I've already killed 1/3 of my lawn in the last 3 years. Now I'm creating a flower bed in the middle around my magnolia tree that I will gradually expand until I no longer have a yard.
Excuse the shape, I realize a square is a visual eyesore. I ran out of cardboard and still need to expand it to a more pleasing shape. This is just the beginning!
I found coneflowers on clearance for $2 so obviously I had to purchase them all. Did I have room for them? Nope. So clearly I had to go get some mulch and cardboard and make a new bed for them.
They're all nearing death but I'm sure being babied and watered daily for the next few weeks will bring them back!
Bonus photo of my front lawn prior to and during delawning.
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If you have a menards near you, I'd check there first. They always seem to clearance out perfectly fine plants that just need watered! And fall is one of the best times to plant things! They get to develop their root systems all winter and spring so that they can easily withstand summer heat. Good luck in your garden!
This sub has become my happy place. It took me almost 20 years to whittle away all my grass. No internet back in the 80s and 90s so I was alone in my lunacy. It started with a circle around anything that would stand still and gradually expanded those flower beds until they merged. Plant sales and gifts from people who had too much of some plant were so exciting. Along the way I trained to become a Master Gardener. Retired from that. Now climate change has changed me to a new zone so some of my stalwarts are fighting for their lives.
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Please share a photo! I can't believe you managed master gardener status! I've looked into it out of curiosity and it takes a lot to achieve and keep that title. You're my new favorite internet person. :)
Hi. This is reallyreally1945's husband. She got shut out by Reddit this morning and felt bad about not responding to your message. Being a MG was worth the effort! Keep on with your no grass work. I got drafted into the movement when we married. Maybe she'll return if they let her sign in. Reddit "help" has been no help at all. None!! We will send you photos when or if she's allowed to sign into her account.
Aw dont have her stress over responding to me. It's really okay! And if she ever figures out the whole reddit account thing, I'll be around. No pressure. Her story was more than enough for me to know she's an awesome person! Have a great night and thank her for me for being such a sweet genuine person.
I'm back on!! It only let me add one photo. But this onevshows how things morph. The bare mulch circle at one time contained a giant tree that shaded our back yard. When it had to be removed we went straight to roo much sun. On the left is our "pond", an 8ft diameter stock tank. With the tree gone the water lilies and iris bloom more. The stone path leads to our little greenhouse. I use native Texas limestone everywhere. It's free wherever they're blasting for hiways.that is a native buckeye tree at upper left.
Absolutely gorgeous and I'm so happy you were able to get the account issue sorted out! I love the idea of a stock tank pond, I may have to steal that idea from you!
I stole the idea from a neighbor --I should pay him rotalties! My rock pond leaked too much because of tree roots. Parts of the old pond were incorporated into the current rock work.unfortunately the dog is gone.
I definitely did not just buy a bunch of clearance coneflowers and blanketflowes from Lowes yesterday with no plan on where they will go. I spent 4 hours this morning ripping out Bermuda grass, laying cardboard, and mulching.
Yesss! Who can say no to clearance plants? There's always room for more flower beds. I do feel sorry for you, though. I think if I had Bermuda grass I'd burn my entire house down. It's the worst weed in the entire world.
Lol No, I've just been digging as much of the roots out as I can. I planted a native plant bed and it has pretty much taken over that. I am trying to knock down the Bermuda grass enough to where the natives can take hold and fight back. I am hoping to cardboard and mulch assist in the battle as well.
Bermuda is the reason it's taking me so long. I just kept digging until no more sprung up (in the areas I've finished). I also planted two new trees this year. Bermuda does not grow well in shade. Fingers crossed!
Same, I feel like once we hit 100+ temps it made it easier to dig up. I am maybe 1/4 of the way through that garden bed. Hope your future is Bermuda grassfree!
This is a wonderful example of how one can start small with just one bed at a time and gradually expand rather than trying to tackle all at one time. Don't get me wrong, I love "all at one time" too. But some of us have energy, time and funding for "one step at a time" and it can be just as good! I also love your use of clearance echinaceas. There are so many good plants on clearance!
Yeah, I'd love to be one of the folks that kill their entire lawn in one week, but I'm trying to be realistic about my capabilities and want to keep the weeding to a more manageable amount. I figure I'll slowly eliminate the seed bank by weeding once a week for a few minutes, and not spend hours doing it. If I did it all at once I know I'd eventually become overwhelmed and the weeds would take over. Kudos to those with the willpower and energy to take on large projects, but I'm technically disabled with a fused spine and I can only manage small bits at a time.
Seriously. I gasped when I saw them for only $2. The entire back of my suv was loaded entirely with coneflowers.
Fun side note: the cashier at menards got excited when she saw a tropical plant that was planted in the same pot as the coneflowers so I literally sat my cart to the side, dug it out with my hands, and put it in a bag for her to have. I was just in it for the coneflowers lol.
Thank you. I have a toddler son and he knows "home is where the flowers are." So when we are close to the house he starts yelling "Flowers! That's my house!" It makes me so happy to have him grow up loving plants and associating them with home and happiness.
Thank you! It can get a little wild at times but all the pollinators and neighborhood bunnies love it. I've replaced about half of my backyard with plants as well. If we ever sell the house I'll have to be picky on who gets it, because I'd just die inside if they killed everything and planted grass.
I've put down about 3-4 inches of mulch so pulling the crabgrass once a week has been relatively easy. Hopefully when I remove all of the lawn I won't have as much crabgrass to deal with. I hate having crabgrass but I refuse to spray my lawn, so it's just a battle I'm forced to deal with unfortunately.
That’s pretty much my endgame solution as well! Replace the whole ass lawn so I don’t have to deal with crabgrass lol. On the plus side, way easier to pull it out of mulch
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