I live in zone 5 in Wisconsin. My front yard is full of native plantings, and my side yard is a mix of native shade. The backyard, which is used by kids, only gets morning sun. I'm looking to completely replace the lawn, possibly no mow, any suggestions? Backyard isn't visible from the street so that isn't a concern.

I was thinking leveling it out and removing the wood chips and putting some kind of walkable ground cover. What do you think? What ground cover do you recommend? I live in the PNW.

What would you do? I have kids so i wanted a leveled space to play catch, kick the ball, etc.

Tonight! Ask our experts in native plants, trees, birds, erosion control and invasive species removal ANY QUESTION! There is no question too basic. You're sure to learn so much!

This event is FREE and starts at 6:30pm Eastern time.

Register here to get the meeting link: https://smokymountains.wildones.org/381-2/

I posted yesterday in /fucklawns and was advised to try here.

We are hoping to do a large landscaping project this spring and would like to remove a large majority of our lawn in order to install raised garden, beds, gravel paths, and in ground beds with trees/native plants.

Can anyone recommend the best way to clear the grass in order to get this going. Others have recommended a sod cutters, as well as the cardboard/mulch technique. Any insight would be appreciated.

I'm in Michigan 6b and have a blank slate to work with since the builder didn't do any planting. I know most advice is for when you already have a lawn. Thank you so much!

I was thinking about planting clover but didn't know when

Looking to potentially ditch the fescue grass in picture and replace with something else. The area gets good sun in winter, but maybe 2-4 hrs of sun in spring through fall. Located north of Atlanta zone 8a. Also, would prefer something similar to grass that can withstand foot traffic as the kids like to play here. Any recommendations.

Anyone done this as a viable option to a lawn? We have 4 acres total, but are creating a more traditional fenced backyard space with a deck, the BBQ, space for dogs to run and such. There is a terraced area on one side for planting, so it won’t just all be hardscape)

It’s about 1200 sq ft, and i just had the idea of flagstones with a low ground cover in between.

Feasible or terrible idea? This yard is our spring project this year, so I want to start making concrete plans.

Zone 9a, Sierra foothills California

Basically the title and yes I know the value of succulents but I am tored of looking at them. I don’t want gravel either because it costs a lot more than simply seeding for grass and I really don’t like how the barren gravel or rocks look. Yes perhaps I should not be in san diego if I like greenery but fortunately or not we will be living here. So, any natuve green stuff or even weeds (clover) that won’t turn off neighbors and will also be low maintenance? We back into a canyon so erosion control is very important. A d ofcourse it cannot cost a fortune because we don’t have much money for beautiful landscaping. I hope grass or succulents are not our only options. Currently we have mulch, SO MUCH mulch, but both the fire department and the insurance companies asked us to remove it.

I'm getting ready to start converting my lawn to a drought tolerant landscape. I'm hoping to do this on my own using the sheet mulching method. I understand that part of the process.

However, I'm uncertain as to when it's advisable to start planting. I've seen videos of people cutting out a hole in the cardboard and just planting at the same time as they are mulching. But I've also seen posts and YT videos saying not to do that and instead wait for all the grass and weeds to die out before planting.

The reason given for not planting before the grass is dead is that the grass/weed roots might entangle with the freshly planted stuff and smother it or just pop-out around it. This sounds like a good argument so I'm okay waiting. However, I'm applying for a lawn conversion program and I have limited time.

Does anyones have experience with that? Any suggestions? How fast do grass and weeds die in the bay area with this method if I start around late Feb or early March?

How mindful do you really have to be about water pipes? My main pipe is in the middle of the yard, from sidewalk to house and there are two that route water water away, one of them being somewhat near and parallel to the driveway. The other one is somewhat like the middle part of the letter N between the two.

So happy with how everything is coming along!!

I love in the southern tip of KY, I live on two acres. I have about 3/4 acre of grass. I’m looking for options to replace it. I don’t want to till. I still would like to be able to keep it low for my yorkie but also would like to help pollinators. Suggestions?!? Clover? Native species?

Hey yall, Wondering about these seed packets. I got them as a Christmas gift this year and want to spread them in my evolving meadows. Can I simply scatter them just before a snow storm to get them to grow this spring? Should I wait and put them out once all the snow is gone? Just looking for the best bang out of them this summer. My meadows are about 2.5 acres combined, there’s three meadows in total. Two of which are divided by a large pond slated for trout in years to come. Second question. I’d also like to have some lupins out there to enjoy but wondering if they will grow amongst the grasses and other wildflower? When do I plant them? This is a project that I know is many years in the making and this is nowhere near enough for that much space but it adds to what’s there. Meadows are full all day sun north of Edmonton AB zone 2-3.

Would love a northwest native but not super necessary. But need summer drought tolerant and ideally carpet like. Handling some traffic. Needs to stay short. Can't do a meadow. I don't mind mowing every now and then. I was considering common yarrow as it forms nice dense carpet if mowed 2x a year, but concerned that the rhizomes will jump the lawn area. Also heard it might be toxic to dogs. (I don't have any dogs yet but don't know about the future). TIA!

Basically the title, looking to see if it actually stands up to dogs/handles shade as well as I've read. As stated I'm in GA - 8a zone.

Because my lawn currently is just a muddy mess, and I REALLY do not want to get more grass.

I bought my house a few years ago and have been trying to greenify it as my resources permit. There is a steep hill in front that is a real bear to upkeep. I'm looking to plant something native to and low maintenance that is tolerant of shade and the weather of the Pittsburgh~ish area.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I like in the Phoenix area and am having a Bermuda grass lawn removed and replaced with decomposed granite. The contractor plans to put plastic down before the rock, so as to deny any remaining Bermuda rhizomes moisture. Is this the thing to do?

I lasagna mulched my front lawn trying to get rid of basically all the grass in the area because it was a mix of Bermuda and other just non-native stuff, so scorched earth was my plan, while I wait for the invasives to die off and the soil to regain some of the nutrients from the decomposing mulch, before going back in with native species.

Some weeds came up after layering cardboard and mulching about 3" and grew rather large while I was still stockpiling more cardboard to do a layer again, so to contain the growth I sprayed the patches that came up with glyphosate, because it's not targeted and nothing I was spraying needed to be protected anyways. The weeds are dying as I can see them turning yellow and wilting, but just some quick questions for what to do after.

-Should I hand pull them when they turn yellow? I presume them changing colors and wilting means that the process glyphosate blocks has taken effect and gotten to the root, but if there's no difference between pulling them now or waiting for them to turn completely brown, then my back may thank me if I just let them die in place

-If I do hand pull the affected plants, are they safe to compost either aerobically in a pile or anaerobically in a "Fetid Swamp Water" type compost? If they're unsafe, I can always add them to my burn pile or ultimately just let them die back in place before adding another layer of cardboard and mulch.

Lawn removal noob here! Any advice appreciated!

Removed about 3 inches from my lawn. Grass was a mix of pretty much everything. Seeing these little guys sticking up everywhere…they seem to go pretty deep. Will this grow back even after cardboarding and topping with mulch?

Also everyone is telling me to mulch immediately. Can I wait a couple of weeks hoping to clean a few other areas up first.

This is slightly off-topic for this sub, but I thought it might be helpful. We're often concerned with chemical pollutants, but not everyone may consider how light pollution can affect our environment. Light pollution doesn't just hurt our view of the night sky; it disrupts our natural sleep cycles, and those of animals. Bird migrations can be drawn off course by artificial light. Insects like fireflies that rely on light to communicate, or moths that use it to navigate, are being drowned out by artificial light, hurting their populations.

While we often rely on artificial light for safety, security, and even decoration, there are a lot of things we can do to minimize the impact our light sources are having on the animals we so carefully design our gardens for.

The most obvious solution is to reduce the amount of light:

• Turn off unnecessary lights.
• Use window treatments like shades and curtains to block indoor light from spilling outside.
• Install dimmers to reduce the intensity of light when full brightness isn't needed.
• Use light fixtures that project light on the ground and not into the sky. You can even fashion your own shades. I use duct tape to make sure my solar lights only project onto my sidewalk and not out into my yard.

It's also a good idea to reduce the amount of time that your lights are on:

• Install motion sensors so your security lights only turn on when someone is present.
• Use a timer to turn off your decorative lights late at night when nobody is enjoying them.

You can also change the type of light you use. Warmer light sources are less distracting and damaging to sleep cycles. Look for bulbs that are listed as "soft white" or "warm white". The specifications may also list a Kelvin rating, which should be 3000K or below. Avoid "cool white" or "daylight" bulbs.

With just a little time, effort, and maybe a trip to the hardware store, you can limit the amount of light you're polluting and make your habitat far more inviting for our nocturnal friends.