get more use
We have a decently sized, two-tier deck. Half of it is covered. We use the deck daily in the Summer and into the Fall. If anything, I’d like it to be bigger to accommodate more people and a larger dining area. I know for a fact a larger deck would be used while our scorched lawn isn’t.
1. Grassless landscaping looks awesome and is easier to care for
I’ve noticed some homes in our neighborhood have gone grassless and it looks amazing. Climate-appropriate bushes, trees and flowers along with some landscaping stones, pavers or even a structure look so much better than a lawn and are less work to keep looking great.
