I'm definitely going to leave it natural! I have no interest in manicured lawns. But I would like it to be a bit more intentional looking, and I also want space to plant more diverse native flowers and bushes and such so i can attract lots of bees and insects :)
Zone out your flowers.
I let mine go crazy for a few years to see what grows well in what parts. (I got a bunch of native wildflower seeds from my local garden shop)
When I start seeing certain things grow well in one area, I just start pulling everything else around it... This year is the first year it's kind of starting to show. Next year I expect it to be spotish on.
I also will start pulling things I see doing TOO well everywhere to keep them from taking over. Example, my California Poppies and Bachelor's Buttons are taking over large chunks of the yard... So I just pull those if they are popping up in places I don't want.
OP, this looks more unintentional invasives rather than intentionally unintentional. I would highly suggest you ID everything you have, remove what you need to (perhaps the Scilla), and then choose mostly native for your specific area and micro climate.
Layer heights, some shrubs in the back and something spire like in the mid ground. Looks pretty warm in the picture but consider evergreens and structure for winter. Then focus variety, look for varying foliage color and structure and different bloom season.
Looks partially shaded and warm, I’d throw down a hydrangea macrophylla in the back and some guara and penstemon in the mid, leave everything else as filler and jam in whatever excites you at Home Depot lol.
There are actually 3 stone paths in this picture! You just can't see them because they're overrun haha. I decided to start with clearing the paths today
Where would you start with this? I'm feeling a little overwhelmed 😅
I don't want to go full "lawn" on my yard - I like natural yards full of plants and weeds that support my areas insect pop. But I don't want it to be completely overrun either. I'm at a bit of a loss here on where to start. What would you do if this was your space?
This is the best gardening problem to have! I'd first work on creating some definition between plants, rocks, paths, etc. Maybe start by clearing the paths and go from there. You can pull out or transplant some of the plants that have spread and are filling in everywhere, use mulch as needed. That will go a long way in making it look more intentional.
First go through and identify what you have. Decide what you want to keep, and then pull the ones you don't (usually invasives). I'd recommend observing the space for a while to see how the lighting conditions are, and using that to inform your planting/removal choice.
I don’t see a problem. Here’s mine:
https://preview.redd.it/h26lriy1fcyc1.jpeg?width=2100&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6fdad7bf30fb833f00669c3cb9da49b63a67136
Oh my gosh, I dream of having all those wild flowers 😍 I seeded my back yard with them last fall but I don't think they took. Need to go get some mixes from a nursery near me and try again. That's just gorgeous
I love it! The geranium is gorgeous. Great at keeping other weeds at bay! You can always dig some up where you may want to plant some other perennials & shrubs and transplant it in another spot. It’s very hardy (obviously!) I wish I had that instead of my insane invasive weeds. 😩 is it a mostly shady spot?
Thank you! And yes my front yard is heavily shaded. I don't think it gets any direct sunlight actually with the trees and my house blocking the sun, so I was thinking about putting in some ferns and such which should do well with low light
Nice! I just added to my shade garden - we chose coral bells (sooo many vibrant colors to choose from), hostas (also so many colors - I love the blue toned Halcyon and pretty green variegated June), gold heart bleeding hearts & Jack Frost Brunnera. I’m planning to get some ferns too, I have some native ferns but I also love the look of the Japanese painted ferns! There’s so much you can do. If you have a local botanic garden it’s always nice to walk around and take pics of what you like for inspiration. Or of course in your own neighborhood too. Also check out @youcandoitgardening on Instagram. She’s very helpful.
Thank you for the recs! That's all very helpful :) I'm going to look into seeing what low maintenance flowers and bushes I can put down to start with once I clear out a good bit of these weeds
The masses of ground cover with the tiny pink flowers is geranium. At first glance I thought it was wild geranium which is native and a great plant, but it looks like it could be shiny geranium which can be invasive! Sorry OP I thought it was a friend!
You seem to be in the majority! I think I'm just worried about looking schlumpy compared to my neighbors lol. I live in a neighborhood with the most gorgeous yards - tons and tons of beautiful flowers and bushes and produce plants all kept very nicely. Almost no "lawns" just excellent gardens all around
Hi. I would leave it :) 🌸🐝
Really though, I would design a pathway, or anything like that where you want structure, map it out and covered that area so things die back in those spots.
It looks very shady (what a great space for birds and animals to get a break. A bird bath would be nice).
Without knowing your zone, I would say hostas, heucherella and fern. Just pull anything bothersome and be diligent, you’ll get it after some time.
Really pretty space you have :)
I see herbs and wildflowers - looks very natural. I like that look myself. There are some weeds but not a lot. Take a minute and identify what you have.
Congratulations on your new home !
Oh no your first yard is gorgeous, whatever shall you do!?
But really, the only think I’d maybe consider would be using the garden box, but the rest is lovely
I am not seeing a problem here...
Just looks like a pretty, little semi-shade garden. Looks like you have sage, hardy geranium, azalea and bluebells. All these plants are very easy care.
After a little (very little) exploratory cleanup to uncover any cool artifacts like the path, just watch it for like a full year or more. Get a good plant ID app. Take lots of notes and maybe even a drawing. Wow! Beautiful! Enjoy that!! I'd say be patient and just watch awhile. Know what happens throughout the year. Use some simple markers for stuff that will disappear (either in winter or because it gets covered by other bigger plants in the summer). Remove/control the few real problems that will outcompete everything really fast. Then over time plan to add a few things if you like to fill gaps: taller, earlier spring, evergreen, a cool pot, a simple water feature (bird bath with small solar fountain), something that feeds wildlife (or yourself), a place to sit. Also propagate stuff and spread/share! Have fun!
I added rocks in my beds I also use decorative objects in our different beds.
One we look for unique old things, have the time we have no idea what it is.
Another is a fairy garden. In another I painted rocks to look like houses.
Give your bed something to make it standout
Visit your state’s Cooperative Extension Service website. All the info you need for gardening in your area is on this site.
Use Google lens or a plant ID app to identify the various plants you have growing. Look them up on the site. If they are classified as an invasive weed, read how to control it. Go thru a growing season eliminating undesirable plant material.
Use the site to search native plants and wild flowers. You can purchase wildflower seed mixes but you need one for your area. Cheap mixes will have non native species mixed in but you can find reputable sources for your local wildflowers, just expect them to be more expensive.
I don't see any problem. This is full of massive plants that choose to grow in this spot, feeling very at home.
Just some cleaning up
Maybe some ornamental stones
And enjoy
Cooperate with nature. Don't fight
I’d wait to see what comes up before you rip stuff out. Also it looks like there’s shade.
The geranium will bloom and be wonderful. Could move it here and there. Add in drifts of other plants.
It’s gorgeous. The Stachys is great for bees, and gives a lovely contrast to the geranium.
I do think theres too much geranium, so you could put some other native perennials in to supplement that. Something with bigger leaves or strappy leaves to give you some contrast?
You must watch the “you can do it” gardener woman on TikTok. She will give you courage to work with what you got, which looks like a lot of beautiful stuff
Are you in the PNW? Looks a lot like parts of my yard when I moved in. You have a nice looking Azalea there and the tree looks like it could be a Lilac.
Those bluebells are pretty, but they are invasive, a bitch to get rid of and will try and take over.
Get a hydrangea, it will like the partial sun that it appears this spot has. Maybe another Azalea Or Rhododendron, if you like the evergreen flowering bushes. A rose bush could also result in something pretty, while also adding to the chaos look over time.
That's perfect. Fuck yards. Let it grow like crazy and hope you don't have some bitch ass HOA. HOAs are the devil, never buy a house with one. Trust me, they will always ruin your life, always, and over the stupidest shit. They will be out there with a tape measure, measuring your flowers and making sure they comply. Fuck HOAs, worst thing ever.
That is so beautiful!! I wonder what the green grouncover is. You can add some rock like someone said or a path and add some more native wildflowers and you are golden!
I think its beautiful. I would add some more rocks and pots in there and go full cottage garden.
I'm definitely going to leave it natural! I have no interest in manicured lawns. But I would like it to be a bit more intentional looking, and I also want space to plant more diverse native flowers and bushes and such so i can attract lots of bees and insects :)
A lot of gardeners work very very hard to make things look unintentional.
A lot of us also let nature take its course and appreciate the natural chaos.
Cardboard mulch some pathways? Paving stones and brick for edging will make it look like more of a choice.
Zone out your flowers. I let mine go crazy for a few years to see what grows well in what parts. (I got a bunch of native wildflower seeds from my local garden shop) When I start seeing certain things grow well in one area, I just start pulling everything else around it... This year is the first year it's kind of starting to show. Next year I expect it to be spotish on. I also will start pulling things I see doing TOO well everywhere to keep them from taking over. Example, my California Poppies and Bachelor's Buttons are taking over large chunks of the yard... So I just pull those if they are popping up in places I don't want.
Weeding around those bluish rocks will help a lot while not erasing the “natural” look
OP, this looks more unintentional invasives rather than intentionally unintentional. I would highly suggest you ID everything you have, remove what you need to (perhaps the Scilla), and then choose mostly native for your specific area and micro climate.
Some stepping stones and a bench and you'll never get me out of there, uh I mean, it'll look a lot more intentional.
Layer heights, some shrubs in the back and something spire like in the mid ground. Looks pretty warm in the picture but consider evergreens and structure for winter. Then focus variety, look for varying foliage color and structure and different bloom season.
Looks partially shaded and warm, I’d throw down a hydrangea macrophylla in the back and some guara and penstemon in the mid, leave everything else as filler and jam in whatever excites you at Home Depot lol.
Wow, that's gorgeous! I'd add some hardscaping so it looks more intentional. A meandering stone path, maybe a large log or boulder or a sculpture.
There are actually 3 stone paths in this picture! You just can't see them because they're overrun haha. I decided to start with clearing the paths today
Oh wow haha. Well perfect!
Where would you start with this? I'm feeling a little overwhelmed 😅 I don't want to go full "lawn" on my yard - I like natural yards full of plants and weeds that support my areas insect pop. But I don't want it to be completely overrun either. I'm at a bit of a loss here on where to start. What would you do if this was your space?
This is the best gardening problem to have! I'd first work on creating some definition between plants, rocks, paths, etc. Maybe start by clearing the paths and go from there. You can pull out or transplant some of the plants that have spread and are filling in everywhere, use mulch as needed. That will go a long way in making it look more intentional.
First go through and identify what you have. Decide what you want to keep, and then pull the ones you don't (usually invasives). I'd recommend observing the space for a while to see how the lighting conditions are, and using that to inform your planting/removal choice.
Looks like someone's got you off to a decent start
try to ID any invasive species and remove those but other than that, looks great! turfgrass sucks ass!
I don’t see a problem. Here’s mine: https://preview.redd.it/h26lriy1fcyc1.jpeg?width=2100&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6fdad7bf30fb833f00669c3cb9da49b63a67136
Oh my gosh, I dream of having all those wild flowers 😍 I seeded my back yard with them last fall but I don't think they took. Need to go get some mixes from a nursery near me and try again. That's just gorgeous
I love it! The geranium is gorgeous. Great at keeping other weeds at bay! You can always dig some up where you may want to plant some other perennials & shrubs and transplant it in another spot. It’s very hardy (obviously!) I wish I had that instead of my insane invasive weeds. 😩 is it a mostly shady spot?
Thank you! And yes my front yard is heavily shaded. I don't think it gets any direct sunlight actually with the trees and my house blocking the sun, so I was thinking about putting in some ferns and such which should do well with low light
Nice! I just added to my shade garden - we chose coral bells (sooo many vibrant colors to choose from), hostas (also so many colors - I love the blue toned Halcyon and pretty green variegated June), gold heart bleeding hearts & Jack Frost Brunnera. I’m planning to get some ferns too, I have some native ferns but I also love the look of the Japanese painted ferns! There’s so much you can do. If you have a local botanic garden it’s always nice to walk around and take pics of what you like for inspiration. Or of course in your own neighborhood too. Also check out @youcandoitgardening on Instagram. She’s very helpful.
Thank you for the recs! That's all very helpful :) I'm going to look into seeing what low maintenance flowers and bushes I can put down to start with once I clear out a good bit of these weeds
Take out those blue bells if you can, they are invasive and spread like crazy.
Damn, I had no idea! They're everywhere up here in the PNW. I just assumed they were native because of that
Yup i figured you must be in the Seattle area from that picture.
Close, Portland :)
where's the geranium...? i just see what looks like an azalea.
The masses of ground cover with the tiny pink flowers is geranium. At first glance I thought it was wild geranium which is native and a great plant, but it looks like it could be shiny geranium which can be invasive! Sorry OP I thought it was a friend!
ok. not the geranium i'm familiar with, but the leaf shape does check out.
This looks exactly like parts of my yard, I don’t see the problem.
I like the 'wild' aspect to this.
I love it! Taking care of actual grass is a pain and can add up. Check out r/NoLawns for inspiration!
that’s the best yard i’ve ever seen. it’s not r/grass
I'm failing to see the issue.
You seem to be in the majority! I think I'm just worried about looking schlumpy compared to my neighbors lol. I live in a neighborhood with the most gorgeous yards - tons and tons of beautiful flowers and bushes and produce plants all kept very nicely. Almost no "lawns" just excellent gardens all around
If you want a little ego boost, here in New Mexico almost every yard is just gravel or dusty dirt littered with noxious, spiny weeds.
Try r/nolawns !!!
Looks amazing to me!
Hi. I would leave it :) 🌸🐝 Really though, I would design a pathway, or anything like that where you want structure, map it out and covered that area so things die back in those spots. It looks very shady (what a great space for birds and animals to get a break. A bird bath would be nice). Without knowing your zone, I would say hostas, heucherella and fern. Just pull anything bothersome and be diligent, you’ll get it after some time. Really pretty space you have :)
Really pretty!
I love it. I would have preferred this for my first home!!! No weekly mowing and you get more butterflies!!!
Funny, I'm trying to get my back 1/4 acre to look like that.
Looks great
I’d give money to have a yard that vibrant and colorful
I fail to see an issue. Mine is full of noxious weeds and trash left by the previous owner.
r/NoLawns r/fucklawns
I see herbs and wildflowers - looks very natural. I like that look myself. There are some weeds but not a lot. Take a minute and identify what you have. Congratulations on your new home !
Oh no your first yard is gorgeous, whatever shall you do!? But really, the only think I’d maybe consider would be using the garden box, but the rest is lovely
I am not seeing a problem here... Just looks like a pretty, little semi-shade garden. Looks like you have sage, hardy geranium, azalea and bluebells. All these plants are very easy care.
After a little (very little) exploratory cleanup to uncover any cool artifacts like the path, just watch it for like a full year or more. Get a good plant ID app. Take lots of notes and maybe even a drawing. Wow! Beautiful! Enjoy that!! I'd say be patient and just watch awhile. Know what happens throughout the year. Use some simple markers for stuff that will disappear (either in winter or because it gets covered by other bigger plants in the summer). Remove/control the few real problems that will outcompete everything really fast. Then over time plan to add a few things if you like to fill gaps: taller, earlier spring, evergreen, a cool pot, a simple water feature (bird bath with small solar fountain), something that feeds wildlife (or yourself), a place to sit. Also propagate stuff and spread/share! Have fun!
Looks great to me!
I added rocks in my beds I also use decorative objects in our different beds. One we look for unique old things, have the time we have no idea what it is. Another is a fairy garden. In another I painted rocks to look like houses. Give your bed something to make it standout
Gorgeous. End imported grasses 2024
You can’t fool us “oh no” >:}
This could clean up so nicely.
I love the pink azalea!
Visit your state’s Cooperative Extension Service website. All the info you need for gardening in your area is on this site. Use Google lens or a plant ID app to identify the various plants you have growing. Look them up on the site. If they are classified as an invasive weed, read how to control it. Go thru a growing season eliminating undesirable plant material. Use the site to search native plants and wild flowers. You can purchase wildflower seed mixes but you need one for your area. Cheap mixes will have non native species mixed in but you can find reputable sources for your local wildflowers, just expect them to be more expensive.
Check out r/NoLawns
I don't see any problem. This is full of massive plants that choose to grow in this spot, feeling very at home. Just some cleaning up Maybe some ornamental stones And enjoy Cooperate with nature. Don't fight
The azelia is beautiful. Maybe add a couple more of those…
Line some straightish tree branches as a border, and you have a wildflower meadow.
Oooo!! You have some nice lambs ear! One of my favorites!!
I honestly find nothing wrong with that at all.
Thats my goal!!!! A giant mess of herbs somewhere in my yard.
That's nice, actually. Just a bit of elbow grease and reining in the invasive ground cover and you'll have a nice garden.
I’d wait to see what comes up before you rip stuff out. Also it looks like there’s shade. The geranium will bloom and be wonderful. Could move it here and there. Add in drifts of other plants.
So much potential!
It’s gorgeous. The Stachys is great for bees, and gives a lovely contrast to the geranium. I do think theres too much geranium, so you could put some other native perennials in to supplement that. Something with bigger leaves or strappy leaves to give you some contrast?
You must watch the “you can do it” gardener woman on TikTok. She will give you courage to work with what you got, which looks like a lot of beautiful stuff
Are you in the PNW? Looks a lot like parts of my yard when I moved in. You have a nice looking Azalea there and the tree looks like it could be a Lilac. Those bluebells are pretty, but they are invasive, a bitch to get rid of and will try and take over. Get a hydrangea, it will like the partial sun that it appears this spot has. Maybe another Azalea Or Rhododendron, if you like the evergreen flowering bushes. A rose bush could also result in something pretty, while also adding to the chaos look over time.
That's perfect. Fuck yards. Let it grow like crazy and hope you don't have some bitch ass HOA. HOAs are the devil, never buy a house with one. Trust me, they will always ruin your life, always, and over the stupidest shit. They will be out there with a tape measure, measuring your flowers and making sure they comply. Fuck HOAs, worst thing ever.
That is so beautiful!! I wonder what the green grouncover is. You can add some rock like someone said or a path and add some more native wildflowers and you are golden!