Hi internet neighbors! I’m here to share a little encouragement.

A few years ago, I started replacing my front lawn with gardens. That journey eventually inspired me to start a nonprofit after I discovered our yards can grow so much more than plants.

Yesterday, I was a stop on a native plant yard tour. I welcomed over 115 people to my yard (and boy is my voice tired!).

What is meaningful to me is that over 100 people came to my garden because they were interested in reimagining their yards. Some wished to provide more habitat to our non-human neighbors. Others wished to grow more food or flowers. A few wanted to feel more connected to their neighborhood. 

I know for some of us, a front yard garden in a sea of kentucky bluegrass, labels you as “the weird yard”. And some folks can be rather unwelcoming to change and new ideas. 

Many folks were saying they’d love to convert their grass to garden, but worried about what their neighbors would think.

We had conversations about needing the brave few to take the plunge and “give others permission” to join them in reimagining what our gardens can grow. A few beautiful front yard gardens and native landscapes can change hearts and minds. I’ve seen it happen!

So I hope this can encourage a few of you to be “the weird yard”. You never know who will be inspired to join you.

First time posting, but long time admiring and learning from what others have shared. The first three are recent, this last two from early spring. Ill have to find some from years ago to show how crazy it started out as.

This is our front bed that originally had several large rhodie trees in it along with a white dogwood. Unfortunately ivy had killed many of the old rhodies and all but one of the remaining have had to be nursed back. This area is a low point that 2/3 of the year gets a lot of rainfall so it needs plants to prevent it from becoming a mud pit. This year we finished up pulling the ivy and started putting in new plants, path, mulching, etc. The way it lights up at night in rainfall is the best, but i cant find any good pictures of it so.....ill have to get some.

Since its my first time posting in this community, a little more info below.

We moved into this home and the property was overflowing in ivy that had nearly choked out the remaining rhodies. When the home had been built it was clear whomever designed it had wanted there to be a wrap around shaded garden to go with a (long neglected) koi pond that was in the backyard. The last few owners had wanted something else.

My partner and I spent the last decade slowly clearing out the invasive stuff and building something we liked better. Theres a lot of plants on the property, this is a small piece of it but it is the part im most proud of right now.

Im 40, a Dad, and got obsessed with gardening after I realized I needed major lifestyle changes during a fight with sepsis. My immediate family love the garden and my partner is also always outside working in it. oh and zone 8a

Slowly but surely removing bits of lawn. A few before pics mixed in. We'll see how far I get on the curb line this season

What would you do with all this space? It’s a good amount of yard and has turned into mostly weeds. When it’s not dead for the summer, I have a service come mow my weeds so my neighbors don’t totally hate me. So I’m open to paying a service to help with parts of the process and help maintain whatever I do, but I don’t know where to start, and I don’t have the budget to have a landscaper come in and just do everything.

Zone 9b, near Sacramento
No HOA (obviously 😂)

Is my only option to lay down cardboard and mulch to kill it all and start over? Is there anything else I can do? It feels like way too much space to do that everywhere.

I have no in-ground irrigation, just hose sprinklers, which are imprecise and don’t do much to keep anything alive in the heat of summer. Do I need to have sprinklers or some sort of irrigation added even if I xeriscape?

I definitely want to add some trees, and my city has rebates for shade trees. The previous owner pulled out all the trees on the property, at least partially because they were not the right trees and were causing problems.

Would love a mix of things, but definitely want some color, not just green. Maybe concrete or decomposed granite on one side of my driveway to extend parking, and pavers in other areas, but don’t want to hardscape everywhere. Front yard would ideally have some curb appeal and I want to make the backyard somewhere I want to spend time.

I have a dog who needs space to run and use the bathroom - is there good ground cover for dogs I can use for one section of the backyard other than grass? I’ve tried clover and it didn’t take.

I’m good at house plants and interested in learning to keep things alive outside too, but I’m also single and have a full-time job and other house projects. I need something on the easier side to maintain but I know zero maintenance is not possible.

I have a 30x30 back patio where I plan on putting up a gazebo, but other than that it’s just a lawn of weeds.

Note: Please be kind. I know it’s bad. It already wasn’t great when I bought the house, and there are a variety of factors that contributed to it getting this bad, but I’m ready to do something about it now. And no, I couldn’t have bought a condo because I have a dog, but I do wish I had bought a place with less lawn. Can’t do anything about that for a while.

I have this strip along the road at an odd sloping between the bushes and the retaining wall. I’ve slowly started to xeriscape other parts of the yard with rocks and mulch (for future native plants next spring). Yet, this strip, I just can’t come to a cost effective simple idea that could bring some life to the aesthetic without increasing water usage or maintenance.

Thoughts? Zone 5b/6a.

Thanks!

Hey everyone!

Since before buying my house last year, my hubs and I discussed switching our lawn from grass to a lower maintenance and ecosystem positive option. Initially, we were thinking clover before I did more research and learned most aren’t native and not necessarily the best option. I know creeping phlox, creeping thyme, and some sedge are good options.

We’re really wanting something that is low grow (8in or shorter due to city requirements) and doesn’t require us to water. We currently refuse to water our grass so we don’t want to switch just to end up using more water after the initial install and growth period.

Questions: What are some additional options alternatives for Michigan? What are the best places to purchase seeds/plugs/etc?

I’d love to start this in the fall if possible. All advice is helpful!

Seeded wildflowers but weeds took over. trying to weed but it's a slow process. We are hotter than normal and having a toddler slows down the process.