One of the oldest towns in the region
Florissant is older than the state of Missouri. French settlers founded it in 1785 and called it Fleurissant, “blooming,” while the Spanish called it St. Ferdinand, and its first civil government formed in 1786. Today it’s the largest city in St. Louis County, with 52,533 residents in 2020.
Two kinds of neighborhoods make up most of the city. The St. Ferdinand Central Historic District covers about 156 blocks of Old Town, with historic properties dating from 1790 to 1940. Around it, roughly 18,000 houses went up between 1947 and 1980, when the population peaked near 76,000.
Postwar lots, tired lawns
Many Florissant homes sit on the postwar lots that came out of that building boom. The lawns on those lots have been mowed, patched and reseeded for decades. Common trouble spots are the backyard corner where the dog spends its day, the strip along the driveway, and shaded ground under mature trees.
Turf doesn’t need to cover the whole yard to fix that. A pet area by the back door, a turf front lawn, or just the worn corners can be enough.
A pet area that stays clean
A dog house corner is one of the easiest places to start. The setup in our photo puts a dog house on pet turf. Premier Pet Flow 55 has a flow-through backing, so urine and rinse water drain down into the crushed-rock base instead of soaking a pad. You pick up waste the way you would on grass and hose the area down.
Staying inside the 8-inch rule
Florissant treats weeds over eight inches as a nuisance, and its property maintenance code requires yards to stay free of plant growth over eight inches. On a rental, a second property or a lot you’re away from in summer, that’s a steady chore. Turf holds its height, so it’s off the list.
Water and sewer
Missouri American Water lists Florissant in its service area, and MSD provides sewer service across most of St. Louis County. MU Extension says a summer lawn can need up to 1.5 inches of water a week to stay green. Turf needs none.
