Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries
Nov 1, 2026 · 12 min · 8 segments
🍂 Is a messy autumn garden really a problem? Mary Stone explores the beauty and benefits of leaving leaves, seed heads, and a little room for Mother Nature to do her thing. From a delightful no-mow…
Mary StoneHost
I have a bit of a lawn dilemma, or better said, uncertainty about best practices as the trees complete their final shed.
I should preface this by saying I am not a lawn enthusiast, and I prefer lawn alternatives where practical, especially when grassy areas aren't needed for children or canine kids to play.
Converting portions of larger lawns to meadows is another option that's kind to pollinators and pocketbooks, since it reduces lawn maintenance costs.
Speaking of lawn alternatives, a few years ago I had the privilege of working with Linda and Jim, who moved from Los Angeles to Bergen County, New Jersey, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
They wanted a low-maintenance landscape that would be beautiful throughout the seasons without all the fuss of a traditional lawn.
And so I designed a garden filled with perennials and shrubs and trees for year-round interest.
And rather than planting conventional turf grass, we used a combination of no-mow clover mixes from American Meadows.
One included delightful English daisies with their cheerful white and pink flowers sprinkled among the clover.
A flowering lawn that brought smiles to people strolling along the neighborhood streets, and the pollinators adored it too.
While Linda and Jim were traveling overseas, they received a citation from the town.
And then I looked into the town's ordinance, which required properties to be free of weeds or plant growth exceeding 10 inches.
But their clover wasn't 10 inches tall, although it did look different from the conventional lawn surrounding it.
Isn't that funny? Once the flowers faded, all of a sudden it became a nuisance to people.
I have a bit of a lawn dilemma, or better said, uncertainty about best practices as the trees complete their final shed.
I should preface this by saying I am not a lawn enthusiast, and I prefer lawn alternatives where practical, especially when grassy areas aren't needed for children or canine kids to play.
Converting portions of larger lawns to meadows is another option that's kind to pollinators and pocketbooks, since it reduces lawn maintenance costs.
Speaking of lawn alternatives, a few years ago I had the privilege of working with Linda and Jim, who moved from Los Angeles to Bergen County, New Jersey, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
They wanted a low-maintenance landscape that would be beautiful throughout the seasons without all the fuss of a traditional lawn.
And so I designed a garden filled with perennials and shrubs and trees for year-round interest.
And rather than planting conventional turf grass, we used a combination of no-mow clover mixes from American Meadows.
One included delightful English daisies with their cheerful white and pink flowers sprinkled among the clover.
A flowering lawn that brought smiles to people strolling along the neighborhood streets, and the pollinators adored it too.
While Linda and Jim were traveling overseas, they received a citation from the town.
And then I looked into the town's ordinance, which required properties to be free of weeds or plant growth exceeding 10 inches.
But their clover wasn't 10 inches tall, although it did look different from the conventional lawn surrounding it.
Isn't that funny? Once the flowers faded, all of a sudden it became a nuisance to people.
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