If you wanted to convert your back yard to maintenance free, any suggestions on planning it?

[sdifox]

My bad. I often forget that some people (for some unknown reason) live in frozen waste lands.
Around here, we get a half inch of snow every two or three decades. Everyone jumps in their cars so they can go crash into each other, or run over pedestrians that are so bundled up they can barley move.

You can put on cloth, you cannot get out of your skin.

 

[Greenman]

You can put on cloth, you cannot get out of your skin.

You can, it's just not pleasant or comfortable.
On a serious note, I actually enjoy my trips to the frozen north. I'll be heading back for another visit once the wuflu crazy is over.

 

[WelshBloke]

I live in igloo nation, that is a horrible idea.

Herbicide, permeable membrane then decorative gravel? You can put potted plants on it if you want to get fancy!

 

[IronWing]

Regardless of climate, a maintenance free backyard starts with not maintaining the backyard. Nature will handle the rest.

 

[sdifox]

Herbicide, permeable membrane then decorative gravel? You can put potted plants on it if you want to get fancy!

Lol gravel backyard

 

[WelshBloke]

Lol gravel backyard

or


Those look OK and a bit more decorative than concrete.

 

[sdifox]

View attachment 28899
or
View attachment 28900

Those look OK and a bit more decorative than concrete.

yeah but weed will grow on it. I know because I tried it. If I am still pulling weed, why would I spend extra?

 

[WelshBloke]

yeah but weed will grow on it. I know because I tried it. If I am still pulling weed, why would I spend extra?

Herbicide and membrane. I mean even with concrete you are going to have to kill moss and pressure wash it now and again.

 

[sdifox]

Herbicide and membrane. I mean even with concrete you are going to have to kill moss and pressure wash it now and again.

lol if I am going to use chemicals I may as well keep the lawn. Also I have a pool and little kids, no herbicide/pesticides here.

Wife just ixnayed artificial lawn because her sister has a dog and the dog will poop on the artificial lawn. I didn't dare mention making the dog canis non grata.

 

[WelshBloke]

lol if I am going to use chemicals I may as well keep the lawn. Also I have a pool and little kids, no herbicide/pesticides here.

Wife just ixnayed artificial lawn because her sister has a dog and the dog will poop on the artificial lawn. I didn't dare mention making the dog canis non grata.

Personally I just chuck my son a few quid every week to keep my lawn mowed, thats pretty low maintenance but I dont think thats what the OP is looking for!

Someone round the corner from me has an artificial lawn and it looks pretty shitty TBH. Firstly it looks really artificial, and it looks worse if any leaves or random crap blows onto it. A normal lawn looks fine with some "nature" on it an artificial lawn looks like someone emptied an ashtray on your carpet. It just looks wrong.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Pretty sure most cities require you to have a certain part of your yard be lawn so anything such as concrete or pavement probably won't fly. So one option is to just get an electric lawn mower with a solar panel and charge controller and battery, a roomba, combine it all together, and just let it go.

Ideally, you will want a fence so it does not start to chase the neighbour's dog.

 

[sdifox]

Pretty sure most cities require you to have a certain part of your yard be lawn so anything such as concrete or pavement probably won't fly. So one option is to just get an electric lawn mower with a solar panel and charge controller and battery, a roomba, combine it all together, and just let it go.

Ideally, you will want a fence so it does not start to chase the neighbour's dog.

that will end badly since there is a pool...

 

[mxnerd]

Concrete, rocks (small to large) , bricks / (composite) wooden patio deck/ ground cover plants / artificial grass. Any combination of the above.

 

[snoopy7548]

Depends on how maintenance-free you want it to be. It's going to be a lot of work no matter what you do, at least in getting it to the point you want it.

I suggest shooting for a healthy lawn. I mow mine once a week and fertilize every few months. That's pretty much it, and it's probably the nicest one on the block. I use Milorganite, and in the spring I'll put down some crabgrass pre-emergent (Lesco).

A healthy lawn will choke out most weeds and not require constant maintenance. Then again, my lot size is under 8000 sq. ft., so it's all manageable. If you've got an acre, then it's going to be tough.

One thing you've got to keep in mind is erosion control. Grass is very good at that.

 

[Red Squirrel]

that will end badly since there is a pool...

You can make it into an amphibious lawnmower, it can take care of skimming the pool too!

 

[KeithP]

lol if I am going to use chemicals I may as well keep the lawn. Also I have a pool and little kids, no herbicide/pesticides here.

Salt it. And salt stays in the soil longer than herbicides. If you want to plant something, just put it in a container and bury it in the ground.

Wife just ixnayed artificial lawn because her sister has a dog and the dog will poop on the artificial lawn.

And the dog has been trained to not crap on a natural lawn? What is the difference? The dog is still dropping loads.

-KeithP

 

[sdifox]

Salt it. And salt stays in the soil longer than herbicides. If you want to plant something, just put it in a container and bury it in the ground.



And the dog has been trained to not crap on a natural lawn? What is the difference? The dog is still dropping loads.

-KeithP

Logic and women don't mix...

 

[shortylickens]

when I lived in the mojave desert I used to take walks early in the morning, before it got terribly hot.
Noticed many people in town didnt even bother with grass, they just cleaned up the sand and sometimes put in rock gardens. Dirt cheap, no maintenance. If you live somewhere that isn't the desert, it would just look weird.
I guess low maintenance would be as many rocks and wood chips as you could afford. Assuming your HOA or city ordinances would allow it.

Its been raining a lot here and I havent been able to mow. Grass is shooting upwards thanks to some d-bag who sprayed my lawn with X-Men juice and now its turbo charged. Wish I didnt have to mow once a week.