Before and After: 3 Yards Lose Lawns and Gain Gardens
See how three landscape designers transform grassy backyards into inviting, plant-filled spaces
Marianne Lipanovich
November 15, 2021
Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects are garden-based, you might also find me writing about home projects and classical music. Away from the computer, I'm found in the garden (naturally), on my bike, or ice-skating outdoors (yes, that is possible in California). I'm also willing to taste-test anything that's chocolate.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a California-based writer and editor. While most of my projects... More
Great landscape design encourages you to spend time in your yard. In the following three projects, that meant reducing or losing backyard lawns and installing new pathways, patios and gardens with a variety of colorful plants that provide seasonal interest. Read on to see before-and-after photos and learn how landscape designers transformed tired backyard lawns into lush and inviting gardens.
1. Sustainable and Serene
Backyard at a Glance
Who lives here: A busy professional and her young daughter
Location: Los Angeles
Size: Backyard, about 2,000 square feet (186 square meters); lot, 7,560 square feet (702 square meters)
Landscape designer: Akiko Komori of Yard Maven
Landscape contractor: David Lightfoot
Before: A homeowner who manages a firm that develops and invests in sustainable farms wanted to take that same approach for her own landscape remodel. Her existing backyard consisted of a patchy lawn surrounded by an awkward mix of flagstone and gravel. The yard was open and sunny but not at all inviting.
The homeowner asked designer Akiko Komori to create a garden that would look good and also be a productive space, with fruit trees, vegetable beds, herbs and plenty of plants to support local pollinators. “The homeowner envisioned a peaceful respite filled with lush greenery where she can unwind and play with her young daughter,” Komori says. To achieve that look, Komori replaced the lawn with beds filled with climate-appropriate fruit- and flower-producing plants.
Backyard at a Glance
Who lives here: A busy professional and her young daughter
Location: Los Angeles
Size: Backyard, about 2,000 square feet (186 square meters); lot, 7,560 square feet (702 square meters)
Landscape designer: Akiko Komori of Yard Maven
Landscape contractor: David Lightfoot
Before: A homeowner who manages a firm that develops and invests in sustainable farms wanted to take that same approach for her own landscape remodel. Her existing backyard consisted of a patchy lawn surrounded by an awkward mix of flagstone and gravel. The yard was open and sunny but not at all inviting.
The homeowner asked designer Akiko Komori to create a garden that would look good and also be a productive space, with fruit trees, vegetable beds, herbs and plenty of plants to support local pollinators. “The homeowner envisioned a peaceful respite filled with lush greenery where she can unwind and play with her young daughter,” Komori says. To achieve that look, Komori replaced the lawn with beds filled with climate-appropriate fruit- and flower-producing plants.
After: The new backyard features a beautiful garden that also supports a dynamic ecosystem. Komori filled the beds “to the brim” with a blend of native and other flowering perennials as well as ornamental grasses, giving the entire yard a meadow-like feel. “When you step off the deck and into the garden, it feels as if you were wading into a pool of soft, plush greenery dotted with flowers,” Komori says.
The yard is productive as well as beautiful. Apple and citrus trees dot the landscape. Raised beds near the house grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and culinary herbs in summer, followed by kale and mixed lettuces.
The extensive plant palette Komori chose provides seasonal contrast and attracts pollinators and wildlife. Komori says the homeowner and her daughter have spotted birds nesting in the trumpet vine’s branches.
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The yard is productive as well as beautiful. Apple and citrus trees dot the landscape. Raised beds near the house grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and culinary herbs in summer, followed by kale and mixed lettuces.
The extensive plant palette Komori chose provides seasonal contrast and attracts pollinators and wildlife. Komori says the homeowner and her daughter have spotted birds nesting in the trumpet vine’s branches.
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Komori focused on sustainability, along with good looks and productivity. The decomposed granite (DG) paths lined with granite cobblestones meander through the space. They’re a permeable option that allows rainwater to slowly seep into the soil rather than run off.
The beds are topped with xerimulch. “[It’s] a finely shredded wood [not bark] mulch that breaks down over time and nourishes the soil,” Komori says. The mulch also shelters the soil from direct sun and helps prevent water loss from the new drip irrigation system.
Read more about this backyard makeover
The beds are topped with xerimulch. “[It’s] a finely shredded wood [not bark] mulch that breaks down over time and nourishes the soil,” Komori says. The mulch also shelters the soil from direct sun and helps prevent water loss from the new drip irrigation system.
Read more about this backyard makeover
2. Cottage Garden Color
Backyard at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple — he loves to garden, and she loves to enjoy the fruits of his labor
Location: Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
Size: The patio is 750 square feet (70 square meters)
Landscape designer: James M. Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio
Before: After 20 years of living with a backyard that had no patio and little color but lots of lawn, these homeowners in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, were ready to turn it into a space they wanted to be in. They had admired Ginkgo Leaf Studios’ work on Houzz, so they turned to landscape designer Jim Drzewiecki for help.
The homeowners knew they wanted to incorporate a lot of color into their landscape. The husband is fond of plants and gardening and had worked in the front of the house a lot. “I loved working with someone who was so excited about plants,” Drzewiecki says. They also had an unused pergola kit and wanted that as part of the garden.
Drzewiecki matched the farmhouse-like style of their home and the traditional yet casual style of their interior to a cottage-garden-inspired design.
Backyard at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple — he loves to garden, and she loves to enjoy the fruits of his labor
Location: Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
Size: The patio is 750 square feet (70 square meters)
Landscape designer: James M. Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio
Before: After 20 years of living with a backyard that had no patio and little color but lots of lawn, these homeowners in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, were ready to turn it into a space they wanted to be in. They had admired Ginkgo Leaf Studios’ work on Houzz, so they turned to landscape designer Jim Drzewiecki for help.
The homeowners knew they wanted to incorporate a lot of color into their landscape. The husband is fond of plants and gardening and had worked in the front of the house a lot. “I loved working with someone who was so excited about plants,” Drzewiecki says. They also had an unused pergola kit and wanted that as part of the garden.
Drzewiecki matched the farmhouse-like style of their home and the traditional yet casual style of their interior to a cottage-garden-inspired design.
After: Drzewiecki used the double doors leading out to the lawn as the centerline for the newly designed space. They now open onto a large bluestone patio. Rather than design a long rectangular space, Drzewiecki created a circular edge at the end of the lounge area. He also added a half-circle around the fountain in the conversation area to the right of this photo. “These edges allowed us to create more interesting, nonlinear beds around the patio,” he says.
Drzewiecki installed the homeowners’ pergola over the dining area to the left of this photo. Red clay bricks set into the bluestone patio break up the overall space and define the different areas.
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Drzewiecki installed the homeowners’ pergola over the dining area to the left of this photo. Red clay bricks set into the bluestone patio break up the overall space and define the different areas.
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Cottage garden style, known for lots of color, foliage and shape variations, inspired Drzewiecki’s planting choices. He knew he wanted continuous blooms from May through September or October in every garden bed. He also wanted to avoid repeating colors.
Beyond the patio, Drzewiecki added deciduous shrubs and ornamental trees to give the backdrop more character and color as well as provide winter interest.
The new backyard is now a favorite place for the homeowners. The wife is happy to have a lovely space to look at and spend time in. Her husband, meanwhile, is thrilled to have so many plants to tend to. “He told me that we changed his life,” Drzewiecki says. “That’s the best thing you can hear from a client.”
See more of this backyard
Beyond the patio, Drzewiecki added deciduous shrubs and ornamental trees to give the backdrop more character and color as well as provide winter interest.
The new backyard is now a favorite place for the homeowners. The wife is happy to have a lovely space to look at and spend time in. Her husband, meanwhile, is thrilled to have so many plants to tend to. “He told me that we changed his life,” Drzewiecki says. “That’s the best thing you can hear from a client.”
See more of this backyard
3. Angled Approach
Backyard at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Southeast London
Size: 1,238 square feet (115 square meters); approximately 76 by 16 feet
Landscape designer: Simon Orchard of Simon Orchard Garden Design
Before: This London backyard consisted of an unkempt lawn, a falling-down fence and a rotting shed, but designer Simon Orchard saw the potential. “It was a nice blank canvas,” he says.
The homeowners asked Orchard to turn this unattractive space into an inviting garden filled with plants. “The owners didn’t want a lawn,” Orchard says. “They’re not sunbathers and don’t have kids running around, and the maintenance aspect didn’t appeal to them. They felt they could have a more interesting garden without one.”
The new backyard now features zigzag paths that lead through a plant-filled modern prairie garden.
Backyard at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Southeast London
Size: 1,238 square feet (115 square meters); approximately 76 by 16 feet
Landscape designer: Simon Orchard of Simon Orchard Garden Design
Before: This London backyard consisted of an unkempt lawn, a falling-down fence and a rotting shed, but designer Simon Orchard saw the potential. “It was a nice blank canvas,” he says.
The homeowners asked Orchard to turn this unattractive space into an inviting garden filled with plants. “The owners didn’t want a lawn,” Orchard says. “They’re not sunbathers and don’t have kids running around, and the maintenance aspect didn’t appeal to them. They felt they could have a more interesting garden without one.”
The new backyard now features zigzag paths that lead through a plant-filled modern prairie garden.
After: Orchard notes that in a long, thin garden such as this one, your eye is naturally drawn directly to the end of the space. His solution was to set the design at an angle. “Walking through, you zigzag down it. It also gives the illusion the space is wider than it is,” Orchard says.
Porcelain paver stones set in loose gravel pathways lead from the patio to different zones within the space. Orchard added garden beds on either side of the path filled with a mix of soft and architectural plants, creating the prairie look. “This style of planting is very loose,” he says. “Everything is deliberately just jumbled together to look natural, rather than having ordered groups of odd numbers of plants.”
The plants will eventually spill out onto the pathways and soften the design as the landscape matures. Once established, the plants will be drought-resistant and attractive to beneficial insects.
10 Things to Consider for a Sustainable Landscape Design
Porcelain paver stones set in loose gravel pathways lead from the patio to different zones within the space. Orchard added garden beds on either side of the path filled with a mix of soft and architectural plants, creating the prairie look. “This style of planting is very loose,” he says. “Everything is deliberately just jumbled together to look natural, rather than having ordered groups of odd numbers of plants.”
The plants will eventually spill out onto the pathways and soften the design as the landscape matures. Once established, the plants will be drought-resistant and attractive to beneficial insects.
10 Things to Consider for a Sustainable Landscape Design
Orchard added a gravel landing pad about halfway through the yard to add what he calls “a bit of a pause.” It’s also home to an Amur maple (Acer ginnala) tree. “It turns an amazing fiery red in autumn,” Orchard says. The owners plan to add seating to this area.
Sandstone planks fill the area at the end of the yard. The owners plan to add a sofa and a fire pit to create an inviting entertaining space.
New fencing painted a dark gray provided a contemporary finishing touch. “It’s also a great foil for the green planting,” Orchard says.
See more of this garden
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Sandstone planks fill the area at the end of the yard. The owners plan to add a sofa and a fire pit to create an inviting entertaining space.
New fencing painted a dark gray provided a contemporary finishing touch. “It’s also a great foil for the green planting,” Orchard says.
See more of this garden
More on Houzz
Tour more landscapes
Browse landscape photos
Find a landscape contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
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Love the use of native plants!
The angled back yard is seriously fabulous. Wow is all I can say
I love #1 as it has a similar approach to ours, although we are in Northern Colorado. I definitely plan on adding an apple tree to our yard. #3 is just perfect with the angled path and little beds along the way.