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Show us your natural lawn alternative!
We’re asking residents to share their lawn and garden photos to promote and encourage residents to switch from grass to water-wise lawns which use less water.
Alternative lawns can include microclover, bee turf, rocks with native plants and more.
Submit your photo to waterwiselawn@surrey.ca.
Benefits of water-wise lawns and gardens
Grass lawn alternatives
Rock garden
Rock gardens are low-maintenance and require minimal watering, making them a water-wise alternative to grass lawns.
Designing a rock garden
Rock gardens use a mix of stones, gravel, and drought-tolerant plants like sedum and thyme. They improve drainage and work well in sunny or sloped areas where grass may not thrive.
Low maintenance
Once established, rock gardens need little watering or weeding. Landscape fabric under gravel helps control weeds, and plant choices support biodiversity.
Combining clover and turf
Clover may be sown directly onto an existing turf lawn.
Combining grass and clover creates a more diverse and resilient lawn. Clover fixes nitrogen in the soil, benefiting both itself and the surrounding grass. Nitrogen is essential for healthy plant growth. Clover also typically stays green in drought conditions keeping your lawn greener while the grass turns golden.
Reseeding clover
Clover requires reseeding every few years. However, if the clover is mixed with other grasses, like mixed lawn seed, it may reseed itself, so typically no or minimal reseeding is required.
Note: Blooming clover attracts bees and other pollinators, which is essential to food web and encourage biodiversity. If you have children who play on the lawn, you may want to consider Dutch white clover, a type that has fewer flowers.
Mixed lawn seed
Mixes contain various seeds such as clover, yarrow, fescue, chamomile, and perennial ryegrass. These plants are typically more tolerant to dry conditions and more resistant to pests like the chafer beetle than common grass.
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