Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Personally, I'm not one for lawns. I am not vehemently opposed to them or anything, but lawns need to serve a functional purpose in my landscape. My dogs aren't about to be set loose in the front yard, and I'm not about to start a croquet match in it. If I had kids, I doubt I would send them out front to play next to a road where people have become a bit too convinced that they are in fact excellent drivers and that children don't randomly run out in front of their cars.
I like plants, lots of them, and gardening is a high-priority hobby in my life. I went nursery hopping in North Carolina for my honeymoon! I would hate to lose valuable gardening real estate to a nonfunctional lawn especially when that lawn is on the southern side of the house in a region plagued by heat and drought. Who wants to be watering and mowing in summers typified by 100F, humid weather? That sounds like a little slice of hell to me.
So the lawn got the boot in the front yard and will be relocated to the back where it's cooler and will serve a more functional purpose. This Instructable details planning considerations for someone wanting to tackle a project like this and how my SO and I went about doing it. You will notice that more than half of the steps are dedicated to planning because the devil is in the details. Our aesthetic might not be yours, and our plant selection might be completely inappropriate for your area. However, this was a project we completed largely on our own without any considerable skills and within a somewhat modest budget. You will have to make changes in your design according to your needs, taste, terrain, and climate, and chances are that you will be changing the design forever.
Gardens aren't static. Plants die. Trends change. You change. Your landscape will change. Have fun and enjoy!
Also, this wasn't a weekend project. My SO and I have been building up to this point over the past 5 years, and it took us a couple months to complete. It has yet to grow in just yet.
I like plants, lots of them, and gardening is a high-priority hobby in my life. I went nursery hopping in North Carolina for my honeymoon! I would hate to lose valuable gardening real estate to a nonfunctional lawn especially when that lawn is on the southern side of the house in a region plagued by heat and drought. Who wants to be watering and mowing in summers typified by 100F, humid weather? That sounds like a little slice of hell to me.
So the lawn got the boot in the front yard and will be relocated to the back where it's cooler and will serve a more functional purpose. This Instructable details planning considerations for someone wanting to tackle a project like this and how my SO and I went about doing it. You will notice that more than half of the steps are dedicated to planning because the devil is in the details. Our aesthetic might not be yours, and our plant selection might be completely inappropriate for your area. However, this was a project we completed largely on our own without any considerable skills and within a somewhat modest budget. You will have to make changes in your design according to your needs, taste, terrain, and climate, and chances are that you will be changing the design forever.
Gardens aren't static. Plants die. Trends change. You change. Your landscape will change. Have fun and enjoy!
Also, this wasn't a weekend project. My SO and I have been building up to this point over the past 5 years, and it took us a couple months to complete. It has yet to grow in just yet.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Planning Basics
Know your soil.
Is it rocky? sandy? largely clay? Do you find pools of water a day after a heavy rain?
Is there lots of organic matter or practically none? Can you find earthworms in it?
What's the pH? What's the nutrient profile?
What have you been able to get grow in the past?
Know your sunlight.
Where's the structural shade?
Where's filtered light?
How many hours of sunlight does each portion of the landscape get?
Know your utility lines.
Where are your water, electrical, gas, and cable lines?
Know the governing rules if applicable.
Do you have an HOA that doesn't allow it?
For us, our soil drains well, is slightly alkaline, and has a modest amount of organic matter. I am able to find earthworms in it, and I have been able to grow a variety of plants. Despite some structural and natural shade, the light is very intense in all areas, and plants must be able to tolerate at least part sun and heat. In general, Texas natives, Mediterranean, and South African plants do best. There is a water and gas line running to the house from the street, and we don't have an HOA.
Is it rocky? sandy? largely clay? Do you find pools of water a day after a heavy rain?
Is there lots of organic matter or practically none? Can you find earthworms in it?
What's the pH? What's the nutrient profile?
What have you been able to get grow in the past?
Know your sunlight.
Where's the structural shade?
Where's filtered light?
How many hours of sunlight does each portion of the landscape get?
Know your utility lines.
Where are your water, electrical, gas, and cable lines?
Know the governing rules if applicable.
For us, our soil drains well, is slightly alkaline, and has a modest amount of organic matter. I am able to find earthworms in it, and I have been able to grow a variety of plants. Despite some structural and natural shade, the light is very intense in all areas, and plants must be able to tolerate at least part sun and heat. In general, Texas natives, Mediterranean, and South African plants do best. There is a water and gas line running to the house from the street, and we don't have an HOA.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Perhaps something a bit smaller would be in order, though.
Just added Agave to the front yard here.
www.flickr.com/photos/mronrust/4579891071/
Bravo! Hooray for you eliminating your lawn!! And a hearty "well done" from me. Being in the Midwest where the black soil is several feet thick, there is no hope of out living weeds. We must come to a point where we acknowledge the pests and even admire their tenacity, while all the time hoping to find the "magic" solution to their ultimate demise.
I used to own a home and my garden was a wonderful source of recreation, relaxation and pride for me. I had been there about ten years when I became ill and had to sell it. Many of the plants were really beginning to come into their own at that point. The rose bushes, the magnolia tree, the row of lush peonies finally blooming big and sweet. The clematis, I could go on and on, but I don't want to bore. But let me just mention the lilacs I'd planted under my bedroom window and the the fig bush which I'd bought as a cutting from a woman whose father-in-law had brought the original from Italy when he came to America in the 1920's.
I need advice! In the apartment I'm in now, I have a little cement patio where I have some pots and a fairly large area where 4 big old pines live. So, always pine needles underfoot, no sun and a good amount of pine cones. But, squirrels, squirrels, squirrels, squirrels, squirrels, squirrels and squirrels. The little grey rodents managed to eat all the bulbs I'd put in the pots, I thought they would be a little more protected in pots. Believe it or not, I was not able to find chicken wire to cage the bulbs in, so I sprinkled copious amounts of sparky spices (hot peppers, curry, that sort of thing) but it was totally ineffective. I next put some really lovely shade seeking calidiums and deep rich purple calla lilies in a big shiny red pot and the little rodents decided the certainly looked delicious, so they plants were nibbled
off but not eaten. Help, I want a garden. I must be somewhat discrete as it is an apartment community, but there must be something I can grow under those pine trees that the squirrels won't devour.
By the way, I live in the Baltimore suburbs, so that lets you know my growing region. My dog does relieve himself under the pines, but I am always following right behind him to clean up.
Oh my, I have gone on!!!! Sorry if I have bored or worn you out. Like I said, just need some advice.
Ann
Since I generally don't have a problem with deer and squirrels, I couldn't really say what exactly is your best bet, but I hope those get you started. Deer just aren't around here, and squirrels can find tastier foods than my bulbs because of the acorns falling from the mature oak in the back and the food scraps in the compost pile. I also leave out ears of corn for them to nibble on - actually it's only been the 1 and it's been out for a while now... If they can find something tastier to eat, they'll leave your plants alone. Pine trees don't offer much for wildlife.
If you need some more ideas, give your local horticultural extension office a ring and ask for some tips. If you start looking around online and catalog sources, you'll find a number of plants that are reported to be deer resistant in the descriptions. I've never really gardened outside of Texas so I'm not too sure what's the best thing to recommend when it comes to specific plants because I can grow things you can't and you can grow things that I can't. There are definitely plants that are less tasty and won't attract so much attention from the local wildlife. Sorry I'm not more help.