Lawn Torture

Much to the delight of skiers and young children, we had more than our fair share of snow this winter.  Another group who was thrilled -- the plow guys.  This was a bonanza year for plowing!   

I like snow.  The snow cover is a healthy insulator for plants. And the water which percolates into the ground when it melts is good for them as well. However, I cringe with the sound of the plow trucks during each storm.  My mind flashes to visions of ripped up sod, busted mailboxes, tipped shrubs, and voles dining on my lovely hellebores.  Spring usually requires various landscape tasks to repair the winter damage.  But there are landscaping approaches which could minimize this annual frustration. 

As my clients know, I am  on a mission to minimize turf grass.  Pursuant to this platform, why not choose an easy target to start with -- along the driveway. Growing turf along driveways is frustrating -- it’s a lose-lose-lose proposition!  Turf grass always dies out during the heat of July, when the asphalt gets very hot and radiates more heat than the adjacent turf grass can endure.  So as the turf grass dies out, and the crab grass takes hold.  This is most obvious after the first hard frost when the crab grass dies leaving behind dead patches and expanses along the driveway asphalt.  Compound this with the snow plow damage which inevitably occurs on the driveway edges.  And we cannot ignore the abundance of fertilizers, weed control and water we often apply to keep turf lush.  Why persist?

We certainly could avoid most of the re-grading and reseeding spring ritual if we planted something different along our driveways and streets. Fill these areas with a combination of plow, heat and salt tolerant plants.  The most obvious alternatives include herbaceous perennials which live through the winter underground; the growth above ground dies back each winter. Perennials like Hostas, Daylilies, Salvia, Nepeta, Liriope and Rudbeckia.  The winter plow disruption has little effect on their vigor once they come out of dormancy.  And they thrive in their beds, even when the asphalt gets hot.  Even some shrubs and ornamental grasses are successful in these beds because they are cut back practically to the ground each year, and grow a fresh set of stems and foliage each spring.  These include Hydrangea, Spirea and Miscanthus and Fountain Grass. 

So why not reconsider your plant palette along the driveway this spring? If you want help, contact us here.