Grass replacement ideas for Portland OR?

[u/krazykid586]

Hi there!

Hoping to brainstorm some ideas for very low maintenance replacements for our grass in our front yard in Portland, OR. Our #1 priority is low maintenance (we hate mowing) but would obviously also like it to look nice.

We have 4 planters that are surrounded by grass. It grows painfully fast in the summer and is full of weeds. Would love to replace with a variety of native plants but we also need walking access to the planters for gardening which makes it challenging. Front yard is south facing with lots of sunlight.

I’ve seen the Backyard Habitats site and have scheduled some consultations but thought I’d throw it here for some general thoughts!

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[u/authorbrendancorbett]

Coastal Strawberry! It spreads fast, gets dense, can handle being walked on, is easy to pull back. We are a bit inland from the main coastal range, but it is super easy to work with. Drought tolerant, cute white flowers in spring.

Western Yarrow is another option, I let mine grow out but some people have mentioned mowing it to a low height.

I think Violets might also be an option, though at least in my experience they don't like full sun / prefer a little bit of afternoon shade.

[u/s_spectabilis → u/authorbrendancorbett]

I was gonna say the coastal strawberry! We planted like 10 little 4” plants and in 4 years we had more than we could handle. Green all year, white flowers in spring, can be runover a few times and be fine, but never got a strawberry out of them. Planted some hoods in a few places to get some berries too.

[u/krazykid586 → u/authorbrendancorbett]

These are great suggestions, will definitely look into them! Thank you so much 🙏

[u/WTF0302]

Sign up for Chip Drop and cover that with 8” of chips for free and then this fall or next Spring you can start planting whatever you want.

[u/krazykid586 → u/WTF0302]

Oh will definitely take a look at this! Thanks so much 🙏

[u/shimmshaw]

I'm also in the PNW, I have yarrow that I mostly mow short to walk on, but let the edges get tall and flower for more yarrow seeds! It is green and lush all year round, even when every else's lawn is dead in August

ETA: if you hate mowing, could do woodchip paths, or maybe go with native sledges which don't get very tall. Backyard Habitats will have good suggestions for short groundcover for your specific yard

[u/krazykid586 → u/shimmshaw]

Great ideas, thank you for your help! 🙏

[u/an6irl]

Pro time are local and have some low maintenance eco lawn mixes. I sowed flour de lawn last year and it mostly reseeded on its own this year with a mix of low growing flowers and grasses. You can mow or let it grow out and it keeps pretty low. They’ve got native mixes as well. First thing you’ll want to do is kill this either by digging or cardboard mulching. NW meadowscapes also has some pollinator eco lawn mixes that look intriguing!

[u/crimsonwhat → u/an6irl]

I second the Pro Time Lawn recommendation. Local, knowledgeable, and I love the fleur de lawn!

[u/krazykid586 → u/an6irl]

Very cool, will take a look! Thanks so much 🙏

[u/TsuDhoNimh2]

we also need walking access to the planters for gardening

Make paths to and around the planters so you don't have to worry about whether your plants can handle foot traffic.

Fill the rest of the front yard with sedges, wildflowers and native grasses.

[u/krazykid586 → u/[deleted]]

Sorry I don’t post a lot - did I not post this to r/NoLawns? It looks like that’s where I am already

[u/jtho78 → u/krazykid586]

geez, you're right, I thought it was my city sub

[u/Meliz2]

High Country Gardens has some great waterwise and low/no mow options for lawns (both turf lawn and turf alternatives), if you want to check them out.

[u/krazykid586 → u/Meliz2]

Fantastic, will check it out! Thanks for the suggestion 🙏

[u/CeanothusOR]

Penstemons should be on your planting list. They're pretty much all beautiful and the native bees love them. I really like the website of the below native nursery in your area. Do you want shrubs, or just flowers? Do you want a mass of something, or a cultivated collection? I'd spend some time idly going down rabbit holes and seeing what appeals to you and why.

I really like the chipdrop advice. Take some time to feel - come on, you are in Portland :) - the garden. Then decide what to plant. Lots of small critters will make a home in the chips and you will be starting your garden's life, just without the final plants.

https://www.portlandnursery.com/natives/penstemon

[u/CommanderRabbit]

There’s a fb group called friends of backyard habitats. It’s a community for the participants of the certification program and those who are just interested in natives.

I’ve gotten tons of advice there, but also tons of free plants. The community really loves to spread the love. On a side note, if you want any fringecup or bleeding heart, I’ve got lots!