No grass, no sprinklers at this Wellesley yard

By Peter Rovick Guest Columnist

Stop by the front yard of one home in Wellesley, and you will notice that something is different. There are no sprinklers, and in fact, there is no grass. The front yard at my home at 12 Appleby Road, in the Wellesley Square and Dana Hall areas, consists entirely of carefully planned landscaping, consisting of trees, bushes, and other plants, including ferns.

A local landscaper from Sudbury has helped us to design and implement a low cost, low maintenance front yard that actually saves us money and helps the environment.

Which brings us to the History of Lawns in America.

We didn't always have a love affair with our lawns,'' says this history of lawns. "In fact it wasn't until the industrial revolution that lawns became practical for most Americans. Lawns were seen as a luxury expense for only the wealthy who could afford grounds keepers to maintain the fine bladed plants using scythes. Not everyone wanted cattle or sheep grazing in the front yard to keep the green stuff at a manageable height as did Woodrow Wilson while occupying the White House.

It was not until the Tudor and Elizabethan times that the garden and the lawn became a place to be loved and admired,'' says a Wikipedia entry. "Created as walkways and for play areas, the lawns were not as we envisage them today.In the early 1600s the Jacobean epoch of gardening began. It was during this period that the closely-cut "English" lawn was born. By the end of this period, the English lawn was the envy of even the French; it was also seen as a symbol of status by the gentry.Toward the end of the 19th century, suburbs appeared on the American scene, along with the sprinkler, greatly improved lawn mowers, new ideas about landscaping and a shorter workweek.

A Grass Alternative at 12 Appleby Road: The carefully planned front lawn includes a dogwood, a magnolia, and several pine trees to one side. These are complimented by rhododendrons, holly, small evergreens, and other small bushes bordering the front exterior of the house. Additional ground coverings include ivy, ferns, multiple wildflower perennials, and assorted plants. In sum, these plantings provide shade and a unique defining aesthetic quality to the front yard.

Low Maintenance: A local landscape specialist visits once each spring and autumn to prune, provide minimal amounts of fertilizer, to suggest additional landscaping options, and to help with general maintenance. In the meantime, a layer of mulch (added every two to three years) locks in moisture from the rain, which helps to prevent the need for watering and to inhibit growth of unwanted plants like dandelions.

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No grass, no sprinklers at this Wellesley yard