A grass lawn can be either an emerald jewel surrounding your home or it can be a major source of frustration. Maintaining a lawn and adhering to water restrictions or battling droughts, pests, baking sun, frigid cold, broken lawnmowers or no-show lawn services can be more than the average homeowner can bear.
Patios and Decks
Adding a patio or deck of wood, brick, pavers, or natural stone, completes your home while filling in yard area. A deck can be raised or ground level, attached to the house or free standing. Patios and decks can be open or covered or completely enclosed. Both areas become an outdoor room ready for decorating and enjoying. Lighting, an outdoor grill, and potted plants add to the ambience.
Ground Cover
Choosing ground cover takes into consideration of climate, amount of light-sun, but the soil and slope of the yard as well. Determining whether it is mountainous or boggy, highly trafficked or a dog run help influence choices. Popular ground covers such as chamomile, clover, and thyme, have been utilized. There are various ornamental grasses best used for zones 6-9.
Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival displays multiple flowering ground coverings emphasizing not only the above but scent, color, and design as well. Drought tolerant Bulbine ground cover is featured there. Native wildflowers can be seen as well as planted professionally maintained gardens.
Ground Covering Ideas
- Silver sedge for shaded areas in zones 4-8.
- Silk tassel or morrous sedge in zones 6-9
- Beach daisy requires full sun in zone 8-10
- Prairie dropseed, full sun, zones 3-9
- Ferns
- Ivy, which is sun or shade and drought tolerant,
- Mimosa- wet or dry, sun or shade but primarily zones 8-9
- Rose bushes scattered through the area.
- Red mulch or cedar chips
- Colored stones, pebbles,
- Rock gardens
- Pools, ponds, or artificial streams and footbridges.
Artificial Turf
Fake lawns aren’t a new idea but the concept is regaining popularity or at least consideration with areas of the sun scorched, water deprived south and southwest. Sports fields, for example the Rays Tropicana field, are composed of synthetic grass. Golf course or putting greens have used artificial turf, as have playgrounds and hotels.
Synthetic lawns can be created for a dog run or as small clusters of green throughout the lawn area. The product is created so as to be nontoxic and forever green difficult to differentiate from the real thing though obviously drought friendly.
Creating Paths Within the Yard
Pathways of open cobbles or closed brick and stamped concrete break up yard areas yet can give the illusion of more space. One meanders along a path with bushes or plants defining it or directing the walker to a specific site such as a birdbath on a pedestal or Interesting Trees on the lot.
Combining pathways and ground covers or patios covers a no grass space in interesting patterns. A path can also lead to a yard alternative such as a pool or pond.
Check your community by-laws before undergoing drastic and expensive lawn changes. There are many options to “going green”. The irony is, not all are natural.
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