Tiarella cordifolia – one of my favorite lawn alternatives for shade.

Many homeowners would like to reduce the size of their lawns but they have no idea how to begin, what’s involved or what makes sense for their own gardens.

Let’s face it, while lawns are resource intensive, most of us have a basic idea of how to grow a lawn. But the idea of growing a ‘lawn alternative’ is foreign and seems difficult, maybe not even worth the effort.

Regardless of where you live, whether you garden in Connecticut , California or points in between, shrinking the size of your lawn is easier than your think.

Getting Started Kissing Your Lawn Good-Bye

♦ Easy Ways to Shrink Your Lawn ~ An article I wrote for the May/June edition of Connecticut Gardener magazine with all sorts of plants possibilities to use instead of lawn grass.

♦ Lawn Alternatives ~ A collection of posts on the Garden Designers Roundtable from garden bloggers across the country filled with ideas on how to green your garden and shrink your lawn all at the same time. This is a great place to find regionally appropriate lawn alternatives no matter where you garden.

♦ Lawn Alternatives  ~  An interesting look at using weeds as a lawn alternative from the Ecological Landscaping Association.

♦ Planting a Meadow ~ Planting  a meadow is a wildlife-friendly alternative to a lawn. Take a look at one community’s efforts to revitalize their streets in this post over at Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens.

♦ Reinventing the Lawn ~ A look at ‘eco-friendly lawns and lawn alternatives’ from the New England Wildflower Society.

♦ Shade Gardening as an Alternative to Lawns  ~ Stop struggling with growing lawn grass in the shade and embrace these native plant alternatives from the Ecological Landscaping Association.

Have you started shrinking your lawn? If so, please share your experiences, both good and bad…