Hi there!
Hoping to brainstorm some ideas for very low maintenance replacements for our grass in our front yard in Portland, OR. Our #1 priority is low maintenance (we hate mowing) but would obviously also like it to look nice.
We have 4 planters that are surrounded by grass. It grows painfully fast in the summer and is full of weeds. Would love to replace with a variety of native plants but we also need walking access to the planters for gardening which makes it challenging. Front yard is south facing with lots of sunlight.
I’ve seen the Backyard Habitats site and have scheduled some consultations but thought I’d throw it here for some general thoughts!
by krazykid586
3 Comments
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Coastal Strawberry! It spreads fast, gets dense, can handle being walked on, is easy to pull back. We are a bit inland from the main coastal range, but it is super easy to work with. Drought tolerant, cute white flowers in spring.
Western Yarrow is another option, I let mine grow out but some people have mentioned mowing it to a low height.
I think Violets might also be an option, though at least in my experience they don’t like full sun / prefer a little bit of afternoon shade.
I’m also in the PNW, I have yarrow that I mostly mow short to walk on, but let the edges get tall and flower for more yarrow seeds! It is green and lush all year round, even when every else’s lawn is dead in August
ETA: if you hate mowing, could do woodchip paths, or maybe go with native sledges which don’t get very tall. Backyard Habitats will have good suggestions for short groundcover for your specific yard