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10 Grassless Yards That Will Make You Re-Think Having a Lawn

Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
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updated Jul 16, 2020
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

You know how people say “the grass isn’t always greener” to discourage wanting for what you don’t have? That always seemed like a weird expression to me. I never covet people who have lawns to mow and yards to weed. The truth is you can have a beautiful, lush and, yes, totally lusted-after yard without a patch of grass anywhere in sight.

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Here are 10 beautiful outdoor spaces that get everything right, making sure you never missed the grass in the first place. You can use these inspiration images in a few ways, depending on your current status:

  • Apartment dwellers with tiny balconies can use this as inspiration to add some greenery in unexpected ways, like a small box garden. And yes, you can gravel-scape a small balcony, too.
  • People in townhomes who have small, shaded yards can find comfort in knowing that you don’t need high-maintenance grass to landscape beautifully. Gravel and pavers can go a long way.
  • Anyone with a big house on a big lot might want to reconsider their current lawn-heavy landscape in favor of one of these low-maintenance ideas.
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Above, and at top: A backyard cottage’s low-water yard, designed by the team at Sunset magazine for their annual Celebration Weekend and featured in the September 2015 issue (and online, here).

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A playful, modern Brooklyn Heights backyard, designed by New Eco Landscapes.

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There’s plenty of grassland around this urban farmhouse, designed by Urban Agriculture Inc. for Fox Network’s Home Free, but there’s also plenty of grass-free landscaping scenes and ideas.

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A modern patio in San Francisco, from Kerman Morris Architects.

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A midcentury modern makeover in California, from Outer Space Landscape Architecture.

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The EDDIE house and its urban garden in San Francisco, from Three Legged Pig Designs.

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Having no grass doesn’t limit the possibilities of a playground, as seen in this San Francisco backyard from Urban Botanics.

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The terrace of interior designer Anna Carin McNamara. You can read more about her renovation process on The Generalist.

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A gravel courtyard highlights this outdoor living room in Nashville, from House Beautiful.

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An alternative ground cover featured in this Toronto home, from Duncan Consultants.

 

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