Monday, March 4, 2013

More garden, less lawn…it’s a Lawn Gone book party!


We never really discussed the matter, but both my husband and I knew one of the first projects we’d tackle after buying our home in 2005 was the removal of the front lawn. What a waste of space…
Our house before it was ours, May of 2005

Since we moved at the end of June, and that first summer was pretty crazy just getting settled, we didn't act until the rains let up the following spring. Come a dry day in March every bit of the sod was removed, including the parking strip. I’ll admit that once it was done and I stood there looking at all that empty space I was a little intimidated, so much possibility…of course the plant lover in me was also very excited.
Lawn gone! March 2006

Front lawns are such an automatic default, even in “anything goes” Portland, Oregon, where nobody thinks it the slightest bit strange to see a front yard vegetable garden. Of course all that turf is allowed to go dormant in our dry summers, hence the descriptor “Portland Gold.” It’s so depressing to go for a walk on a lovely summer day and see blocks and blocks of crispy turf. I can quickly get myself all worked up thinking “Why don’t they want more? Why are they content with ugly dead grass?” But then I think back to how overwhelming it was for me, faced with that big public opportunity to fail, and it’s no wonder most people stick with the “easiest” answer…lawn. Which is why I wish I could place a copy of Pam Penick’s book “Lawn Gone! Low-maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard” in every one of my neighbors hands, she breaks the process down and gives the reader everything they need to know to be successful.
Our "lawn free" front yard, July of 2012

If you read Pam’s blog Digging you already know how approachable her writing style is, you feel like you’re reading a letter from an old friend; thankfully that voice carries through to her book. Plus having torn up a couple of her own lawns, as well as a few in gardens she designs for her clients, Pam really knows what she’s talking about. If she doesn't, like when it comes to recommending plants for parts of the country she’s not familiar with, then she seeks out the advice of others.

The book is broken into three sections, in “Part One: Beyond the Lawn” she explores the possibilities of a lawn free yard and gives you alternatives for all that empty space. She also uses her design experience to point out important elements like paths and seating options. Part two “Out with the Grass, In with a Garden” looks at the facts…pros, cons and how-to’s as well as the important considerations of installing hardscape and planting preparation. In “Part Three: The Politics, Health and Safety of Going Lawnless” she deals with all sorts of practicalities I didn't even have to consider when we tackled our project like HOA’s (homeowner associations), city codes and yes, even the dreaded skeptical neighbors. At the end of the book she wraps it all up with regional plant recommendations and resources complete with an additional reading list.

I think I’m most appreciative that Pam isn't adamant about getting rid of every bit of lawn, she recognizes there is a place for a smaller patch of turf and writes about that in Chapter 7 “Downsizing the Lawn.” I've had many people scoff at the fact I still have bit of lawn in my back garden but I love that little patch of green, it serves a purpose as Pam points out when she writes...“In such a jam-packed plant lover’s garden as this, a simple patch of lawn can be an asset in setting off the varying textures and colors of surrounding beds.”
Our back garden, spring of 2013

Which brings me to something I’m admittedly pretty proud of; Pam included photos of my garden and patio in her book! When she visited back in July of 2011 she snapped several photos which turned up on her blog, and now in her book…it’s enough to make a gardener blush!

Okay so enough of my rambling about Pam’s fabulous book (check out her book page for more), what about that party I mentioned in the title? Well in true Pam fashion she’s making her book party all about giving to others…there are 7 amazing giveaways, all with cool lawn alternative themed prizes! I am beyond thrilled to be celebrating with Pam by giving away a $50 gift card from Plant Delights Nursery! Ya…you read that right fifty bucks to spend at Plant Delights…


“a mail-order nursery that’s a plant lover’s dream. Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. They have an enticing selection of groundcovers, ornamental grasses, and small perennials, all of which make excellent substitutes for lawn grass.”
Photo credit: Plant Delights. A new 2013 offering is Carex oshimensis 'Everillo'

Just leave a comment below before 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, March 10 be entered to win, I’ll announce the winner on Monday, March 11. Because of mailing issues you must reside in the continental U.S. to enter. Of course all comments will be entered but I’d love to hear about your lawn…are you thinking of replacing it? Already have? What did your neighbors say?

Oh and what else can you win? Here’s the list (visit these blogs and comment for a chance to win)…
Good luck, I can’t wait to find out who wins, and if you're thinking about getting rid of your lawn I really believe you'll find Lawn Gone! to be a valuable resource! (oh and the legal bit: I received a complementary copy of Pam's book for review purposes)

133 comments:

  1. I'm in the process of landscaping my whole yard! Rock garden is done and lawn is gone! Would love to win the plant delights gift card to continue filling in! Look forward to reading your blog more! Cat

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  2. Love the opportunity to visit new blogs and the chance to win a garden gift!

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  3. what an amazing transformation... I'm impressed and appreciate the chance... :))

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  4. Your front yard redo is wonderful. Must be an inspiration to your neighbors.

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  5. What a beautiful job you have done with your garden space, and I LOVE your house color and front door! I also love Pam, her book and Plant Delights!

    Frances

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    1. Thanks Frances, people do react to that door quite dramatically ... it's a love it or hate it sort of thing.

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  6. I was delighted to seee pictures of your garden in Pam's book! Congratulations! I'm also glad that Pam allows for a little patch of lawn. Over the last several years, I've replaced the grass in the lower area of my garden (around that topiary tree) with different things. First gravel - didn't like it. Next came the brick steppng stones surrounded with Acaena purpurea which I thought would be brilliant and up close was fun but from a short distance, the brick and Acaena took on the same brown tinge. To create contrast, I painted the brick pavers Little and Lewis blue. (I'm gonna make this work by continuing to add more.) This was a huge mistake so, summer before last, everything came out, the soil was amended, and grass was planted. This killed me as I remembered digging all of that sod out just a few years before. Sometimes a little lawn makes sense! Sorry for the long ramble! Happy Monday!

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  7. What a spectacular makeover! It is hard work, but it's so much more interesting and enjoyable.

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  8. Your garden is gorgeous and I love the color of your door! We have removed over half of our lawn and planning to remove more.

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  9. First of all, congrats on inclusion in Pam's book. The book and the garden look great.

    Is that Carex Everillo in your back yard picture (in the back of the photo)? It looks like Japanese Forest Grass, but it can't be if that's a current photo. It's gorgeous!

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    1. Actually that photo is from last spring and you're right...it's Japanese Forest Grass. It's barely even starting to come up for this year.

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  10. My yard is gone due to extended drought, extremely hot summers, and watering restrictions. I really like your garden, I'm inspired by Pam's book, and I'd love to win a gift certificate from Plant Delights!

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  11. Sounds like the perfect book , as I spend all weekend shoveling out my lawn!

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  12. The transformation of your front garden is really inspiring! I didn't realize till seeing the picture just now how lush it is, for some reason I always see it as much more sparse. I got a happy kick out of seeing your garden in Pam's book too, which is an excellent research tool for anyone thinking about replacing their lawn.

    I do want to get rid of our still quite large front lawn at some point. But we have made so many changes in just the last three years since moving here, I need to take a little rest, and make sure I can keep up with the beds I currently have, which I am in fact still filling. My plan is to eventually extend the gravel garden into the front, but not make it completely gravel. I'd also like to have a rain garden, and a sitting area and another small water feature and and and...

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    1. I have to admit that photo was taken when things were looking especially lush, yuccas in bloom and all.

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  13. We have a certified Texas Wildscape that's also a demonstration site. Little by little, we replacing our "lawn" with walking paths and beds planted with native plants. Yay for Pam's new book!

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  14. Very nice progression of your yard showing how much better it looks without lawn.

    Our house never had a lawn, but we did have to relocate tons of gravel to gravel to create planting spaces. The neighbors like it better now that it's not a sea of plain white rock. I found Lawn Gone! to be wonderful inspiration for the work still ahead.

    Plant Delights? I'm in!

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  15. We talk every year about converting part of our lawn to something else, but so far that hasn't worked out, save for a couple raised beds. This year could be different -- we have a cultivator, so at least it wouldn't be quite as much effort.

    On the other hand, we still don't have a coherent plan for what we want to do, nor much of a budget, so really I'm just leaving a comment on the off chance that I might be able to get something from Plant Delights to I can grow indoors, because I covet some of their Mangaves (not to mention Agaves, Amorphophalluses, etc.).

    Which I realize is not really in the spirit of things. One has to grab these sorts of opportunities when they appear.

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  16. The last of my front lawn is on the chopping block! Quite excited! Pam's books sounds like great inspiration :) Cheers, Jenni

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  17. You did a great job of getting that Lawn Gone. Your garden is beautiful.
    With our drought problems here, in Central Texas, we all need to think about getting rid of water guzzling lawns.
    I'm working on it, a little bit at a time.

    Pam's book is really good advice.

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  18. I don't have a lawn at the moment but do have a garden and would love to add some new plants. The book looks cool, by the way!

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  19. I am currently taking out my front lawn and turning it, ever so slowly, into a perennial and shrub garden for birds and butterflies. Pam's book is chock full of great ideas and inspiration! weeder@rcip.com

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  20. The removing grass is fairly new to me. But I am removing grass by replacing it with flowerbeds. Pam's book has been a good resource.
    weedinwaterinwatchin.com

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  21. Linda CookeMarch 04, 2013

    Yep, I'm ready to give up that patch of grass - my reel mower is just about worn out and rather than buying a new mower, I want to spend that money putting in low-maintenance plantings. Count me in for free money to spend on plants!

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  22. I was lucky to not have any grass when I moved in, had I had it, it would be long gone by now. But I love your little patch of emerald in the backyard, really cool and inviting. Thanks for sharing!

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  23. I came here via Meem's blog Hoe and Shovel. My husband and I started working on removing lawn over 30 years ago. We have gardens, patios, hallways, nooks and crannies. It is a continual work in progress, something I enjoy.

    You really created quite the transformation with your property and I love it.

    Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

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  24. I just started the process to smother more lawn in my front yard this weekend. I'm so glad Pam included your garden in her book! It will convert even the staunchest lawn-lover.

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  25. What a fantastic job you guys have done!

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  26. Oh, your gardens are lovely. I can't wait to look at the rest of your blog!

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  27. I have long enjoyed your beautiful photos and plethora of links - many thanks for your consistent efforts and congrats on your garden's inclusion.
    I have recently moved, so am still in the moving-in stage, mostly, though I have a nice terrace around the house and plans to convert some 1 acre of surrounding horse pasture to hugelterraces, hopefully this spring, for a combination of annual and perennial edibles and herbs, as well as some ornamentals because some plants are just irresistible...

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  28. What a great giveaway! We're looking to extremely downsize our back lawn (HOA issues prevent us from doing much with the front), leaving a long grassy "runway" for the dogs and filling in everything else! Down the road we hope to be able to replace the existing grass with a lower maintenance variety! Thanks for the chance at this card!

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  29. My lawn's been gone for several years, replaced with native meadow interspersed with herbs like mint, oregano and lemon balm, also some awesome raised beds filled with veggies! But does this keep me from checking Pam's blog daily? No! She consistently gives encouragement and advice which I can apply to my own SoCal environment.
    ~Laura
    LlmcgATverizonDOTnet

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  30. We removed all the lawn from the north back garden and we're scheming on removing the rest from the middle and south back garden. What would make me truly happy is to figure out how to implement my dream of a moss garden in what's left of our front lawn. It's in the deep shade of big trees so it's root-filled, and bone dry during summer. Quite the challenge. I clearly need a copy of Pam's book to move me along!

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  31. Great transformation of your front garden Loree!

    I have gradually removed bits of my lawn over the years and I would happily remove lots more, but my wife acts as a natural brake on me...

    However, I have just had a new bed cut in my back garden as the lawn was getting choked up with moss. When the gardeners were in and started digging down they found out why. The original landscaper that I had employed did no preparation of the soil and the turf was essentially laid straight down onto the subsoil and in other places he had put a strange mix of sand down which had virtually turned to concrete - now wonder the lawn never looked that good, sigh!

    Oh well, at least I now have the fun of planting up a new bed. It is about 8 square metres, in light shade with decent loam in it. I can't wait! :D

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  32. Molly LittlejohnMarch 04, 2013

    Your yard is such an amazing transformation. Well Done! Sadly, I do have a lawn in my front yard due to a 100 year old curbside oak tree that sheds one thing or another constantly from June to November over the entire yard. First it's immture acorns, than mature acorn and finally millions of leaves. I can't imagine planting a garden just to have to rake and be careful around all the plants I would plant. It's my conundrum.

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  33. I would love to replace my lawn but that will have to wait a while. so many other projects.
    Thanks!
    Jennie Brooks

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  34. When we built our rural home on wooded land, I fought with the contractors to keep them from adding turf! They had never heard of such a thing! Thanks for the chance at the give-away. lcsn@aol.com

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  35. Wow - your yard looks amazing! I'm in the process of removing some of my lawn, but I can't just do the big ol' ripping everything out like you did - it scares me too much. So I will continue with removing a patch here, getting rid of that patch over there, etc.

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  36. Oh, that's too bad. I just visited Plant Delights yesterday with one of my clients. It's easy to spend a small fortune there. The display gardens are incredible and I was surprised to see some mature schefflera delavayi among a slew of other exotic plants. My client just happens to be a lawn-gone kind of person, so what's left of the front, weedy fescue lawn will slowly be converted to a dwarf-mondo lawn. BTW what kind of grass do you have planted in your backyard? It looks great!

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    1. Are you asking about the actual lawn Evan? Unfortunately I can't say because we didn't plant it...it's what was here when we moved in.

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    2. Of all the questions I could have asked on a post about eliminating lawns, I ask about your lawn haha…. But yes, I was wondering about the actual lawn. That's ok. I definitely agree about having a little patch of lawn to contrast nicely with planted beds.

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  37. I have a tiny (900 sq ft) cottage with two small postage stamp lawns on either side of the front walk and a nasty gravel/weed filled used-to-be lawn in the backyard. The back is definitely coming out but I'm considering leaving the front - I've already carved out beds from them so the lawn makes a nice calm spot. That being said, I'd pull it out if I had a good, visually, pleasing solution; but it would have to be one that has a similarly low-key feel as the beds and the house architecture are the focal points.

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  38. Not entering the competition but have to say getting rid of our lawn when we moved in was one of the best decisions we've made. Not that we hate lawns but the space it occupied has opened us up to ore and exciting planting opportunities. And less maintenance too! And what a difference to your front garden too, definitely much better without. Although we do like your remaining patch of lawn, so inviting to sit on to :)

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  39. Love it, even though I'm not an "all lawn must go" type of guy. I like *some* lawn area, even if it is lots more than just turf. Oooh, Plants Delight has such a variety of cool stuff...

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  40. I have an entire side of the house front/side/back that I am debating removing the grass and putting in more flowers and gravel paths. Just seems like so much work!

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  41. I'm working on removing lawn at our new house. It is slow going - one 10x10ft patch gone another 20x10 patch left to go + parking strips. A work in progress! It is fun shopping for shrubs in the meantime. Your blog is a great source of inspiration.
    knorq(at)hotmail(dot)com
    http://knorq.wordpress.com/

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  42. Hi kiddo! I seriously need to get this book and put it on my husbands bed! Debra Lee Baldwin and I have been working on him to take out my lawn. He thinks it will be hard to sell. I think it will make it more sell-able. I would love to enter your contest and will be ordering Pam's book. Always love to follow her blog too!

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  43. I always enjoy a peek back at your place before you got your hands on it... and now.Pam's book just arrived, and I am torn between wanting to dive into it and really wanting to get out and PLANT. Guess that's a reason to celebrate a couple of rainy days coming up.

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  44. Here we go...entering your contest to win free plants!!! ...crossing my fingers!

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  45. Love it!! I know I'm out of the runnings but do have to say, love your lawn gone front!!! And the smaller space in the back is perfect! Can't wait to get my hands on Pam's book!!!

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  46. I garden up front and have a lawnette of Danthonia spicata. It's a wonderful native grass that I recommend for folks who want a spot of greenery but also want to garden for wildlife. Boy oh boy do I love PDN!

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  47. I love your befores and afters. What a transformation. The garden itself is stunning but the color of your house and the green door are spot-on. Very nice indeed.

    A few weeks ago, I suggested to the hubster (with a grown kid within eavesdropping distance--my bad) that we just kill the front yard lawn and make it bark dust. (I didn't mention plants because all he would see is dollar signs.) We've got three large trees and it's too shady for the grass to do well.

    It was a no-go. Oh well. I tried.

    Congrats to Pam. Her book looks wonderful. And to you Loree for your garden photos.

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  48. Gardening on a corner lot in Texas that is subject to HOA rules, I've learned that implementing changes gradually has enabled me to remove all but two small areas of lawn on the side street frontage. The homeowners' association even went so far as to give me the yard of the season award in summer 2011!

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  49. Wow your front yard looks amazing. I really like the stone pavers in the back.

    We are in the SLOW process of removing all the lawn one garden bed at a time. Most of are neighbors are not into gardening but are excited about the changes we make in the yard.

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  50. Your home looks so Portland now. In the "before" photo it could have been anywhere.

    I have a tiny bit of lawn left in the back, about the size of a queen mattress. Cuddles used to like to sleep there, and I hope someday the puppies will too, when they grow up enough not to excavate it.

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  51. I am so excited about this book! I am moving into a new home (well, it's an old home that will be my new home!) and I am putting information together to shrink my yard!! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  52. Bracey TiedeMarch 04, 2013

    Love the photos and the blog. Our lawn has been gone for 20 years and we keep reinventing our landscape as our dangerous plantaholic desires bring home new ideas and plants to update and change it. While we do that, I do agree that a small, well kept lawn space is a nice rest for the eyes.

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  53. Love your blog! i'm about to start a vegetable garden in the front yard.

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  54. Great photos of an inspiring project. Nice work. I've dug up a south-side patch of weed grass and started planting perennials that love sun, but still have lots to dig up. Would LOVE to win this prize.

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  55. I just pulled up a bad lawn alternative, English Ivy, and something from Plant Delights would look good there.

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  56. We're thinking about putting in raised garden beds in place of our lawn.

    lovelydomesticdiva (at) gmail (dot) com

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  57. Lawn is so last century! I'm planning to dig mine up and put in mixed vegetable & flower beds. And I do love Plant Delights - great catalog!

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  58. We're so proud of our Texas girl! I can hardly wait to apply some of her ideas in her book! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! Pamie G.

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  59. Love your garden transformation, especially the color scheme of greens and creams and charcoal. Love it!

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  60. wow 67 entries, err 68 with me. Nice writeup, ordered the book early. Just now really digging in.....thanks for the writeup.

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  61. I wish my front lawn wasn't so HUGE! I would love to do what you've done! Beautiful!

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  62. I am so in on the giveaway! I don't even look at the Plant Delights site, as it just makes me want to spend ridiculous amounts of money. So many fun things!

    My own lawn is in transition... we're headed to a new house this spring. First priority is getting rid of a giant chunk of the backyard lawn and replacing it with a big potager. Can't wait!

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  63. I love what you have accomplished in both yards. Convincing my husband has been the hardest part of this journey for me. I have added lots of beds in the front and left him and the HOA a little grass. In the back it is all about feeding the family, lots of veggie beds and now fruit tress. Love your blog, lots of great ideas.

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  64. We are mid lawn removal here, the back yard is next. Beautiful change in your landscape, and the small patch of lawn you have is breathtaking. Any larger and you would lose the effect.

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  65. Enjoyed your garden! Just reduced my yard with a new bed, but I am only taking baby steps.

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  66. great yard!

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  67. Here, here! Congratulations on being featured in the book! 15 years ago, our NE Portland yard was all weedy grass. Now the only bit that remains is in the curbside planting strip, languishing in the shade of the street trees. It would have been replaced long ago, except that my kids kick soccer balls and bounce basketballs there. I fear for vulnerable new plants. It will happen soon -- the rest of the yard is filling in and I won't have any new "project" areas left!

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  68. In it to win it. Beautiful garden!

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  69. I have too much lawn to replace the entire thing but large sweeping planting beds are gradually expanding into it! Only problem is that the plants dont grow fast enough to expand more :) Btw I love your blog, you really showcase some fascinating plants that arent commonly grown in the south east. Im starting to try a few of the more heat tolerant ones!

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  70. What an inspiring yard. In the process of eliminating grass (okay weeds) in my own yard.

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  71. Wow, I admire your courage in ripping out everything sod at once. I've been doing the slow-but steady route--a new garden, a little less lawn each year. I limit myself to about $200 max any given growing season and choose lots of perennial plants that I'll be able to split in a couple of years. But you're right who wouldn't love another $50 to spend on plants!

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  72. Plant Delights is a treat to visit - highly it! Larger and larger beds are slowly taking over our front lawn. Yay!

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  73. I love seeing your before and after garden. What a transformation from boring old grass! Who would have thought that one day we would be saying that, when we were once so proud of our green swathes. I have a feeling that any more will be guided by Pam's book to follow in your footsteps. And count me in for the giveaway.

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  74. Yup, count me in. I would love to have a gift certificate to Plant Delights - they have the most of everything. I look forward to thier catalog every year. And I will have to have a copy of Pam's new book and will recommend that our library purchase one as well.

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  75. I've done this in the back-yard, now I need ideas for the front.

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  76. Love your makeover, and the front door almost seems like a centerpiece! Especially like the pavers in the back also! Kathy

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  77. Your yard is so pretty! If I were still back in Chicago on my city lot, I'd love to try those square pavers with grass. Now I live on 30 acres so my "lawn" is just natural meadow gone wild, which means zero maintenance!

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  78. We're hoping to get a little place "out in the country" and I'd love to use less lawn in favor more attractive ornamental & edible landscaping.

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  79. What a transformation. Just goes to show everyone that a front yard does not mean lawn!

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  80. LOVE Pam's book, LOVE this post too. Most excellent show and tell!
    Last spring, I remodeled my back yard last year to remove the lawn and made it a gravel patio area with giant containers for veggies. Lat fall I smothered one half of the lawn in the front yard where its bi-sected by the entry walk. This spring, the project is the remaining lawn on the opposite side.
    Our house is one of those new San Francisco style homes in a giant development of 5 different builders. Basically as close to a zero lot line as you can get and still have a garden space, so losing the lawn here is not saying too much. PLUS, I am SO excited to sell my lawnmower!!!!

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    1. The comments you thought were gone we actually here (so I deleted your second comment)...others are having this same problem too I think. I wish I knew what was going on (blogger can be a bit of a mystery), maybe it's because you expect your comments to show up right away but since I have to approve them first when it doesn't show up folks think it's disappeared? There has been so much spam lately (really an unbelievably large amount( that I have to keep comment moderation on...sorry for the confusion!

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  81. Great way to visit new garden blogs! Thanks, dlelmenhorst@att.net

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  82. INSPIRED! Thanks so much :) Our lawn will be GONE by Spring...

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  83. You have a great site as well, awesome job!

    Michael

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  84. I love what you did with your front yard and your back yard! I visited Pam's garden at the very first fling, and it was a wonderful example of how great a garden can look with no lawn.

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  85. Ohh I LOVE those gorgouse stones set into the little patch of grass.

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  86. We don't have much lawn left, just a large swath in the front and small, interconnected swaths on the side of the house. We have 5 large, old oaks that cover the other side of the house so no grass will grow under them. The back is taken over by my veggie gardens. It's nice to have a moderate amount of lawn to take care of and not have a huge expense with it.

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  87. Love your home! What a wonderful example of how a garden can be more welcoming then a lawn. We moved in ten years ago and removed all the side and backyard grass the first month and i have been gardening for wildlife ever since and bonus i never have weeds. Then enlarged the front gardens leaving only 800 square feet of grass. It takes longer to get the lawn mower out then to actually mow. won't have it any other way. Deco53@tampabay.rr.com

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  88. ho hum to WOWser!!!...the brown color was a great choice!

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  89. One of these days I am going to take a trip to visit Plant Delights Nursery.

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  90. I got rid of the lawn as soon as I bought my house, neighbors are not super supportive =(

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  91. Love the checker board look with the stepping stones. The only thing I miss since moving to the country is being lawn free. Our home in the city had no lawn either. We had a butterfly "forest", as my grandson called it, and a pond free water feature in the front & a huge Koi pond and native Florida garden in the back.

    Now with six acres and horses it is impossible to be lawn free...but I do have my own small garden areas that are lawn free.

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  92. What a great giveaway! I love Pam's blog and so wish she could do a 'consult' on my lawn!!
    Missy from the bayou

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  93. Love your blog! You and Pam have made me a pointy plant appreciator-especially agaves and yuccas! Your yard is beautiful, despite the danger!

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  94. I'm remove a little more lawn every season and I have a bit of a garden crush on Pam. Love her book and her blog continually inspires me.

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  95. Didn't know that Oregon had "dry spells!" why did I assume it rains there as much as in Seattle?? Lovely gardens (front and back!)

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  96. I love your front yard! What an amazing transformation.

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  97. I love Plant Delight's and have ordered from them in the past. I'm all about growing unique plants, getting rid of grass and planting for pollinators. Your garden is also very beautiful!

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  98. So delighted to see the front garden - have been such a fan of the back! Can't wait to see you again in SF or Portland!

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  99. What fun it would be to shop for unique perennials at Plants Delight Nursery as I replace more of the lawn with more interesting options.

    "danger garden" - maybe I'm not the only one who has made an emergency trip to the eye doctor after scratching my cornea in my own yard (and again on a Mother-in-law's plant inside just prior to leaving on a flight to visit her with my husband)!

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  100. I am really looking forward to reading this book. My husband and I have just started our journey towards a lawnfree front yard.

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  101. I love what you did with your front lawn -- perfect example of what Pam's writing about in her book. Looking forward to seeing you in June!

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  102. Love the picture of your back garden. Would also love to reduce the lawn here.

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  103. You have a beautiful yard. Way to get rid of the lawn! We moved into a house a year ago and are slowly chipping away at the lawn grass with native and edible gardens.
    neddorffATgmail.com

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  104. Great post! We had our whole front yard dug up this winter (not by choice) and are looking to replace the former lawn with a great low maintenance garden!

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  105. I have been working on less lawn in my yard. I just have to do it little by little so the husband doesn't flip out.

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  106. Wowee, Loree! What a transformation! Amazing! Love the front door, too. I especially like your back yard, with the stepping stones. I want to do something similar here.

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  107. Love the book...love your blog and love the idea of a gift certificate!

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  108. Gave up on lawn and grass nearly 30 years ago. Lots of wildflowers, other natives and shade-loving perennials instead. Love seeing Pam's book.

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  109. Got the book! It's great.

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  110. A big fan of reducing lawn areas!! Just moved to a 6 acre lot in MD and am starting with a blank canvas!

    dfhendrix00@yahoo.com

    Donna Degen

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  111. What great timing! We're moving into a brand new house with a lovely new garden this spring and it would be very useful to have this gift certificate :)

    randall031@gmail.com

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  112. Great giveaway!

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  113. LOVE those stepping stones!

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  114. Michelle EMarch 08, 2013

    Working on putting in a cottage-garden where the front lawn used to be so I'm in desperate need of more plants :)

    torttchr@sbcglobal.net

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  115. Great idea to welcome SPRING with this great giveaway!

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  116. Love the pics of your yard, and thanks for offering the giveaway!
    cricket_1027(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  117. Our three acres used to be a cow pasture - so far we have about an acre planted in garden beds of perennials and small shrubs. We plan to add more areas of large shrubs and small trees, but we will leave some grassy areas for the dogs and kids to play on. prettytools@gmail.com

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  118. I'm always excite to see people doing ANYTHING other than lawn...well, except for the yards of nothing but red or white lava rock ;-)

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  119. Must pick up a copy of this book! I've lived in my current home for a few years and its the first time I've ever lived in the suburbs. Its always been country or city before. When I moved in I knew nothing of lawn mowing and I forbade my allergy prone husband to touch the mower. Goodness knows what the neighbors thought when I let the "wildflowers" come up and would get out there and mow when I could no longer spot the dog ball in the yard. Finally, I just started adding new flower beds. I tested cardboard, newspaper, and plastic to kill the lawn and decided many layers of newspaper was the best. To keep my neighbors from frowning I covered all of this with a thin layer of pinestraw so folks were none the wiser what was under it! Every year I inch those beds bigger. I figure eventually I'll have a lovely grass path :)

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  120. Not sure if this is working ... trying one more time.

    I LOVE what you did with your house and garden. It is an incredible transformation!

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  121. What a great giveaway...thank you for the opportunity to win! We are new to this idea and I am still reading more about. I certainly want to replace my lawn but have not started yet, so don't know about the neighbors!

    bvbabybv at gmail dot com

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  122. I'm currently reworking my backyard. Plant Delights sure could provide something unique as I replace this Spring.

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  123. My front yard has been lawn free for 10 years and I haven't missed it at all! Lorah bluestemK9@att.net

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  124. Our house never had a lawn, but we did have to relocate tons of gravel to create planting spaces. The neighbors like it better now that it's not a sea of plain white rock.

    denver landscape

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