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Naturescaping What is lawn conversion? Many homeowners today are choosing to convert their lawns or a section of their lawns to a more natural state. This includes planting hardy native plant species of grasses, shrubs, wildflowers and/or trees, which require less maintenance than the conventional bright green lawn. This is a smart choice, given that the estimated 25 to 30 million acres of residential lawns across the county make for a lot of mowing! Why convert your lawn? The use of native plants can be a very aesthetically pleasing landscaping choice, while preserving native species and biodiversity and creating habitat for wildlife. Native plants tend to be better adapted to local environmental conditions and therefore require less maintenance than typical lawns. In the long run, this can save you precious time, money, and energy, not to mention the added benefit to local water bodies of requiring little or no fertilizer or pesticides. Native plants may even be used to solve landscaping problems such as shady or wet areas. How do I convert my lawn? Before converting a section of your lawn to more natural conditions, it is important to first assess the conditions of the site in order to choose plants that are well suited to those conditions. Keep in mind that soil in urban areas tends to be very infertile, compacted, and not well suited for vegetative growth, so it may require some initial work before planting. Some other factors to consider are sun exposure, soil texture, pH, fertility, moisture conditions, pest problems, and history of use. If your soil is very acidic or compacted, soil amendments may be required. Since the type of plants needed will vary with lawn conditions, it may be useful to talk with a local extension agent or lawn and garden center about what species to plant and how to test your soil. In general, native prairie or meadow plants work well in sunny open areas or areas with poor drainage. Woodland plants are generally well suited for fertile, moist areas with high organic content. Provided below is a list of plants native to northeastern Ohio. Since soils in the Cleveland area tend to have high clay content, those plants with a tolerance for clay have been starred (*). Grasses and sedges Andropogen gerardii (Big Bluestem) Vines and groundcovers Campsis radicans (Trumpet creeper) Herbaceous vines and creepers Adlumia fungosa (Climbing fumitory) Medium height plants Allium cernuum (Nodding pink onion) Tall plants Aster novae-angliae (New England aster) Conifers Juniperus communis (Common juniper) Small trees/large shrubs Acer spicatum (Mountain maple) Large trees Acer nigrum (Black maple)
EcoCity Cleveland |
Tips for helping urban streams Back to main Watershed Planning
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