Word of my no-mow ex-lawn is spreading up and down the street and I’ve noticed more than one neighbor, upon seeing this image in the flesh, running and screaming for their spouse to come see it, too. It’s beautiful, I tell ya, but also practically free (just a couple of bucks for the clover). Then there’s the fact that it requires no mowing, no watering and no fertilizing (activities I haven’t engaged in since I ripped out the lawn.) But back to aesthetics: neighbors are noticing exactly what I love about it – the way the plants undulate across the space at different heights (none more than 5 inches) is way more interesting than a mown turfgrass.
What is it? A mix of sedum acre (which appeared here as a weed), red and white clover, crocus foliage, still blooming Star of Bethlehem, and a few wild strawberries I’ve allowed to stay (the uglier weeds have all been removed).
What’s next? Blooms! That sedum especially and both the clovers. And though insects love it already, when the sedum and clovers bloom this will be a swarm of pollinator frenzy.
Also blooming April 15 is Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), below. It’s native to Eastern North America. Of course I have are daffodils in bloom but really, ho-hum.
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Love your ‘lawn’ Susan! Wish I could talk my husband (a/k/a the Lawn Man) into getting rid of our lawn, or at least part of it. (not holding my breath.)
Susan, I love this no-lawn. This is what most of my front yard looks like…but I am still removing weeds….This past fall and late winter I seeded it with white yarrow in hopes that it would have that ferny and springy feeling. …Here it will be a bit more evergreen all winter. The clover is huge and very happy…as are the bees! Happy bloom day. gail
It’s beyond beautiful. There’s not really a word in the English language to describe how exquisitely wonderful it looks and feels. And it happened so fast, by garden standards! I’m a convert. Going to find some sedum acre and try it myself.
I have lots of clover in our lawn but we are still mowing, and trying to get in more groundcovers. I think celandine is one of the most beautiful ‘weeds’ in the world. Even its name is beautiful.
i love your lawn. i did the same thing to mine accidentally. i planted mazus in a bed and it spread out and took over my yard. at first i was horrified until i realized i had no more mowing to do and a wonderful flowering ground cover at the same time. this year i built raised beds over the entire area so i can do vegetable gardening. now i can eat all summer from the area i used to mow! check it out at: octoberfarm.blogspot.com
Your non-lawn is awesome and I would love to look at and linger on a much larger picture file… hint, hint.
And my first reaction before reading your post–well, my second reaction after first admiring the color–was also about the plants undulating across the space at different heights. Very, very groovy.
I’m so glad to hear that it’s going over well with your neighbors! I think dealing with neighborhoods is one of the biggest obstacles to overcoming the “big lawn” look.
Congratulations!
Cameron
Looks neat. I’m curious how much foot traffic it can take or if you can run a wheelbarrow over it when you have to work on your borders, or you have lots of people in the garden.
This is lovely, but I’m wondering how it would work for a large lawn. How large is yours? In our yard, we have probably 2/3 acre of lawn, mostly in near full sun (too bad, since I like the moss lawn look). Seems like it would take quite a while to replace all of that with attractive “weeds.” Though we do have our share of attractive weeds (I’ve actually posted about a few of them to find out the names), there’d be a looong way to go.
I’m letting a lot of our lawn revert to native mosses. They’re free, require no mowing, no water, and develop the most interesting color combinations in various shades of green and red. Plus walking on them in bare feet is like walking on velvet. All do is raked leaves off of the moss in the spring and again in the fall, and occasionally pull out unwanted weeds. The overall effect looks very similar to your photo.
Most. Excellent.
Very impressive! Of course I do wonder how something like that would work out in drought-stricken areas, and whether some of us might have to move away from the lawn aesthetic altogether, but regardless, it looks great!
Hey, Mouse, this is Sedum – a succulent! Perfect for drought situations. Clover, too.
Looks wonderful! I love the different shades of green.
That is wonderful Susan.
That new “lawn” is super – I could stare a that picture all day (ain’t I boring?). I have Celandine poppy too and I love them for their foliage, flowers, and the fact that they’re spreading all over my yard (much less work for me).
LOVE the lawn! I can just imagine what’ll look like when all the bees are busy pollinating. And you’re so lucky to live where you do – i.e. having neighbors who appreciate it.
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