Lawnless Landscaping

This home has a calming, intimate front courtyard without any lawn. The plants selected for this space are low-maintenance yet lush and fragrant. Surrounded by stucco walls, the garden features a striking red gate, a curved simulated stone walkway and a custom water feature.

Having a lawn in the desert doesn't make a lot of sense. For their front yard, this AZ family opted for colorful plants, a flagstone patio and local boulders. The end result proves that having a vibrant and inviting garden in the desert is indeed a possibility.

The former lawn in this backyard was patchy and worn. The owners wanted something attractive, low-maintenance and functional. What they got was a fire pit space paved with decomposed granite and surrounded California natives and South African plants that offer color, texture and architectural presence.

These homeowners knew they didn't want a lawn. Their children were grown and there was no reason for it anymore. Their new lawnless landscape features poured-in-place concrete pavers, native meadow plantings, citrus trees, a custom water feature and built-in seating.

The bachelor who owns this home didn't want to spend time maintaining a lawn. Instead his landscape architect suggested a grid of blue fescue grass, which requires little water and no mowing. This front yard also features a raised patio with ocean views and unique gabion walls.

Watch how this California Bay Area front yard was transformed into a meadow with a gravel walkway, stacked stone walls, ornamental grasses and oak trees. Lavender and other plants add color and make the landscape more interesting than the indigenous meadows.