Lawn Conversion
Transform your conventional lawn into something better.
We'll help you make a change for the good & the beautiful.
I’ve always been passionate for empowering more people to grow more plants in more places.
This has been Botany’s mission from the beginning, and over the years I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with so many great people and organizations to help create and share resources to do just that.
My hope is that these resources will open up a whole new world of possibilities for you, inspiring and enabling you to be a joyful and active participant in your own outdoors. One lawn at a time, we can change the world.
I’d love to know what you think of this new resource, as it’s something I’m planning to continue growing over time. What else would you like to see?
The Botany & Co. Campus
Envisioned and cultivated as an always-open public garden, outdoor classroom, and artful living laboratory, the plantings around Botany & Co. are intended to model and inspire a future beyond lawns.
Plan Your Visit
Go behind the scenes and into the plantings of the Botany & Co. campus with Farmer, Founder, and CEO, Ben Futa. Each month offers a close look at what’s blooming now, projects on the horizon, and plants we’re excited to share.
Explore the Plantings
Curious about something you’ve seen growing here? We’re working on an online, interactive plant list for easy reference.
Coming spring 2026.
Getting Started
We’ve collaborated with media partners across the country to create and share resources meant to empower more people to grow more plants in more places by replacing conventional lawns with something better. We’ve collected some of our favorites resources for you here.
In this section you’ll discover:
What is an “alternative lawn" and what’s involved in making the transition?
How to plan for your conversion project, including defining your scope, setting a budget, and preparing your site.
Simple tools and strategies to design and install your new plantings.
The impact of conventional lawns and how you can make a difference.
A Beginner’s Guide
Blog Post
Let’s Grow Stuff with PBS Wisconsin
5/3/23
What if your lawn could do more? This guide makes the case for replacing resource-hungry turf with intentional, ecologically rich plantings—and shows you exactly how to start.
Learn with Prairie Up
We’ve teamed up with Prairie Up to bring you access to some of the best learning resources. Botany & Prairie Up share a commitment to empowering you to replace your lawn with an artfully designed meadow or prairie garden. We’re also about empowering you to grow with your plants, to create corridors of habitat and islands of refuge that bring us all home together.
With more than 17 hours of video content available, in addition to dozens of individual on-demand courses, pocket guides, design templates, and more, I’m so thrilled to be able to share these resources with you.
Designing Your Plantings
Blog Post
Let’s Grow Stuff with PBS Wisconsin
8/10/23
Design is the most exciting part of the process!
Learn how to design and plant a thriving, intentional meadow using affordable plugs, simple patterns, and dense “green mulch” spacing to create a beautiful, resilient landscape that grows richer over time.
Exploring Turf Alternatives
Video | 3:43
Let’s Grow Stuff with PBS Wisconsin
8/24/22
Are you looking for low-input turf alternatives? In this video, Ben walks you through three great selections for a range of conditions, from full sun to deep shade.
Layout & Planting
Video | 3:43
Let’s Grow Stuff with PBS Wisconsin
6/29/23
Join Ben in the garden to follow along on a new planting! Discover techniques and strategies for translating your design from paper to place and setting your new planting up for long-term success.
Spring “Clean Up”
Video | 4:10
A Botany & Co. Production
3/25/26
How do you care for an alternative lawn first thing in the spring? The goal is to emulate and honor natural processes, maximize habitat, and keep all material on site to cover and build healthy soils long-term.
In this video, I take you into our own garden to demonstrate my process. It’s quick, easy, and great for ecology.
Plants & Tools
Access to affordable plants and game-changing, tested tools (and knowing how to use them) make all the difference when it comes to a successful and enjoyable lawn conversion.
In this section you’ll discover:
How to choose the right plants for your new planting and how to check Botany & Co.’s Plug Bar availability.
The best tools to get the job done and how to find them.
The Plug Bar
Plugs are affordable starter plants that allow you to plant at scale and cover more ground. The Botany & Co. plug bar offers you regular access to a rotating, seasonal selection of plugs that are perfect for lawn conversion or adding to established plantings.
Our first drop for 2026 will be coming in late March/early April.
Native Plant Finder
Indiana Native Plant Society
An easy-to-use tool to discover what will thrive in your space and be good for your local ecology.
This tool helps you narrow your plant list and focus your options. Simply filter based on your site conditions and you’ll have a plant list tailored to you!
Tool Share
The right tool makes all the difference. We’re creating a tool share to help you access what you need to make planting a simple and joyful process.
Coming spring 2026.
Community
Lawn conversion is deeply rooted in community-building and relationships: between us and the plants, the plants and their place, and the wide variety of fauna we aim to welcome and support. Lawn conversion is also a growing movement, locally and globally.
If you’re searching for connection to other like-minded plant lovers, this section is for you.
In this section you’ll discover:
Local volunteer organizations dedicated to this work. Choose your place and your cause and dig in.
Local service providers who can offer hands-on, specialized support to augment your time and manifest your dreams.
National organizations where you can register your plot as part of a wider movement.
A calling to a deeper and more purposeful relationship with your own outdoors as a joyful and active steward.
Local Organizations
Monarch Gardens & Milkweed Commons
Downtown South Bend | Monroe Park Neighborhood
South Bend Greenway Conservancy
Near West Neighborhood
Unity Gardens
South Bend & Michiana Area
Wild Ones South Bend
South Bend & Michiana Area
Local Service Providers
Grassroots Organic Land & Lawn
Organic soil management and turf care.
Natural space management; noxious plant removal; lawn conversion.
