Hey, neighbor!

Wondering what this grass is? It’s blue grama, a Colorado and Great Plains native. Blue Grama is actually the official “State Grass” of Colorado. Along with Buffalograss, Blue Grama is found just about everywhere in the shortgrass prairie ecosystem where Denver is built. The shortgrass prairie contains several other grass species along with many hundreds of wildflower species native to our area.

Around 2015, when our regular lawn was looking worn out, I removed it and planted what you see here. It’s a work in progress. I sow wildflower seeds most winter and allow nature to take it’s course.

Here is an overview of the differences between a prairie garden, or native grass lawn, and the regular Kentucky bluegrass lawn. A native lawn is not right for every situation, but it does have many benefits:

Standard American Lawn

static - you want it to stay the same

low/none

high but easy to learn or hire someone

low/none (monoculture)

high

low/none

low/none

high

roll it out like a carpet (1 day)