When we moved into our present home more than six years ago there were five rather large patches of lawn and not much of anything else. Nothing remains of them; they're all filled with roses, shrubs, small trees and other companion plants. Lizards, birds, bees and many other creatures abound. I'd like to think our garden is as much a haven for them as it is for us. I garden organically and nothing toxic is ever used here. We have squirrels and rabbits, but the coyotes and bobcats keep them in balance and the little damage they do is offset by how tame some of them have become, especially Tripod, a three-legged rabbit who likes to eat the spent roses I throw near him.

My old place had huge lawns, front & esp. back. By the time we moved I had it cut down by 2/3s. When we replaced a fence, the soil inside was at least 6" higher than outside. We had so many lizards, toads, earthworms, butterflies & birds it was like a nature preserve. Lawns strike me as wasteful, work-intensive waterhogs that are a sterile environment.

My goal is to eventually get rid of all of my lawn. I have converted about half of it to garden. I try to do a little each year. I think that lawns are a waste of resources. Meadows would be a wiser and lovelier solution.

we are in the process (almost done) of getting rid of a 30 by 30 foot patch of grass that makes up our front yard. so excited to be close to the end. all sorts of little creatures have made their homes in my garden. Roses are the highlight with tulips, hyacinth, snapdragon, gladiolus, rannaculus, lantana, assoted lillies and iris worked in for naturalization and tons and tons of color! My goal was to highlight the roses while maintaining a constant pallet of colors. can't wait to have it all done! I am surprised at the number of people who seem to take a negative opinion my my non-grass yard...

Done! :^)

As good a reason as any to grow more roses!

Full agreement here. Actually we do have some grass--it's needed to set off the shrubs, and to walk on--but all we do is cut it, not water or fertilize it, and it's full of native herbaceous plants. I guess it qualifies as meadow.
I'm really proud of all the amendment we've added to our ground over the years, though it's not enough yet: the soil was really poor. But in some places shrubs are growing madly where before there were just weeds and thin grass.

It is my opinion that if one wants a large lawn they should live in a climate suitable for one, e.g. in the British Isles much of the land looks like manicured lawn to my American eye. Here in the States there are places where grass doesn't need supplemental irrigation, like in the PNW and parts of the East, and those are the places to live if one wants a large green lawn. I think. There's an ad running right now about how golf would be different if it had been invented in California, but I think golf would never, ever have been invented in Ca. It took a place with a climate like Scotland to invent a game so dependent on nice, green grass.

My house had areas that used to be lawn when I got it, I've been working on changing them to gardens bit by bit. My dream is to have a woodland meadow in the larger part of the backyard, but it's going to take time.

This post was edited by peachymomo on Fri, May 3, 13 at 11:05

Sad thing is, city governments don't always cooperate. This link is to an article about a couple in So Cal who replaced their lawn with drought tolerant plants, and were sued by their city. I know of another instance, that didn't actually go to court, where the city of Glendale cited a couple for doing the same thing. So Cal is a desert, and yet we're expected to maintain those golf-course front lawns.

Here is a link that might be useful: L A Times

Or in wisconsin! I love my lawn its the first green thing i have :-). Our lots are way to big for that, If i had a small plot of land i worked with i would not have the grass well maybe under my table and chairs i would miss the grass under my feet. i work with 6 acres about 3 i let do whatever for the deer and other wildlife. 9 years ago i bought this old corn field and it took long hours of planting and time before i began to hear the birds singing.

here are some pics form today. As you can see here we are just starting our year

more

I am still working on filling it up! All in good time.

One last one this is the same view as the first but just waking from winters nap.

I agree grass is a waste. You fertilize to make it grow then you cut it, then people spray chemicals to kill the weeds so the grass will grow more so you can cut it.

I am doing as much as I can. Because I am up in age, bad back I am doing what I can with the roses but most of mine will be fruit trees, ornamental bushes and hard scape. The roses do not like me but I am working my way through the list to see what will survive.

All you zone 5-6 people please continue to post and report what is surviving in our zone.