In the 20-plus years that my husband and I have owned our home in the suburbs, my idea of what makes a “perfect” suburban lawn has changed drastically. I reflected on what a lawn meant to me when we first moved in versus how I view my property today.

Then

• My lawn has to be a perfect carpet of green grass.
• My lawn has to be a perfect carpet of green grass even during the driest parts of the summer. (So, I installed a sprinkler system).
• My lawn needs to look as perfect as my neighbors’ lawns.
• I can find the most perfect plants for my gardens at big box stores.
• Mulch is the perfect ground cover in landscaped beds.

• It’s okay that my lawn is not a meticulous carpet of green.
• It’s okay for my landscaped beds to look messy and untidy during the winter and early spring.
• Is there food, habitat and shelter for native wildlife?
• I leave the clover and dandelions for the bees. (Full disclosure: I pull some dandelions by hand so they don’t overwhelm the front yard).
• Can I reduce the amount of time and energy that I spend mowing my lawn? In other words, how do I reduce my lawn?
• I love that the native plants in my gardens add color at different seasons during the year.
• Leave the leaves.
• Reduce the amount of mulch used in garden beds. Fill them up with native plants and native plant ground covers.
• Attract local pollinators.

• Continue to learn all that I can about native plants.
• Get others interested in native plants.
• Show others that a sustainable landscape can fit beautifully into the suburbs.