Photograph by Ash Arthur
After more than 30 years in their Druid Hills home, Kirk Larson and his wife, Susan Gantt, are finally happy with their lawn. “Our front yard was ugly, and we just sort of ignored it,” says Larson. “Now it’s spectacular.”
Instead of the typical uniform sea of clipped grass, the couple’s new lawn is what Larson likes to call a “meadow.” It’s filled with feathery pink muhly grass, Joe Pye weed, and native flowers that require little water, zero chemicals, and no gas-powered lawn equipment. “It looks more wild,” he says, “in a good way.”
The couple is part of a tide of climate-conscious homeowners around Atlanta who are trading perfectly manicured yards for more natural landscaping. That’s an encouraging development, because traditional lawns need significant resources and chemical intervention to thrive, says Brandy Hall, founder and CEO of Shades of Green Permaculture, a regenerative landscaping company based in Avondale Estates.
Sweeping lawns of bright green grass have long been a part of aspirational American culture. Just like a white picket fence, a lush yard symbolizes “home” to many. But there are downsides: For that manicured “green carpet” look, such lawns require frequent mowing, often with gas-powered equipment. And because they are a monoculture, meaning only a single plant is cultivated, they don’t provide much habitat for wildlife.
As a result, the past few decades have seen a rise in the “anti-lawn movement,” which prioritizes native plants that welcome pollinators and work with, rather than against, the natural environment. This cultural shift comes as Atlanta grapples with increased climate challenges: In recent years we’ve seen a marked increase in water scarcity from droughts, flash flooding, and extreme heat. The threats posed by climate change are enormous, but choosing to landscape differently is a simple step toward greater sustainability.
Photograph by Erik Meadows
“Conventional landscapes are very water-intensive,” Hall says. “They need fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides just to keep them alive.” Instead, her approach prioritizes biodiversity, available nonirrigation water resources like rainfall, and plants that are adapted to thrive locally.
For Larson, the homeowner in Druid Hills, the proliferation of bees, butterflies, and birds he sees in his yard lets him know he’s made a good decision. He and Gantt now spend hours outside, enjoying a yard that was once an eyesore. “We’ll just go out and wander around in it. It’s just totally fascinating,” he says, noting that his “wild yard” has become a conversation starter with neighbors passing by.
While the aesthetics of native-forward landscaping were one compelling reason to change her yard, for Carmen Mohan, it came back to sustainability. “I really care about the climate, and I’ve been looking for a way to increase the biodiversity of the urban environment,” says Mohan, who lives in Lake Claire and worked with Shades of Green.
Mohan’s productive kitchen garden, which takes up much of her third-of-an-acre lot, has also gotten a boost, thanks to more pollinators attracted to the polyculture lawn of fescues [a type of grass], clover, and violets. “I’ve been gardening for more than a decade, and it’s been a huge difference,” says Mohan. “More than double the bounty of blueberries, figs, apples, and more.”
Who says the grass is always greener?
Photograph courtesy of Shades of Green
Get Growing
Shades of Green Permaculture founder Brandy Hall shares tips for converting your yard—or part of it—into a sustainable paradise. Her best advice? “Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once.”
- Take a look. Start by observing your space over time. What happens during a rainstorm? Do you have an aggressive plant species that’s taking over? Is soil eroding in a particular area? Those notes will help you know where to focus your efforts.
- Start small. You don’t have to take out your whole lawn. Instead, perhaps choose 10 square feet to play with. Remove the monoculture grass and replant with species optimized for your location.
- Shop local. Visit plant stores and look for native species that suit your needs.
This article appears in our July 2025 issue.
