The approach you take to maintaining your lawn can have a significant impact on ground level air pollution. The average lawn takes one hour to maintain. One hour of mowing with a typical gas-powered lawnmower produces the same amount of smog-forming emissions as driving your car for 200 miles. That’s like driving from Louisville to Nashville. Gas-powered string trimmers are even more polluting than lawn mowers. Reducing the amount of turf grass in your yard with low maintenance landscaping reduces the need for lawn equipment that contributes to air pollution and provides additional environmental benefits also known as ecosystem services.
“Low maintenance landscaping” includes various types of landscaping that visually enhance the property with very minimal use of gasoline-powered equipment such as lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. It may include the following types of plants and alternative techniques, including combinations of plants and materials:
- Native grasses and wildflowers
- Ground covers
- Shrubs and trees
- Perennials and other flowers, and decorative grasses (that do not need mowing)
- Electric or human-powered equipment
Keep in mind that low maintenance landscaping does not mean “no maintenance.” Louisville Metro has an ordinance that requires grass and weeds that are not part of a garden to be less than 10 inches. Violating this ordinance can result in penalties and fines. In addition, every landscape requires maintenance. However, low maintenance landscaping requires less maintenance and use of lawn equipment than traditional landscaping.
For ideas on how to transform your landscaping to low maintenance, see our how-to page or our step by step slide presentation (PDF).
This “no-mow” hillside garden is easier to maintain than grass.
APCD recognizes homeowners, businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, parks, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and other landowners who minimize the use of gasoline-powered equipment through landscaping or air-friendly equipment with its Environmental Stewardship Award. Award nominations may be made by anyone; self-nominations are welcome.
- Nominate a yard or site for an Environmental Stewardship Award.
- Photo gallery of award-winning sites.
- Links to additional landscaping and garden-related resources
E-mail us, call us at 574-6000 with questions, comments or information, or mail to Lawn Care for Cleaner Air, Air Pollution Control District, 850 Barret Avenue, Louisville, KY 40204-1745.