Homegrown Heroes

Going Native in the Backyard

by Peter M. Laffin, March 30, 2007

“I’m not anti-lawn,” says Ethan Zickler, landscape designer and owner of Eden Design in Kerhonkson. “It’s just that the classic American close-cropped lawn is unsustainable and inefficient.”
Every year, 67 million pounds of pesticides and 3 million tons of fertilizers are dumped on American lawns. Over 40 pounds of nitrogen in grass clippings are thrown away each summer (grass clippings account for 50 percent of waste sent to landfills during growing season). The obsession with the Great American Lawn is deeply rooted in our collective conscience, as displayed by these staggering statistics. Although the craze has produced spectacular landscapes and rampant greenery, many of our most commonly used lawn care techniques and supplies are out of sync with our native ecological system. However, there are ways to maintain a beautiful yard without causing much disruption, and there are species in our backyards that we’ve been conditioned to exterminate that may be beautiful from a different perspective.

One alternative method of lawn care is to follow the permaculture model (a contraction of “permanent agriculture”), a school of thought that strives for a harmonious integration between human dwellings, microclimate, animal life, plants, and soils. Big differences can be made by following some small, simple steps in our own backyards.

According to Ethan Zickler, it’s paramount that lawns not be treated with chemicals and fertilizers—killers of apparent pests. Still, he maintains that it is possible to have a well-maintained, clipped lawn for walking and playing while refraining from using too many chemicals. “You can manage insects and PH balances by simply composting, which is the ultimate fertilizer,” says Zickler. “A thin layer of compost once or twice a year is the sustainable way to feed the lawn.”
“The number one thing you should do is compost—try and use any scrap that you generate, all the parts of plants that you don’t use,” says Mark Adams, president of the Dutchess County Farm Bureau and owner of Adam's Greenhouses. According to Adams, little bluestem, a native alternative grass that produces a meadow as opposed to a traditional lawn, is a sustainable alternative to the commonly used Kentucky bluegrass. Little bluestem, which grows wild all over the Catskills, needs to be mowed only once a year, in July. “If you mow this meadow once a year, you’ll be amazed at the amount of native wild-flowers that start to take over,” says Adams. One that you can expect to see is the black-eyed Susan, a flower that’s similar to a daisy in appearance but with orange petals and a black center.

In the backyard, clover and dandelion are commonly seen as negative or “invader” species. Though it may be pleasing to the eye to get rid of these supposed pests, doing so chemically involves destroying important soil organisms that keep grass healthy in a number of unseen ways, and those chemicals ultimately find their way into our water system. Even a natural or organic fertilizer can cause problems when used in excess. “Grass can take only what it needs,” says Zickler. “The excess goes away and becomes unseen, but it can be very harmful to our water.” Constant watering is another common unsustainable practice. Short, shallow watering keeps the roots competitive at the surface of the soil, necessitating more and more wasteful watering every time you run the sprinkler. “Less mindless tending to the lawn with water is the way to go,” says Zickler.

There aren’t any bad plants, only ones that are misused and overused. Many plants commonly found in yards are invasive. Cultivating a sustainable backyard doesn’t mean you can only grow indigenous flora, but there are distinct advantages in going native. Barberry, a very commonly found invasive plant with a nice fall color and bountiful berries, is cause for disruption in our area because its Japanese origin. Its prevalence in our area could cause the drowning out and extinction of our endemic species. “When looking at barberry, we might say, ‘Look at that plant! It’s thriving here!’ When, in fact, it’s taking the place of our native species,” says Zickler. “If we continue planting other things, we could end up with a real shortage.”