Alternative Landscaping

Prairie Plants & Native Grasses

One way to reduce water consumption is to have turf that requires less water than a conventional bluegrass lawn. Native plants provide a solution to the water-needy turf grass. Re-establishing native ground cover offers many benefits, such as no fertilizer or herbicide needed, no mowing, and very little watering.

Prairie Yard

A prairie yard may well work for you if you have at least a quarter acre of land in full sunlight for all or most of the day, soil with a high sand content and good drainage, and no trees on or near the area designated for prairie plants.

Planting a prairie yard is much different than a conventional yard. You will need to kill all existing vegetation, which may take several herbicide applications and is best done in the fall. An additional herbicide application the following spring will usually produce the best results. Late spring and early summer planting of already-started plants and grasses will give you the desired results, with watering and hand weeding being part of the new plant care regime. Also, consulting with a native plant expert will increase your chances of success.

Once established, the prairie will not require artificial watering but may require some hand weeding. Ideal results are achieved if the prairie area is burned at least every other year or every year if possible. In Ramsey, there are many fine examples of healthy prairie plantings on public and private land.

Meadow Planting

For properties that may not be ideal for a prairie installation, you may consider a meadow planting instead. This type of landscape includes shade-tolerant plants with lower watering requirements. Consult with a reputable supplier of native plants to receive the best advice on how to proceed.

More information on prairie and meadow-type yards can be found at the following links:

• Developing a Residential Prairie
• Landscape Alternative Website
• Native Plants: Restoring Habitat in Anoka County (PDF)
• Prairie Restoration Website
• Renovating an Existing Lawn to Achieve Sustainability

Rain gardens are gardens designed with a depression (low spot) and plants that can tolerate both wet and dry settings. If located and designed correctly, rain gardens capture and absorb rainfall before it enters lakes, rivers and storm sewers. Since rain gardens capture stormwater runoff, they are an effective tool for preventing erosion and reducing the amount of pollutants reaching water bodies.

A rain garden is most effective on a flat or gently sloping landscape with a large portion of impervious ground cover, such as buildings, driveways and walkways. For more information regarding rain gardens, view the Blue Thumb website.

Xeriscaping, or dry landscaping, is a technique that uses a combination of drought-tolerant plants to minimize or eliminate the need for watering. It can include drought-tolerant grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees to create a more sustainable landscape. When considering a xeriscape, it is important to utilize plants native to the area and appropriate for your soil type.

Another type of landscaping that offers many benefits is hardscaping. It involves using gravel, small rocks, permeable pavers, and porous concrete to create a usable surface that allows water to infiltrate the soil below, making it suitable for smaller areas of ground and those with changing elevations over short distances.