Case Studies in Lawn Replacement

Have you been thinking about reducing the size of your lawn? Or switching it from grass to something more environmentally friendly? Join Extension Master Gardeners Alyssa Ford Morel and Carolyn Vincent to see examples of similar efforts by several Extension Master Gardeners. They share how the process went in their own Northern Virginia yards and what lessons were learned.

Zoom session, recorded April 14, 2023

Video of Presentation

Chapter Breaks

00:00 – Introduction
05:02 – Carolyn’s Story
24:29 – Questions
31:11 – Henry and Claudia’s Story
39:22 – Scarlett’s Story
44:47 – Nancy B.’s Story
49:32 – Nancy D.’ s Story
53:28 – Questions
57:10 – Alyssa’s Story
1:13:55 – Questions

Additional Resources

Carolyn Vincent

Landschoot, Peter, Tim Abbey and Tanner Delvalle.Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: Rough stalk Bluegrass, Poa Trivialis, L. University of Pennsylvania Extension.
https://extension.psu.edu/lawn-and-turfgrass-weeds-roughstalk-bluegrass-poa-trivialis-l
Pollan, M. 1991. Second Nature: A Gardeners’s Education. Chapter 3: Why Mow? Pp. 54-65. New York: Grove Press
Rainer, T. & West, C. 2015. Planting in a Post-wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes. Portland, OR: Timber Press
Wycoff, Stephanie Blevins and Daniel Frank; Dana Beegle (ed). 2020. An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management. VCE Publications: ENTO 365. Virginia Cooperative Extension.
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/ENTO/ENTO-365/ENTO-365.html

Carolyn Vincent's backyard - view with birdbath — Carolyn’s backyard Photos © Carolyn Vincent

Alyssa Ford Morel

Alyssa's front yard — Alyssa’s front yard Photo © Alyssa Ford Morel

Audubon at Home
Program inviting homeowners, schools, houses of worship to create wildlife sanctuaries.
https://www.audubonva.org/audubon-at-home
Carex for the Mid-Atlantic Region. 2023. Mt. Cuba Center Carex Trials.
Includes ratings of Carex that handle mowing well.
https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/carex-for-the-mid-atlantic-region/
Climate Conscious Gardening: Lawns. 2022. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
Video.
https://youtu.be/FHmZg9eemvA
Homegrown National Park
Effort to create more habitat in America’s yards spearheaded by Douglas Tallamy.
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/
Landscaping help. Plant NOVA Natives.
Listing of local native landscaping specialists
https://www.plantnovanatives.org/landscaping-help
Lawn Care Basics. 2022. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
Video.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/bmp-class-video/lawn-care-basics-2022/
Turf Grass Alternatives. 2022. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
Video.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/bmp-class-video/turf-grass-alternatives-2020/

Alyssa answers questions from the chat:

I did not have a good answer for questions about removing Bermuda grass and about whether Zoysia grass is a good choice in Northern Virginia, but promised to do a bit of research and post the answers.

Both Bermuda grass and Zoysia grass are warm-weather grasses that do well in Northern Virginia.
Bermuda grass can be either loved or hated for its hardy nature, depending on whether you like it’s look as a lawn or if you consider it a weed to be removed. Killing it is challenging, often a matter of depriving it of light for long enough to kill it, often by means of covering it with black plastic, or using chemicals.
Here’s a link from Virginia Tech dealing with choosing a grass: What grass should I grow for my lawn? (vt.edu).
Here’s a link from North Carolina State University about keeping Bermuda grass out of a Fescue lawn: How to Keep Bermuda Grass Out of Your Fescue | Extension Marketing and Communications (ncsu.edu).
Here’s a link from University of California on killing Bermuda Grass: Bermudagrass Management Guidelines–UC IPM (ucanr.edu)