The "weed" lawn

This year, my husband and I planted a weed lawn. We removed all of the residual sod from the almost dead "real" lawn. We added some compost, seeded some dichondra and then let anything grow that wanted to stay low. The mix is mostly dichondra, virginia buttonweed, sedge, spurge, Florida pusley, sea purslane and a bunch grass. Only minor problems with it so far. The flowers of the sedges can be resistant to mowing. If something is left on it, the "lawn" will die underneath after a few weeks. Alot of wasps (probably not stinging types though) like to hunt in it. A mole has set up shop. An armadillo likes to forage in it. It's a little shaggier than a "real" lawn. We keep our beds weeded using heavy mulch, ground covers and corn gluten meal so it hasnt spread into the beds.

This is what it looks like up close.

The Dichondra is an interesting addition. Looks as if you seeded Dichondra repens? I like the looks of Richardia scabra. Is that the plant you meant when you referred to Florida pusley? Is the Virginia Buttonweed you planted Diodia virginiana? And Sesuvium portulacastrum is what you refer to as Sea Purslane? Are you able to share the Latin names of the Sedges and Spurges you planted?

I don't think Corn Glutten Meal alone is going to contain some of these plants given reproduction isn't exclusivly by seed.

Where did you purchase your seed and plants?

Hi EQ - the dichondra is repens. Richarida scabra is Florida pusley. It's a quite nice 3" or so ground cover with minute white flowers in a small cluster. It can get leggy but is easy to pull and doesnot spread by runners. Buttonweed is Diodia virginiana that volunteered. Buttonweed is also an attractive ground cover with minute white flowers. I also have a similar but finer and smaller white flowered species Hedyotis corymbosa, old world diamond weed. By the name, I guess introduced. I think that the purslane is actually Portulaca pilosa - a nice underplanting to a pot plant BTW. The spurge is Euphorbia maculata - spotted spurge. I'm not sure about the latin name of the sedge or the bunch grass. The only thing I seeded is the Dichondra. Seeds stay a long time in the soil here. All I had to do is turn the soil to activate everything else. My favotite spots in the lawn are where there is a majority of Dichondra and Hedyotis. I am weeding out anything that get tall or anything that looks like a crab grass. My major problem with St. Augustine grass (the previous lawn grass) is that it climbs up into plants in the border like a crab grass. If spurge or dichondra get into the beds, I will be OK with that as, they stay low.

Drum roll please, thanks to taxonomists and dna it appears the new and improved name for Hedyotis corymbosa is Oldenlandia corymbosa and it's a native. Agressive, but it's a native and I'd take that to the St. Augustine Grass any day if I lived down your way. Taxonomists were having fun with your Euphorbia maculata too. The new and improved Latin name for that is Chamaesyce maculata. That's another aggressive native but again, better than St. Augustine Grass and considerably more interesting. Your Portulaca pilosa has me sort of drooling. Very interesting mix of native plants you chose for your lawn.

You might want to check further on the sedge and bunch grass that volunteered. The Bunch Grass may or may not be a native. You've got some Smutgrass in your area but there are other exotic Bunch Grasses freeloading. Look up Sporobolus indicus and see what you think. I doubt the sedge is a native. Too many opportunistic exotic sedges out there jockeying for position in lawns. I'm absolutely worthless identifying grasses and sedges and rushes but I'm sure if you posted good close up photos over in our Plant Identification Forums that somebody would identify it for you or at least get you in close.

Extremely interesting mix for your lawn. Rather creative. I like it. I like it very much.

Thanks for your kind words EQ. I wouldnt say I chose the mix (it more or less chose me) other than the dichondra. Glad to know that Oldenlandia corymbosa is a native. It's so pretty and delicate. It doesnt look like I have smutgrass (thank goodness - no smut in my yard thank you). The bunch grass I have is broad leaved - about 0.5-0.7 cm at thickest and a medium green. Not a bad looking species. I'll try to get a good photo for and ID. The sedge is definitely a cyperus. Not exactly sure which one. Check out the nice site of line drawings at http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/drawlist.html One nice feature of our sandy, infertile soil is that no weed is hard to pull. So if any of them decide to get out of line or prove to be a non-native nightmare species - out they go. I really dont mind hand weeding anyway - sort of relaxing really. Thanks for sharing your knowledge EQ.

I share your feelings about weeding. I find weeding in the lawn almost zen like sometimes. There is a feeling of satisfaction looking back across a weeded area.

I thought I was the only one!! I sit on the ground, and 'crab' my way along pulling crabgrass, etc. It always reminds me of being a little kid. I think kids are more in tune with grass and weeds and bugs, maybe 'cuz they're short enough to still see it up close

Braggart ;)

Do you need lessons on how to best relax pulling weeds in dry clay? Lemme know. You can come and vacation here in Illinois in the land of the two seasons which are construction and winter. Oh what fun we could have! Why, you'd be thoroughly relaxed after you "vacationed" here.

I do have icky clay and I reserve weeding sessions for shortly after a rainfall. If I tried to pull from dry clay - it would not be relaxing. We've had more rain than usual for mid to late summer, so weeding hasn't been too bad.

Look barksy! You've got another vacation destination chalk full of rest and relaxation potential available to you somewhere else in Illinois. You can come come to Peoria and make the circuit up north to my place!

I feel your pain JoePye and EQ. I have gardened in dry brown clay and wet yellow clay prior to my transplantation to sand.

I did have a volunteer yellow squash plant grow in the unmowed portion of our yard.
When it first showed up, I thought it was a pumpkin - so I let it grow. But it was yellow squash. We ate one from it on Sunday evening supper.

One advantage to having weeds in the lawn, is that sometimes you can eat them.