Bee lawns are a new grass alternative that is lower-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and pollinator-friendly.
Flowering bee lawns are an excitinglawn alternativethat combines low-growing flowers with grass seed.
Ditching your lawn is a big step, however.
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Bee lawns provide an eco-friendly option for folks that arent quite ready to give up their grass.
Theyve been found to attract over 50 species of beesand support a higher diversity of bees thanlawns with cloveralone.
The benefits of bee lawns extend beyond pollinators, however.
Credit:Anne Readel
Bee lawns require fewer inputs (water, mowing, fertilizer, and pesticides) than traditional lawns.
Watkins stresses not to get too frustrated if youre not successful on the first try, however.
Sometimes its just how it is, especially with something thats newer.
Check your local rules.
Before installing any lawn alternative, check your local rules.
Many municipalities and homeowners associations (HOAs) restrict what you might do with your yard.
Purchase a seed mix suitable for your region.
If it isnt on their shelves yet, check withyour local seed companies.
They will likely have seed mixes tailored for your local conditions.
If they dont carry bee lawn seed, it can be purchased from online companies.
Regardless of where you source your seed, double-check its suitable for your region.
Plant at the right time.
confirm to check the planting recommendations for the seed mix you purchase.
Prepare and seed your site.
While you could remove existing turf before seeding a bee lawn, its not necessary in most situations.
Wolfin also recommends taking a few additional steps that can save you money in the long run.
If your site is heavily compacted from a lot of foot traffic,aerating the soilcan help tremendously.
Alsotest your soilto determine if any amendments are needed.
A $20 soil test is probably the best 20 bucks you could spend in landscaping, says Wolfin.
Anne Readel
5. verify to tell your neighbors what youre doing and why.
Bee lawns generate very few complaints, in part because they look similar to traditional lawns.
However, adding abee lawn signto your yard can help clear up any potential confusion.
Bee lawns onlyneed to be mowedtwo to four times per year because they grow slower than traditional lawns.
They dont require any fertilizer thanks to the clover adding nitrogen to the soil.
And they require very little watering because the grass and plants used have deep root systems.
Wolfin only recommends watering bee lawns once every three weeks under normal conditions.
If you do findweeds, remove them by hand.
Overall, bee lawns are a lower-maintenance alternative to traditional lawns.
They provide food for pollinators, reduce your environmental footprint, and add color to your yard.
