Tag: Lawn Alternatives

Creating Contrast in the garden heat loving deer resistant perennials

Creating Contrast in the garden

Creating contrast in the garden is such an important design principle, I thought it would be helpful to show the many different ways I accomplished this in my modified meadow. You may remember my post Creating a Rain Garden (if not, click here.)  In that article, I mentioned my goal was not only to transform […]

Transforming awkward spaces in the garden

Transforming awkward spaces in the garden

I’ve spent the past two years working in my new garden.  And by working, I mean killing myself trying to fix one awkward space after another. I’ve finally got the upper hand on things (sort of) and just as soon as I can, I’ll share some pics with you. Above is a teaser of the […]

Taking ‘gardening is therapy’ to a whole new level

Taking ‘gardening is therapy’ to a whole new level

At one time or another, most of us have said ‘gardening is therapy,’ right?   But seeing an actual therapeutic garden work its magic right in front of me is a whole different experience. Recently, my mother and I visited my mom’s cousin, Carol, to see the incredible garden she helped create for her adult daughter, […]

The Water-Saving Garden book party and giveaway

The Water-Saving Garden book party and giveaway

I’m thrilled to be invited to help celebrate the release of Pam Penick’s second book, The Water Saving Garden, with a party that you’re all invited to attend (awesome prizes included!) As a follow-up to her first book Lawn Gone (and one of my personal favorites), The Water Saving Garden delves even deeper into the practical […]

A life changing journey for me and three gardens

A life changing journey for me and three gardens

It’s taken me several days to write this, as I just can’t seem to grasp that a year has already passed since I posted my glass pumpkin photo with the accompanying news of my cancer diagnosis. Some days it feels like it was a lifetime ago, while other days it feels like only moments have […]

Replacing a lawn with a garden – Part 3

Replacing a lawn with a garden – Part 3

Here we are at the end of May and I’m happy to share with you the final phase of my front garden re-do! As you may recall, in January I finally decided to remove my little-used front lawn and replace it with a low-water garden (you can read about it here and here). After moving around my new […]

Replacing a lawn with a garden – Part 2

Replacing a lawn with a garden – Part 2

Phew – I’ve been busy!  As promised a few weeks ago, here’s the next phase of my front lawn-removal project. After deciding on the materials and final shape of the pathways, the next step was to remove the lawn.  A physically grueling task to be sure. Enlisting help from those with strong backs, we removed […]

Replacing a lawn with a garden – Part 1 Replacing a lawn with a garden

Replacing a lawn with a garden – Part 1

It’s a new year and with it comes the oh-so-familiar new year’s resolutions.  And while I rarely keep the ones I make, this is a resolution that’s long overdue and one that I’m thrilled to undertake: getting rid of my unused front lawn. With California’s lowest recorded rainfall in its history (that’s over 160 years!), the timing is perfect to practice […]

Shades of Gray in a No-Lawn Front Garden

Shades of Gray in a No-Lawn Front Garden

I’m thrilled to announce that one of the gardens I designed for a client is featured in this month’s Sunset magazine. In today’s post, I thought I’d talk about another aspect of this garden – using the very-gray colored dymondia margaretae as a lawn substitute. And not just the ground cover itself, but the tricks […]

Lawn Gone! Book Party, Review and Giveaways

Lawn Gone! Book Party, Review and Giveaways

To celebrate the release of Pam Penick’s new book, Lawn Gone! Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard, you’re all invited to attend her Lawn Gone Book Party – with some very cool party prizes! Six garden blogging friends and I are hosting 7 great giveaways this week, all related to the theme of – […]

The grasses at Cornerstone Gardens

The grasses at Cornerstone Gardens

Sonoma’s Cornerstone Gardens is one of my very favorite public gardens to visit any time of year. In my opinion, though, the fall is the best time of all. Not only are the summer crowds long gone but the colors of fall are just beginning to explode.  No longer filled with grapes, the surrounding vineyards […]

Creating a no-lawn front garden Perennials Summer Heat

Creating a no-lawn front garden

After designing gardens for over 20 years, I’ve noticed more and more people want to replace their little-used front lawn with an environmentally friendly garden.  The main stumbling block, however, is they aren’t quite sure what to do once the lawn is gone. I hear variations of the same concerns:  it’ll look too much like […]