by Pamela Kay

Created on: November 23, 2007   Last Updated: June 26, 2010

When it comes to your to green, energy-consuming lawn, do you hate to mow it, feel guilty when you water it and find it expensive to feed? Then, why not just get rid of it and still have an attractive outside area to live, play and relax. However, if you have a large lawn, don't try to do it all in one year; work on one area at a time and then move on to the next project. Here are some ideas for accomplishing this.

*Areas For Relaxing

Build meandering pathways surrounded by a garden and create little rooms with seating.
Build a gazebo and surround it with drought tolerant/low maintenance flowerbeds.
Create a patio area for your family and friends.
Build a small pond with a waterfall and stock it with water plants and fish.

*Areas For Play

Build a tennis court or a space for badminton or volleyball. Build an open-air gym pavilion for your workouts.
Provide your whole family with lots of play room by building a batting cage, a sandy area for horseshoes and a pebbled area with a slide, swing and monkey bars for children

*Productive And Environmentally Friendly

Drought tolerant low maintenance flowerbeds are the way to go. Border your yard with these beds and leave only a small green patch in the center. Low maintenance beds are heavily mulched beds that have plants, which have the same requirements for sun, water and fertilizer. A wonderful bonus with drought tolerant plants and trees is they seldom require good soil. They will grow in almost any soil! See a list of these at the end of this article.

Make a garden plot for growing your own vegetables or plant a small orchard or berry patch and harvest your own fruits.

Create a habitat for wildlife in a space away from your house by allowing it to grow wild.
Build a greenhouse and grow exotic plants.

*Add Some Curb Appeal

Many plants are drought tolerant. In fact, they do better when it is dry. These are the plants of the future, as we become more and more conscience of our use of natural resources. Create your own cutting garden for fresh flowers in your home with this list of drought tolerant plants, trees and shrubs.

*Ornamental Grasses

Grasses are lovely and there is a wide variety from which to choose. Many have unusual color, blooms or seed heads. Once planted, they are labor free. Just sit back and enjoy the wildlife they attract.

Maiden Grass
Blue Fescue
Northern Sea oats

*Perennials and annuals that are drought tolerant

These plants cover the color spectrum. Plant colors in groups, draw up a plan, or design

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