Trees, this is pretty much SOP in the summer-dry Mediterranean climate West. Can't grow grass here when it doesn't rain for six months! Many municipalities have programs to encourage residents to replace lawn with climate-appropriate plantings.
Sara

Lawns were created in europe (namely the UK). I dont have to explain the differences between the climate of Cali and the UK lol.

The long and short of it is that lawns tend to need a massive amount of water. Even up here, where we never experience prolonged drought, grass can dry up a bit in the summer heat. They were also developed to show presteige, as in "look I have so much money I dont need all my yard for food!". A trimmed lawn says " even better, I can afford sheep to graze it, or pay someone to cut it".

You can make a much more functional yard if you eliminate grass, and also help put more nutrients into the plants you want, not the grass surrounding the garden beds and trees...

You will also inevitably help native insects and animals, giving them proper nector sources and shelter.

And really, who wants to mow and water? lol

All them lawns in the southwest....ug.

EVERYONE who moves out there needs to take a field trip to the desert botanical garden in Phoenix to get some landscaping ideas.

I've spent the past 3 years planting natives all over my front and back yards except for one 20' x 20' area where we have a lawn. We run an in-home daycare, so we need a place for 7 preschoolers, including two of our own, to run around when it's nice out.

I really, really want to get rid of the lawn, especially now that it's all patchy and the only way to bring it back is to keep the kids off the grass for a month in the fall or spring, then repeat the same cycle each year.

If anyone has any suggestions for an alternative that can stand up to that kind of daily foot traffic, I'm all ears.

If there's one thing I can look forward to once I get "old" it will be reclaiming that space for more plantings.

This post was edited by c2g on Mon, Dec 3, 12 at 10:54

@c2g they have no mow grass out there now. Check out the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Praire Nursery

c2g - sounds like you've done a good job of getting rid of most of the lawn. Turfgrass does have its uses, as you've found with the spot for toddler play. There are all sorts of materials on the market for playgrounds, some made of recycled rubber which may or may not have off-gassing problems (you'd have to do some research), so you might go that route. Or check out that no-mow grass in the link above or some of the tougher turfgrass varieties. Some people in your situation just re-sod annually as the grass can't keep up with the traffic, but I'm guessing you do not wan to do that.

Lawns are overvalued. A spot where you can sit and enjoy the sun is great, but I am slowly turning the rest of my land into woodland

Even in yards with little in the way of a lawn, I like using turf grass pathways. That is a good look and high in practicality.

+oM

It is amazing how much impact even a little lawn can have - it provides negative space, sets off the other plantings and is restful to the eye. Someone did an study in Denver a few years back where they removed something like 75-80% of the lawn on a bunch of properties and 100% on others and even the big fans of grass were fine with the look of the properties with greatly reduced areas given over to lawn. Since lawn is really impractical here I use evergreen ground covers (many of them natives and thus low water) to provide that negative space. But kids can't play on them!

I'd love to read the article, but it appears that it's subscription only.

Excellent point there, F&F. I was somewhat of the anti-lawn persuasion for so long that I've kind of circled back around to some appreciation! And that is it exactly-the negative space. I like that Cali look with all the groundcovers too.

+oM