Tri,
Brazilian Cloak and it suffers in Z10a in a cold winter. Might come back from the roots in Z9b. If you are north or west of Castle Hills it's probably best as a container plant. If you are south or east of downtown SA it might make it.
PS It is red, it was a cloudy day in Sarasota, when I took the photo.
Bubba,
Yes it's a nice place, it is not my home, just one of my jobs. The house style is known as Craftsman Bungalow. Tampa has 100's of them.
I live in a dumpy duplex on the east side of town (Ybor City).
And I also grow plants>
Gosh I wish my lawn was like that, lol! Actually it was, when the sod was installed. I think it stayed like that for 2 or 3 months...
I haven't completely decided yet, but I'm leaning towards keeping the grass, and sowing some more. But this time I will ensure the grass I choose is:
- more drought tolerant (the one I have now needs water everyday!)
- more traffic tolerant, as the dog is really there everyday
I will give priority for these 2 characteristics over looks/blade fineness, etc...
Great idea!
This is a wonderful gardening site, and I hope I don't get shot for this.
You hate mowing; you don't want to waste water.
I saw a miracle. It had a sign in front of it: Groundview.com.
I had to touch the "lawn" a few time; my eyes saw grass, but it's turf! And it's soft (kids' knees and such), and the company or people did a fantastic job of bordering a tree and plants in and around it.
One day I went back to see it again with a friend, and they were sprinkling.
Astonishing!
Hi, I just couldn't bring myself to read every entry here. I am taking a lawn out of one of my clients. I'm relacing it on one side with creepng jenny, sweet autumn clematis and akebia (chocolate flowers) not the five leaf which is pretty. Anyway, I hate lawns I like asphalt but it wouldn't work with my kids. On the other side of her lot I am installing some very large rocks and planting grasses around them. For you and your kids maybe you can keep just a small patch of grass that they can tear up the place. Just a few thoughts from a fellow grass (turf ) hater!
oh, I am a hoticulturist but I still hate grass!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh, one more thing bermuda will intrude itself into every bed you have and then some. The runners can go 12 inches down before coming up. But, if you already have it then its super tough and seed with more. Also creeping bent grass is used a lot on golf courses, llok into that. Ok thats it for me.
dp72 didn't you already get your hand slapped? Well, go to your time out area and don't come out until I need your brain! haha
Locally we can go to a beautiful place The Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College. Here is the web site: http://www.thegarden.org/. Enjoy! It could take you an entire day to go through the displays because it has so much information. I find it very helpful for a replanted California girl. After living in NYC with no garden for 25 years I am back to Southern CA. I have been pulling my hair out too! SD is very different than Newport Beach where I grew up. Enjoy the web site and go to the gardens. Let me know what you think!
Wow, thank you so much for that tip. That turf exhibit is exaaaactly what I needed to see! I actually think I'll go there this weekend! Have you been to Quail Botanical Gardens? It's pretty cool too.
http://www.qbgardens.org/
Rob
I have been lurking, but had nothing to say until now but, that turf exhibit is great.
Just found this thread...
Rob, I've been to Quail Botanical Gardens a couple times...what an amazing place!
In our area, people are looking to clover as a lawn substitute. I don't know if that is even a possibility for you, but I do sympathize with your woes. We are in the turf transitional zone, and maintaining a green lawn inevitably means reliance on chemicals and sprinklers. I'm seriously considering the clover option myself.
Interesting! I wonder what it looks like and what the maintenance is..
Here are a few links from a quick Google search. I only skimmed these pages and have yet to extensively research the option myself. Some sites say it can take heavy traffic, others say it can't...it'd be nice to talk to and/or hear from someone who has actually converted their lawn to clover.
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/cloverlawn
http://landscaping.about.com/cs/lawns/a/clover_lawns_4.htm
http://eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_alternatives.htm
http://www.protimelawnseed.com/pipolina-microclover/
Also asked the folks in the sustainable alternatives forum about it...perhaps someone over there knows something about clover lawns.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/902548/
Even if it can take some traffic, it's not going to hold up to traffic as well as grass does, so it'll have the same issues as any of the other living non-grass groundcovers. Also keep in mind that bees love clover flowers, so unless you want them buzzing around while the kids & dogs are playing you'll have to mow it on some regular basis to keep it from flowering.
I agree, ecrane. There's always going to be an element of maintenance, as well as pros and cons.
I planted one of the Eco-grasses that doesn't need much water and rarely needs cutting. It hasn't done very well at all. It does not take much traffic according to the suppliers, I don't think it takes more than occasional stroll. I have over seeded with regular turfgrass.
We don't have young children so it is mainly Dh and I walking on it when we are working on the gardens, mowing or strolling.
I wonder if you did a google search for dog friendly gardens if you would find what you need. I know they are out there. My sister has done that for her 3 dogs.
Zenpotter, that was a very interesting idea! I did some googling and I found this really cool article for dog lovers. Doesn't really resolve the lawn issue but it has some very nice ideas for a dog friendly garden! Everyone who has a dog here will enjoy reading this:
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,1023310,00.html
That dog article had some good suggestions.
Just a little side line.....someone else must really hate grass...there are 3 brand new houses not far from me, they had put down sod in the front yards they looked great. A month later one of the owners was out tilling up the entire yard!!!!! what the heck??? It's sod, strip it off and sell it or give it away, now he has a front yard of what looks like dirt and crab grass. I thought he might have been doing a lawn substitute or garden but nope. Makes you wonder.
Some people are just weird! At my old home this woman moved in next door, and she had some guys strip off the entire lawn, remove all rose bushes, all bougainvillea hedges, and killed all the trees!!! I wanted to keep the nut house to arrest her!!!
Sounds like my former white trash neighbor. She ripped anything living(except the weeds)out. Trees, shrubs, plants gone
