Fourteen of the 30 most commonly used lawn pesticides are neurotoxins.This should terrify you, because lawns serve as the primary play area for our kids and pets.В Despite labels that tell us that pesticides are safe for use around children and pets, ongoing scientific studies find many of them anything but. Per EPA records, this is at least twice the amount applied to the most pest-plagued of agricultural crops, sweet corn. The University of Massachusetts reports that the typical lawn-service company in that state applies five to seven pounds of pesticides per acre of lawn a year.Americans apply 30,000 tons ofВ pesticides each year to keep grass green, according to the U.S.Too busy to do this yourself? Dozens of businesses would be delighted to do it for you, and they love to lay on the chemicals: When the grass grows too high, which happens quickly because of the added water and fertilizer, we cut it with a gas-burning mower, trailing fumes that catalyze into ozone pollution in the summer heat. Which means they must be kept on life support with supplemental irrigation, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Most turf grasses, including KentuckyВ bluegrass, are native to Europe and poorly adapted to our climates and soils-especially the acid soils of New England. The trouble starts with the grass itself. Replace thirsty grasses with drought-tolerant species like tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea).ДЄs for your neighbors' glares, perhaps they will open an opportunity to have some conversations about why you chose to roll back your lawn. The longer your grass, the deeper its root system and the less irrigation it will need. Mow high (between three and four inches) with a mulching mower and aerate your soil in the fall.

In category 3 places:В Keep the lawn, but get off the weed-and-feed cycle. These groundcovers require no fertilizer and scant supplemental watering. In shadier spots, Pennsylvania sedge ( Carex pensylvanica) looks much like standard turf grass that grows in short, fountain-like clumps. And it bears tasty, fragrant little strawberries in mid-June. For sunny spots, consider wild strawberry ( Fragaria virginiana), which tolerates a wide range of conditions and supports dozens of moth and butterfly species. Look for mat-forming perennial groundcovers, or true lawn alternatives, that thrive in those conditions. In category 2 places: Consider site conditions-sun exposure, moisture, and drainage.

Add taller accent plants, such as a native flowering shrub or two that fit your color scheme and conditions, and you've got the start of a beautiful, low-maintenance garden that will provide a spot of native habitat for you and your family-and turn your former lawn into an oasis for wildlife. They flower at the same time and work as living mulches that stabilize soil and keep weeds at bay. One pleasing combo for spring color in a shady spot is creeping phlox ( Phlox stolonifera) and foamflower ( Tiarella cordifolia). In category 1 places: Choose a color palette, find some plant combinations that complement each other and thrive in similar conditions. Sort the areas of your yard into three categories: 1) where you could lose the lawn and not miss it 2) where you desire a green groundcover, but not necessarily turf grass, for aesthetic reasons and 3) where a lawn is useful, say, for kicking around a soccer ball. And we worry about getting dirty looks from our neighbors.Д¬hoosing what to plant can be simple. It will automatically support pollinators and other wildlife if you plant natives in your re-designed yard. ToВ let go of the ever-popular but increasingly toxic lawn (see below), we need to replace it with a landscape that looks beautiful and is relatively easy to maintain.

Native garden design