Which type of maintenance-free lawn should you choose?

Whether you are designing a garden from scratch or refreshing the look of your long-time lawn, you have surely wondered how to choose the best lawn for your green space. Perhaps you have browsed online, page after page, to find out whether couch grass or a traditional English lawn was better, and as you continued your research, you discovered the existence of low-water-use lawns. A lawn that does not need watering except a few times a year sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Even better if it is a lawn that practically never needs mowing. But how can you choose between the various available options?

At BotanicalDryGarden, over the course of our ten years in business, we have selected no fewer than different types of drought-resistant lawns. That is why we have prepared a practical guide that will help you choose the lawn (or mix of varieties) that will give new life to your garden while allowing you to save water, time, and energy.

Which lawn needs the least amount of water?

The first question we are always asked by our customers concerns the ability of alternative lawns to withstand long months of drought. Perhaps you live in an area where water is scarce, or you want a lawn for your second home and therefore cannot look after it regularly.

You will be pleased to know that in terms of low water use, our lawns are all equal. The guidelines for water management will therefore always be the same, regardless of the lawn you choose: during the first year after planting, abundant but infrequent watering will be required to allow the seedlings to grow vigorously and establish themselves. Once the lawn has filled in to form a compact cover, watering can be reduced to once or twice a year, obviously during the warmer months.

Which type of lawn requires the least maintenance?

All our alternative lawns come from plants that do not grow taller than 10/15 cm. This will be supplemented by infrequent watering, which will considerably slow the lawn's growth. For this reason, mowing two to six times a year will be more than enough to keep your garden looking tidy!

That said, if you want a lawn that does not need mowing, the undisputed champion is our Frankenia laevis: this charming plant with emerald-green foliage grows to only 4/5 cm in height, ensuring you a true maintenance-free lawn.

Which alternative lawn is the most suitable for walking on?

Although all alternative lawns are quite resistant to moderate foot traffic, three varieties in particular retain their beauty even when walked on heavily. We are talking about Lippia nodiflora, Verbena hybrida and Zoysia tenuifolia.

Some more specific information on this:

• Lippia nodiflora and Verbena hybrida make an exceptional mix, rich in flowers and extremely resistant to foot traffic. Remember that Lippia nodiflora on its own tends to attract bees, so mix it with Verbena hybrida to limit this effect and enjoy a highly walkable lawn!

• Zoysia tenuifolia looks very much like a traditional English lawn, but as we have said, it needs very little water. Visually, it works perfectly on its own, as it looks very different from the other varieties. Its incredible softness makes it perfect for children's play areas, pool edges, and relaxation areas in general.

Which lawn is the most cold-resistant?

If you are looking for a hardy, low-maintenance lawn, we have several options. First of all, we should point out that the most cold-resistant alternative lawns are Frankenia laevis (which can withstand a remarkable -12°C) and the two types of Achillea, Achillea crithmifolia and Achillea tomentosa aurea 'BDG', which can withstand down to -10°C. However, the two achilleas, like all grey-leaved plants, are particularly sensitive to waterlogging: make sure to provide them with well-drained soil!

Are there also evergreen lawns?

As for the winter appearance of alternative lawns, we can divide them into three main categories:

• Lippia nodiflora normally goes into dormancy when the cold weather arrives. However, it can withstand temperatures down to -10°C, allowing it to grow back easily as soon as the spring warmth returns.

• Verbena hybrida and the two achilleas are evergreen in the milder areas of our country. If exposed to severe cold, they may go into dormancy or lose some of their foliage, but if the critical threshold is not exceeded (set at -8°C for Verbena hybrida and -10°C for the achilleas), the lawn will return to its former glory in spring.

• Frankenia laevis and Zoysia tenuifolia change colour when the cold weather arrives. Zoysia tenuifolia, being a warm-loving plant, tends to turn yellow when exposed to low temperatures. Frankenia, on the other hand, which as we have said has excellent cold resistance, will simply take on beautiful copper tones.

Which lawn needs the fewest hours of sunlight?

Our alternative lawns generally love sunny spots, and in any case need at least half a day of sunlight every day. The most adaptable in this regard are Frankenia laevis (which copes easily in partial shade) and the extremely hardy Lippia nodiflora. However, if sunlight is particularly scarce, we recommend doing a preliminary trial with a few seedlings to best assess the final result before proceeding with the full job.

Which lawn is best suited to a garden by the sea?

You will be pleased to know that almost all our alternative lawns can cope perfectly in a coastal garden. With the exception of Achillea crithmifolia and Achillea tomentosa aurea 'BDG', all our other lawns are salt-resistant. Our preferred solution in these cases is the mix of Lippia nodiflora and Verbena hybrida, which are extremely hardy and can provide a spectacular display of flowers.

Which lawn is the most versatile and hardy?

We are often asked for information by customers who need a tough, hardy alternative lawn that can cope in particularly challenging situations. For example, you may want to cover a fairly steep bank, or perhaps try incorporating alternative lawn seedlings into your long-time lawn in the hope that they will gradually take over. In these cases, the queen is always Lippia nodiflora, which, with its extraordinary hardiness, manages to adapt to the most difficult environments.

Is there a lawn that can grow under pine trees?

A separate chapter must be devoted to those who ask us for a lawn that can grow under pine trees. Unfortunately, the conditions are not ideal, as fallen needles tend to make the soil very acidic and therefore discourage the growth of any type of lawn beneath the canopy. If you are feeling brave and want to try anyway, we recommend doing a trial with a few Lippia nodiflora seedlings planted away from the tree trunk, perhaps after adding a few centimetres of fertile soil. Make sure to keep the soil as clear of needles as possible and cross your fingers: if the Lippia finds a favourable environment, it will spread on its own!