Sharing a garden with a neighbor and ripping out lawn
“After” pics—I’ve got some! When I was having some grass ripped out recently, my neighbor Donna wanted in on the action and took out this big chunk of drought-weary St. Augustine grass at the corner of her driveway, next to my yard. We edged it like mine, with a decomposed-granite parking strip and chopped limestone, added some good Hill Country Garden Soil from the Natural Gardener, and then she set me loose to plant it for her.
Here’s what I planted—just good old tough, deer-resistant plants for Central Texas, including two kinds of grasses for movement, one a spring-bloomer, the other a fall-bloomer; two kinds of salvia and a lantana for color and wildlife; and a ‘Whale’s Tongue’ agave (A. ovatifolia) and Jerusalem sage working with the existing red yucca to provide evergreen interest. I also sowed seeds for narrowleaf zinnia, eryngium, and ‘Fireworks’ gomphrena that I’m hoping will come up in places I left bare of mulch. If you’re wondering about that circle around the agave, I mulched around it with decomposed granite to keep it from rotting. Over time the color variation becomes less noticeable.
Funny story: When I was paying for the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ at Barton Springs Nursery, one of their wonderful employees smiled and asked, “Are you getting another Moby?” Moby is famous! I’ll have to come up with a name for this little one now, I suppose.
Here’s a “before” image for contrast.
Moving to the right, you see the new decomposed-granite path that straddles our property line and meets up with an existing garden bed in my yard. What was formerly a no-man’s-land of thirsty grass is now a useful path that allows us to be in the garden. And doesn’t the space look twice as big as in the “before” picture, below?
“Before”: struggling grass along the street and no invitation into the garden. One of my priorities with any garden is to make sure there’s an invitation to enjoy it.
And how about those marvelous limestone slabs! Lucky Donna to have these in her yard! Don’t they look more natural amid a garden, with decomposed granite lapping up on one side?
They looked lost before, adrift on a sea of lawn. And what a pain to have to mow and edge around them. No more!
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Not only does it look like a larger area but it is so inviting and beautiful. I wish you lived next door to me.
Nice! And so much more appropriate than lawn.
How awesome this turned out! And so fast (I have been coveting my very own Bobcat for years). I may have to stalk you when I come down in June!
Very nice improvement with good visual continuity between the yards that works so much better when you coordinate.
Fun that you found a way to get a Moby Jr. into the plan too.
This is SO much fun and looks splendid, Pam. I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor that allowed me to do the same in our Chicago frontyard, B.F. ( before fence ) had to be installed to keep dogs and other varmints out.
It looks wonderful! Won’t you be MY neighbor??
It already looks great but it’s going to be eye-popping when the plants mature!
Moby and ‘mini’? ‘Junior’?
Can’t wait to see how that bed develops. Love the ‘easy keepers’ you’ve selected.
Also, that stone is fabulous.
*eyes longingly*
Really inspirational! lovely.
Wow!
That looks just lovely! Reducing lawn is always such an exciting activity! Truly inspirational!
Really enjoyed your blog and will come often!
Thanks,
Reed
Gorgeous transformation–and you’re right, your yard looks twice as big. You’ll both enjoy this over the years–as will your neighbors, hummingbirds and butterflies.
That’s amazing! I love before and afters. Especially, when the after turns out like that one.
Gives me some inspiration for my new driveway bed.
Not complaining about the rain…but, I need it to dry out, so we can get working on it.
Keep up the good work.
Great job!! What a HUGE difference!!
What an improvement! Beautiful stone slabs look much more beautiful now.
That looks amazing!
What an improvement – for both of you. Lucky to have the limestone slabs there in place for highlighting. When I lived in Portland, the same thing happened. I got rid of my grass, my neighbor’s fence fell down in front, and we combined planting the area between my driveway and their front walk. These were very small lots, so it wasn’t a lot of area, but it made everything so much nicer.
Wonderful job. The homes seem anchored, less “floating” in the grass too. I wouldn’t know anything about Texas limestone if it wasn’t for you!
You have given me so many good ideas. I was wondering what you have planted on the wire trellis by the path. I am enjoying more looks at your front garden after being so familiar with the back.
Gretchen, the wire is encircling a young tree that I’m protecting from deer until it gets a little bigger. —Pam
We would make excellent neighbors Pam. If ever I live in Austin, I’ll buy the house on the other side. 🙂 It’s going to be excellent, Moby Jr. looks splendid in there.~~Dee
What a wonderful improvement! I am so in tune with your philosophy of getting into the garden and enjoying it. I think having a stretch of boring lawn is so un-inviting. You are lucky to have a like-minded neighbor! I’d love to rip out some lawn in the front of my house, but one project at a time.
I started my back yard project yesterday and would love to have some limestone edging… I like the ones you’ve chosen. Where did you find those?
It’s called chopped limestone, Melissa, and here in Austin it’s available at just about every landscape supply company or stone yard. —Pam
Love the AFTER photos! Great improvement!
Wow it is going to look so awesome when things start growing and filling out. It looks so much better! What a lucky girl to have a super neighbor let her play in their garden!
Hi Pam,
This looks great! The limestone is beautiful and gives just enough “formality” without being too formal for the laid-back feel you’ve got going there. And for your neighbor’s whale-tongue, I vote for the name Nemo!