My neighbor made me rethink my whole approach to lawn care

Been trying to get a perfect lawn for like 3 years here in Decatur, dumping money into fertilizers and treatments. Last week my older neighbor saw me out there and just laughed, said I was fighting the clay soil instead of working with it. He pointed to his yard that's mostly native plants and said he spends maybe $50 a year total. Kinda made me realize I've been obsessed with the wrong look this whole time. Anyone else ditched the grass fight and gone native here in Atlanta?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara_butler15d ago

Oh man, this hits so close to home! I was the same way up in Smyrna for years, dumping hundreds into lime and treatments every spring trying to force a perfect green carpet on that red clay. Finally gave up last year and went with mostly native fescue mixed with some clover and let the wild violets take over the shady spots. My water bill dropped like crazy and the yard actually stays green without me having to babysit it. Plus the bees and butterflies are everywhere now which is way more fun than staring at a boring grass patch. Your neighbor sounds like a smart guy.

west.claire15d ago

My neighbor did the same thing and now I can't get him to stop talking about his compost pile, @barbara_butler.