Turf Tales-Time to Turn the Table
By Justin Evertson

     It may have its "roots" in Europe, but it is in the United States that the turfgrass lawn has been mastered as a true art form. We are crazy for the stuff. From the deserts to the mountains, from the plains to the coasts, the lawn is everywhere that people are. Whether the soil is loose or compact, fertile or barren, we go to great lengths to insure that our little piece of chlorophyll carpet is green and lush.
     In a little more than fifty years, the turfgrass lawn has gone from a status symbol reserved primarily for the large estates of the rich to the single most dominating landscape element on both public and private properties in nearly every community throughout the country. Several generations have now grown up knowing landscaping no other way than the turfgrass lawn way. It is no different in Nebraska.
     My first introduction to anything horticulture-related was when as an eight- or nine-year-old, my father put me behind the lawn mower and told me to make sure that every last blade was taken to within two-and-a-half inches of its life. Not long after that I was enrolled in a 4-H course where the "Zen Master" (as the instructor liked to be called) taught us the fine art of mowing. Although my memory isn't clear I seem to recall all kinds of weird words of wisdom: "Be sure to vary the mowing patterns, Grasshopper." "Be one with the turf." "Treat the grass as if it were your best friend." "Take no more than one inch off at a time." After the course, I didn't know whether I should mow the lawn or worship it. So I did a little of both.
     Okay, the Zen Master tale may have been stretched a little. Still, it is true that caring for the lawn seemed so important to me, that for the longest time I was convinced that nothing short of our survival as a society depended on each and every one of us doing our fair share to make our lawns "perfect."
     How silly our infatuation with turfgrass seems to me now. Without even knowing why, countless millions of Americans work like drones to keep their little patches of earth green and "weed" free. Whether it needs it or not, the lawn will be mowed once (sometimes twice) a week. Even in drier weather when the grass is hardly growing, we still go out and mow when we can't even tell where the mower has already been. We're so devoted to a neat, straight and uniform clipping that we even use trimmers and fancy edging machines to make sure that every last blade is put in its place and that the sidewalk edge is crisp and neat.
     Maybe our desire to mow is a part of something that was imprinted on our brains long ago, perhaps from the need to be able to see far across the savanna for any roaming beasts that might fancy us for a meal. Or maybe we are just so disjointed from nature that we are only trying to extend the carpet outdoors - like it's our great big open recreation room.
     Regardless of why we do it, it is clear that only through modern mechanical and chemical engineering have we become able to maintain as much turf as we do. The mowers, trimmers, aerators and power rakes are amazing machines. We also now have a vast arsenal of chemical weapons to control nearly every kind of "weed" or "pest" that might show up to do battle. Like some big green "junkie," many of our lawns are now dependent on a season-long chemical "fix." It starts with fertilizer and broadleaf weed control very early in the spring, followed by fertilizer and crabgrass control a few weeks later, with more fertilizer and bug control in the summer and finally more fertilizer in the fall. I'm sure it won't be long until we have something we should apply mid-winter as well. If the lawn is the junkie, we are the dealers-the enablers of its addiction. I personally wonder, though, who's the addict, the grass or us?

Turf Benefits and Conundrums
      You have probably figured out by now that I am not a fan of turfgrass. I feel quite strongly that we have way more than we need. However, this diatribe is not actually an attack on the lawn. I will be the first to admit that the lawn does have purpose and in no way am I advocating that we do away with it completely.
     One of turf's best uses is as a component of the designed landscape. It works especially well as a pathway to different parts of the garden or as a ground-plane element in a bigger landscape composition. For sure, it would be hard to appreciate our beautiful architecture and gardens if it weren't for the open spaces allowed by turf.
Turfgrass also has several utilitarian benefits. I very much enjoy its cool, soothing greenness during the warmer months (anyone would have to admit that a lawn is much more comfortable on a hot day than the paved areas of the city). There is no better place to wrestle with the kids, chase the dog, pitch a tent, have a picnic, toss the football or whack a golf ball. Without turf, would we have Tiger Woods or the great game of baseball? Turfgrass also gives us the gift of oxygen, helps prevent erosion and can have a positive impact on property values. Above all, perhaps the biggest reason I maintain at least some turf is that my wife favors it, and since I favor my wife…
If the lawn has so many benefits, then why do I feel it is time that we rethink our infatuation with it? Because although the lawn itself is not bad, the way we maintain it often is. In fact I would argue that the problems associated with current lawn maintenance practices can outweigh the many benefits it provides. The worst of these negative impacts include:
     Mowing and trimming damage. Injuries from careless lawn mowing and trimming are perhaps the biggest cause of mortality to otherwise healthy young trees in our landscapes.
     Waste of water. As I write this, much of Nebraska is suffering through a serious drought. And yet even as many communities are implementing water restrictions, more water is being used in a futile effort to keep lawns green than for any other purpose. There is no doubt that as our urban areas expand and greater demands are placed on water supplies, conservation measures for this precious resource will increase. We may as well learn now how to landscape with less need for water.
     Misuse of lawn pesticides. Misapplied pesticides can cause a litany of problems including death and damage to desirable trees and other landscape plants; death to many beneficial creatures (especially birds and insects); and harm to people, either through direct exposure or possibly through contamination of drinking water supplies. A $350,000 judgment recently levied against a Panhandle community for exposing a boy to insecticides should send a serious message of caution to us all.
     A circle of problems. A common misperception of the modern landscape is that a lush turfgrass is a healthy turfgrass. The reality is that grass plants in such a system are greatly dependent on fertilizers, pesticides and frequent watering. Such a turf, which
often has a very shallow root system, does not tolerate dry periods well and because it is kept so artificially lush, is often more attractive to pests and diseases than lower maintenance alternatives. Frequent watering begets more mowing, which begets more fertilizer, which begets more pesticides, which begets…E
      An economic burden. According to the Lawn Institute of Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, over $30 billion a year is spent on lawn care in the United States. Other estimates from the industry show that the cost of maintaining just one acre of irrigated turf can be well over $2,000 per year (includes labor, equipment, water, and chemical costs). Just think what we could do if some of these resources were applied to other garden, family or societal purposes.
     Homogenizing of our landscapes. In large part because there is now over 50,000 square miles of lawn under cultivation across the country (Michael Pollan, Second Nature, 1992), Seattle now looks like Atlanta, which looks like Denver, which looks like Omaha, which looks like Scottsbluff. Our rich natural geo-botanical diversity, both across Nebraska and across the U.S., has never been fully expressed in our community landscapes.

Toward a Better Way
      I am truly convinced that we can greatly reduce the negative impacts of lawncare and still have beautiful landscapes. The best part is that if we do things smartly, we should see significant savings in time and financial inputs. A few suggestions to ponder:
      Limit turfgrass to activity areas or where such an expanse is warranted for site-specific needs.
     Eliminate or greatly reduce the use of fertilizers. Most species of grass do not need nearly as much fertilizer to survive as we give them.
     Select grass species that are more tolerant of the local climatic conditions. Buffalograss, crested wheat grass, blue grama, fescue, and zoysia grass are some of the potential alternatives to the traditional bluegrass lawn.
     Put up with a few weeds and rough spots. Who said the lawn had to be perfect?
     Incorporate other plant species into the lawn. Nature abhors a monoculture. The natural tendency of any plant community is toward diversity over time. Instead of striving for single species lawns, we should be assisting Mother Nature by including other plants that will suit our need for a soft green blanket. White clover, poppy mallow, violets, tickseed and trefoil are just some of the plants that are able to co-mingle well with turfgrass.
     Let cool-season grass species go dormant in the hottest weather, as they would do naturally.
     Plant alternatives to grass such as trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials.
     Plant a spot of prairie. Such a planting is reflective of our place on the Plains, is full of color and life and provides great changes and contrasts throughout the year. If the traditional tallgrass prairie scares you, plant a shorter meadow.
     Mulch to the drip-line (and beyond) around trees and shrubs.
     Work to repeal or modify "weed" ordinances that require yards to be composed primarily of mown grass. It's time to "think outside the box" on this one.
     Educate and inform. We must help people understand the benefits of alternative methods. Significant improvements will not occur if we don't.

     I often like to imagine what it would be like if we could turn back the clock and start over with our community landscapes; if we could have put just some of the resources dumped into the development of turfgrass into alternative methods. I like to think we would now be very good at developing and maintaining all kinds of groundcovers. We would surely be more accepting of alternative landscapes and less-than-perfect lawns. A few dandelions and clover would no longer bother us. Perhaps instead of mowing every last corner of our parks, we would have areas of open space reserved for native plant communities-a bit of prairie here, some forest over there.
     Think also of what we could do if we spent only half as much time on lawn care. We would have that much more time to plant trees, shrubs and other plants and we would have much more time to care for them. We would have more pathways, sculptures and gazebos. We would attract and enjoy more wildlife. And we would have more time to enjoy our landscapes. Oh, how fun it is to dream.
     Thankfully, at least in some ways, the dream is starting to become a reality. Although we have only taken a few small steps, there are some examples of wonderful landscapes that demonstrate what can be done beyond turfgrass. The following are just some of the alternative green spaces that have impressed me in the Great Plains region.

Libraries and Museums
      Gere Library in Lincoln and the Kaufman Museum in North Newton, Kansas have both replaced all of their cool-season turfgrass with prairie grasses, forbs (wildflowers), trees and shrubs. These bold solutions have not pleased everyone, as many a misinformed patron has left mumbling about how "somebody forgot to mow." However it is hard not to find benefit in the millions of gallons of water saved each year, or the gallons of pesticides not used, or the 95% reduction in mowing needs. A very direct benefit to patrons at both places is the thousands of dollars saved in maintenance costs which has allowed for the purchase of more books and display items. More importantly, these spaces are true celebrations of the native landscape-vibrant with color and life throughout the year.

A University Campus
      The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has transformed its campuses over the last 25 years into a nationally renowned botanical garden and arboretum. Although there is still plenty of turfgrass, the lawn is kept in balance with a wonderful collection of trees, shrubs, gardens and native grass areas. Remarkably, the heart of City Campus in downtown Lincoln is a showcase for native plants. The juxtaposition of the very informal natural plantings with the formal architecture and outdoor spaces typical of a college campus is truly inspirational.

A Panhandle Showplace
      The UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff was once the poster child for turf-based landscapes. If a contest were held for the greenest, softest, most weed-free lawn-they surely would have taken home first prize. Although a lot of turf is still meticulously tended to, some very inspired people have worked tirelessly for the last several years to convert large areas of the landscape into something more appropriate for the area. Little by little, much of the turf has been replaced with mulched tree and shrub islands, perennial gardens and an entire area devoted to displays of native Panhandle plant communities.

Our Roadsides
      One of the best places to look for alternatives to turfgrass is in the ditches of our state highways. The Nebraska Department of Roads has done a wonderful job of mixing native grasses with tough wildflowers, trees and shrubs along roadsides across the entire state. Gone are the days of brome grass being planted everywhere. The Department of Roads has done all of us a very big favor by helping to figure out the best species mixes, planting times and planting methods for our native prairie plants.

A Statewide Garden
      Many affiliate and project sites associated with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (over 300 now) are demonstrating great alternatives to turf in their landscapes. The affiliate sites are listed at the end of this publication. A complete list of project sites is also available by contacting the NSA office.

One Woman's Efforts
      Tiny Beaver Crossing, Nebraska is a showcase for alternative landscapes thanks to the efforts of a forward thinking and free-spirited woman. Kathy Davis decided long ago that her landscapes would be chemical-free and reflective of "what Mother Nature had intended." Kathy has planted hundreds of trees and shrubs along with several plots of native grasses, wildflowers and great perennial gardens. To say that Kathy is passionate about the landscape and the natural environment would be an understatement. If I had my way, we would forget about cloning sheep and instead unleash an army of Kathys to help set the world straight.

One Man's Efforts
      I am proud to say that my father has been a great inspiration to me in matters of greenspace care. For a long time, I have admired his minimalist, "as long as there's no puncture vine," approach to turf maintenance. He has never been one to worry about a few weeds or some coarseness in the lawn. His cactus, yucca and buffalograss plantings along the street in Kimball are a great alternative in a place where the annual rainfall seldom totals more than 15 inches. Dad has been the driving force behind the planting of many hundreds of trees throughout town as well as the development of an arboretum showcasing a landscape well suited to the southern Panhandle. Appropriately, the turfgrass there is a mixture of crested wheatgrass, buffalograss, blue grama and other tough-as-nails groundcovers. I am convinced that the many unique trees in the arboretum are thriving at least partly because they are not competing with the turfgrass for care. Way to go, Dad! Thanks for being such a great inspiration.

     The positive trends do not stop with the above examples. Indeed, throughout Nebraska there are many signs that things are getting better. I am especially excited to see more and more nurseries carrying and promoting native plants, which more and more Nebraskans are planting. Many people seem to be willing, in fact eager, to give up at least some of their turf to these and other types of plants. Mulching has really caught on recently as its many benefits are no longer kept a secret. It is also becoming fairly common to see people converting bluegrass lawns to lower maintenance alternatives such as buffalograss and fescue (you can now even buy turfgrass mixes that include low-growing forbs such as clover and trefoil). Knowing that these activities have become somewhat common only in recent years gives me even more hope for the future.
It is becoming increasingly clear that high-maintenance turfgrass does not need to be the most dominating element in a beautiful and functional landscape. We most definitely can do landscapes where turfgrass is de-emphasized; where maintenance needs and costs are reduced; where water is conserved; where trees are not damaged by mowers; where beneficial plants and animals are not poisoned; and where native plants and plant communities are celebrated.
     If significant changes are to continue, we must try to reach the average property owner-those people who have little or no interest in the landscape. We must help them learn to appreciate a landscape in ways that are now foreign to them. The proper development and care of public green spaces is vital to this effort. After all, there is no better place to educate people about the landscape than at the park, school, library, courthouse and local arboretum.