Exchange mowing for hang around in an out-of-door oasis with natural planting , seating niches , or garden beds .
Your backyard is an extension of your bread and butter space — only it ’s in the fresh aura . With a no - skunk backyard , plan various seating room areas , from spacious to cozy , and sum ocular interest with grouped flower containers blob throughout or a fire pit . Here are some inviting breathing in for no - mow landscape gardening .
Embrace Outdoor Living
Make lawn mowing a matter of the past by replacing your greensward with alarge patio for gathering and entertaining . This family did just that by installing a beautiful outdoor seating area area surrounded by planting bed . Awide garden path around a fountainfurther reduces lawn blank space . The last remaining strips of grass are well tame with a push mower in just a few minutes .
Position patio article of furniture to guide guests around the chief seating room region , not through it , to strive another terrace area . Also , plan easygoing entry and release for all seats .
Carve Out a Slope
In sloping backyard , mow can be even more of a chore(not to mention a exercise ) . The owner of this home chose to carve out space in their slope to make anoutdoor seating area area , thoroughgoing with a sturdy pergola for added shade . Astone retaining wallkeeps the side in shoes and border a seam of coloured plant . A pee feature takes advantage of the slope to produce a falls effect .
Embrace a Minimalist Look
Maintaining a always green , lush lawn takes a lot of piss and other resources , peculiarly in area where drought is common . The designer replaced a mostly numb lawn with a soft , airy palette ofdrought - kind ornamental grassesand other plant in this California landscape . Water - permeable graveland large concrete pavers complete the low - maintenance space .
Widen a Path
Highlight a no - pasturage backyard lifestyle and add more keep quad by widening garden paths . Here , an extra - widepath of flagstonesleads to a spacious patio . If an out-of-door gather requires more way , the pathway blocks are big enough to comfortablyaccommodate extra seating .
Create a four - foot - wide pathway to the main terrace sphere to allow for two mass to walk side by side well .
Spread Out
Do n’t skimp on size whenadding a deckor patio . In addition to the master seating area area , you could plan smaller recession for gathering or to create an ambiance , such as a container garden , a firepit , or a cozy seating vignette for two .
Swim, Don’t Mow
Evensmall backyardscan be transformed to feel like a sumptuosity resort . In this suburban backyard , the lawn was replaced with anin - priming coat swimming poolthat ties together four little entertaining area . What was once a labor - intensive lawn is now the centerpiece for family merriment .
Plant a Slope
Pushing a lawn mower up and downa steep hill on a hot day can be a real job . So to eliminate that hard study , the owners of this splash property opted to make a widepath through terraced garden bedsof drought - tolerant plants . stack stone wallshelp hold everything in place and give the space definition .
Consider a Courtyard
Before thisbackyard was remodeled , the only view was of a fading green lawn struggle to survive under the nearby trees . But assistance came when the homeowners replaced the tired turf with agravel courtyardpunctuated with circular concrete pavers . The result ? A welcoming and low - sustentation cubic yard that looks as inviting from ground level as it does from above .
Use Every Square Inch
A no - sess backyard means making the most of every square in of space gained . For deterrent example , in thissmall urban backyard , tightly go flagstone pieces intersperse with squares of river careen and low - mature plants make a natural , easy - maintenance surroundings . Acomposite deckanchors the polar end of the railway yard . shorn evergreens , lush bamboo , andsmall trees sum greenery to the spacewhile also providing shade and additional seclusion .
A tree diagram does n’t have to be big to stand out — choosing the right placement as a focal point is primal .
Mix Materials
modest spaces do n’t have to search crampedif you ’re clever about mix paving material . Here , a narrow-minded backyard front a lot wider than it in reality is because thepatio brickswere lay in several complementary pattern that draw the eye through the space . In gain , the two small patios are separated by a comic strip of concrete . It creates the illusion that the area has double in size .
Grow Food
Most veggies do best in the same conditions that turf prefers : well - enfeeble soil in full Dominicus . When you choose a no - grass backyard toplant a vegetable garden , you ’ll have so much more to show for your out-of-door lather fairness than supergrass clippings . These homeowners replaced their lawn with an comestible garden , where wrangle of lettuce , carrots , green , and other crop put up plenty of fresh produce for create delicious , healthy meal .
Deck the Yard
If you have wet or uneven terra firma , why not deck the area and trade your lawn mower atyour next garage sale ? Here , a shady , turbid backyard was give dry footing with the addition of alarge raised deck . This no - grass backyard melodic theme adds entertaining quad . Eliminating mowing andweeding choreswill allow more time to relax with family and friend in your no - mow backyard .
Plant a Garden
alternatively of spending sentence and money keeping a lawn in top shape , you could grow a lush garden , turning your no - grass backyard into an haven . In this modest backyard , a collection of planting beds overflow with a mix of colorful flowers and edible plants . In plus to supplying the family witharmloads of reinvigorated flowersand veggies , this beautiful garden keeps the neighborhoodbirds and butterflies nourish .
Plan for Family Fun
Removing the lawn is n’t enough toturn your backyard into a relaxing retreat . call up about how you desire to use the space and build the landscape around your fellowship ’s needs . For illustration , gravel and big concrete pavers set off agorgeous flaming pit for entertainingafter dark in this drouth - tolerant landscape .
Drought - tolerant plants need practiced drain . Add backbone or pea gravel to heavy soil to prevent waterlogging .
Mimic Nature
A manicuredlawn necessitate so much effort to maintainbecause other plants naturally desire to move in and mix . lease Mother Nature take its course of instruction and permit industrial plant and tree to uprise within theirorganic shape . This homeowner avoided full-strength cable and hard edges further her bush and perennials to shed onto the stone nerve pathway . As a event , the upkeep is minimum , and the garden look like it take a hop up naturally .
Keep Seasons in Mind
The less lawn you have , the more you may create cozy spaces for delight the outdoors all year around . Make certain to consider what each of thedifferent seasonsoffers in your backyard to make the most of them . Here , for deterrent example , the owners have it off they want to revel their grand as long as possible in the fall , so they environ their stone terrace with shrub and trees that wouldprovide bold fall color . They also included aportable fire pitto warm up parky nights .
Credit: Jamie Hadley
Credit: Bob Stefko
Credit: Edward Gohlich
Tufts of green soften paths of geometric concrete pavers and gravel. Although the plants vary from grasslike sedge, clipped boxwood, and fuzzy lamb’s-ear, they share a similar sphere-like shape.Credit: Holly Lepere
Credit: Dan Piassick
Credit: Shaun Sullivan
Credit: Bob Stefko
Credit: Edward Gohlich
Credit: David Tsay
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Credit: Werner Straube
Credit: Dana Gallagher
Credit: Marion Brenner
A custom firepit, made from a repurposed industrial propane tank and filled with crushed clear glass, sits at the center of the outdoor living room. A gravel frame ties the firepit to the rest of the yard.Credit: Holly Lepere
Credit: Bob Stefko
Credit: Bob Stefko
