Consider covering the entire exposed ground area with bricks and/or paving stones with less than a half brick wide spaces in between for growing moss or groundcover and for drainage. Might replace existing gate to match what you do to the fence or repaint it green. If you don't like something, just wipe it off and start again.ĭefinitely stain rather than paint the fence or just add a product such as CWF to moisturize and protect it with the same effect. An easy way to help you plan your yard, take a pic, enlarge it, put transparency film over it, and draw out a plan on it. LOL The more I look at your yard, the more ideas pop into my head. I would make the water feature on the corner of your walkway elbow, maybe, kinda hard to make a plan by just pics, so that when people are walking up the walkway, they will pass by it. Your hubby can make his own with a water pump, there are many great ideas to search for on the web. A water feature may not be cost prohibitive, depending on your budget. To get rid of the grass, cover it with plastic sheeting, our hot sun will get rid your grass easily. I would put in a stone path from the mailbox to the door though. Since you have border around your yard, you can have a groundcover without it invading your neighbors yard. Fill the beds in with native plants and lots of mulch, once established, no biggie on having a drought. Actually, I would do a complete border around your yard, just do it in the continuous swooping or curving lines. I would also have one going to the other side of your yard, especially if you are going to use a groundcover, you do not want a groundcover invading your neighbor's lawn. Maybe even extending it to meet up with the one around your mailbox. I would suggest continuing the curving bed along your drive all the way to the street. You are spot on with the curving flowerbed, if you keep the curves in your yard, you can have stone paths winding around plants. Looking at your yard, I can get an idea of how you can replace your grass and still have colorful plants without looking like a barren desert. Just remember to use the plants that work well in Texas. Also, if you look through the Mediterranean landscapes on Houzz, you can get great ideas on what to do with your yard. If you go to this site, you can see the plants that do great in Texas. Native plants, once established, do not need the care as would the non natives. I have been taking out my lawn a little at a time each year and replacing it with beds of native plants. Hi Lauren, I am also in Texas, so I know what you have been through with the drought.

Propagating thyme