If you could replace all lawn grass, by what would you replace it? (growing, fertilizing)

[movin2Reston]

Replace my lawn grass????

My neighbors would be devastated.

[HiToYou]

Very pleased to see that responses (both for and against) have been fairly balanced.

Here's the ultimate objective for which I'm striving:

- Have more interest (i.e., have more to look at)
- Have less work (i.e., save time and make less noise)
- Have less expense (i.e., save money)
- Save water
- Have a situation that is just as healthy, beautiful, and comfortable
- Have just as much play area
- Maintain property values for all involved

Perhaps the best traditional (operative word "traditional") idea would be the English-style garden in tandem with a sizable gravel area for playing. But who's gonna do all of that work? Not I.

By the way, regardless of whether you put liner down, dirt will fall on top of your gravel and nature will deposit on top of ^that^ all sorts of things that grow into weeds, unless you live in a desert-like area where growth is difficult to begin with. Therefore, may I recommend filling a one-quart spray bottle with 16 ounces of water and 16 ounces of bleach. Squirt whatever begins to grow, once a month, and you're good to go. If your spray bottle locks up, then give the handle's mechanism a nice squirt of that famous solvent that American guys swear by.

Ahhh, but this thread is designed to spin the wheels of innovative thought. :)

The whole idea of wildflowers (operative syllable "wild") is--primarily--to let grow whatever it is that nature wants to grow and to find some innovative way to make ^that^ look good. That's right: Figure out a way to make weeds look good. Gasp! (Hint: How exactly would you implement location restrictions on weed growth so that the weed growth itself can be aesthetically pleasing? The operative word is "how." I mean, if kids can buy ripped jeans because they think that ripped jeans look good, then surely weeds can look good, too. Right? And if furniture can be made to look "weathered" and "rustic," then. . . . Get the idea?)

Any ideas? By the way, the responses so far have been excellent, because they reveal the variety of different demands that need to be successfully met by our sought-after grand solution. For example, I personally forgot about having a play area. . . .

[Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.]

I'd rather have a clover lawn because they flower in spring, still have a lush green color to them like grass, don't cook in our summers (except in severe droughts) and also stay green in winter. However, I don't mind crabgrass, wild onions and henbits, the latter of which has beautiful flowers to some extent nearly year-round and especially the rainier but less humid months of February to May.

P.S.: I also really like what this woman in Denver did. More people who live in arid regions should xeriscape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaTL7VLL2-I

[luv4horses]

Plant a pasture mix. Buy a tractor and mow once a month. Meets your goals.

[Schuttzie]

Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto

The purpose, presumably, of a garden is to imitate Nature, so why would you settle for an imitation if you could have The Real Thing?


Wild flowers each have their seasons, so a wild meadow "lawn" could be in bloom continuously from spring thru fall. Most annuals flower continuously.


Ticks and rodents are a problem regardless of the height of the vegetation in their natural range. A short lawn doesn't help all that much. Don't kid yourself. Ticks' natural habitat is the edge of woods; less fond of meadows.


A short lawn is a virtual desert devoid of natural flora and fauna for the area-- an Abomination insulting MotherNature. The popularity of lawns is the real reason insect/bird populations are falling.


Kids can play in the park (Do kids even play outside anymore?)


How about an English Garden?

I love the English garden idea!

[LilLisa83]

One house in the neighborhood actually removed all the grass and put gravel rocks. I actually like it.

[steiconi]

In California, we replaced the lawn with paving stones and groundcover.
In Hawaii, we mowed every week, year round.
In Arizona, we have dirt, sand, and pebbles accented with native plants; literally native, most of the area hasn't been disturbed in about 90 years. We have the same cactus and scrubby plants found in undeveloped areas. We've added a few desert loving plants near the house, but the javalinas ate most of them.

[Roboteer]

If you could replace all lawn grass, by what would you replace it?


An aircraft runway.

[Nov3]

Sand and an ocean. Gulligan island style
It's all about location. Would look weird in alaska .

[DubbleT]

Totally not doable, but if I could wave a magic wand I'd have mosses, ferns, and woodland flowers in a deeply shaded front yard. The backyard would have hardscape for entertaining, a natural looking pool, and a small sunny, grassy area for kids and pets to run around on.
https://gardensdeco.com/wp-content/u...ackyard-33.jpg