Would You Graze Your Own Lawn? Natural, Edible Landscaping Gains Favor

Edible front-yard gardens can be attractive. (Photo via Flickr)

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As you’re about to fire up the lawnmower and begin what could be a weekly task until the, ahem, first frost, you might rather stop and smell the roses instead.

The Ferndale City Council approved ordinance changes earlier this month that make it easier for residents to eschew grass lawns that don’t grow well in the city’s sandy soil to begin with, and replace grass with natural plantings, Oakland County One-Fifteen reports.

Rebecca Hammond pushed for the ordinance, first with the Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission, and then with the City Council after giving up trying to grow anything in Ferndale’s sandy soils “without constant effort, money and water.”

Also on Patch:

• Spring Lawn Cleanup Might Literally Kill You

The ordinance encouraging planned natural landscaping isn’t a license to ignore lawn care. It’s based on recommendations by Michigan State University’s published guide on ecosystems and native plants.

“There are so many benefits to planting an edible garden over a grass lawn, that it quickly became ridiculous to me that so few people are actually doing it,” said Lucas Harrison-Zdenek, of of Ferndale Permaculture, who led a presentation at the Ferndale Garden Club on using the front yard for food production.

You can read more about what’s behind Ferndale’s new ordinance on oaklandcounty515.com, but we’d like to know:

• Would you favor an ordinance in your town that encourages front-yard gardens, landscaped lawns and other Earth-healthy practices?