Keeping Up with the Jones

Great curb appeal, and no lawn required.

by Kelly Marshall

Kelly Marshall Garden Design

(Second in a six article series entitled "The Lawn is Gone - Now What?" published in East Bay area newspapers)

When I ask clients about getting rid of their front lawns (and I ask every client), I know for a few seconds they visualize gravel and steer skulls scattered about the front yard in their new “drought tolerant landscaping”.

So how do you get rid of a front lawn and still have curb appeal? How do you design something different, beautiful, AND devoid of gravel and steer skulls?

First, you need a plan. It seems logical but many people skip this crucial step when landscaping. Whether you hire a professional designer or do it yourself, take the time to sketch on paper what you want to do. An organized space that has been planned, revised, and edited is half the battle of curb appeal.

When creating your plan, let go of the traditional notion of a large green empty space in the middle of everything, and instead take your cue from the way interior spaces are designed. You would never have a family room with unusable bare space in the center and furniture piled up on the outside, so why design your front yard that way?

The term “garden room” is tossed around frequently by designers, and it remains an effective tool in giving an outdoor space a sense of place. An open, exposed front yard, with no sense of entry or exit, walls, floor, or ceiling has a much different feeling than one where those elements have been brought into play.

The right plants, in the right place, can often give a feeling of enclosure or “walls,” as well as mark entries and exits in the garden. An arbor, low fence or wall can also help divide the space from one section to the next. If your yard has a slope, consider terracing it to create an upper and lower level. The space will seem larger, and the hardscape used to create terraces provides a sense of continuity for an organized and calming feel.

You can have amazing color, texture, and harmony in the garden while still providing habitat for birds,bees, and butterflies - design and photo by Kelly Marshall

The sky can be the ceiling, but so can the canopy of a great tree. Groundcover plants, stepping stones, decomposed granite, or even mulch, used consistently through the space, can all serve as a floor. These elements can turn an average space into something really special, yet are still appropriate for a front yard.

When I design a garden, I place strategic focal points, perhaps using specimen plants, a birdbath, a sundial, an arbor, or even a magnificent tree that already exists or is added to anchor the design. A fountain that is visible from within the house can set the entire tone of the front yard, as viewed from the street.

A front yard without a lawn can be welcoming and picturesque

A bench is one of my favorite front yard focal points. In my own front garden, I’ve placed one in a spot with morning shade, and one in afternoon shade. Both are in protected spots, somewhat hidden by plantings, but still glimpsed from the street. You might be skeptical about actually sitting on said benches, and I say, “You’ll be surprised.” A welcoming bench in the right spot is hard to resist. And, I certainly never sat anywhere in my front yard when it was lawn!

After positioning your focal points, it’s time to design around them. Great focal points beckon, so provide pathways to move through the garden and approach them. Pathways should be organized and logical. For continuity, use the same material throughout. For a large space that is divided into garden rooms, the floor can transition from room to room.

What to do with the space that remains? Remember, it’s OK to have “negative” space. The impact of what’s not there is as important as what is. You don’t have to fill every inch of previously grassed area – mulch or a lawn substitute will provide a place for the eye to rest.

When designing the remaining space, I select trees and shrubs that provide year-round interest. If not evergreen, they may have beautiful color to their trunks, or interesting branching patterns. Flowers are always lovely, but plants in a front yard space, blooming or not, should look presentable from season to season. Instead, I choose plants with great foliage color or shape, and ornamental grasses to provide texture and movement in the garden.

Finally, the space needs harmony, achieved by repeating the essence of the plantings. Continuity can be created by using the same plant in several spots throughout the yard, placing several of the same plants in a large mass, or using similar foliage and colors again and again. A garden with a limited plant and color palette can look much more striking and pulled together than one with dozens of different plants in every color of the rainbow.

Kelly Marshall is the owner of Kelly Marshall Garden Design in Clayton. She specializes in California native gardens and her gardens are regularly featured on the Bringing Back the Natives Tour. Reach her at her at kelly@kmgardendesign.com or 925.914.0327.