Ugly Dry Front Lawn? Here’s What Could Be!

There are way too many front lawns in arid climates! A recent road trip to Los Angeles and surrounding areas (quintessential arid); and, an earlier spring trip to San Diego really brought that point home to me.

Wow, there are still a lot of front lawns! So many are not dry and dying because they’re still being watered like it’s 1953. I also saw a lot of homes that had stopped, or were barely watering their lawns. Being that it’s early summer, that spells plenty of dried-out and ugly front lawns, which frankly, are better than the lush green alternative.

Personally, I like it better, seeing the browned out tones, rather than seeing these green manicured lawns that feel out of touch with the times, in a dry climate!

So, if you’re the one with the parched front lawn (like the photo above), KUDOS, but don’t let that stop you from taking the next step, which is replacing your lawn with a neighborhood envying FRONT garden.

Replace your Lawn and Never Look Back!

Take a look at this photo below. It has a similar front layout to the photo above, but with an amazing garden instead. Don’t you think it’s a much better use of this space?

This West Hollywood, CA neighborhood has plenty of front layouts that look like these. And, lots that don’t. But this Dymondia lawn and dry garden example really gives you an idea of just how dynamic and interesting going with a NEW LOOK can be.

And this really is exciting to me, because there is a crazy amount of opportunity for a garden that melds eco-smartness and a sense of place. One that also gets used, because let’s face it, that’s really the fun part. Some hanging out in your space, taking pride, and seeing butterflies, hummingbirds and bees thrilled to be nectaring it up with the flowers.

Here are some more photos of this front garden…

 

Just by taking a look at some of the plants included in this waterwise garden, you can tell that it’s a lively place with lots of life. There’s the tropical vibe, with the big banana-like leaves of the giant bird of paradise (Strelizia nicolai), the bougainvillea, and the relaxed and vertical feel of the palm trees.

A lawn is like a place holder compared to this.

Instead, you get something like this, with airy plants that blow in the breeze, that you can see through, like the white flowering whirling butterflies (Gaura lindheimerii ‘Whirling Butterflies’), and the red Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthus). Plus, the California native, orange colored sticky monkey flower (Mimulus) weighs in in a pumped up grouping.

What do you think? Are you ready to replace your lawn? Or is something holding you back? I’d love to hear what you’re thinking of doing!

 

Happy Gardening!

ps: Here are a few excellent books on the topic.
1. Reimagining the California Lawn by Carol Bornstein, David Fross and Bart O’Brien
2. The New American Front Yard: Kiss Your Grass Goodbye by Sarah Carolyn Sutton
3. The American Meadow Garden: Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn by John Greenlee
I’ve included my affiliate link to Amazon. (I own a copy of these  3-books and recommend that you check them out!) 😉

pps: You’ve enjoyed reading this far, so why not sign up for more! All you need to do is enter your email and be sure to confirm your subscription. That’s it! SIGN UP BELOW. No spam ever and lots of fun!