Yardvaark, your graphics keep giving me a great idea for a business -- landscape balloons!

That might be lovely ... but a touch expensive!

Thank you for the suggestion!

I know DP would love to add more trees, so this would speak to both of us. Would I only plant trees in those areas or should I consider adding flowers to those tree beds?

Also, wanted to ask, am I silly not to consider some type of hardscaping to cut into the lawn? Maybe it's just overwhelming to me since I've grown up in cities, but I would plant trees all over the front yard just to avoid having a lawn.

What kind of hardscaping would you be talking about? Usually, hardscape begins as a need ... a need for more paving, walls, etc. And walls are not going to lessen lawn to any appreciable degree.

When someone says "flowers" ... to me, that is annuals. That's something you want to incorporate into a bed in a specific place. They wouldn't be scattered around in all the bed.

It looks to me like islands could remove about 1/3 of your lawn. I'm sure there would be a way to bump the figure higher. But why do you want to remove more? One of the costs you may incur is in controlling weeds. I'm not saying it's not possible or practical, but just that you must do it, one way or the other.

In places it is climatically appropriate, lawn is easy. You go swoosh, swish with the lawnmower every week or so, and you're done. Unless you happen to buy a lot with dense forest, pretty much anything else is going to be more work. What Yardvaark drew actually makes me cringe because it is going to be an awful lot of weeding work until the trees are a good size. A large shrubbery border would fill in sooner, so the hard work wouldn't last as long.

I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that what you really need is a larger lawnmower. If you don't have a ride-on, price one. It will be a lot cheaper than installing hot, useless paving.

I hope I made you cringe really good, Mad! :-) Most of my drawings and suggestions must do that since they all basically consist of the same elements, including plenty of groundcover. The comment reminded me of when I first started reading books about horticulture. Each book seemed to disagree in some substantial way with each book read previously. How could so many opposites or differing outcomes be true? It seems that many things depend on other things and thus, there are many factors to weigh into any mix, with a cornucopia of results.

I fully agree that groundcovers not properly tended can be a danger. Things can go quickly south if anyone ignores a few weeds a little too long. But this is a process one must make a decision about early on and vow not to let happen. It could mean a whole lot of hand weeding until groundcovers establish. Or it could be actually not much if one regularly uses pre-emergent herbicide during the establishment period and keeps an eye on things. The good part is that the necessity of using pre-emergent is reduced as establishment progresses.

Instead of turf, the "lawn" portion of my yard is 100% groundcover ... in the Florida sun. Portions are still in the establishment phase because I keep killing the grass and expanding the groundcover, this spring being the last of the swap-out. It is 99.99% weed free in spite of the fact that my next door neighbor supplies me with endless weed seeds. So I know that maintaining groundcover is not as difficult as some people seem to think it is. On the other hand, having many shrubs can be a steady burden if one must trim them regularly. Even that's no so bad if one has good equipment ... or a service.

Turning your driveway into a roundabout with a great fountain at the center would look amazing! And would greatly reduce the lawn.

Pistachios - You have a beautiful home, love the color and the
overall curb appeal is really nice! You could start with expanding the beds along
the homes foundation to add ornamental trees at each corner. This helps to anchor the home within the
landscape and frame your view.

I think you are on the right path with an island bed to
reduce lawn and the Willow Oak will grow into a great tree/focal point. Unless trying to add privacy, just be aware
when laying out the bed and picking plant material to not block prominent views
to front door/porch.

You could also think about adding some larger trees along
the left property line in a naturalized layout to start creating a buffer
between properties. Are you thinking
about hiring a contractor or doing this yourself? Would love to learn more about your goals for
this project.

The proper groundcover, properly established by no means requires constant upkeep. You start small and keep expanding the area little by little.

Yardvaark(9A): Thank you for taking the time to continue to respond; I appreciate it. You're right, I would simply be trying to cut into the lawn; there is no real reason to for hardscaping. I misunderstood what you meant by "groundcover beds"; it makes perfect sense now.

mad_gallica(zone 5 - eastern New York): Hah, maybe you're right. However, I would rather spend $$$ on trees and landscaping than on a riding mower.

Water Scuppers and Bowls, LLC: Oh, how I would love to. Unfortunately, it wouldn't make sound financial sense.

Front Appeal: Thank you! I'm not sure whether I will do the work myself; I'm hoping to figure out a plan first. I know many love green lawns, but I find them to be boring and frankly, a waste of resources. I don't appreciate the time involved in caring for a big lawn and I don't appreciate the water wasted during the summer months. My goals are to remove a portion of the lawn while adding a little interest in the front.

Sorry, I'm not an expert.

Pistachios - I agree a plan is the right way to start any landscape project. Creating a master plan for your yard will allow you to install in phases while working towards your final design. You can pick and choose what you do yourself or what you hire a contractor for.

Mine may not be the voice of reason but at least it's the voice of what makes sense to me. I've never watered my lawn. I garden on an acre in Southern New England. I garden to sustain pollinators (i.e., bees, butterflies, hummingbirds) since without them we wouldn't have gardens. I researched perennial plants that sustain pollinators, winter sowed seeds, grew & planted them. I continue to maintain my full-sun, part-sun & shade gardens with that as my goal. Along the way, it made me smile that as I dug up and planted garden beds I was reducing the amount of lawn/grass which to me is anathema.

In my view lawn isn't evil; it's simply as superfluous as last year's fashions. We don't need it and it serves little (if any) purpose. Don't even bring up golf courses. Golf is simply as superfluous as last year's menu.

Sorry to cut this short. Houzz has decided they don't approve of my comments. I'm outta here.

Can't disagree more that "lawn serves no purpose." Actually, it's a spacious walking path. Likewise it serves the visual purpose of 'white space.'

vstavay - Thank you for that design; I really appreciate it. I love how much lawn it removes. Might I ask what software you're using?

gardenweed_z6a - I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, I need to have a plan in place as we live in a small community with an HOA. I would love to sprinkle seeds a la Miss Rumphius, but it isn't worth the headache. I am able to make changes and I will; I just need to figure out what those changes will be.

Yardvaark(9A) - I wish I appreciated lawn as you do. I can appreciate the aesthetic of a bright, lush, small lawn surrounding a garden, but otherwise, I don't fully understand the appeal.

Nice, well cared for turf is: green velvet upholstery ... plush carpet ... clear complexion, etc. Even though I don't want to care for it, I can still appreciate it's fine qualities and handsome appearance. On the other hand, there is not much to admire about poorly cared for turf. It is mange and acne.

Do you say you have too much lawn because it's too much work? Or because you would rather have planting beds instead of lawn? I don't believe replacing lawn with planting beds will save you any yard-work time.

You say you are city-raised. Perhaps you simply think you have too much LAND? There's no cure for that, save selling and buying a smaller property.

We need to understand more about the context of your property. The boundary seems to bisect the wooden fence, which seems to run right in back of the house. Is all of your property in the front of the house? Are you looking to create some privacy there because there is none in the back? What are the properties on either side of you like? Are you trying to make your house "disappear" back into a clearing in a forest? I find these landscape design questions don't take into account the surroundings, which make all the difference in making a house feel at home in its landscape or brutally carved out of it..

littlebug zone 5 Missouri - The lawn is both too much work and unattractive to me. I would much rather the work of deadheading and weeding in a bed than dealing with the constant maintenance of a lawn that will only ever be green (and require weeding, mowing, etc.). Further, if I did go with bushes and flowers, I am likely to choose natives that will have benefits beyond beauty.

kitasei(6b lower Hudson Valley, NY) - The fence is ours; our property line is diagonal, which can be difficult to photograph (and get in one shot). We have property in the back, but a lot of it is filled with trees, bushes, flowers, and a vegetable garden. The lawn that is back there is almost completely clover, which takes very little care. I would happily extend the clover to the front, but our HOA would not appreciate it.

Keep in mind that 90% of lawn care is it EDGES. So in you eagerness to reduce lawn, don't do it by creating more edges! Rather than island beds, consider a single sweeping line. As for clover, the nicest lawns all included clover until it had to be eliminated from seed mixes that could be treated with weedkillers. I can't imagine anyone complaining about a nice clover lawn, and if they do, I would ignore them. I mean really...