Discover the beauty and ease of low-maintenance lawns in your garden.

If you’re not yet familiar with the world of ornamental plants, let us introduce you to their captivating charm. Ornamental grasses come in a wide variety of options and are incredibly low maintenance when grown in their native habitat and planted in the right microclimate. Beyond providing ground cover and unique shapes, these grasses introduce a sense of movement and delightful sounds to your landscape. To select the perfect varieties for your project, we recommend a visit to your local botanical garden, taking notes, and seeking advice from independent nurseries in your area for the most suitable recommendations.

Imagine the visual delight of Mexican feather grass, thoughtfully planted at regular intervals, creating gentle golden waves right alongside your patio. 

Full disclosure, we couldn’t resist sharing this image featuring a captivating blend of bunny tail grasses and kangaroo paw in the front yard. This stunning composition has replaced the typical American front lawn, offering both visual appeal and eco-friendliness. In fact, traditional lawns are a significant contributor to nonpoint source pollution in the United States, primarily due to fertilizer runoff during storms.

Our site seamlessly blends elements of local and modern architecture. Take, for instance, the Mexican feathergrass, which appears as if it were plucked from a vast agricultural wheat field, adding a unique touch with crisp rectangles cutting through the deck. This ingenious design element sets the tone for the modern, barn-inspired structure.

Another effective method for maintaining the wild appearance of your lawn is through the use of planters. Here, we skillfully scale the planters and lawn to create bold lines while providing a visual screen that separates distinct outdoor spaces. 

For a different perspective, we employ potted grass sedges to create another striking line. Each clump of grass not only introduces a pleasing contrast to the straight lines but also adds a vertical element that enhances the surrounding walls. 

In this landscape, you’ll discover grasses that offer diverse geometries, showcasing rounded mounds and unexpected silvery-green hues. KD Hardscape thoughtfully utilized festuca ‘Elijah blue’ in the foreground, complemented by blue oat grass and Berkeley sedge beyond the gravel oval. 

Containers brimming with lush grasses create a mesmerizing spectacle when viewed from above.

Our landscape architect drew inspiration from the surrounding wetland grasses and thoughtfully integrated them into the plant palette. These grasses serve as a bridge, connecting the built components of the landscape with the natural environment.

This yard is nothing short of breathtaking and highly functional, bearing little resemblance to a typical American lawn. Towering feather reed grasses introduce height and color to this meticulously designed landscape. 

In this setting, Mexican feather grass was selected for its structural simplicity and ease of maintenance. The built portion of the landscape seamlessly blends into meadows adorned with undulating grasses and vibrant wildflowers. The use of tall wild grasses, just beyond the low stone wall, creates a dramatic effect, with the wall seemingly the only barrier between the patio and the natural surroundings.

Explore our gallery for more landscape design inspiration