From the New York Times: Moss Makes a Lush, No-Care Lawn.

David Benner hasn’t watered his lawn since the Kennedy administration. He hasn’t mowed it, either. And it’s doing just fine. On a late-April afternoon, the two-acre property surrounding his ranch house in Bucks County was a carpet of green, uniformly lush and velvety under a canopy of shade trees.

Mr. Benner, 78, a retired professor of ornamental horticulture, is also a longtime practitioner and advocate of what he calls "the moss approach" to lawn maintenance. "Every time I give a lecture, I go into this spiel: get rid of your grass, and grow moss," he said. "And now it’s finally gaining momentum." [continue]

And what a sensible approach that is! We have a bit of wild grass here that has planted itself. Once I get rid of that, I’ll plant an alternative lawn instead. I’ve been thinking of clover. Here’s what EarthEasy’s Lawn Alternatives page says about clover:

Clover is often planted by gardeners as a soil conditioner. It grows quickly and easily, chokes out weeds and is easily ‘turned in’ to the beds when planting time draws near. The deep root system reduces soil compaction. Clover is also a nitrogen-fixing plant, which enriches the soil with natural fertilizer.

Clover also works well, however, as a replacement for turf — consider the benefits:

• Low Maintenance — Clover needs little to no watering or mowing.
• No Fertilizers — Chemical fertilizers are not needed to grow clover.
• Color — Clover stays green even in the driest part of summer.
• Inexpensive — It costs about $4 to cover 4000 sq. ft. of turf area.
• Comfortable — Easy to walk through or play on, although not as durable as grass.

Sounds way better than having to mow the stupid grass every week.