Lexington, KY - All natural. Organic. Local. Powerful marketing words. Why? Because we're learning to care about how we treat our bodies and our planet. What do these buzz words have to do with turf grass? Not a thing. Our turf grasses were brought here by settlers, they consume tremendous amounts of water and we lace them liberally with chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
That being said, we've grown accustomed to the look of grass. It fills up space. Beautiful, curving turf shapes are interesting to the eye - as a designer, I enjoy working with grass in this manner. An artist learns that these "negative spaces" are vital to good composition; they are equally important in the landscape.
So, is beautiful landscaping really possible without grass? Absolutely.
I recently completed a landscape design/installation for a client who wanted to "get rid of that grass." The photographs show a very young garden that will need about three years to begin to reach its potential. Please look beyond this to note some design ideas that you may find useful whether you opt for no lawn or less lawn.
One route to a successful "less lawn" design involves defining the planting beds with pathways and negative shapes created out of landscape materials other than grass. Here are some elements used to organize this lawn-free design, making it readily understandable as a garden rather than a jumble of plants:
A straight, narrow walkway was replaced with a curving path that is wide enough for two.
A curving retaining wall was added to eliminate the slope to the city sidewalk. The front garden areas have the wall as a backdrop. For the back garden areas, the wall provides an edge. A free standing wall or a fence could perform a similar function in a flat space.
A flowing negative shape was created with metal edging, landscape fabric and wood chips. This area doubles as a pathway to side steps. The color contrast with the mulch adds visual interest.
A pathway made of stepping stones set in crushed gravel provides easy access from the driveway and also defines the edges of garden beds.
Tumbled cobblestone edgers create a pleasing division between the garden bed and the city sidewalk while keeping the mulch in place.
The planting design utilizes a full spectrum of plant sizes, from shade tree to shrub, to perennials, grasses and groundcovers. As a bonus, many of the plants selected are native to Kentucky, so the owners can look forward to more visits from butterflies and birds.
Less lawn is a growing landscape trend, eco-friendly and beautiful. Less is more.