I’d love nothing more than to get rid of this patch of grass and go no lawn. Problem is I suck at designing and imagining how it’d look. Is there a free app or something to take and pics and kinda play around with ideas?
I would happily take any suggestions as well! I’m zone 6B- central Indiana. It has a little more slope than pics show. That tree can go it only blooms for a couple weeks in early spring then looks dead. I would of course replace it with something else!
Btw I took a survey for Arbor Day foundation that was like 10 questions and they are sending 10 free trees so check that out!
by One_Education827
11 Comments
That’s the beauty of no lawn, the best is to do nothing.
If you want to make it work, you can plant some perennials. I’d put in some dwarf fruit trees, but it’s really up to you.
Hey from the Eastside, neighbor!
Couple questions:
Are you looking for natives to replace your lawn with?
Are you trying to get the lawn out in one go or start by extending existing beds & adding new ones?
Hopefully someone with tree knowledge can chime in on whether those trees should be replaced. Oaks are a solid choice, but cherries, persimmons, walnuts, & elderberries (10ft shrub) are some of my favorites. Some non natives are fine and are providing habitat when established.
Not really a good program for this sort of thing unfortunately, at least that I and my community have come across, and boy have we been looking for years.
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much about formal design over such a large space. I’m currently in a few stages of seeding and planting across several de-lawned zones and am mostly just letting seeds from good native mixes (different from commonly sold “wildflower” mixes full of invasives and non-natives, watch out!). This way I can see who likes my site conditions best, and I can thin plants around the guys that are really looking good in a spot so they can self-seed and spread a bit. Larger clumps of one species *generally* look more intentional and aesthetically pleasing than a lot of individuals growing all up in each other, though of course there’s appeal to a natural look as well.
Putting in some non-plant features and paths (I see you mentioned paths already!) will also help with making an area look intentional. Landscaping boulders, birdbaths, etc.
[Benjamin Vogt](https://www.instagram.com/monarchgardensbenjaminvogt?igsh=MWhhNHB1YnM1cm1teg==) is an award winning landscape designer who exclusively works with natives and who does a lot of larger spaces. I love using his work for design inspiration! He does an amazing job with the “wild” but scaped look.
Hopefully, not in an HOA
Not in an HOA, r u? Some town agencies aren’t keen on it either. Do check first.
To start find your local chapter of Wild Ones: https://wildones.org/chapters/indiana/
They’ll have suggestions for your local ecoregion. Maybe even plant sales and garden kits.
In terms of design I would start with planning where those trees are going. Where will they cast shade? What areas of the yard are already shaded and what are sunny?
Next, pick some trees or shrubs to give structure to the planting. Fruit trees and bushes will add spring blooms and attract birds to your yard. You can also pick things that have attractive fall foliage or winter visual interest like dogwood.
Followed by the forbs (perrenials/flowers). The main filter will be sun/soil type, but you can also think about color theming here. Make sure you have a mix of bloom times.
Then finally make sure there is a ground cover: native grass/sedge.
I’d recommend using a mix of live plants and seeds. Live plants cost a bit but, it’ll jump start your progress quite a bit and that helps sell it to your neighbors.
It takes about 3 years for a native planting to be fully established.
We’re in a similar situation. What’s worked so far is to go bit by bit, starting with expanding the existing landscaped areas/beds. Add a wider mulch ring around your trees, extend the landscaping off the house. Maybe add a brand-new dedicated pollinator pocket or two. Over time, you can connect these areas up as you reclaim more and more of your yard. Timeline extends out a bit but it’s way more manageable time and money-wise.
i would maybe start around the edges and existing beds. smother the grass with cardboard and plant native perennials or a native groundcover in its place. you’ll probably want to do a mix of seeds and plugs as you start planting. in addition to the wildones.org recommendation, check out your local native plant society for resources specific to your area 🙂
So excited for you to be bringing beauty to your neighborhood and fostering your land in a respectful way! Lots of good advice here already. I saw you mentioned being interested in having wildflowers. There’s also a (smaller) crowd at r/meadowscaping if you’re looking for a community for encouragement and ideas (and help avoiding the seeds that are full of non-natives).
Peas. Fields of peas! Its farming country after all!
I created my beds by mowing and leaving ‘islands’ of uncut grass in areas where I wanted to plant things. After a few mows you will have them honed in pretty good and you will see how they are to mow around. Once you are ready, you can remove the grass, which I found was easier with it long than it was when it was short.