Goodbye lawn

For those of you here in Oregon, I bet you have had this feeling. The lawn is brown. At best it is greenish-brown. Keeping up with our watering schedules and record heat has been difficult. And if you are like me and cringe everytime you irrigate, it is especially tough. I reserve water for the plants that provide more punch than turf. But as a mom (to a human son and canine daughter) I know that turf has a place. Kids and dogs require some level of turf. So what are the options?

1) Using drought-tolerant lawn seed: Grass seed producers are improving upon their product every year. Overseeding your lawn will help maintain the most drought-tolerant lawn available.

2) Lawn maintenance: Mow at the highest setting on your lawnmower, water no more than three times per week once the lawn is established (early morning is best).

3) Minimize lawn areas and use drought-tolerant plants in their place.

4) Look for other options for the space - use former lawn area for growing edibles or cut flowers.

5) Lawn alternatives - synthetic lawn has come along way, but plastics still present an ecological concern and soil structure may be disrupted.

So no matter what you decide, do your research. There is nothing like grass beneath barefeet, except maybe water-bill satisfaction at month-end.