3 alternatives to a traditional grass lawn

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If the many reasons for not having a lawn make sense to you, there are plenty of options for you to explore. Hardscape designs, carved and paved paths, raised garden boxes, rock mulch, and drought-resistant plants and trees are some excellent alternatives to a traditional lawn. These simple fixes draw the eye to the striking design elements and make your home a standout from the curb. The best part about this is once the work is done, there is minimal upkeep, and it frees up your time as it fattens your wallet.

• Replace Regular Grass with Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses are fantastic inexpensive swaps to use in your exterior landscape design. The pros are there are many to choose from that grow in different colors and shapes. They are drought-resistant and low-maintenance. Such grasses thrive in nearly every type of soil with little to no fertilizers, and are naturally disease- and pest-resistant, so chemical pesticides are not needed.

• Beds Over Pots

For color spots, always choose a bed over a pot for the larger scale of framing a yard. Pots demand attention on a much more frequent basis, and the point of all this is to free up your time. Using low-water drip lines, you can have bedded plants that can settle in and grow deeper roots for a healthier plant and which stand out and fill in beautifully over time in a grassless garden. Depending on the terrain of your yard, you can make these beds tiered and shape them with different heights of native plants and textures of rock mulch with pathways and pavers.

• 'Eat the Lawn'

So says Stan Miklis, owner of Caliper Farms, an agricultural business in Texas that for 45 years has helped people learn to small-scale farm. He says: "Today there is a growing movement to 'eat the lawn.'" Miklis convinces people to plant edible crops in areas once occupied by grass. "Many city ordinances need to be upgraded to recognize that a new look isn't in conflict with neighborhood standards. Bring the farmers market to the front yard, ending food deserts, bringing neighbors together, eliminate pesticides and plan for permaculture planting that will survive time in a xeriscape."