Ask Chris
by CHRIS WINSLOW
After this brutal summer, with the slam-bam combo of extraordinary heat and exceptional drought, many central Texas gardeners are left scratching their heads, wondering what to do with their deceased St. Augustine lawns. For folks in Austin, the city’s Water Utility will give you $10 per 100 square feet of lawn if you replace the thirsty St. Augustine grass with either buffalo or Bermuda grass. This 10 cents per square foot makes up the difference in cost between the less expensive St. Augustine grass and the higher cost of the drought tolerant grasses.
Local gardener Marge Wood recently suggested another option: join up with the ‘Food Not Lawns’ movement, and convert your lawns into productive vegetable gardens. In a slow economy, food production could go a long way toward helping us save money while lessening the impact on our environment. By using only sustainable, organic gardening techniques, we could grow healthier produce and reduce our carbon footprint.
This will work well if you have your own home, but not so well if you’re in a subdivision with a home owner’s association keeping an eye on things. But at the least you could start converting your backyards to raised-bed food production. Watch this ‘Food Not Lawns’ video at this website for inspiration: www.nextworldtv.com/videos/growing-food/food-not-lawns and you’ll see how you can bring together a neighborhood with productive vegetable gardens. Sounds like a great idea to me!
A third option? Replace lawns with native ground covers, native perennials and native ornamental trees. Replace or minimize lawn areas and have an attractive landscape that will hardly need any water. The best guide for this approach can be found in Austin’s Green Grow Program flyer called “Earthwise Guide to Landscape Design” found at most nurseries for free. It describes the benefits of water-wise landscaping and has a step-by-step guide to converting your existing lawn into a beautiful, drought tolerant garden.
Anyway, don’t lament the loss of this water-loving grass. Can’t say it’s a blessing in disguise, but at least we have some great options. Let’s not replace our lawns with St. Augustine! Happy gardening, everyone!
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to [email protected]. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme,11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 itsaboutthyme.com.
