No Lawn Garden Design

When a garden is a reflection of a life, it deserves to be more than just an afterthought to a lawn.

I first met Ruth three years ago, when she was looking for help sprucing up her planting beds and advice on how to deal with the gophers that arrived like clockwork from the open space behind her home.  After listening while Ruth pointed out plant after plant that had been grown from a friend’s cutting or received as a gift from someone special in her life, I started wondering why she was limiting herself to a narrow planting strip only a few feet wide wedged in at the edges of her lawn.  Her plants and the stories behind them were far more interesting than the tired patch of sod that dominated the back yard.

Although she wasn’t actually looking for a garden design, almost without thinking I interrupted her to say “let’s replace the entire lawn with garden.” And five minutes later I was sketching out ideas.

before

newly planted

Three years later

Ruth’s design is inspired by the classic concept of a stroll garden. This design style first became popular on English estates in the 18th century. Merging garden and landscape, the stroll garden consisted of a peripheral path intended for leisurely walking that showcased garden views, water features and groupings of trees and shrubs.

Fortunately an estate is not required as the concept is easily adapted to a more modest scale.  In Ruth’s case, we divided the yard into a garden beds intersected by meandering gravel paths.

This not only turns the garden into an experience, but it cuts it down into chunks of planting areas, making choosing, planting and maintaining each ‘mini-garden’ much more manageable.  The pathway widens to accommodate the existing lawn tree, a perfect solution to integrate a mature tree into a new design when overly enthusiastic roots do not allow for under-planting. Two or three broad stepping stones twine a few feet into each bed, which simplifies maintenance and encourages visitors to examine favorite plants more closely.  Berms or mounds not only vary the topography; they also provide the improved drainage so many California natives and Mediterranean plants prefer.

Ruth has what I call a plantsman’s garden, where preserving individual specimens is more important than creating a cohesive palette.  Similar to a lawn, the pathway acts as a unifier, and I added bronze foliage plants like Phormium ‘Bronze Baby’ and Heuchera ‘Amethyst Mist’ and a sprinkling of grasses to tie the beds together.  I quickly realized keeping Ruth to a strict planting plan was hopeless, as between our first meeting and the garden’s installation nine months later, she’d purchased or been given at least a dozen plants.  It turns out there is something freeing about shaking off the yoke that a strict adherence to a color palette can create, and I happily planted her beloved yellow rose bush within shouting distance of its small, hot pink cousin across the pathway.  Both roses are cherished momentos of friendship and garden highlights in the spring.

Fortunately, we were both in agreement that pollinator plants were a priority, so hardy favorites like rock rose, Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ and achillea are scattered throughout the garden.

Ruth’s children and grandchildren are grown, which made her decision to remove her lawn a little easier, but a design like this works for kids and dogs as well.  Although I would choose a smoother path surface than gravel, curving pathways make great play spaces for games and tricycles. For older children, why not give them their own garden bed, to plant and care for as they choose?

After all, if Ruth Bancroft can celebrate her 100th birthday by gardening, and my friend Ruth can enthusiastically redefine the definition of a suburban back yard  in her eighties, surely the rest of us can be a bit more adventurous when it comes to re-imagining our gardens.

Comments

[wayne]

100 and gardening. Go Ruth and her unfolding garden! My simple plan was remove the grass and then ???? As the years go by, slowly a garden emerges.

Slow is better if you have the patience. Some days I do and other days...

[Cherie]

LOVE it! I see this happening in my back yard when my kids are gone, along with the swingset, pool, and toys!

Wonderful idea, Cherie!

[Evelyn Hadden]

I love the whole stroll garden idea; I have seen it at work in small city gardens and extensive suburban yards, as well as many public landscapes. This is a beautiful example, and I bet Ruth doesn't miss her lawn. Thanks for the inspiring story and photos!

Evelyn, I know this is a topic close to your own heart. Visiting this particular garden and seeing how much Ruth is enjoying it is an absolutely wonderful experience for me.

[Rob (OurFrenchGarden)]

Ah to stroll through the garden. This is so much better than the lawn. How's the weather over in your part of the world. We're forecast 39C for Sunday and Monday, they call it a Spanish plume, a big bubble of hot and humid weather drifting up from Spain.

Beautiful today, around 27C (had to look up the conversion from Fahrenheit but am now feeling delightfully continental) but was scorchingly hot last week and has been windy in the evenings. I'm hosting a dinner party tomorrow night and am really hoping to eat outside, both because it's nicer in the garden and I don't really have to clean the house.

[compostinmyshoe]

Continuing to rethink them as we age is a must do activity. No sooner do you think you like it, when it there is some other way to take it to the next level. It is life, just a little difficult on the muscles some days!

I agree completely - a garden is a journey, not a destination.

[BecKy Leach]

Please tell me what on earth you used to edge the paths! I can't afford steel, and plastic looks horrible. Thanks!

Sorry to disappoint you Becky, but it's benderboard - plastic composite. It can get a bit worn looking after a few years but still an affordable, flexible choice.

[Ita]

I love Ruth's garden! Great design! But I really want to know how you solved the gopher problem. the only things I have in my garden is stuff gophers won't eat. It's kind of boring.

We planted larger plants in gopher cages or hardscape fabric, and interplanted with (supposedly) more gopher-repellent plants like salvias and Euphorbias. It hasn't stopped them, but it's kept them in check. A lot of Ruth's plants along the edges tend to be undersized, I think because the gophers are constantly nibbling at them.

[FaithieP]

Love the term plantsman's garden. This is what I will tell myself when I see a new and odd plant at the nursery that I simply must have that looks like none of the others...you are an enabler!...

Too true! I have another client who always has a bunch of unplanted pots around when I visit. She tries to tell me she's propagating them for a plant sale, but if that's the case, why do some of them have Annie's Annuals tags? :-)

[Susan Harris]

It's wonderful and I learned something - thank you!

[Ivette Soler]

FANTASTIC!!! Ruth must kick ass!
I love your unifiers - when we deal with intensely eclectic gardens, we need to build a sense of cohesiveness. I have to applaud your tossing off the Bossy Boots Designer cloak - that is SO HARD! You are right, it is more important to honor the beauty of the MEANING of the plants in her garden. SO well done, as always!

[Account Deleted]

very nice collection of photos.
backyard design

[lawn care newnan ga]

Wow.. what an amazing garden! It looks completely unplanned and sporadic, which i LOVE! thanks for sharing!

[deck design]

Great design! I love the whole stroll garden idea. This truly was such a lovely and inspired post. Your pictures always speak volumes and I loved hearing your defined thoughts on what makes a garden special.