Not Grass: This Front Yard Was Rebuilt Around Shrubs and Mulch
Dry grass covered most of this front yard despite dozens of established shrubs, ornamental grasses, flowering plants, and young trees already growing throughout the space. Large sections of lawn required water but contributed little to the overall landscape.
Rather than replacing the grass, Imgur user Sboutig decided to remove the lawn from the design altogether. New edging, compost, drip irrigation, mulch, and gravel transformed the property into a low-water garden where planting beds became the main feature instead of the turf.
Plants Remained. Lawn Became the Problem
Flowering shrubs, evergreen mounds, ornamental grasses, and young trees were already distributed throughout the property. Most of the landscape structure existed before the project began.
Large patches of dry grass filled the spaces between plants, creating a scattered appearance across the yard. Existing plantings had matured enough to become the focus, making the lawn feel unnecessary.
Landscape Edging Created a Defined Border
Black landscape edging was installed around the perimeter of the planting area, separating the future garden from the surrounding sidewalks and driveway.
Curved lines followed the shape of the corner lot and established clear boundaries before any soil amendments or mulch were added. The edging also created a barrier to help keep mulch in place.
Cardboard Covered the Remaining Turf
Large sheets of cardboard were spread across sections of the lawn before mulch installation began.
Rather than digging out the existing grass, cardboard was used to smother the lawn beneath the future mulch layer. As it breaks down, the material suppresses weeds, adds organic matter to the soil, and helps convert turf areas into planting beds with less labor.
Compost Improved the Soil
Twelve yards of soil and compost arrived before work on the planting beds could continue. Imgur user Sboutig joked that his wife’s reaction to the massive pile was priceless when it was dumped in front of the house.
The material was spread throughout the landscape to improve soil conditions before irrigation, mulch, and finishing details were added.
Drip Irrigation Replaced Broad Watering
Drip irrigation tubing was installed throughout the landscape, weaving between shrubs, ornamental grasses, and young trees before disappearing beneath the future mulch layer.
Unlike traditional sprinklers that water large sections of ground at once, the drip system delivers water directly to each plant through individual emitters. The network became one of the most important upgrades in the project, supporting the new low-water landscape while reducing runoff and unnecessary watering.
Wood Chips Changed the Entire Appearance
A delivery of roughly 18 yards of wood chips arrived after the irrigation system and soil preparation were complete. The large pile represented one of the final steps in the lawn-to-garden transformation.
Once spread throughout the property, the mulch tied the entire landscape together. Separate planting beds began reading as one continuous garden, while exposed soil and remaining patches of grass disappeared beneath a uniform layer of wood chips. As the homeowner noted after installation, the project was finally starting to look good.
Dry Grass Disappeared Beneath a New Planting Plan
Months earlier, the yard consisted mostly of struggling grass with scattered planting islands spread across the property. By the end of the project, mulch connected every bed into a single landscape and shifted attention toward the shrubs, grasses, and young trees.
Drip irrigation now delivers water directly to each planting zone, reducing the need to irrigate an entire lawn. Wood-chip mulch helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and protect the soil surface.
Instead of maintaining a large area of turf, the homeowners created a front yard centered on drought-tolerant planting and lower water use.
What began as a patchy expanse of dry grass became a landscape designed around plants rather than lawn maintenance. With roughly $1,800 invested in edging, cardboard, topsoil, irrigation supplies, and mulch, the project also raises a question many homeowners face: is a traditional lawn still worth the water, maintenance, and upkeep?
Image credits go to Imgur user. Sboutig.
The post Not Grass: This Front Yard Was Rebuilt Around Shrubs and Mulch appeared first on Homedit.
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