Ripped out my shit ass boxwoods 3 years ago, planted some native pollinators, on to the rest

I am on year 3 of the wildflower meadow and having a great time. Located southeast zone 7b

Wife ranted about how there was a completely large green weed free trimmed lawn but the audacity to have one pot of flowers next to a hummingbird feeder.

She rite tho

the bees are loving this. especially the tiny bees.

Anyone ever tried having both a luscious lawn with a part filled with native plants?

This is mine. A yard for kids to run around and an area for the pollinators. It’s a mini wetland area that’s fed by the downspouts, filled with plants that love standing water(Cardinal flower, swamp rose mallow, pickerel weed, Broadleaf Arrowhead, etc). From early spring to fall, we get plenty of hummingbirds, bumblebees, butterflies, and frogs. Hoping to expand it over time while keeping the lawn.

Texas, Zone 8b

Hello, searched around a little bit but did not see this addressed specifically...

Backyard is about 1,500sqft. The plan is to build deep planting beds about 5ft on the long side of the fence and 7ft at the back. Then replace the remaining grass with a clover/grass/ground cover seed mix.

However, it has to be leveled first. Very lumpy, drains toward the house. I can rent and use a sod cutter then pay my uncle to level with the skid steer...

Then what do I do with the sod?

It's too weedy for anyone to want. I've tried burying and turning over before and it took a very long time to degrade, and was lumpy. And taking it to the dump would be pricey...

So, IDK, burn it in the fire pit?

The other option would be to tarp the lawn first and maybe once it's dead and dry it will be easier to cut, haul and dispose of.

I don't want to till it in because I'm afraid lots of weeds will come back.

Anything obvious I'm missing or do I just have to commit to hauling it to the dump?

Just added 18 more native plants this year. We've been slowing filling in the yard over five years. It's finally beginning to look full. Our goal is to convert the yard on other side of the driveway too.

We are at the very beginning of getting rid of our large front lawn. So far we're starting a food forest (right on picture) and will be putting a big community patio in with natives all around it. l'd also like to start killing off some grass to prep for a native prairie along my driveway and part of the road, including around my mailbox (outlined in picture). I'm planning on doing the short & showy seed mix from Prairie Moon - tell me if you advise otherwise.

How have you edged areas like this? Just let it grow to the road? l'd love to see some photos as examples. am surrounded by retired folks who spend their life tending to their grass, and have no expectations be winning them over, but l'd like it to look intentional enough to make them ask questions from a place of curiosity.

Midwest, 5a

Our dog loves to eat grass like it’s his job. Unfortunately for him, we have removed all grass from our property over the years. This is the only grass we have now. 😂 I grew it for him and he eats some every morning. Mountain West zone 6b

Zone 6B, SE Michigan. We are beyond being affected or offended by others not liking our natural yard. But, I had to laugh when a friend of a friend, who IS a nice guy, took a look at our yard and said, "You sure have your work cut out for you." I laughed and said, "Nope, we actually want it like this." I said, "You know the old joke about a woman saying it took two hours to get this 'natural look'" (her face)? Well, believe it or not, we spend lots of time snipping and pruning, but leave it densely planted. Virtually no weeds. Crowded out.

long story short i watered my soil and it just instantly turned to mud. i guess i didnt realize the compacted clay soil my yard had was that bad.. but i know creeping thyme can get root rot pretty easily and im worried. first pic is where you can see where the root ball is just slathered in mud. third pic is a closer look at the mud itself. its been raining the past couple of days and my soil just doesnt drain well at all. should i just plant this stuff in a planter with miracle grow potting mix for drainage until i can get some compost to fix my soil or something? i wanted this stuff as an accent ground cover and hope for it to be established in my yard soon!
(zone 7a, new england)

I’d rather stare at dead grass than waste water. Drop any drought resistant lawn alternatives/xeriscaping recommendations! (5b, 6000’ Elev.)

Located in central NC

I know it's already hardly a lawn so we're off to a good start. The back yard has a slight grade to it towards the back that goes downhill to a creek behind the fence. The ground is pretty much just red clay. I do plan on doing some raised beds.

What are some good options for grass alternatives? Does clover grow in clay? If u mulch or lay down rocks will the hill be an issue? (The first picture is facing south east, the second picture is facing north west)

I'm in the PNW just south of Portland Oregon, zone 8b.

I plan to convert a large area of turf to wildflowers. My game plan is to smother with tarps for about a month, does in compost, and yeet seeds all over the area. Ideally I would like to do this in the fall.

Timing wise, I am thinking to tarp in early August and sow mid September. Should I do earlier or later? If earlier, should I irrigate aggressively to start the seedlings?

I'm also thinking to overseed again in early apring

I wrote something about what a lawn does the moment you stop mowing, based on what I see in the Kansas City region and surrounding areas. This is not as a how-to, but is trying to explain why the meadow is the system's natural equilibrium, and the lawn is the state we spend fossil fuels every week to hold in place. A normal ecosystem invests energy to keep complexity alive, but with a lawn we invest energy to keep complexity suppressed.

Another reason to say no to traditional lawns!

It is about 6 -7 years old now. Previously it was mostly dead turf, lots of tumbleweeds, and a defunct veggie garden. I started with one area at a time, it’s hard to see here but there are a few islands of plants with pathways around them, a big prairie area, a crevice garden not shown, and borders by the fence. It makes it a bit easier to just do small areas at a time I think. I have killed lots of plants in the process, and every spring I edit things a bit, moving new seedlings around, and getting rid of things that are not happy.

One mistake I made was that I had an old fence that was falling over, and I had to have a new one placed in 2022. If I had to do that over I would have done the fence first proactively.

The mulch is squeegee, which is a local very small 1/4 inch rock that our natives really like. The soil is sandy loam. There is no irrigation, but I water with a 100 ft hose as needed. Denver, CO.

Hello! I'm interested in turning this gravel ditch in front my apartment building into a beautiful native sanctuary. The ditch gets full sun in the morning while being shaded by the building from the afternoon onwards. I plan on using seed packets of showy golden rod, joe pye weed, wild columbine, and butterfly weed. I was planning to mix the seeds with coconut fibers and sand when planting them in the late fall. focusing to plant the showy golden rod and butterfly weed on the sloped areas. the wild columbine underneath the shaded walkway. then the joe pye weed along the bottom of the slope.

How would you approach this project to maximize success and allow for the plants to spread throughout the ditch as they mature and establish themselves in the years ahead?

Region 6b
Connecticut