1. Meadow

Reduce both effort and expense by replanting part of your lawn with a meadow of native grasses. Naturally occurring grass-like plants can provide rich texture for a sunny area and only require trimming two or three times a year. In the Northeast, appropriate grasses include switchgrass or sweet flag. Yellow Indiangrass or Inland sea oats work well in the Southeast and Midwest. Mexican feathergrass and alkali sacaton grow well in the arid regions of the Rocky Mountains and the Desert Southwest. If you live on the Pacific Coast, consider planting deer grass or California fescue.