![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7hdMFlg49fN82PyuxJ2CSmBpWPJf7YJBNzV9iyAP6IyBmlyH3-VIfnsvMDXOKlJMyo8kZsnZ79fafK8dm6yEAdwgMawEU9SjZlNg_SpkcekYz8Y5ibg9zq1Fw0Ur-pxiFYh_jaCWSHI/s400/fake+grass.png)
My yard is a big hot mess. There's a beat up gravel driveway that leads to a patch of sandy crab grass.
I'm ready for a change. Nothing will grow in the crab grass patch, except, uh crab grass. I have some beds on the sides with some stone gravel. The bedding plants are pretty good: Banana trees, Night Blooming Jasmine, bougainvillea, a palm tree, and a huge tree like lantana.
The current (August 2009) Veranda has a story called Botanical Hues Nuances From Nature. Memo to Veranda, please put more photos from the magazine on your web site.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SeecMNot31XTQPx6J6XigMEUTTnlvUrYtbORtpsNmvHue4upH0Y3O3sN4VZTeaq8rP6lQ9aN_YghFmL8rZGluxjP4A52Su0wZjyopflURhgWf59IYAwT9Q2e2dfdnbTbMnytuWAWL0w/s400/veranda+cover.jpg)
There's a double spread centerfold (page 69) that is just perfect. Instead of the pool pavilion, we have a garage that is never used for cars, so I want to do a center piece of lawn surrounded by gravel paths in front of it.
I saw this HGTV show where the garden makeover was very Frenchy. There were gravel paths around a nice grass lawn in one section, and beautiful stone patios in another section. This is what I have been thinking of doing!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7XuUiIxWfCzqUBT1l-sl3bBRXwV3JcAK2UI4PBds0hzQtNo3SWeD2wyGAy1mBRBaDF3OynWkNhISmSiP3mFZTUUhpse9hkEMAjr7Bj0jPdpxmf4ESD-mAdFPWCE9PBZPYffHmIrWhDI/s400/place_de_voges2865.jpg)
The part with the patch of grass was under some trees, and it was deemed too shady for a good lawn to grow.
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So the landscape designer suggested fake grass! Like most of us I associate fake grass with Astro Turf in a stadium, or that bright green indoor outdoor carpet used lovingly by the great old guard suburban housewife, or by a mini golf course owner. Uh, like kind of tacky.
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Moi use fake grass when my visions of lavender lined pathways in France or Italy fueled my homegrown garden desires?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKE7ChwBmb-rQVrDM0IJ0l3NPpjo-5N99ikvKJTZ7aE7R0WL6C-Eb7Ccf0tQrHXBJMi-WcgQm7qVJbdFObI8n9TIdNroA8bw7qvz1SezkcLNBumFiDOhc8SMi3Ut6EKd6OlJRDvyml84E/s400/lavender_path.jpg)
And yet the HGTV finished product was so good looking and so charming. And the owner's dogs loved it. So I did some research, and apparently you can just hose off dog pee.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbfQleTKWiIB7BoRYzyZZGXkUNSpAoQ8GWRXhnQhgmYOGPsBJ1Lqf91Bmc-456BvuB3ftj0x3bO1hpxlmDAxfOXa7n6JYj7_oi5z2fzb-BJFsFD2TxP6JOv6njiSxZmyjlet9eKP10aY/s400/grass2.jpg)
It's pricey though. About $2700. for a 600 square foot patch (which is about what I need).
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My yard guy is going to give me a quote on digging up the crab grass, making the gravel edges, and planting a new lawn. He's got a driveway guy too, who is going to give me a price on doing a concrete (or cement - seeeement - as they say here in the South) driveway. I asked for the concrete to have a larger than usual ratio of small rocks mixed in, to sort mimic my dream gravel (or shell) driveway.
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