Why Not To Have A Lawn

In countries where the weather is such that you can water your grass from the sky, having a lawn is an okay idea. But if you can't, then you may end up using about 720 gallons a week--which makes 37, 440 gallons a year devoted to the lawn. Because drought has increased due to climate change, having a lawn might not be the best choice even if your area is not yet effected by drought. And, in a year, having a lawn can cost $24,960 on average. Also, having a lawn and not much else in your yard creates a generic "house on a platter" setup that can get truly boring to look at if everyone on the street is doing it.

If you decide to take out your lawn, there are plenty of ideas for alternative ground coverings, such as stones. A bag of landscaping rocks costs as little as $25 when bought online, or you can get it free, if you're lucky, from a neighbor who's getting rid of it. Another idea is wood chips, which are environmentally sound and keep scraps of wood out of the landfill. You can also start a garden in place of the lawn and grow things like flowers or food.

When taking out a lawn, you can spray it with vinegar and wait, or try cropping the lawn close and sticking a tarp over it, but that takes six weeks. Another method, called layering or "lasagna composting", builds rich soil. Start by covering the turf with six or more layers of cardboard or newspaper, then top that with four to six inches of organic mulch and water it periodically. This takes around  two months, but at the end you should be able to dig right through the paper and plant whatever you'd like to.