The hottest trend in landscapes for several years has been lawn removal and replacement.
However, its success is determined before the first plant is planted.
Cynthia Bee, Director of Community Engagement for Utah Water Ways, says mistakes made before the project is started can multiply in impact over time.
She says you have to start with planning. Cynthia says, "Too often we skip this part all together, we just start doing."
Her pro tip: Take time up front to sketch your design. It doesn't have to be fancy. Cynthia suggests printing an image of your yard off Google Maps and start from there.
Next, check to see if there are landscape incentive programs in your area. You may qualify for cash back on your project.
Don't kill any lawn until you've been approved for a project. Living lawn is a requirement for the incentive programs.
Take time to kill lawn and weeds before beginning a project. Cynthia says, "This is the moment to dramatically reduce future maintenance challenges—do not shortcut this!"
You can kill your lawn with chemicals. Separate the lawn to be removed from lawn being retained by digging a trench around the edge. Two applications, two weeks apart is ideal.
But once the temperatures climb above 80 degrees consistently, discontinue application of herbicides.
An organic option for removal is solarization, which is harnessing the power of our Utah sun to kill, well, everything, and we're coming into the ideal time of year to take advantage of it's power.
To solarize an area, mow or string trim the area on the lowest settings. Remove all mowed plant material.
Wet the area down and then apply CLEAR plastic sheeting over the top and anchor it down with landscape staples, rock, etc.
Wait it out. Leave the plastic down for 6-8 weeks. Temperatures can climb to 130 degrees or more.
When you're ready to install new landscaping, not everything can or should be DIY, doing it yourself doesn't always save money.
Some projects, like grading the site or building retaining walls, may require expertise.
"Better to hire those jobs than risk the expense and low-quality outcomes," says Cynthia.
If you're replacing lawn with a more efficient variety, that must be done withing 24 hours of receiving the sod, so plan ahead and have help getting it down.
Other than that, take your time and do the project correctly. The only thing more difficult than installing a yard, is fixing one that was poorly done the first time.
Landscape incentive programs have a one-year timeline so that you'll be able to do the job well, take advantage of it!
You can find help at localscapes.com and at slowtheflow.org.
