Workshop Description
For decades nothing has optimised the great Aussie outdoor lifestyle than the ubiquitous lawn. Green, lush, cool and iconic lawns feature in all manner of gardens. But lawns do little for our local biodiversity, soil health or storm water management. In fact, they take a lot of resources to maintain and can be the perfect environment for weeds to flourish.
Presented by Sustainable Gardening Australia, this session will discuss the key issues in owning and managing a traditional lawn. Not prepared to let go of your lawn but want to know how to maximise its carbon storage and foraging potential? We will look at lawn mowing strategies to achieve that. Prepared to forgo the lawn altogether? We’ll introduce you to alternative plants to create green groundcover without the need to mow.
Topics Covered
This session will cover –
- The resources used to maintain the classic lawn and why this is hard work and not sustainable.
- The problems lawns create for our local environment.
- Recognising what you want to achieve with a no mow lawn (manage differently, change the plant, or remove and revegetate altogether).
- What each of these approaches involves and the benefits they bring.
- Why faking it (artificial Turf) is never good a good option.
- Different plants to use as a lawn alternative, including laying, establishing and maintenance.