Daryl Lindsey, who formally launched her Yardfarmer.co sustainable landscape design venture in the fall of 2022, offers her top starting points for creating a productive, manageable and beautiful landscape design.
Tip #1: Look at your yard from the top down. Think about the ways you want to spend time outside, whether it’s playing soccer with the kids or reading a book in a shaded hammock during the summer. “Those are important things to nail down first,” Lindsey says. “Then build your layout around that.”
Tip #2: Make your yard work for you. Lindsey suggests thinking about ways to reduce maintenance so being outside doesn’t feel like a chore. Converting lawn space to include eco blends or native turf, like buffalo grass, requires less mowing and watering. “You can be in your yard doing things you actually like.”
Tip #3: Go beyond the aesthetics. There’s nothing quite like walking outside to clip herbs or harvest vegetables to go with dinner. “It creates this sense of your yard doing something for you that can be really fun and special.”
Tip #4: Create an ecosystem that gives back. Lindsey explains that your yard can also do good for the planet. Think about what wildlife—like native bees, butterflies and birds—can get from your garden. “Pollinators are desperate for food sources, and they’ll start thriving in your yard,” she says.
