British Columbians have been asked to take shorter showers and find other ways to conserve water as officials monitor worsening drought conditions in the province.
Either way, we should probably reduce the prevalence of water-intensive lawns in suburban developments and switch to more water-friendly ground cover (or at least more water-useful ground cover like vegetables).
I’ve been getting rid of the lawn. Gravel and a few beds of draught-resistant plants in the front. Small garden in the back and the grass is being replaced with clovers etc which require less water or mowing and are more bee-friendly
I’ve started throwing down clover for the bees wherever my lawn gets bare, it makes way more sense. Keeping grass alive throughout the summer is a waste of time and water now.
Honestly people don’t even need to get rid of their lawns most of the time. Just don’t mow it so short, or so often. Don’t obsess over it. Let it grow. Let its roots grow. Allow some native perennials to fill the space in between, pluck the ones you don’t like, and see what survives. Be patient. It won’t be in a constant state of shock and it’ll hold water much better. Chances are it will be greener - even in a drought (isn’t that the type of situation where we all benefit from green space that is actually alive?) - and might not need to be manually watered at all.
I’ve been hearing lawnmowers in my neighborhood in Vancouver Island almost every day since the start of summer; as if there wasn’t a drought; as if the grass was still growing.
Don’t utilities go back to household (Chart 2)?
Either way, we should probably reduce the prevalence of water-intensive lawns in suburban developments and switch to more water-friendly ground cover (or at least more water-useful ground cover like vegetables).
I’ve been getting rid of the lawn. Gravel and a few beds of draught-resistant plants in the front. Small garden in the back and the grass is being replaced with clovers etc which require less water or mowing and are more bee-friendly
Why not just use clovers all around? They’re so pretty.
I’ve started throwing down clover for the bees wherever my lawn gets bare, it makes way more sense. Keeping grass alive throughout the summer is a waste of time and water now.
Honestly people don’t even need to get rid of their lawns most of the time. Just don’t mow it so short, or so often. Don’t obsess over it. Let it grow. Let its roots grow. Allow some native perennials to fill the space in between, pluck the ones you don’t like, and see what survives. Be patient. It won’t be in a constant state of shock and it’ll hold water much better. Chances are it will be greener - even in a drought (isn’t that the type of situation where we all benefit from green space that is actually alive?) - and might not need to be manually watered at all.
I’ve been hearing lawnmowers in my neighborhood in Vancouver Island almost every day since the start of summer; as if there wasn’t a drought; as if the grass was still growing.
I don’t get it. Is it habit? A sense of duty?