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Lawncare for the Birds and the Bees

Hila Lyman’s lawn is all torn up. And this Cape Cod resident is still smiling. “For me, a beautiful yard has no grass,” she said.

Lyman recently transformed her property near Bournes Pond in Falmouth into an ecological landscape or xeriscape.Once supporting a simple cottage hugged by small flower beds, the quarter-acre lot has become a wildlife corridor teeming with native plants like highbush blueberry, red twig dogwood, and mountain laurel. Lyman chose native plants that “to attract birds and other small animals.”

“The definition of a ‘native’ plant depends on who you talk to,” says Lyman. “For me, the important part is to use low maintenance plants (though perhaps not native to Cape Cod) that don't need fertilizers, and, once established, not a lot of water or care.”

Lyman knows the dangers of using synthetic fertilizers — she heads Falmouth's Ashumet plume education committee on fertilizers and is a past president of the Falmouth Garden Club. “I don’t use artificial fertilizers. I bring in manure or spread out compost,” says Lyman.

Artificial fertilizers are one of the top three sources of nitrogen pollution in Falmouth bays and ponds. Although an essential nutrient for life, nitrogen is harmful in large amounts.

Nitrogen in fertilizer seeps through the soil and into groundwater that supplies local ponds and bays.It allows algae to grow rapidly which depletes the oxygen needed by other plants and shellfish. Large algal mats block sunlight from reaching eelgrass and kills an important habitat for many fish and shellfish we like to eat. It also makes water undesirable for swimming, potentially having adverse effects of property values.

Residents can minimize nitrogen pollution by adopting simple lawn care practices like those Lyman has instituted: reducing fertilizer use, keeping grass long, and growing native shrubs. If fertilizers are used, knowing which ones are best (those low in water soluble nitrogen) and when to use them is essential.

Just down the road from Lyman, Robert Cochrane is trying a very different approach to xeriscaping: he's doing nothing. “I’m busy, I have four kids. I don’t have much time to take care of my yard,” he says.

Cochrane has a grass lawn, but doesn’t use fertilizers. “People need to realize that the nitrogen goes right in the water,” he says. Although paler than Lyman’s sanctuary, Cochrane is doing his part to keep Bournes Pond and other surrounding waters healthy.

Residents aren't the only ones who can learn about proper lawn maintenance. Falmouth's Town Hall is setting an example for residents by landscaping with native plants — a decision it made when a major renovation was completed in 2001. Though xeriscaping can be a large undertaking when done all at once, it can be quite inexpensive if carried out over many years. It can even save money in the long run since native plants cost less to maintain.