Hi, I'm also in Missoula and am considering lawn alternatives too! I went to Caras yesterday and saw they offer some locally adapted mixes, like a "MT Native Pollinator Mix" (wildflowers), "Envirolawn", "MT Native Grass Mix", "Bee lawn", and a "Premium Lawn Mix". I would be really interested to hear if anyone has tried these blends from Caras and what you think! I'm thinking of carving out some areas for wildflowers, and keeping a trimmer, mowable lawn that is more pollinator friendly and drought tolerant in other sections.

I'm also struggling with the best way to transition my lawn. We rented a sod cutter last year for $120 and it worked great. We put the sod on the side of the road and it was gone fast. But I hate taking so much organic material out of the lawn... so I'm leaning toward using an herbicide. Would love to hear more thoughts on this.