Come sit on the porch…and
learn the benefits of getting rid of the lawn
These owners wanted a front porch
where they could relax with the kids and visit with friends. They also wanted
to get rid of the front yard lawn, replacing it with a garden that reduced their
water usage but was still interesting, with plenty of color to attract
wildlife.
In fall of 2010, they asked Heather
Trilling (Trilling
Landscape Design) to come up with a family friendly, water wise design. They
replaced the old lawn with a drought resistant garden and Del Rio washed gravel
path, installed a low stucco sitting wall and landscape lighting, and
resurfaced the porch with flagstone.
The low maintenance garden combines
California-friendly plants with small boulders for playing or sitting. Trilling
used succulent plants such echeverias, aeoniums, agave, and protea, along with
phormiums, lavenders, and echium (Pride of Madeira) to create an inviting and
colorful garden for this family. There is year round color and blooms with lots
of textures. The garden attracts birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds for all
to enjoy.
The owners don't miss the lawn at
all! The garden encourages them to be in the front yard more and they enjoy
visiting with neighbors in the garden. There are so many interesting places for
the kids to explore! The small stucco sitting wall doubles as a balancing beam
for the kids to climb on and they love playing around the small boulders.
Bark mulch and individual emitters
for each plant reduce weeding and water use. Water-wise-targeted drippers, located
at each root, water for 20 minutes once a week. Little to no irrigation is needed
in winter.
This is a blower, fertilizer and
pesticide free zone. Weeding and trimming is done by hand. No lawn means less
garden waste and cuttings end up in the compost bin.
