As a permaculturist, you would think, that I would hate my lawn. But I don't. I love it. Why? Because it provides me with nitrogen rich green mulch to use around all of my plantings. Not only does it suppress any weeds, but it also slow feeds nitrogen to my plants.

Mind you, I don't really really relish the idea of dragging out the lawn mower on a hot day, filling it with a petroleum product, and then pushing it around the yard, polluting all the way. That is what I do, but it's not all bad.  It's a technology that provides a benefit to the garden in the way of free mulch and fertilizer.  Well, not totally free, because there is the cost of gas and lawn mower repairs (occasionally).  But still, I  feel it is worthwhile.  Besides; there is something meditative about mowing a lawn.  You get into the zone and the thoughts of the day just disappear while your mowing.

I don't recommend creating a large lawn just for the benefit of the mulch and fertilizer, but if you already have one, use it to your advantage.  Capture the grass clippings and use them to help your other plantings.  Reduce your weeding by applying a layer of clippings around your plants.  It's senseless to pay for nitrogen fertilizers when its already there, in your grass clippings.

Warren's post on how to build a no-dig garden is somewhat of a classic here on TreeHugger. And while the slugs weren't too appetizing, the rest of his slideshow on the produce from that home garden is great inspiration for anyone wanting to grow their own. Now a team of students at UMass Amherst are building a no-dig garden on a much grander scale—transforming a 1/4 acre grass lawn into an abundant permaculture forest garden to feed their campus cafeteria.

No-Dig Garden Laid on Top of Lawn Inspired by a need to rethink our industrial agricultural system, and aware that there were large amounts of potentially productive land on campus being given over to lawns, the UMass Amherst Permaculture Committee is in the process of transforming a lawn just outside their cafeteria. Using cardboard, compost, and mulch, they are laying the ground work for a spring planting that will—if it all goes to plan—see the area transformed into both a productive ecosystem and an educational resource.  

Read the full story & watch the video ...
How a Campus Lawn Becomes a No-Dig Permaculture Garden (Video) : TreeHugger: "