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Less lawn equals less mower pollution: some landscape alternatives to grasses
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In last month’s National Geographic magazine, Peter Miller describes an experiment he and his family conducted focused on reducing the family’s carbon emissions by 80 percent. If you haven’t read the article, read it here.
One fact in the article that took me aback was the carbon emissions from a lawn mower. Miller says the average gasoline-powered push mower puts out as much pollution per hour as 11 cars—a riding mower as much as 34 cars. Ugh! I’ll never enjoy the smell of freshly cut grass again.
His solution of buying a push-reel mower didn’t go well, leaving the store dissatisfied and without purchasing any new lawn equipment.
Maybe getting a pet goat is a better option? You’ll have to check your neighborhood’s covenants but that won’t float in my Pike township development.
So what else can you do to reduce air pollution from your lawn mower? How about reducing the amount of yard you have to cut? Here are a few ways to get a smaller yard without changing your address.
Create more beds for flowers, shrubs, and tall grasses. You’ll have the beauty of flowers and other interest in your landscape. Find a friend who is dividing or moving some plants this spring and you may get some perennials at no cost. Drawbacks? You’ll need to mulch and maybe even weed those beds regularly if you want anything desirable to grow.
Establish a vegetable or herb garden. Not only will you reduce carbon emissions, but you may just produce some food. Plan your garden now and start plants in small pots indoors on sunny windowsills. Drawbacks? You may have to fight birds, bugs, and squirrels for your tomatoes, but it’s worth it.
Plants groundcovers. Especially in areas where it is hard to grow grass, like in shady spots, on slopes, or in walkways between steppingstones, groundcovers can save lots of energy, both yours and the mower’s. A hardy, attractive groundcover will withstand conditions that would kill most grasses. Be sure to use plants native to Indiana for best results. Pick an invasive mint or vine and soon you won’t have any grass to mow.
Let it go. If you have acreage, why not let part of it go wild? Plant wildflowers and establish a butterfly sanctuary.
Something to avoid: Don’t be tempted to cut your grass very short to avoid having to mow as often. Always take off the top third of the grass blades and no shorter than 3 inches to keep a full, weed-resistant lawn. Read these tips for keeping your lawn healthy without the use of chemicals.
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