Consider the Ground Cover

A lawn has many purposes. It’s soft and comfortable to lie on, it stays healthy when it’s stepped on, and it is perfect for picnics and cartwheels and year-round fun. When considered from an environmental perspective…well…its better than dirt! I am here to tell you, however, that there is an even better solution. A beautiful and more environmentally friendly alternative which takes some time at first, but its worthy and less time-consuming in the long run. I’m talking native groundcovers.

To start, native plants need a much smaller volume of water than most decorative or nonnative options – including turf grass. According to the EPA, if an average-size lawn is watered for 20 minutes a day for one week, it’s equivalent to about 800 showers!! Though not everyone waters their lawn consistently, 20 minutes is quite common especially during summer months. On the other hand, once they are well established, native plants need little water! Another reason to choose native groundcovers is they do not need to be mowed or chemically treated. Hence no electricity or gas is expended, and there is less work for you! Lawn fertilizers can be harmful to ecosystems when rainwater washes them into storm drains, but native gardens do not and should not have these products included in their care. Finally, native plants attract native pollinators to your garden. This past spring, my own garden was visited by many native bugs including a yellow and dark orange bee who especially enjoyed the flowering fairy bells!

Consider turning some of your own lawn into native groundcovers! Click here for a Washington state native groundcover list.