No Grass!

When I was growing up in Baltimore, we had a postage stamp-sized lawn in our front yard which my brother mowed to perfection in 15 minutes. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there seems to be a growing trend to eliminate lawns of all sizes and let the neighbors carry on the turf tradition. Soon there will be no grass left--which would be a happy thing for birds seeking additional habitat.

Clients in Issaquah decided to go grassless in the front and needed a planting plan that gave them a mix of shrubs, perennials for cut flowers and screening in front of their large bay window. In the rainy winter months they had serious puddling, creating muddy areas that made walking a noisy experience as you pulled your feet out of the muck with huge sucking sounds. The problem was exacerbated by the slope: a moderate drop off from the sidewalk flattened out closer to the home’s footprint. This drop off performed like a water slide. Gravity pulled the water to the flat zone and there it very, very slowly seeped into the ground. Despite the abundance of winter water, in the summer these same areas were bone dry and difficult to plant. Could we fix the sprinkler system? Perhaps additional water in summer was the way to go.

They liked the connection from the driveway to the front door, but thought that materials other than concrete aggregate would be an improvement. And, they welcomed the idea of a place to put groceries when unloading the car or to welcome visitors.

The drainage situation was unraveled first. After obtaining plat plans from King County, it did not appear that the downspouts in the front had ever been hooked into the street. They, too, were dumping directly into the front yard. The homeowner did a couple of tests in the back and those downspouts were draining to the rear of the back yard. While drainage to the rear worked fine in this yard, the lack of connection to the storm drain in the front yard posed problems. We had an inspector from the City of Seattle take a look, and after investigating with a mirror it was confirmed that they somehow had never been connected.

It has become a familiar story: installing drainage trenches leading to dry wells or rain gardens. Here we chose to install a large dry well under the new stone octagon in front with additional drainage leading to the back under the 3/8 minus pathway.

We also installed a stone path leading from the driveway to the octagonal pad, and a new 3/8 minus path leading to the side gate (mentioned above). This shady, dry area was a prime candidate for an open path which allowed for minimal upkeep.

The slope was addressed by installing a sinuous, low seat wall to help create two planting zones: one for the pleasure of passers-by, the other a more private garden viewed from the large bay window. An elegant Japanese maple was chosen to add fall color and form while creating privacy from the street. After adding the compost to create tilth in our heavy clay soils, add microbes and help retain moisture, plants were chosen (We eliminated the heavily damaged sprinkler system.). Flowers to encourage hummingbirds such as Crocosmias, Salvias, Fuchsias, and Kniphofias (Red Hot Poker plant) were selected. Hardy Daisies and Black-eyed Susans provide cut flowers and greet pedestrians as they go by. A mix of grasses for sound and flashes of golden seed heads and boxwoods for greenery work together under the bay window.

Finally, the dominating cherry trees in a narrow strip of ground near the garage were removed with the blessing of the Homeowners' Association. They were diseased and dumping debris on the roof which funneled into the downspouts. What emerged was an area planted with hardy Hebes, Sedums, and Irises to name a few--a cheerful place that would not get in the way of opening car doors.

The area near the front door which once contained three pendulous shrubs now offers a bench and colorful containers which coordinate with the blues of the home. The passion vine twining above bloomed last summer. The front yard is draining; the plants are coming on. This garden won the 2007 Landscape of the Year Award in their development. I am happy to say that this house will be lush and lawnless for many years to come.

View Past Projects
Craftsman Renovation
Boggy Garden
Modern Garden
The Rockery
Cottage Garden
Roof Garden
Native Mix Garden
Woodland Garden