Achieve Greener Curbside Appeal Without Grass: Top Side Yard Ideas

Having a lush, green lawn is a dream for most people. But this dream doesn't fit for everyone, especially those who want to achieve greener curbside appeal without grass in their side yard. While grass may not be an option, there are plenty of other side yard ideas that can startle and please the eye.

Basic Shrubs and Trees

Perhaps one of the simplest and most fundamental ways to enhance the look of your side yard is to select bushes and trees that fit in with the existing setting and climate you live in. Depending on your choice you can easily transform your yard from blah to beautiful. Flowering bushes like Russian sage, for instance, have a subtle presence and remain dormant in winter, allowing other seasonal plants to shine. Trees, like the honeylocust tree has a uniform shape when growing and an ornamental construction, allowing it to be the main attraction.

Green Garden with Raised Beds

If you want to take things up a notch and fancy yourself as a green thumb, then a green garden is one idea that you can pursue. You can start by framing around the space boundaries a raised bed. This works wonders for smaller side yards and offer you a great canvas from which to project your garden ideas without any restraints. Along with bedding for traditional plants, you can use it to for annual, biennial, and perennial flowers and also vegetables. Once you have your plants in place, think of a decorative face to give them. Garden edging and pebble landscaping will add that layer of finishing to your side yard.

A Spontaneous Flower Bed

This is a great way to quickly brush up a side yard that's winding down. Simply put down a layer of soil on a portion and add annual or biennial flowers. You can layer them in neat rows or scatter them randomly. Spring marks the beginning of the cycle, when beautiful colors paint the backdrop of your side yard. Summer is when your flowers take full bloom, and in the winter, it's time to rework the plan with perennial flowers.

Organic Garden Path

Organic gardening is all about allowing nature to form its own course and shape the ultimate outcome. This concept is ideal for a side yard, as you don't have to invest in any hardscape for it. First, identify the natural path that visitors tend to take in the side yard. Then, mark it out with pea gravel or decomposed granite and lush green shrubs as borderlines. If you want to take the idea further, feature a colorful combination of roses and shrubs against a backdrop of woody evergreens. Your garden path is one of the few side yard ideas that can help you and your guest create memorable moments.

Wrapping Up

The possibilities are endless for side yard ideas that don't rely on grass. All you need is a clear vision of how you want the project to look in the end and the budget you're willing to allocate for its transformation. If you plan well and stick to the plan, you'll have a brilliant side yard in no time.