The recent relentless rainfall that much of Louisiana has experienced has created a large backlog of unkempt lawns. The problem is that with all the rain our Louisiana lawns are drinking in the moisture and growing toward the sunshine, well it would be if the sun would come out from behind the rain clouds.

Staff Photo
Staff Photo
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Sure you could do away with your lawn and put in other ground cover plants that don't need mowing or you could opt to turn your lawn into a rock garden complete with potted plants and cute statues or, you could just revisit the kind of grass your planting.

Here in Louisiana, our favorite varieties of grass are Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and what we have at my house St.Augustine grass. Those varieties perform well in our summer heat and mild winters and they can be hardy on those weeks and months when rainfall is scarce.

But what if you could have a lush lawn that only required your attention once or twice a year? Or, in some cases never need mowing?

Proponents of these low-mow or no-mow varieties say the plants do very well in sandy soils and clay soils too. They can also tolerate drought and if you have trees in your yard they can thrive even with reduced sunlight. These varieties of grass are also marketed as being eco-friendly because of the reduced mower usage.

Paul Felberbauer via Unsplash.com
Paul Felberbauer via Unsplash.com
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Of course, the biggest drawback to putting in a no-mow or low-mow lawn is getting rid of your current lawn. That could be quite a big task since you basically have to get rid of all the grass and all the weeds too. And, no you can't use herbicides because those products would kill your new lawn too.

Lawn and garden experts suggest that before you dive in all the way you pick a portion of your yard and try one of the varieties available. If you like the way it looks and the way it "doesn't" grow then you can make the choice to replace the rest of your lawn.

Also, if your yard is more for show and less about mow and outdoor sports you might try Buffalo Grass. This prairie grass is long and opulent but it doesn't look unkempt. It stays green in the summer heat and winter cool and is fairly easy to maintain.

Paul Lampard/ThinkStock
Paul Lampard/ThinkStock
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You might also opt to replace your grass with clover. Now, I know clover invades our yards every spring in South Louisiana but what if we just let the clover have it all? The plants stay green and provide a meadow-like feel to your outdoor space. You'll also become honey bee friendly which, if you love plants isn't a bad thing at all.

Just know that each variety has its own unique set of pros and cons, so choose wisely or hire a lawn service or teach your kid how to operate lawn equipment safely and you could always go for a goat. I'd check with my neighborhood HOA before I did that though.

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