Clients often come to JRPA frustrated because they’d love to renovate to improve the efficiency and value of their home, but they lack the discretionary funds to complete a project as they’d like. One way to provide project money is to shift dollars from lawn maintenance to home improvement.
The lawn surrounding a home sucks up a good many dollars. Many homeowners want to keep up the curb appeal of their property with a lush, weed-free, green lawn; however, that lawn comes with a huge cost. The chemicals used to keep it weed-free are both expensive and bad for the environment, it’s time-consuming and expensive to keep it watered, and the effort to keep it a perfect 3 inches long takes either a lot of effort on the homeowner’s part, or a lot of money for a landscaping company. Grass has little to offer the environment, and it requires frequent and expensive fertilizing and maintenance…so why do people waste so much money on lawns? Instead of grass, homeowners can opt for alternatives that require little maintenance and few dollars, creating funds for projects that can meaningfully improve their lives.
This front yard is maintenance free and costs almost nothing to maintain.
A backyard area has been transformed into a perennial garden that requires only occasional weeding and watering to keep it looking fantastic.
Reducing the amount of grass by adding other areas of ground-cover to a yard reduces the finances needed to maintain a lawn. Creating islands of vinca, hosta or pachysandra adds interest to a yard; the plants spread easily and once established, are almost maintenance free.
All of the above works well if a homeowner is content to have a property that provides a beautiful view and a lovely place to walk, but clients with children who want to run around the yard, or even adults who enjoy kicking a soccer ball around, may want a property that includes play space and can withstand high traffic. Plants that are low enough for play and tough enough to take a lot of traffic can easily take the place of grass. Clover is a particularly good choice.
Adding clover to an existing lawn is not difficult, and the clover will eventually take over, as in the photograph on the right. Clover seed is inexpensive and the tiny seeds go a long way. White clover or micro-clover are great choices because they are low enough for lawn games and tough enough for traffic. Clover spreads quickly and produces nitrogen, thereby eliminating the need for fertilizer. It will choke out other weeds, putting an end to weed control, and clover needs far less water. Additionally, it needs to be mowed rarely, if at all. As a bonus, clover flowers encourage honeybees, an important pollinator for plants.
A clover lawn is beautiful and beneficial to the environment; best of all, saving all that cash on lawn maintenance means homeowners can turn their attention to finally completing the renovation projects that will enhance their lifestyle and increase the value of their home.
Budget conscious homeowners should stop spending all that effort and money on their pointless lawn, and dive into those renovation projects they've been dying to do. Property innovation can create discretionary funds, free homeowners from hours of lawn maintenance, improve the look of their property, and help improve the environment.