I am now 72 years old. I grew up on a farm and always had plants a wanted a nice yard. I took the Master Gardener classes over 10 years ago and then about 2009 I helped my son who started his own landscaping company. He taught me about using curves, yard art, and picking the right plants for our area. I moved into our current house in 2012 and it has a very large yard which had little previous TLC. My projects have evolved as our weather and water issues came into the picture. 2 years ago, I decided I would initiate the move to less grass with the hope others would follow. I did it myself with some muscle help from my husband. My plant criteria were heat and cold tolerant (-20 to full summer sun), drought tolerant {water once a week once established}, need to flower and are perennials. Once grass was removed I laid down newspaper and cardboard as weed barrier. I transplanted a variety of plants from my backyard, and I have an ornamental pear tree, very young crabapple and very tall pine tree in the yard as well.

The area under the eaves is shaded except in July/Aug so I built a rock garden bed with shade lovers, columbine, bleeding heart and hosta. They survive but I wouldn't say they thrive. Once my plants were in I covered the yard with brown mulch and VOILA!! I was done for a while. It overall took me a few weeks working at my own pace in the first year. The plants did great, but this summer I decided to add a dripline to make watering easier. I also added another layer of mulch to cover the lines and add depth after settling. I have received many compliments on my yard and I am very happy with it. With current climate issues I have decided I need to redirect my backyard as well. I have been I ridding the grass and sowing wildflower mix to attract pollinators, birds, butterflies, etc.

I am happy I could do this project myself (with my husbands help at times) at not much cost. I used plants I had or got free from friends, and bought small plants and plants that were on clearance. I incorporated some rock and gnarly wood that I got from friends for natural additions, and mulch that was on sale. I didn't want it too busy or plants that would become invasive or spread quickly.

My advice for beginners -- start with an area and figure out what you want it to look like. Don't try to do the whole yard at once. We all learn "the right plant for the right place" which saves time and money. It's great to see the outcome and enjoy it for years to come.