The ubiquitous suburban lawn – that emerald green, weed-free monoculture – has never been the ideal on Martha’s Vineyard.
The fertilizers used for monoculture turf contribute significantly to the nitrogen pollution that has our coastal ponds frequently closed to swimming and shellfishing. The pesticides and herbicides used to kill bugs and weeds also kill native biodiversity and threaten our drinking water.
Even the watering needed to keep a lawn artificially green in summer is a sad waste of groundwater during the most droughty season.
Luckily there’s a better alternative: the Vineyard Lawn, which uses no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, and only occasional watering if truly necessary. Mixed grass varieties and native plantings are hardier, better adapted to local conditions, and require less time and attention.
And a Vineyard Lawn will always be safe for kids, pets, and wildlife – no need to check product labels and Google for the latest news on potential health effects.
Are you interested in having VCS bring the Vineyard Lawns message directly to your neighborhood/road/homeowners association?
Contact us to schedule a Vineyard Lawns presentation.
The first couple of years, I’ll be honest, the lawn looked scruffy. The non-native grass just didn’t know how to live without its fix of artificial inputs.
Then something magical happened.
By cutting higher and leaving the clippings, the lawn started to self-fertilize. Wonderful native grasses appeared, taking over from the imports, and then wildflowers started popping up everywhere. Around year three, it was just gorgeous: rich, lush, and green.
— Geraldine Brooks, Island ResidentResources
Where to Buy Grass Seed Mix
“Natural Perfection” seed mix from Lavoie Horticulture. Natural Perfection is the lowest growing grass mix available; very fine textured with a wispy look that has gained broad acceptance, and tolerant of extreme drought, Natural Perfection can grow in low fertility/low PH soils.
“Dense Shade Mix” from North Country Organics.
Contains: 40% Chewings Fescue, 35% Tall Fescue, 15% Hard Fescue, and 10% Red Fescue.
Available on island via Mitch Posin at the Allen Farm, 508-645-9064
“Cape Cod Special” from TW Nickerson Inc.
Contains: 40% Aztec II Tall Fescue, 35% Escalade Tall Fescue, 15% Allaire II Perennial Ryegrass, 10% Blue Bonnet Kentucky Bluegrass
Available for online order on website.
“Black Beauty” from Jonathan Green
Available at SBS or for online order.
Landscaper Recommendations
VCS has established relationships with the landscapers below. Please ask them about VCS’s Vineyard Lawns approach and they can help guide you.
Ryan White, Avante Gardener:
Please note that while Ryan is not currently taking on full-scale jobs, he is taking consultations.
Marcello Meyer, Deep Roots MV:
Marcello works with clients to create sustainable solutions for their landscapes.
Collaborative & Related Resources
Lawn Fertilizer Regulations
The excessive use of fertilizer is the second greatest source (after wastewater) of the nitrogen pollution that threatens the health of our Island’s coastal ponds1. While responsible fertilizer use is essential to our Island’s agricultural tradition, curtailing the heavy inputs of nitrogen deployed in pursuit of suburban-style monoculture lawns represents one of the best “low-hanging fruits” for restoring our critically imperiled ponds. The bylaw, intended to protect our waters by reducing nutrient pollution, was created by the MV Boards of Health, incorporating input from the MV Commission, other elected officials, local landscapers, golf course managers, UMass Extension scientists, and many members of the community, including VCS. While the new rules are thorough and well-considered and not especially onerous in what they restrict, they are also not necessarily simple to understand for the average homeowner. That’s why, during the 2014 Town Meetings, voters of all six Island towns approved a new bylaw that would regulate the sale and use of lawn fertilizer. Importantly, the regulations apply to everyone – homeowners as well as professional lawn care companies. To help spread the word about how to comply with the new bylaw while maintaining a healthy, non-polluting lawn, check out our informational brochure.
Great Pond Foundation
Great Pond Foundation is a local non-profit that cultivates the resilience of our coastal pond ecosystems through science, collaboration, and education. We proudly work beside them to increase engagement around protecting our ponds. Check out MV Cyano, a handy data-visualization resource, which provides at-a-glance information on the likelihood of dangerous cyanobacteria blooms. The data presented is the result of GPF’s water quality monitoring work. As part of their “Forgo Fertilizer, Protect Ponds” initiative, Great Pond Foundation is collecting information from Island landscapers, as well as riparian homeowners. Learn more about the impact of fertilizer and take the survey.
Natural Neighbors
Natural Neighbors is a BiodiversityWorks program for individuals, neighborhood associations, and businesses. They will visit your property to learn about your interests in nature and to identify current and potential contributions to support the island’s biodiversity. Then, they offer customized management recommendations to benefit plants, pollinators, and wildlife in your area.
Plant Local
Plant Local MV is a collective of conservation groups, botanists, and landscaping practitioners focused on building our resilience to climate change by incorporating plants native to the island into yards and commercial landscapes.
