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by Garrett Heyd
With recent rainfalls, and rain in the upcoming forecast, lawns are finally starting to look green again, but it's getting harder to keep up.
The ongoing drought over the last few years has made keeping up with lawns a larger task to take on; the average U.S. Homeowner spends around 70 hours every year maintaining their lawns.
Across the country, around 800 million gallons of gas, 90 million pounds of fertilizer, 78 million pounds of pesticides and nearly three trillion gallons of water are used to maintain American lawns each year.
Aaron Steil is a consumer horticulture extension specialist at Iowa State University. He said there are lower maintenance lawn options out there that can save time, money and the local ecosystem.
Ground covers and flowering plants like Dutch clover, creeping thyme and dandelions can help a lawn look green and full while requiring much less input.
These types of lawns are also much better for pollinators, including bees, who have been losing their habitats due to urban sprawl.
For more information on alternative lawns and types of ground cover, the Iowa State Extension has a couple of wonderful articles on all you need to know: