Ideas For Blending Lawn And Landscaping

A wide expanse of lawn in your yard is attractive. However, grass is not the only plant that beautifies your yard. Flowers and other perennials, as well as garden features, add interest to a space. Add curb appeal to your home by blending landscaping and hardscape with your lawn.

Lawn Terraces

If you have a sloped yard, growing a straight lawn presents difficulty. However, a series of terraces not only makes growing grass easier, it adds beauty. To create terraces, landscapers shore up areas of your yard with a low retaining wall. You can plant grass on each terrace, and border them with hardy perennials. According to SF Gate, perennial plants such as coneflower, rosemary and thyme work well on sunny slopes, whereas Japanese painted fern, periwinkle and daylilies like the shade.

Stage Set

A well-groomed lawn naturally draws the eye with all the greenery. Use this to set the stage for a highlight piece. For example, if you're having a terrace built in, leave the majority of the flat space to the lawn. However, place a highlight piece, such as a statue or an ornamental shrub, at the apex of the terrace. This idea works even if you don't have a sloped yard. Simply use a brick or stone border to create a mini-garden.

Organic Pattern

Stone makes an attractive foil to the greenery of a lawn. Instead of having a geometric border, consider letting the two come together organically. For instance, designate one area of the yard to gravel. Have the grass come right up to the gravel without any additional border. Rather than having them meet in a straight line, consider allowing the natural border to arc in a gentle curve. An ornamental tree or patch of wildflowers adds to this tableau.

Geometric Whimsy

Grass automatically lends itself to filling in even small gaps. Create a little whimsy in your yard by playing with geometry. Use square pavers to make a checkerboard in a section of the lawn. This effect looks good with a modern style yard. Add other elements with clean lines, such as a round table or rectangular bench.

Old School Garden

The classics stand the test of time for a reason – they're universally attractive. Consider going traditional with your yard setup. For instance, start with the lawn in your front yard. Next, create a walkway out of brick or cobblestone. Finally, border the fence and the house's foundation with pretty flowers.  Such a garden is a charming accent to a historical or cottage style home.

Blending landscaping with hardscape and a lawn allow you to use pattern, texture and color to define spaces within your yard. Talk with a local lawn care company, like Natural Lawn & Landscape, LLC, for ideas specific to your climate.

Note to editor: There has been some confusion about the definition of hardscape. From Dictionary.com: the manmade part of the grounds surrounding a building, as paved areas or statues.

From HGTV: Hardscape refers to any solid landscaping surface or structure, from paving and decking to retaining walls and fences.


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