Sacaramento CA: Lawnless and Loving It Manual

LawnlessLawnless and Loving it!and Loving it!

by Chris Lewis, CNPS Sac Valley Gardening CommitteeWestern Redbud, Snowberry, California Fuchsia

Why go Why go LawnlessLawnless??

Water is a Water is a scarce natural resourcescarce natural resourcebut 60 %+ of summer water in the but 60 %+ of summer water in the Sacramento area goes to maintaining Sacramento area goes to maintaining LAWNS. (LAWNS. (AudubonAudubon))The average gardener applies The average gardener applies 20 times 20 times more pesticides than farmers domore pesticides than farmers do. (. (EPAEPA) ) Most commonly used mowers emit Most commonly used mowers emit 11 times 11 times the air pollution the air pollution of a new car for each hour of a new car for each hour of operation. (of operation. (EPAEPA))

What is a lawn anyway?What is a lawn anyway?

A lawn is a monoculture.

How to get rid of lawn?How to get rid of lawn?

ThereThere’’re probably 50 ways to loose the lawn!re probably 50 ways to loose the lawn!Here are just a few ideas:Here are just a few ideas:

Shade it out Shade it out Allow leaves to pile up with leaves or newspapers and smother itAllow leaves to pile up with leaves or newspapers and smother it..

Organic herbicidesOrganic herbicidesHerbicides work well but be sure that no chemicals run off into Herbicides work well but be sure that no chemicals run off into

waterways.waterways.Dig it outDig it outLike handLike hand--weeding but harder! weeding but harder!

Go slowly. Take out only the amount of lawn that you have Go slowly. Take out only the amount of lawn that you have a plan for. a plan for.

California Aster

What can you do now?What can you do now?

ChildrenChildren’’s Gardens Garden

Water GardenWater Garden

Habitat GardenHabitat Garden

Edible GardenEdible Garden

VineyardVineyard

Rain GardenRain Garden

Meadow!Meadow!

Rock GardenRock GardenCalifornia Poppy

ChildrenChildren’’s Gardens Garden

Miner’s lettuce lines the path under the Live Oaks.

Investigate the pollinators attracted to Showy Milkweed!

Water GardenWater Garden

Water is often good for our souls… and it’s necessary for wildlife like these Cedar Waxwings!

Habitat GardenHabitat Garden

Mourning dove family in Valley Oak 5’ from my front door

‘Blues’ feeding on Buckbrush nectar photo by Arvind Kumar

Edible GardenEdible Garden

Miner’s Lettuce!

Western Blackberry! California Grape!

VineyardVineyard

Wildflowers between the rows will bring in pollinators for your vines!

Lady Bug on Fiddleneck Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly on Poppy

Rain GardenRain Garden

“A Rain Garden is a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from roofs, driveways, walkways, and compacted lawn areas the opportunity to be absorbed.”

This house is below street level and this ‘rain garden’absorbs all runoff.

Valley Oak, Silver Bush Lupine, Miner’s lettuce

MeadowsMeadows

Carex praegracilis ‘lawn’Cornflower Farms Nursery, Elk Grove

2 views of wildflowers at Table Mountain

Rock GardenRock Garden

Photos by Randy Smith

Saxifraga Californica

Goldback Fern

Dudleya cymosa Dudleya cymosa flower

The Native Plant AdvantageThe Native Plant AdvantageGo native. But which ones you ask?Go native. But which ones you ask?

Plants indigenous to your area. The Plants indigenous to your area. The more local the plant, the more likely more local the plant, the more likely youyou’’ll provide habitat for critters.ll provide habitat for critters.

Nature has grouped plants in plant communities. So if Nature has grouped plants in plant communities. So if you think about what grows together in nature, those you think about what grows together in nature, those plants can grow together in similar conditions in your plants can grow together in similar conditions in your garden.garden.

Pipevine swallowtail and Blue Dick

Native PlantsNative PlantsSave Water:Save Water:Once established, many native plants need Once established, many native plants need minimal irrigation beyond normal rainfall.minimal irrigation beyond normal rainfall.Low Maintenance: Low Maintenance: If you remove the weed seed bank before planting and plant If you remove the weed seed bank before planting and plant according to watering needs, youaccording to watering needs, you’’ll have a low maintenance ll have a low maintenance garden.garden.Pesticide Freedom:Pesticide Freedom:Native Plants have developed their own defenses Native Plants have developed their own defenses against many pests and diseases.against many pests and diseases.Wildlife Viewing:Wildlife Viewing:Research shows that native wildlife prefers native Research shows that native wildlife prefers native plants. plants. Support Local EcologySupport Local Ecology::As development replaces natural habitats, planting gardens,As development replaces natural habitats, planting gardens,parks, and roadsides with California natives can provide a parks, and roadsides with California natives can provide a ““bridgebridge”” to nearby remaining to nearby remaining wildlandswildlands. .

Native Bee

Black Phoebe

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Design, installation, photography by Jeff Cox & Julie Evens

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Design, installation, photography by Jeff Cox & Julie Evens

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Taking lawn out can be inspiring! Design & labor by Lil Ordaz

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Take any Take any ‘‘WaterwiseWaterwise’’ Garden PlanGarden Plan

‘Corner of Shrubs’Better Homes & Gardens

Simple ReplacementsSimple ReplacementsA. Pink Spires Flowering Crabapple Pink blooms are followed by small purple-red fruits; leaves are bronzy green. 15’-20’ tall.B. Kelsey Dwarf Dogwood Compact, mounded shape, red stems. 2’-3’ tall.C. Blue Mist Fothergilla Honey-scented white blooms, bluish foliage. 4’ tall.D. Bird’s Nest Spruce Gray-green, globe-shaped evergreen. 3’ tall.E. Periwinkle (Vinca minor) evergreen leaves, blue flowers, creeping stems.6"-12" tall. (This is actually INVASIVE!)

Local Native Alternatives (little to no water needed once established)

A. Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) Magenta flowers in spring, fall color varies, informal look. 20’ tall.

B. Redtwig Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) White flower in spring, red stems in winter.C. Buck brush (Ceanothus cuneatus) fragrant evergreen shrub, flowers vary from blue to

white, in late spring 6’-8’D. Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) White flowering in winter, evergreen 3’-6’E. Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii) evergreen groundcover with white flowers; then

add California fuschia (Epilobium canum) fall flowering 12”; and Wooly sunflower(Eriophyllum lanatum) summer flowering 8”, (use Sonoma Sage if full sun)

Above: Yerba Buena flower and Monarch butterfly caterpillar

City of Santa MonicaCity of Santa Monica’’s s GardenGarden\\Garden ProjectGarden Project

Native Landscaping Traditional Landscaping

6,000 250 pounds 15 hours 57,000 670 pounds 60 hours Gallons Yard waste Maintenance Gallons Yard waste Maintenance

Create a place to explore, learn, and play among trees and the natural world.

Playing with Oak galls under a Christmas Berry Bush.