Transcript:

Maintaining a lush green lawn takes a lot of time – and it harms the climate.

Gas-powered mowers burn fossil fuels. Producing chemical fertilizers creates climate pollution. And in drought-prone areas, watering uses up increasingly scarce resources.

But homeowners have an alternative.

Years ago, Nebraskan Benjamin Vogt started ripping out portions of his suburban lawn. He replaced it with prairie grasses, wildflowers, and other native plants.

He says it takes time to get this kind of garden started and to manage weeds in the beginning, but once it’s established, it requires little upkeep and maintenance.

Vogt: “It’s never watered, it’s never fertilized, and weeding is incredibly minimal at this point.”

And the meadow garden buzzes with life.

Vogt: “I’m just always looking like, ‘Oh, there’s a sweat bee,’ or ‘there’s a green metallic bee,’ or ‘there’s a monarch butterfly, there’s a swallowtail.’”

Vogt now runs a business called Prairie Up to help other people get rid of their lawns. He offers online courses and webinars and works with clients to design a plan for their property and climate.

Vogt: “Obviously, if you are in the desert Southwest, your garden is going to look a little bit different than it would, say, in Pennsylvania. But the principles apply. … You can find the plants that work for your region and work for your climate, and that will give you a lower maintenance landscape.”

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media