Advice To Grow By Workshop - Lawn Alternatives!

Baby Tears - Lawn Alternative

Lawn Alternatives Workshop

By Andrea Giacoletti  Master Gardener

The Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo are pleased to present another Advice to Grow By Workshop. This month’s workshop features turf replacement. It will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Garden of the Seven Sisters, located at 2156 Sierra Way. Bring a comfortable chair, a notepad and be prepared to learn how to replace your water- guzzling lawn with a drought-tolerant variety.

Though drought-tolerant may sound like a dry topic, grass alternatives have become a foundation to many a gardener. Each grass has a unique personality and though many decry they are the plainest of the horticultural categories, their gentle presence and stalwart framework eventually wins over the most decided of hearts. Gardeners looking for a thing of practicality find alternative grasses easier to care for and less expensive at the spigot. This month’s discussion highlights five native grasses and four Mediterranean-climate grasses. The Garden of the Seven Sisters has been truly experimental by demonstrating various grasses in multiple scenarios. One segment of the garden shows the difference between the grasses when they are mowed compared to when they are left to grow naturally. Another section exhibits three different hydrozones. One plot is watered once a week, another is watered once every two weeks and one group is watered once every three weeks. A description and brief history of each grass will round out the lecture.

Dress comfortably, bring sunscreen and water, and please park in the lot adjacent to the demonstration garden. Most of all, enjoy!