A More Mature Lawnless Front Yard

This home is right across the street from Welcome To My Junipers. Unlike the House Of Monoculture, the plantings are more in line with the typical design standard utilizing more than one plant genus. Judging by the size of the plants and a need for maintenance, the lawn was removed several years ago.  Some plants have been successful, others have died.

Hemerocallis have survived (just) in the hellstrip, but something else is now gone:


The plant palette includes Gaura, Osteospermum, Blue Fescue, Phormium, Ornamental grasses, Society Garlic, Agapanthus, Callistemon (though not 'Little John'), Hemerocallis, and Ceonothus.   Trees include a Crape Myrtle and a couple of large Ficus  that must have been planted long before the lawn was removed.  The common lawn-less motif of fenced-off entry with a stylish gate is here:



The main hellstrip is planted with aging-but-still-tidy clumps of Blue Fescue.  The Fescue was originally accented with triangular areas of small bronze-brown Phormiums ('Jack Spratt'?) at each end.  Most of  the Phormiums have died.  Too bad--the bronze accents were nifty.


The property is on a corner lot.  The other hellstrip contains a low Ceonothus, looking fairly healthy, a mature tree, weeds, and some other plants that have not survived, along with died-back spring bulbs.

Ceonothus, with weeds:


The side yard with a mixture of moderate shrubs:


It's just about time to whack off all that Lantana thatch and help it grow back anew, refreshed:


The small area on the other side of the driveway is a somewhat shaded area of Agapanthus and Tulbaghia violacea, commonly called Society Garlic.  T. violacea  is an extremely tough plant that can easily survive hellstrip conditions.  The Agapanthus need much more water and snail protection, and do not look as happy, despite our generous winter rain this year.



Not a bad project at all.  Some modest clean up and maintenance, and replanting of what was lost, would easily rejuvenate this yard.  The design is not spectacular or unique, but certainly solid and well thought out.  Now, with just a little maintenance...