3 Great Lawn-Alternative Design Ideas for the Pacific Northwest

20.09.2024 - 17:39 / finegardening.com

There is nothing quite like a lawn to really set off a planting bed. A frame is created with the grass below and the sky above. I have a dog, and she loves the lawn. Children and grandchildren also need a place to romp and run, while yard games like cornhole and croquet are played by all ages. Most of us, however, are now realizing the importance of practicing better resource management and using little to no chemicals in our landscapes, which means it’s time to rethink the lawn.

Lawn seed mixtures are now available with low-grow, no-mow seed. This type of lawn doesn’t require fertilizer or chemicals to keep it growing. It also is not a thirsty turf, like traditional yards. It will never look like a golf course, but that is seldom the look gardeners care for anyway. The following are three ways that I have rethought the idea of lawn within my own property or the property of my garden design clients.

I inherited about 3 acres of lawn when I purchased my house. Instead of ripping up the existing turf (and destroying the soil structure) I’ve chosen to stop mowing many areas, and intersperse the turf with bulbs and wildflowers. The amount of wildlife, pollinators, and birds that use these areas now is truly amazing. In other areas I will still occasionally mow, but I have purposely planted an array of perennial ground covers (see bulleted list below). These low-growing plants have continued to spread over time, taking over more and more of the turf, which I don’t mind. I love the flowers that spread throughout the lawn, blooming at different times. I also don’t water these areas of “lawn,” because the ground covers help keep the expanse looking green in summer.

If you want to go one step further and remove all your turf, you