[WATCH] No mow lawns

Spend less time maintaining and more time enjoying your garden. Go for plan B – greenery or go for stones, but never be caught mowing the lawn again. Life is a Garden has put together a few lawn alternatives to get you thinking. Ornamental obsessed Keep that authentic lawn look with easy-to-maintain, ornamental grasses. There are so many varieties available that add texture to the garden and beautifully contrast existing foliage. Edge your beds or use them as ground covers. Ground covers are cool Water-wise and drought tolerant, evergreen and never in need of a mowing – what more could you ask for?

Try using gorgeous ground covers such as gazania, aptenia, delosperma and plectranthus neochilus as a grass substitute.

Shards and shells Add an organic atmosphere to the garden with bark shards or acorn shells instead of grass. Lay a few tree stump stepping slabs in between your bark and voila and you’re good to go. You’ll never have to worry about watering or fertilising again. Pebbles are beautiful If your lawn area is more decorative than functional, play your part in preserving our most precious resource and go for pebbles as a no-mow, no-anything option. They look simply beautiful surrounding green foliage and add great contrast against other foliage. Stepping stones and rows If you simply love having real grass, why not try lessening a little by using large stepping stones or pavers laid in rows and squares. Minimise grass space with stone/ concrete/ wooden pathways and corner-off or highlight entertainment areas. Indigenous beds are friends

Increase the size of your garden beds with proudly South African foliage, which can withstand drought and are perfectly adapted to our local climate.

Try aloes, proteas, pork bush and buchu. Faux grass A lovely life-like variety of faux grasses are available as a no-mow alternative. Try installing a pet-friendly, artificial lawn as it never needs watering or topsoil, is always pick-nick-ready and has a year-round freshly manicured feel. You can get all these lawn alternatives, plants, pebbles and accessories from your local plant nursery. Watch the DIY video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZi5Tde38ZI For more garden inspiration, fun DIY projects and monthly maintenance tips, visit www.lifeisagarden.co.za DID YOU KNOW? Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 694 6047 The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram– why not join us there?

Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.

(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)