Getting rid of the lawn
August 11, 2007
One fearless Austinite’s grass-free, xeric front garden is featured here, on the City of Austin’s Green Garden website.
Click on other addresses for more photos of water-conserving Austin gardens, most of which are less extreme than this one but just as interesting. Some are truly inspiring. I particularly like this one, this one, and this one.
If you aren’t conserving water yet, or even thinking about it after all the summer rain, you will be soon. Austin’s city council just passed a mandatory water-restriction ordinance that takes effect this October.
Hey – thanks for sharing the Green Gardens. They are great — what an inspiration. I have to admit I do like my lawn, but I like the combination with lots of beds and gardens, and these are something truly beautiful from which to draw ideas. As I walked and weeded and planted and watered today, I felt a sense of accomplishment that some of the multi-layered beds are coming together and filling in nicely. I have to keep reminding myself it’s the journey, not the destination!
I only had a chance to take a look at the first one, which looks interesting and brand spanking new. I’m very ignorant of how things grow in your ‘extreme’ conditions. But I would think all that empty space filled with crushed rock or whatever would soon get filled in by something — and probably something that you didn’t plan on growing there. The few times I have visited arid climes I’ve always been amazed by the vegetation (weeds) that seemed to be thriving in the odd spots with no appartent help. Seemed like most of them were thorny, real tough customers, and ready to defy removal from the premisis.
Great links, Pam. I admit, I found something I liked in all of the gardens you linked. I think that the last one was my favorite front yard (gotta give them extra credit for dealing with a slope and creating a wildlife habitat to boot) but the second last one was my favorite design-wise.
I must admit, I wish that more cities (including mine) would do watering bans to encourage people to be smart–especially about watering in the heat of the day, between 10am and 7pm. I have been known to water a distressed plant or planter during those times, but the people who have their sprinklers running at 1pm on a sunny Saturday in the 90s absolutely kill me. I fight the urge to go cut their hoses.
No-grass yards are everywhere on blogs these days. Could this trend be turning into a tidal wave? Never had grass; can’t grow it, but I find the discussion fascinating. They have to find something that feels as good against your bare feet to really win people over.
Thanks for your comments, everyone.
Diana, I’m glad you found inspiration here. All of the Green Garden links provide nice examples of what you can do to create a garden that needs less water. But a few provide even more—that inspirational quality that makes you want to go out, RIGHT NOW, and redo portions of your own garden. And the nice thing about this site is that new gardens are always being added.
Craig/Ellis Hollow, you are quite right that gravel-mulched gardens can easily become weed gardens. I have that problem even with my decomposed-granite paths, which are underlaid with weedblock fabric. Certain weeds find 4 inches of crushed stone to be a perfect habitat. To use expanses of gravel in the garden, you’d certainly have to stay on top of the weed situation. See Tom Spencer’s garden at Soul of the Garden for a very inspirational example of a garden with lots of gravel.
Kim, I agree that the watering rules are ultimately a good thing. Unfortunately, the rules are more suited for those with sprinkler systems that can be set by timer than for gardeners like me who have to drag hose-end sprinklers around the garden to get the whole thing watered. Trying to water deeply (I usually water about every 10 to 14 days in the summer, so when I do water, I really let it soak in) between the hours of 7 pm and 10 am—let’s face it, that means about 4 actual hours of watering time—is going to be tough. I may have to break down and install a sprinkler system. Still, it’s all for the greater good . . .
Elizabeth, I don’t know whether any groundcover could feel as good against the toes as grass. Even so, a lot of people are interested in reducing the size of their lawn. Other plants are just more interesting, as is a smaller, defined lawn. In combination, you get the best of both worlds!
—Pam/Digging
Great links! I can forsee most southwestern cities putting a ban like that into place.
Yes, although I think it will extend even to cities in less-arid regions. The problem in some areas, including Austin, which actually has plenty of water thanks to the Highland Lakes, is not lack of water but distribution of water during peak demand. —Pam
I love all of those gardens! The fit! Thanks for posting those links.
You’re welcome! —Pam
Pam: Found you at Susan Harris’s garden coach site (always nice to know where the connections come from, eh?) and clicked my way over. I’m especially enjoying the link to the Austin City Green Garden site. We’ve got quite a different climate here in Santa Barbara, but my passion at my blog is trying to impress on readers the need for a more sustainable approach to our landscapes. Keep up the good work and beautiful photos.
If you have a hankering to check out my site, leave a comment and perhaps we can exchange links. We seem to have quite a few “side trips” in common at our sites.
BG
Hi, Billy. Thanks for dropping by and letting me know how you found Digging. I’m glad you are enjoying the Green Garden site. It’s just one facet of Austin’s excellent program to encourage water conservation. I’ve taken advantage of the city’s sales on rain barrels and rebates on low-flush toilets. The city used to offer rebates to customers who installed (preapproved) drought-tolerant landscaping, though I didn’t take advantage of that.
I enjoyed a quick visit to your site and am happy to exchange links. I look forward to returning for a longer look soon. —Pam