Pimp My Lawn!

May 16, 2007 7:29 AM

I had my septic tank replaced with a sewer, and the excavation work laid waste to my backyard.

My backyard had been fairly unique - it had wild strawberries, wild mint, and varied species of wildflower growing back there. I used to joke that it smelled like a garden salad when I mowed.

It's all bare dirt now, and we're going to be reseeding with grass. But I don't want a boring backyard. What sorts of seed can I include that will...

1. Be cheap.
2. Require virtually no maintenance (i.e. no bushes or shrubs).
3. Be colorful, fragrant, or (preferably) both.

Thanks, Hivemind!

posted by DWRoelands to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

I'm not sure where you live, but check out Native American Seed and Wildseed Farms for native grass seeds and wildflower seeds. Even if they don't have the seed that's best for your area, you'll get some ideas.
posted by found dog one eye at 7:52 AM on May 16, 2007

Hee, "laid waste".

Anyway, I know you said no bushes/shrubs, but how about lilac bushes? They're definitely fragrant, and easy to maintain. Butterfly bushes, too.

Lilies of all types
Tulips
Snapdragons
Any sort of ground cover that flowers (if you need to cover a slightly larger area)
Ornamental grasses

There are also wildflower mixes that you can throw into an area. They usually come in a shaker-type thing, and you can get 'em at K-Mart. I don't know how well they work though.
posted by Verdandi at 7:59 AM on May 16, 2007

Depending on the level of damage to the yard, most of what you had back there will probably come back. Was the whole yard turned upside down or are there areas where the vegetation was disturbed but not destroyed. You could try to plant something as a placeholder (eg. annual rye) and wait for your meadow to come back.
You could also lay down some hay without any grass seed to see what begins to come back.

Also, butterfly bush is invasive in Pennsylvania.
posted by buttercup at 8:27 AM on May 16, 2007

Now would be the perfect time to install an underground sprinkling system.

Wild strawberries and african violets do well in a lawn and survive mowing and clover fixes nitrogen into the soil. Here is a seed mixture which includes clover and wild flowers.
posted by caddis at 9:19 AM on May 16, 2007

I would look into xeriscaping, too - the use of local native plants and flowers to minimize the need for watering. It typically incorporates lots of wildflowers and things. I bet your local cooperative/agriculture extension office would have some information about what plants are native to your area.
posted by misskaz at 9:41 AM on May 16, 2007

Definitely find out what's native to the area. Plants need maintenance when they require conditions other than what nature provides in your region.
posted by winston at 9:49 AM on May 16, 2007

Be sure and till the soil, no matter what you do. Construction work always compacts soil, which makes water penetration and aeration difficult. Some things that smell yummy in lawn mixes are: creeping thyme, pennyroyal, chamomile, creeping mint. High Country gardens may sell some stuff that is adapted for your area; Nichol's sells environmental lawn mixes by region.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:50 AM on May 16, 2007

Johnny Jump-ups (Viola cornuta) and common non-African non-sweet violets (Viola sororia). Neither of these smell strongly, but they have tons of pretty flowers, love lawns, and should do well in your area (the seeds are also easy to collect so you can expand your collection, er, rapidly)... Short daisies also do well in lawns...

You should also go around to your neighbors and see what's growing wild in their lawns, and ask if you can either dig up one or two small plants or grab some seeds this fall.
posted by anaelith at 10:52 AM on May 16, 2007

You can buy wild strawberry and mint plants. Mint will spread. Quickly.
posted by electroboy at 11:21 AM on May 16, 2007