Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass

by Liz Primeau, Andrew Layerle (Photographer)

Although upkeep is labor intensive and often requires an arsenal of dangerous chemicals to keep it free of weeds and pests, the appeal of a manicured lawn is almost irresistible. But more people are discovering a very attractive alternative. Packed with practical tips and beautiful photographs, Front Yard Gardens :

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Adult

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Grady]

This book presents a variety of front yard gardens, with stories about how their owners got started. The choice is a little odd; most are scattered across Canada (which makes sense, since that's where the author lives), with a very few in ... Austin, Texas. If you know someone who is thinking about replacing lawn with flowers and needs a little encouragement, this book may provide helpful inspiration.

[Text Addict]

I am emboldened.

[Meg]

As a first time home owner on a budget, trying to convert my front yard to a garden, this book was enjoyable, but not as useful as I was hoping.

I really enjoyed reading the first couple chapters about the history of the lawn and why we have so many of them.
The images in the book are enjoyable to look at.
I found some of the language dated, even for 2003.
The properties depicted are generally older, quaint, brick, or expensive houses, and often utilize a lot of stone / brick/ neighborhood teenage labor/ professional landscapers (etc), all of which are expensive or not easily attainable for someone like me in my 70's / 80's styled duplex home in Central Alberta.

Still, it was enjoyable.

[Candy]

The dog jumped up when I made a sound of distress as I turned the last page of this book. Her look said, "What's wrong, Mom?"

After enjoying many morning coffees curled up in my chair with this book, it was over! i just wanted to look at one more garden!!!

I loved the photography and all the stories of the different gardens and gardeners. Just a wonderful, enjoyable read.

[reading is my hustle]

So, do you want a yard- or an oasis?! This is the perfect book for the "No More Lawns" set! Simple, solid ideas coupled with inspiring photos makes it a great "go to" book when looking to switch up your yard.

Love it. Will return to it. Again and again.

[Grace]

A beautiful and very inspirational book full of a plethora of examples. The author does a great job of sharing a wide variety of front yard garden styles, and also includes helpful tips and hints on how to start your own. The perfect mixture of inspiration and instruction.

[Kara]

Oh my... what beautiful inspiration! This is primarily Canadian-based gardens, but these great ideas about how to repurpose your turf had me reaching for my measuring tape and White Flower Farm catalog. Come, spring!

[William]

One of the best garden books I ever read.

The author shares my view that there is a lot more to life than lawn grass.

Packed with color photos, garden plans, and interesting anecdotes.

[Alicia Bayer]

There are some really good inspirational photos of front yard flower (not vegetable) gardens but the book was written 25 years ago when gardeners were obsessed with non-native and invasive plants. There’s a lot of Japanese wisteria, hosta, tulips, butterfly bush, etc. There is a section on what she calls natural gardening (native gardening) but she says that only using native plants “borders on plant xenophobia.” We now know how important native plants are for pollinators, birds and the ecosystem, and I prefer to get garden inspiration from gardeners who will recommend plants that will help nature instead of just look pretty. Still a fun read.

[Kathy (McDowell) Miller]

This book had some good ideas, but all of the gardens shown were either from Canada or south Texas, nothing from the midwest or the southeastern U.S.. I was also put off by the jumble of flowers, shrubs, and vines in the photographs. Many of the gardens looked like an overgrown, cluttered mess, none of which would be welcomed by a homeowner's association in this country.

[Megan]

I am looking at making my front lawn into a garden because I don't like grass. I enjoyed seeing what others have done to replace the grass front yard.

[Andrea]

I read this book cover to cover ten years ago, and was excited to revisit the updated version. One of my favourite gardening books. Beautiful photography and lots of inspiration.

[Kelly]

Familiar with Liz's front yard and have seen some neighbours follow suit. Interesting reading of her inspiration, the eureka moment and how the garden progressed.

[tin_foil_tinnu]

Nice pictures and helpful overview of garden types.

[Leslie]

Great book with compelling stories and photos for each yard. Definitely not a beginners guide to gardening though.

[Pam]

While I agree with the author and believe we should lose the American lawn ethic and its serious and costly environmental consequences, the examples in this book primarily focus on the labor intensive cottage garden. As an older gardener, who has learned to appreciate the year round beauty of shrubs, I was disappointed with the cottage garden focus. Yes, there are a few yards which might not be categorized as cottage gardens, but they were in the minority. Another pet peeve which predominate in the book were front walks paved with brick or stone, which can be difficult for the elderly and disabled to travel, and also difficult to maintain in winter climates. Despite these issues the book had lovely photographs and interesting stories about how they were conceived and created.

[Deodand]

I was pleased to see a few front-yard gardens from my hometown, which is in zone 3. That means we have all four seasons here. It also means that most gardening books are pretty irrelevant to me.

I've been fighting the good fight against grass in my backyard for several years, but I'm losing to annual grasses, thistle and dandelions. It doesn't help that my neighbourhood cares little or not at all for weed abatement, so my yard is covered in weed seeds every year. I was hoping for more advice on maintenance.

There was some pretty nice garden porn here, though.

[Amanda]

This book gave me a lot of ideas for my front yard. I wish there were more specific garden plans, though, but the idea of the book is to be more free-form, so I get it. The 5 year plan is to get rid of most of the grass in my front yard, and plant some more trees. Yay!

[Katrina]

this is less of a true how-to, and more of an inspirational collection of stories and photographs. different styles of garden are outlined, from xenoscape to english cottage, and lists of common plants for each.

[Pam Penick]

With more than two hundred color photographs, this book is packed with ideas on how to transform your lawn into a garden. Mostly Canadian gardens, but also a couple in Texas and others in the U.S., are showcased.

[Cheryl S.]

mostly photos, some info

[Gerri]

I wish!

[Amy]

Lots of ideas and lots of pictures, but not many plans / layouts. Still, an interesting book!

[Erika]

I need to remember to come back to this one closer to spring. I love the idea of turning my yard into a garden oasis. Also, I hate cutting grass. Double win.

[Joy]

I am inspired to dream about having a beautiful front-yard garden but do not think I will getting there anytime soon.

[Lissa]

Mostly Canadian examples, with a few SoCal. Good description of how to plan and proceed in a project. Great photos.

[Kelly]

I like grass and am looking for more of an "outside room" rather than a meadow. A lot of these gardens, while beautiful, are beyond my commitment level.

[Carla]

not what i was expecting ...i was hoping for more of a homestead edible lawn than flowers so it was disappointing but gets 4 stars because of the multiple photos per page and example gardens.

[Liz Michaels]

I enjoyed this book, though I'll never be able to keep my flower garden as well maintained as any of these.