Photography by Morgan Satterfield via The Brick House.
Some of us toy with the idea of getting rid of our lawns.
Through a drought-relief program called SoCal Watersmart (operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California), Morgan got a $2-per-square-foot rebate to help cover the project’s costs.
The front yard circa 2011; scruffy turf grass with patches of weeds has the effect of making the house look lonely in an empty landscape.
Before
“It took us about four months to rip out the grass, level the yard, and plant the first few tiny plants,” says Satterfield.
“Since we were doing this DIY-style and only a few sections at a time, for many, many months it looked like the crazy random cactus dirt yard and neighbors gave us the stink eye or would bring by a random pity cactus or two,” says Satterfield.
“We ended up doing everything ourselves and as low cost as possible, like hand shoveling 15 tons of DG that we would buy and transport in our truck one half load at a time or grabbing any sizable rock that we saw on the side of the road in a dirt field,” says Satterfield.
After
The top layer of decomposed granite is Palm Springs Gold, available in two pebble sizes from KRC Rock.
Agaves “do really well in our terrible soil and horrible climate,” says Satterfield.
“Artichoke agave; it combines my two favorite things–artichokes and indestructible plants,” Satterfield says.
Mexican feather grass planted alongside the driveway helps “soften things up and disguises the ugly fence,” says Satterfield.
In an earlier DIY project, Satterfield created a slatted enclosure and privacy zone for her front entryway.