Help with converting lawn to something great

14 years ago

After buying a house and spending the first summer in this crazy desert heat in Gilbert, AZ (close to Phoenix), we want to stop watering and mowing our lawn and convert it and the whole front and backyard into something great. However, not being from AZ, I would like to some website or pictures that I can see of what others have done, not just single plants. I'd like to turn it into a showstopper. The one problem is that I can't really get out to a nursery or botanical gardens right now so I'm trying to do research on the web.

It's over 100+ degrees in the summer for a good 3-4 months and then gets quite cold in the winter (maybe around 30 degrees, not sure)

I love herbs and was thinking of creeping thyme, lavender, and possibly forming a knot garden in the front yard instead of the lawn. However, I really don't know if anything will survive the summer and the winters here. I'd prefer something that won't die in the middle of the year. I'd like a showstopper or something spectacular. Any suggestions.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (17)

lazy_gardens
14 years ago
Take your time, and go to the library. Ask for the xeriscape plants lists. Or visit the Gilbert water department website and look for xeriscaping.

Just search Google for Xeriscaping and Phboenix Arizona and lotsof links should pop up

You want two books:
Gardening in the Desert Southwest by Mary Irish
Sunset Western Gardens Book

Pay attention to what is planted in the median strips, and around public buildings.

Here is a link that might be useful: My desert gardening blog, with links!
splats
14 years ago
You may want to think about synthetic lawn. I have had mine for three years now and love it. the kids love it, the dogs love it and the neighbors love it. All the benefits of real grass and none of the downside. It is expensive for the quality stuff, but I did it all myself and have never regretted it. PS: I live in Yuma.
Related Discussions
Need Help, First Post, First Lawn, Failed Lawn101 Twice
Q
Comments (7)
First, you didn't flunk Lawn 101. You got a B in 2006, a C in 2007 (for late seeding) and an A so far in 2008. Nothing you did was wrong, but the timing for seeding was off a bit. 1) Round Up. We hesitate to mention specific chemical names for companies. The generic glyphosate works just fine and it's essentially the same stuff. Also, so many of us are organic and the R word stuff isn't. 2) Compost and peat moss will both decay away in about five years, so the soil is going to settle. Certainly you can mix either lightly (say, an inch or so every ten inches of soil), or skip it and use organic feeding methods. If your soil is really bad, I'd mix it. You can usually get compost from your local garden store, big box store, or delivered bulk from a supplier. The other option is to use 1/4" as a topdress for your seeding. Over time, the decay products work into the soil and enrichen it, plus you kill two birds with one stone and don't need to otherwise mulch the seed. Plus, the worms like it. :-) 3) Go right ahead and use it. If it was stored in a cold garage, it's completely fine. If stored in a warm house, you lose some germination but it's not that significant over six months. You can't wait too much longer for a spring seeding (and might want to consider using Siduron or Tupersan as a pre-emergent when seeding). So you probably don't have time to wait for the soil results. That's OK, you can work on correcting those issues afterward. Right now, get it sprouted--the seed has all the resources it needs for the first few weeks of its life. Once you get that test back you'll know what to add.
...See More
Converting lawn to vegetable garden, suggestions.
Q
Comments (15)
Having broken a good bit of bahia pasture, culled out the grass, mixed in a lot of well-rotted cow manure and/or mushroom compost, I can report: the heavily enriched sand grows super crops for a short time, and the amendments waste away quickly and the nemotodes will come with any kind of typical weekend garden assortment of plant species, as mentioned above. Not being here most of the year makes the necessary rotation plan difficult to enact, so most of y'all have the advantage in that regard. However probably most do not have the necessary space. I am beginning to think that five to ten times the square footage in veggies at any given time needs to be in various stages of rotation, including back into grass. I think the lasanga method is a good choice if one has the materials, though one could also make use of the sod itself. Take a sharpened shovel and shear off the sod mass from an area the size of a desired planting bed and place it upside-down on top of the grass where another planting bed will be. Soak it down good and cover that with cardboard or something to exclude light but allow moisture through, keep it damp for several months and there will be the second bed ready for planting and moderately rich from the double amount of rotted sod. The first area that the sod was taken from can be used right away if there is some compost enough on hand to boost it up. After the first crop of vegetables it could be put into legume, then chop down the crop residue and cover and keep moist. And so on. It'll surely work long term with little outside input, especially with irrigation, but a fair amount of space is required to produce fresh produce for several people.....
...See More
Lawn to Garden Convert - Removing Grass
Q
Comments (34)
Novice Gardener: You don't have to wait a season to plant. Your kids can plant today if you do the lasagna method. ;O) We've done the layering over grass many times. Just be vigilant for any grass coming through the mulch. We did it last year for several new beds & early spring we expanded and created more planting space right on top of grass. We mound it up 6-18" than the grass & once it decomposes underneath your bed won't be so high. Depends on how large of rootballs you have to plant. We moved our large rhodie last year, so needed a big hole for that & layered around it. So far, so good & the bed is so soft in spots you sink if you step into it to cut flowers or take close up photos. I've continued to add mulch to keep a 2" layer. No huge weed problems even though we used lots of hay. Use what you have for mulch and layers. Try to get a few different sources. -Compost might be best for your vegetable garden concentrating that in your planting holes & use the mulch materials between them to fill it up. -I wouldn't use bark for a vegetable garden though -used coffee grounds from St*rbucks or other shops (call ahead & ask them to save for you to pick up later in the day or the next day if you want a lot of them) -we use partially composted horse manure/bedding because it's free & nearby as the bulk of our layers for ornamental beds. Usually, full of worms & really gets the bed looking nice quickly. -sweepings from a feed store -- a mix of their hay, straw & alfalfa...coarse and you'll have to either shake out the hay seeds or cover up that top layer of hay to reduce sprouting. Del's in Auburn has a separate dumpster. Wear a mask because it's dusty, gloves, & bring your own garden fork to pull it out to put into garbage bags or cans. -use the PEP soil preparation bagged material from Home Depot for about $4 a bag. Mixed with the other mulch materials it will decompose nicely into good soil Just last week at in-laws we gave up trying to remove the thick grass & sod from one bed and removed the plants instead setting them inside cardboard boxes in shade. -mowed the grass as short as possible -covered with overlapping layers of wet cardboard -replaced plants with root balls right on the cardboard to group them together instead of the checkerboard pattern previously planted -added lots of coffee grounds (cleaned out the stash at a local coffee company that keeps it available for customers to come scoop) + soil from other beds in those spots lifting plants up just a bit off the cardboard -filled in the rest with Whidbey's $9 cu yd mulch (shredded wood debris that has dirt mixed in from the piles) + our kitchen compost scraps from the week. Neighbors enjoyed watching & came out to comment several times. One asked, "Where did you get all the plants?" By removing the high grass, you could actually see the plants. We did add a few from home & some from other beds around the property, but not many. Enjoy the easy way to garden!
...See More
How do I turn a 25ft by 25ft space of pure weeds into a great lawn?
Q
Comments (9)
There are only a couple of supposedly reputable places that tell you to till. One is the Scott's website, but don't do it. If you'd like more explanation than morph gave we could go into it, but if that works with my seconding his motion, then fine. That's not what I expected to see about your watering. You may be the exception which disproves the rule. The watering rule is "deep and infrequent." Deep means water as long as it takes to get a full inch. Measure how long that takes with cat food or tuna cans place around the yard. Infrequent means no more often than once a week when the temps run in the 90s. No more than once every 2 weeks with temps in the 80s. Why is this important? There are a couple reasons. Deep watering will develop deep roots so those roots can obtain water from deeper in the soil. If you watered every day, for example, the roots would be only at the surface because they get water all the time. Deep roots are much more heat and drought tolerant. Secondly dry soil, which is what you would have most of the time if you're not watering every other day, will not support the germination of weed seeds. Weed seeds, just like grass seed, need nearly continual soil surface moisture for them to germinate and take root. If you deny those seeds the moisture they need, then you won't need herbicide. Frequent watering is why the crabgrass seed germinates first when you try to seed turf grass in the spring. Thirdly frequent watering can allow some fungal diseases to get started in your lawn. Infrequent watering almost completely shuts off the disease. Fourth, deep water penetration helps moderate the soil temperature and sets it up for deeper populations of beneficial microbes. They need the moisture and cooler temps to thrive. There are plenty of spoken and unspoken testimonials on the lawn forums as to the validity of deep and infrequent watering. The spoken ones come unsolicited from people writing in to thank the forum. Unspoken come in from people who learned the lesson and are writing to ask about some rare nuance with their lawn, and they're always careful to mention that they water deep and infrequently. A couple years ago I ran an experiment at a new house I bought in a small town on the edge of the Texas desert. I wanted to see how long I could go without watering if I allowed the grass to grow up tall. There is still one area of about 1,500 square feet that has not had irrigation water since October of 2011. Before California stole all the drought headlines, Texas was in a drought. Well, we're still in a drought, and that tall grass is doing just fine on the occasional rain. Just for reference the grass grew to 32 inches high. I don't recommend you do the same, but it demonstrates that tall grass and infrequent watering can work together to seriously reduce turf water usage. In fact my water board secretary called me to ask if I had moved out because I was using so little water. They suspected I was stealing water somehow and replaced my water meter. So take that for what it's worth - one case does not make a research study, but it worked well for me. All the gurus on the forums will tell you to water deep and infrequent. Hope this helps.
...See More
txmeggie
14 years ago
Looks great! Can you post links for what you used, and where you learned how to do it yourself? And any 'how to ' tips.

Does the lawn have to be pretty level? I expect it would wrinkle if you had much variation in level...

Thanks
stompoutbermuda
14 years ago
Any artificial grass I have ever felt, saddly no matter how good it "looked"........ felt like plastic. I was reading another post, and here is an incredible yard for the HOT http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/txgard/msg091642168297.html
splats
14 years ago
The newer, better quality synthetics are very soft. There is a lot of misinformation out there about syn lawn and a lot of misinformation because of peoples experience with older and/or cheaper astrotype terfs/grasses. I used a product from a company called Progreen (www.progreen.com) If you brouse their site you will lean everything you need to know. They are very friendly to talk to.

The process is basically pretty easy: strip and clean the ground, put down an inch or two of 1/4- gravel or heavy sand, and spread the carpet.

Here is a link to another thread I posted on. My comments are down near the bottom, preceded by a host of misinformation. The product is not for everyone; but unfortunitely many of the comments you read are from people who don't know and/or never had the product. And, yes, I have no connection to the company at all, I just the product.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gogreen/msg0206312930157.html
stompoutbermuda
14 years ago
I went to a Home Show last month. Our water district had several speakers for xerioscape and slide shows and brochures and some vendors. One of the products was a new fake grass, they had 3 different ones on display. They all felt like plastic. It probably wasnt the same company you are speaking of, but it is my experience with the new fake grass. Unfortunately as wonderful as the information highway is, it cannot supply the sense of feel....... so a website wont get it. I would have to actually feel it, personally.
splats
14 years ago
if you contact them, they will send you free samples. Ask them for a sample of their "softest" grass. That being said, it is not organic and does not feel exactly like real grass. but it is soft and easy to lie on, easy to clean, and as I said pets and kids love it. it does feel warmer than grass in the heat of the day, but not enough to bother me. It also cools after fast in late afternoon and actual feels cool, have no idea why this happens. If you seriously start to think about this, contact me and maybe come over for a visit. I have the grass in the front and back.
stompoutbermuda
14 years ago
Do I get to use the hot tub too :)
franktank232
14 years ago
Looks like the yard from the series "The Brady Bunch"! sorry!

If i had your climate i would be thinking cacti, cacti, cacti! Go wild... Look on Amazon for some books.
Central_Cali369
14 years ago
Im with Franktank! Go crazy with Ocotillo, Aloes, Agaves...!! This is what my yard looks like 6 months after getting rid of my lawn:

{{gwi:62718}}
{{gwi:47180}}

With the exception of the queen palm, I can go two weeks without watering. The groundcover is creeping spurge and thyme mixed. I planted the thyme, while the creeping spurge is a noxious weed that I'm using to my advantage.

some of the plants I recommend for visual impact are tree aloes (Aloe Marlothii, Aloe Ferox, Aloe Arborescens, Aloe Dichotoma, Aloe Littoralis, A. Thraskii, A. speciosa, A. Alooides, A. Excelsa...).

Or, if you prefer agaves, I recommend
Agave Americana Medio Picto Alba
Agave Americana Variegata
Agave Vilmoriniana
Agave Scabra

I would then fill in with plenty of smaller sized aloes and agaves, furcraea, ocotillo, phormiums, carex, festuca...the list goes on. If you are ever in Tucson, you should check out Arid Lands Greenhouses. They have an extensive inventory of succulents and drought tolerant jewels to choose from. They also sell their stuff online for very good prices (In my opinion).

Search online for plants from similar climates such as plants from the deserts of the mediterranean, Southern Africa, Chile, Northern Mexico...and of course! The Sonora Desert in your own backyard! I've hiked 75 miles through the Sonora Desert and the cactus forests are simply amazing!!!
stompoutbermuda
14 years ago
Beautiful yard CentralCa! I do have one question though about your yard and other simular yards that are so lush and full. What about snakes hiding? I am busy putting in several small gardens on an acre I share with my mom. I really like "lush and full" and cottage style gardens, but my concern is that I am setting it up to get bit one day either by walking by a low growing full cover or by reaching into a plant to deadhead or prune.... There are dangerous snakes out here too!
Central_Cali369
14 years ago
Thank you for the compliment stompoutbermuda (like the GW name by the way!). I've never seen a snake in my yard, and I live in prime snake territory. We have several species here (rattlers, coachwhips and gartner snakes). The last two are more of a benefit because they keep rodents and gophers at bay. I'm on the very outskirts of town too. Behind that wall is nothing but "wilderness" aka grassland(those palms line a country street back there). I guess it's simply a matter of being aware of your surroundings and being careful while you're out in the yard. Maybe carrying some sort of stick when you're doing maintenance and cleaning to poke around with before you stick your hand into a mess.

I do have plenty of other wildlife around though. I have hummingbirds visiting my yard daily. I even think they nest in a bottlebrush tree. We also have a whole family of lizards that like to hang out on the wall and the patio. Oh, and some red-tailed skinks too. Those are really a treat to see! In the winter we get a whole array of wetland birds like blue & white egrets, seagulls, sandpipers, ducks, geese...the whole spectrum!

Also, remember that snakes and other reptiles are cold blooded so they like to lay on rock/boulders/walls/streets to warm up. That's not to say that snakes won't seek shelter in the shrubs and bushes, but just something to think about.

Here's a more updated picture of the yard. The one above has a huge volunteer gourd vine taking over the path to the patio. Now that it's gone, it looks a bit less crowded.

{{gwi:1266466}}
lorrainel
14 years ago
Hi, I just joined this site, so I don't know if you've figured out what you're going to do with your landscaping. But now is the time to do it, during the cooler months of winter. It can get pretty "toasty" here in S. CA but nothing like where you live. I'm going to suggest some resources for you, one is a nursery in N.M. but what the heck, you can at least do some research on their site, as well as the Theodore Payne Foundation. My third suggestion will be a book. Here's the info and good luck.

http://theodorepayne.org
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/

And the book: Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. Written by Sally & Andy Wasowski.

Lorraine

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden of Native Plants
wesley_butterflies
14 years ago
Way out of my league and zone but I think the desert rose would fit in somewhere for someone in these areas at least take a look at em and think it over.
stompoutbermuda
14 years ago
Central Cal, is that a bottle brush next to a yellow rose bush? And what would be the red flowered bush on the other side of the yellow rose? And what is the red flowered ground cover in front on the second photo? What time of year were these photos taken? And what is the dark blue flowered one towards midway to back in the first picture? Towards the front of the fist pic it looks like lisianthus and stock?
Central_Cali369
14 years ago
Stomp out bermuda, yup, that's a callistemon citrinum way back there. They are probably one of the most commonly planted trees here. The big box stores sell 1 gallon bottlebrush shrubs for $2! On the other side of the yellow rosebush is a tecomaria capensis (cape honeysuckle). Along with the bottlebrush, this one keeps the hummingbirds coming back all day! The red-flowered groundcover shrub is a shrimp plant (justicia). I received a small cutting about three years ago and after sticking it in the ground, I completely forgot about it until it flowered. It is covered in blooms all year round for me, except for a brief period after the wintertime before it resumes growth in the spring. The dark blue flowered plants are petunias. The purple and white ones are petunias also. They usually last three to four years for me until they look really leggy and I have to take them out. The plant that might have misled you as being stock is rock purslane (i think the foliage could be misleading). This picture was taken in October. As you can immagine, in gardening with drought tolerant plants, the season in which plants tend to look their best is fall through spring. This picture was taken after the first rain of the season.
stompoutbermuda
14 years ago
Petunias? Huh, I have read they grow my climate but havent tried them here. I grew them a few times when I lived on the coast but they would get rangy lookin all too quick. I had so many choices there that I finally shovel pruned all of them. Maybe I'll have to try them out here. Thanks!

Help with converting lawn to something great

Comments (17)

lazy_gardens

splats

Related Discussions

txmeggie

stompoutbermuda

splats

stompoutbermuda

splats

stompoutbermuda

franktank232

Central_Cali369

stompoutbermuda

Central_Cali369

lorrainel

wesley_butterflies

stompoutbermuda

Central_Cali369

stompoutbermuda

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US