Reduce Your Lawn Day

Rooted in the spirit of No Mow May, Reduce Your Lawn Day offers approachable, project-sized applications for any yard, anywhere. 

The mission of Reduce Your Lawn Day is simple: to educate, inspire, and convert the underutilized spaces in our yards for a better world. 

This call to action is brought to you by Kathy Jentz, the author of Groundcover Revolution, American Meadows, and High Country Gardens. We invite you to join the better yard movement! Join us to learn more, find inspiration, and take action.

Learn More: 2024 Reduce Your Lawn Day Success

Jump To A Section To Dig In

4 Reasons To Reduce Your Lawn
10 Easy Planting Projects
3 Ways To Support The Movement
Reduce Your Lawn Photo Gallery
Support For Reduce Your Lawn Day
Helpful Resources

So far, over 3000 people have signed the pledge! Put your yard in the fight. Together, our small collective actions add up. You can make a difference!

1. Create and Reestablish Habitat
As new developments spread across the country, lawns continue to replace wild spaces that are critical to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Traditional turfgrass is a dead zone for pollinators and birds. Reducing your lawn can help rebuild habitat, right in your own yard.

2. Reduce Pollution In Your Yard
The gasoline-powered mowers and blowers used to maintain traditional turf lawns cause damaging air pollution from emissions, ground pollution from spilled gas, and noise pollution from noisy motors. Less mowing means less pollution.

3. Remove Harmful Chemicals From Your Yard
The fertilizers and pesticides used in maintaining traditional turf lawns cause harm to waterways and soil health. They are not just harmful to pollinators and wildlife, but they're harmful to people and pets too. Removing chemicals from our lawns will help protect pollinators, people, and our planet alike.

4. Feel The Benefits Of A Better Yard
Gardening and growing plants is good for the soul - and good for your health too! Studies show that spending time around plants reduces stress hormones. Working in the dirt, breathing fresh air, and moving your body are all ways that digging in will contribute to your personal well-being. 

Reducing a turfgrass lawn is one of the easiest ways to make a yard better for pollinators, people, and the planet. Need inspiration for an easy weekend project? Check out our top 10 ideas for places to tear up turf!

1. Remove the grass along your driveway and plant an easy-to-grow wildflower border
2. Plant perennials to surround your mailbox to brighten the neighborhood
3. Flip the strip! Remove the lawn between your sidewalk and the street and plant a mini-meadow
4. Carve out a flower bed to create a pollinator pit stop in your yard
5. Easily expand your existing flower beds by pushing out their boundaries and adding more flowers
6. Remove tough-to-trim grass along walkways and plant creeping groundcovers for a pretty pathway
7. Build a raised bed near your house and plant an easy-to-access kitchen garden or cut flower garden
8. Remove the grass along your fence to create a beautiful blooming border 
9. Designate a corner of your yard “for the birds” and plant a pre-planned garden with native plants
10. Flank your front walkway with flower beds to boost your curb appeal

Ready To Dig In? See Our Guide: How To Remove Your Lawn

1. Share your photos! On Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X, tag photos of your planting project with the hashtags #ReduceYourLawn or #ReduceYourLawnDay. Or Click here to submit photos.
2. Join the Reduce Your Lawn Day Facebook Group
3. Tell your community about Reduce Your Lawn Day! Share a link to this page with your local gardening group, neighborhood group, government representatives, or Master Gardener & Extension programs.

• The traditional turf lawns we know today were popularized in the Victorian era when the first lawnmower was introduced. It's about time for a fresh take on lawns!
• Turfgrass is the single largest irrigated crop in our country. What a waste of water!
• Every year in the US, we use 800 million gallons of gasoline in lawn equipment. We're spending over 2.4 billion dollars in gas money - ouch!  
• Pollution from gas-powered lawnmowers makes up to 5% of total air pollution in the US.  (Cough, cough...)
• Today there are over 40 million acres of lawn in the US. We have the ability to make a real difference by working together to improve our planet. 
• You can put your yard in the fight for a better world! Make a commitment to remove a patch of turfgrass for a pollinator-friendly alternative.

You can share photos from social media by adding #ReduceYourLawn or #ReduceYourLawnDay to your posts! Your photos will be featured in our gallery.

We know we can do the most good when we are all working together. Thank you to our partner organizations for supporting and celebrating the inaugural Reduce Your Lawn Day!

Want to see your organization here too? Contact Us for information and to join the growing Reduce Your Lawn Day movement.

American Meadows
Meadowscaping Learning Center

Learn how to grow wildflower meadow or natural garden, and shop for seeds, plants, and bulbs.

 Groundcover Revolution By Kathy Jentz

Choosing the right plants for your growing conditions is key. Learn more in this great guide to groundcovers.

High Country Gardens
Sustainable Backyard Learning Center

Learn about xeriscaping and sustainable lawn alternatives, and shop for waterwise plants.