Low/No maintenance yards?

[mikev]

I want to pretty up the yards a bit in the place I'm renting.

The front has 2 trees and lawn doesn't grow well, plus I don't want to pay the $$ for sprinklers running every day.

Back yard is basically a blank slate. There is a patio, a shed and a couple trees, but it's a big, BIG yard.

The last bit of rain we had made a bunch of weed type grass sprout up and it's awful.

What sort of (low cost!!) options are there for, say, ground cover or something that is still presentable/nice looking?

 

[Yakoo752]

lots of options out there - depends really on what you want

I went with a fescue / clover blend that I water weekly at best. I think I spent less then $100 on seed. It came in pretty good but will need a reseed. I was hoping we would get the rains for spring to do it again.

 

[mikev]

I'm also not 100% sure that grass will take root in the front yard, the roots of one of the trees have taken over most of the yard.

 

[mercurial]

There are no easy options for a nice, low maintenance, and cheap yard. Choose two of those attributes, and then go for it.

 

[Bowling4Bikes]

can try wood chips but they aren't permanent especially if the front yard is slanted. rocks or pebbles get expensive. perhaps a decent awning in the back taht you can take with you?

 

[Yakoo752]

I'm also not 100% sure that grass will take root in the front yard, the roots of one of the trees have taken over most of the yard.

you can topsoil the front yard and grass it again

I couldn't care any less about my front yard, so not worth spending money for "curb appeal" at this time.

 

[GAJ]

Kill the grass/weeds with roundup, (don't spray near the tree roots), wait for it to turn brown then put weed cloth over it and bark, (the larger the better).

You can buy bark by the pickup load...or have it delivered for a small price.

 

[auntiebling]

Pumpkins and tomatoes and let it go all jungle

 

[GPzPop]

plant blackberry bushes, it will take over in no time! or bamboo!:devil

 

[wannabe]

I don't know if they frown on them in your neighborhood, but you could get a bunch of rocks and a couple of trees and set up a desert landscape. Near zero maintenance once you get it set up.

 

[Bronto]

If the lawn isn't huge Synthetic lawn might budget in well.

 

[Archimedes]

Good synth lawn is great, but it's uber expensive. On a budget, I'd do river rock and/or crushed stone mixed with drought resistant, low maintenance plants.

 

[corndog67]

I used to actually have 2 lawnmowers. One day, I said, "Fuck This.". Cut down 4 trees (sycamores, leaves every where, at all times), noticed there were roots going to under my foundation, got my brother to come over (he was Pebble Beach forestry for a long time), he had all 4 of them down in about 4 hours. Maybe 25-30 feet each. Filled a 10 yard box with brush, and had wood for 4 years. Ground down the stumps. Real heavy plastic and Yukon gold rocks. With some desert bushes. A little Round Up once a year, good to go.

 

[kevin 714]

Pumpkins and tomatoes and let it go all jungle

:thumbup

 

[EjGlows]

I live on a rock and have succulents in pots everywhere! Hell, they even grow in chert!

Suburban problems.

 

[Killroy1999]

Low water native landscaping is usually very low maintenance.

 

[mercurial]

those kinds of gardens are great, but they are not low maintenance per se, you still have to trim, clean, and weed them. They still need water (just a little less of it) and regular fertilizer. I see plenty of native yards where the owners clearly thought the garden would just take care of itself, and they end up having a yard that just looks like a big pile of overgrown, unhealthy scrub.

 

[mercurial]

Good synth lawn is great, but it's uber expensive. On a budget, I'd do river rock and/or crushed stone mixed with drought resistant, low maintenance plants.

I have alot of river rock in my yard, its not super cheap and its a pain to transport, but you can't beat it for longevity and low maintenance. mulch/tanbark in planted areas, drought tolerant plants and drip irrigation will keep the soil moist and reduce the watering requirements. Of course all this stuff requires investment, which seems silly if you are renting.

 

[Melissa]

I have been removing the Bermuda grass from the front of my home for a couple of months and thanks to BARF and some research I currently have a front area full of rocks. The grass continues to grow through the tarp under neath the rocks btw.
I will use bricks, rocks and weed killing pesticides that will damage turtle eggs as needed.
Please let me know if you need any rocks. I have a shit load!