covers gardening nationally at
GardeningWithCharlie.com. “For part shade, experiment with gooseberry, red flowering currants, western amelanchi- er, deer fern, trillium and wild ginger.” Adding some clover to a tradi-
leaves that puddle around it, suitable for shade or par- tially shaded areas,” advises Penick. “It’s slow to grow, but highly drought-tolerant and nicely covers a dry slope or spills over a retaining wall. Texas sedge makes a low- growing, meadowy alternative that’s evergreen and needs mowing only once every year or two.” Moss is a fine option for shady and moist areas. “If moss is naturally colo- nizing a patch of yard, allow it to fill in where the lawn doesn’t want to grow,” Penick counsels. “It makes a springy, evergreen groundcover needing only brief misting to keep it looking good during dry periods.”
Mediterranean and
California Coast Plentiful sunshine, rare frosts and modest rainfalls make many California coastal areas perfect for growing lots of plants, rather than plots of water-thirsty turf. “For full sun, work with California yarrow, purple sage, Indian mallow, white sage, lupines and California sage- brush,” recommends Charlie Nardozzi, of Ferrisburgh, Vermont, author of Foodscaping. “In shade, try mountain yarrow, mimulus monkey flower, Cali- fornia honeysuckle, California flannel bush and coyote mint.” “Blue grama grass is native to
many states, and buffalo grass is native to states west of the Mississippi River in the right places,” adds Greenlee. They’re especially suited for meadows established in drought-prone regions.
Rainy Marine Areas “For sunny areas, try goat’s beard, pen- stemon, beach strawberry, mock orange and huckleberry,” says Nardozzi, who
tional lawn may eliminate the need for fertilizers while retaining some turf, says Erica Strauss, of Gamonds, Washington, in her Northwest Ed- ible Life blog. “When the clover loses leaf mass from mow- ing, its roots die off to compensate and nitrogen enters the soil for neighboring plant roots to use.”
White clover works well
for those on a budget; microclover costs more and is even better. For shady, north-facing or boggy-
wet areas, Strauss recommends sweet woodruff. Moss is another option.
Semi-Arid, Steppe
and Desert Climes “If you crave a lawn but want to go na- tive, Habiturf is perfect for the hot, dry Southwest,” says Penick. Developed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Cen- ter, in Austin, Texas, it’s a mix of several native turf grasses, looks like a shaggy traditional lawn and can be occasion- ally mowed on a high setting to keep it neat. Once established, it needs far less water than traditional turf. “Silver ponyfoot grows well in many regions as an annual; as a perennial, it needs mild winters,” Penick continues. “Native to western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, it likes good drainage, grav- elly soil and full-to-part sun.” Xeriscaping—landscaping that requires little to no water—is especially prevalent in hot, dry regions. Plant picks typically include cactus, succulents, agave and herbs like rosemary or sage.
John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, co-au- thors of ECOpreneuring and Farmstead Chef, operate the Inn Serendipity, in Browntown, WI.
More Eco- Yard Ideas
Edible Landscaping A kitchen garden represented by any kind of edible landscaping replaces some turf grass with produce. Carefully designed and maintained, it can be as attractive as any other garden space. “According to
GardenResearch.com, 30 million U.S. households, about 25 percent, participated in vegetable gardening in 2015,” reports Dave Whit- inger, executive director of the National Gardening Association, owned by Dash Works, in Jacksonville, Texas. “To integrate edibles into a land- scape, first assess the locations of sunny and shady spots,” says garden consultant Charlie Nardozzi. “Then, identify plants suited to the growing conditions that will fit in those areas. Mix in edibles with flowers, shrubs and groundcovers to keep the yard beautiful.” For urban areas, he rec- ommends raised beds and containers as a good way to integrate edibles, bringing in clean soil and moving containers to the sunniest spots in the yard. “We have 3,000 raised beds in
Milwaukee,” says Gretchen Mead, ex- ecutive director of the Victory Garden Initiative, which helps install edible landscapes. “We went from about 35 new kitchen gardens eight years ago to more than 500 each year now.” The easy-to-build raised beds go on top of or in place of turf lawns. For Midwestern residents, Mead recom- mends beginning with six crops that can be started as transplants, like tomatoes or broccoli, and then grow- ing a couple of plants from seed, like zucchini or green beans.
Water-Saving Gardens “Water-saving gardens use less of this precious resource through appropriate plant choices, rain-conserving features, berming and terracing to slow runoff, water-permeable hardscaping and smart irrigation practices,” says Pam Penick, author of The Water-Saving Garden. “Regardless of where you live,
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