Skip to content

Top Navigation

Better Homes & Gardens
  • Holidays
  • Gardening
  • Recipes and Cooking
  • Decorating
  • Home Improvement Ideas
  • Cleaning and Organizing
  • Shop
  • Rooms
  • News
  • Beauty & Style
  • Health & Family
  • Pets
  • Local Services

Profile Menu

My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Insider
  • BH&G Magazine Archive
Login
Subscribe
Pin

Explore Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 of the Most Common Perennial Garden Mistakes to Avoid

      Are your plants not looking as lush and colorful as you hoped? Make sure you haven't made any of these missteps. Read More Next
    • 6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      A professional organizer offers advice on how to tidy up your home without feeling overwhelmed. Read More Next
    • 5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      Anti-inflammatory smoothies do exist! Instead of blending in boatloads of sugar and artificial ingredients, try these smoothies for inflammation that are stoked with ingredients that may help lower your risk for chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, and more. Read More Next
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays

    This Is Why We Send Paper Valentines on February 14

    The tradition began more than 1,500 years ago.
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Halloween
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Father's Day
  • Gardening

    Gardening

    See All Gardening

    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    Upcycle old newspapers, junk mail, and other waste paper to make these easy, eco-friendly containers you can use to sprout new plants for your garden.
    • Flowers
    • Houseplants
    • Plant Encyclopedia
    • Garden Pests
    • Trees, Shrubs & Vines
    • Caring for Your Yard
    • Edible Gardening
    • Garden Design
    • Gardening By Region
    • Landscaping
  • Recipes and Cooking

    Recipes and Cooking

    See All Recipes and Cooking

    21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have)

    If you’re a beginner baker who’s just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. We’ll help you set up a baking kit for beginners with 21 essential tools. For those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflĆ© dish. Building your essential baking toolbox starts here!
    • How to Cook
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Fish Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner Recipes & Meal Ideas
    • Ethnic Food
  • Decorating

    Decorating

    See All Decorating

    Pantone Predicts the Bold, Happy Colors You'll See Everywhere in Spring 2021

    If these trendy hues are any indication, brighter days are coming. Here's how to use these stunning shades around your home.
    • Choosing Color
    • Expert Decorating Advice
    • Fireplace Design Ideas
    • Do It Yourself Magazine
    • Window Treatments
    • Styles & Decor
    • Interior Painting
    • Home Makeovers
    • Small-Space Decorating
    • Traditional Home
  • Home Improvement Ideas

    Home Improvement Ideas

    See All Home Improvement Ideas

    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained

    With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style.
    • Home Exteriors
    • DIY Home Electrical Tips & Guides
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Home Remodeling
    • Plumbing Installations & Repairs
    • Remodeling Advice & Planning
    • Flooring
    • Lighting
    • Decks
    • Porches
  • Cleaning and Organizing

    Cleaning and Organizing

    See All Cleaning and Organizing

    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. Follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule.
    • House Cleaning
    • Laundry & Linens
    • Cleaning Tips
    • Closet Organization
    • Organization Tips
    • Kitchen Storage Organization
  • Shop
  • Rooms

    Rooms

    See All Rooms

    Living Room Furniture Arrangement Ideas

    Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space.
    • Bedroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Bathroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Kitchen Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Living Room Decorating and Design
    • Dining Room
    • Home Office
    • Kid's Rooms
    • Baby Nursery
  • News
  • Beauty & Style

    Beauty & Style

    See All Beauty & Style

    Here's Exactly How to Find Your Perfect Nude Nail Color

    Truth be told, there's no such thing as a universal nude.
    • Anti-Aging
    • Hair
    • Skin Care
    • Makeup
    • Style
    • Nails
  • Health & Family

    Health & Family

    See All Health & Family

    7 Small But Impactful Ways to Fit Self-Care Into Your Day Right Now

    Staying atop of your wellbeing is a must, especially during uncertain, stressful times. These tips will help you make time for self-care for a mental health boost every day.
    • Family Activities
    • Reunions
    • Conditions
    • Parenting Skills
  • Pets

    Pets

    See All Pets

    50 Perfect Calico Cat Names for Your Beautiful Kitty

    Use your pet's unique coat as inspiration on what to call them.
    • Dogs and Puppies
    • Cats
    • Caring for Your Pet
  • Local Services

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Insider
  • BH&G Magazine Archive
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. BHG.com
  2. Gardening
  3. Landscaping
  4. Landscape Basics
  5. Lawn Design Tips

Lawn Design Tips

June 09, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin FB
Use these tips to make a statement with your lawn so it will be a key element of your landscape's overall design.
Start Slideshow

1 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Create a Center

Your backyard lawn doesn't need to be a big dull space. Use it as a central access point to other landscape features. Here, a meandering swath of grass looks great on its own, but it also connects pathways that lead to a series of garden rooms. The result is charm -- and an efficient use of yard space.

1 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Put Your Lawn to Work

Make your lawn integral to unifying the various shapes and colors in your landscape. Here, healthy turf draws the eyes of passersby to the focal point of the flowerbeds. The lushly planted colors sing against the backdrop of green. So choose your style and let your lawn do the work for you.

  • Help your lawn resist drought.

2 of 22

3 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

A Formal Approach

This spectacular yard gains a measure of elegance from a well-tended panel of grass. The mostly symmetrical design lends a sense of formality that is in keeping with the traditionally styled house. Stone edging and paths set off the lawn in sharp relief and make mowing a snap.

  • Learn more: How to choose a lawn shape.

3 of 22

Advertisement

4 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Create a Frame

Just as a great frame can enhance the picture inside, the right edging can accentuate your lawn for a stunning display. Take a cue from this dazzler -- a boxwood hedge planted in a zigzag fashion acts as a dramatic accent for a lush green lawn. Red coleus planted in the pockets of the hedge heightens the drama.

4 of 22

5 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Draw the Eye

Use gentle curves in the edge of your lawn to direct the eye to particular features. Here, the sweep of edging on both sides of the lawn draws attention to the small grotto at the back of the yard. Well-placed curves can also draw attention away from less attractive views of neighboring homes on either side of a small plot.

  • Designing for Outdoor Living

5 of 22

6 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Create a Cohesive Look with Your Landscaping

Learn how to create a landscape that flows.

6 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Family Approach

For a family with an active lifestyle, make sure your lawn provides plenty of room for romping and running around. This wide-open lawn proves that you can have flowers -- and your grass, too. A broad expanse surrounded by informal arrangements of blooming plants leaves space for all sorts of outdoor activities.

7 of 22

8 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Give It Some Shape

Do the unexpected by playing with different shapes around your lawn. Your eye will be pleasantly surprised by the change in pace. Here, a rectangular lawn contrasts with concrete spheres. Square stone pavers on the gravel leading up the lawn throw another shape into the mix, making the yard a hip piece of contemporary art.

Here's a hint: The concrete spheres are simple to roll away when you mow and put back in place afterward to reduce the amount of trimming.

8 of 22

9 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Go Graphic with Your Grass

Don't be afraid to make your lawn an unexpected artistic element in your landscape: Play with shapes, use contrasts and complements, and add eye-catching textural elements. This square, edged by restrained plantings, replicates the shapes of the surrounding brick patio and pavers set in gravel. It also provides a transition between those areas and the flowerbeds, giving the landscape a tidy, yet accessible feel.

9 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Enhance Design Elements

Make your lawn work extra hard to complement hardscape features, as this yard illustrates. The grass, crisscrossed by intersecting mini pavers, replicates the details found in the outdoor covered patio, enhancing their placement and design. Attention to detail, such as how the size and shape of the pavers accent the rim on the roof, makes all the difference.

10 of 22

11 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Let It Lead You Somewhere

Take time out of your day and relax with a nice stroll through your yard. Grass paths aren't just for getting somewhere; a graceful path can make your landscape more accessible and comfortable.

Here's a hint: If your grass path has a twist or shape to fit around or through existing flowerbeds, you'll add mystery and encourage exploration.

  • Glorious Garden Paths

11 of 22

12 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Extend Your Patio

Patios and decks are great for entertaining but aren't always large enough to host a crowd. Here, a patch of level lawn expands the outdoor living area created by a ground-level patio. This principle would also work with a low deck that allows easy access to the lawn.

  • Patio Planning, Step by Step

12 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Craft a Secluded Nook

Every yard needs a spot where you can relax and settle into a chair or hammock to while away an afternoon with a nap or good book. But your hideaway can go beyond run-of-the-mill patio space. Go bold and use a swath of lawn set a step higher to add unexpected drama.

13 of 22

14 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Break It Up

User pavers or other materials to break up a boring expanse of lawn. The more pavers, the more dramatic the look. Here, lawn and pavers carpet a driveway, adding softness and green space to a front yard.

Here's a hint: Create a formal look by using the pavers in straight lines. For a look less formal, stagger the pavers so they don't line up -- or drop them randomly.

14 of 22

15 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Add Contours

A wide, flat yard is great for the kids and dog, but let's face it: It can be boring. If you don't have to simplify your landscape for children or pets, add contours to your yard. Here, a sod-covered berm adds a surprise to an otherwise flat yard. Because the berm is relatively low and because the slope is gentle, it's as easy to mow as a flat yard.

15 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Add an Island

It's just plain fun to break up a section of lawn with a garden bed. Just keep in mind a few simple principles. First, make your island bed large enough to be interesting, but not so large as to overwhelm the lawn. Second, leave enough room around the island to facilitate mowing. Finally, edge the bed to keep a distinct line between bed and lawn.

  • Island Garden Plan

16 of 22

17 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Paint a Pretty Scene

Lawns are not often recognized for their sheer beauty. But the majesty and magic of a lawn can -- and should -- be an integral part of your landscape, as this elegant, mostly monochromatic setting demonstrates. Use grass to your advantage for its even height and depth of color to add texture and harmony to your landscape.

17 of 22

18 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Maximize Your Lawn's Roles

Even a skinny stretch of turf can perform multiple functions. This small-scale border does three things: It works as a transition between the pool and the lush, vine-covered gazebo; it enforces the angular shapes of the swimming area and concrete deck; and it serves as a soft surface to relax at pool's edge. Use your lawn to ease into an area filled with shrubs or flowerbeds; its angles help draw people through and around the landscape.

18 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Blur the Lines

We usually see a clear, defined line between lawn and planted areas. While that's functional and attractive, you can make your lawn even more interesting and more of a design element by using a serpentine or irregular pattern.

Here's a hint: If you create deep enough curves or pockets, you add a sense of mystery (especially if you use tall plants) because visitors won't be able to see what's inside the pockets until they're right upon them.

19 of 22

20 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sit Back and Relax

You should also create opportunities to enjoy your lawn close-up. Position a bench in a shady spot where you can gaze out upon the grass. You'll soon discover a tapestry of subtle detail that changes with the shifting breeze and the dance of sun dapples.

  • Nook Garden Plan

20 of 22

21 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

A Beautiful Frame

A panel of grass is similar to the matting around a photo. That is, the flat, textureless lawn sets off the more interesting and detailed areas adjacent to it. Here, a well-cared-for lawn sets off the plantings that ring the yard. The uniform green of the lawn also helps create contrast with the darker and lighter greens of the shrub and flower foliage.

21 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 22

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Should You Seed, Sod, or Both?

Learn how to get the best-looking lawn without breaking the bank.

22 of 22

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 22 Create a Center
2 of 22 Put Your Lawn to Work
3 of 22 A Formal Approach
4 of 22 Create a Frame
5 of 22 Draw the Eye
6 of 22 Create a Cohesive Look with Your Landscaping
7 of 22 The Family Approach
8 of 22 Give It Some Shape
9 of 22 Go Graphic with Your Grass
10 of 22 Enhance Design Elements
11 of 22 Let It Lead You Somewhere
12 of 22 Extend Your Patio
13 of 22 Craft a Secluded Nook
14 of 22 Break It Up
15 of 22 Add Contours
16 of 22 Add an Island
17 of 22 Paint a Pretty Scene
18 of 22 Maximize Your Lawn's Roles
19 of 22 Blur the Lines
20 of 22 Sit Back and Relax
21 of 22 A Beautiful Frame
22 of 22 Should You Seed, Sod, or Both?

Share options

Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Shop | Better Homes & Gardens

  • Lawn Edgers
  • Exterior Paint
  • Flowers And Plants
  • Hanging Planters
  • Window Box Planters
  • Outdoor Plant Stands
  • Outdoor Lanterns
  • Landscape Lighting
  • Pathway Lights
  • Outdoor Pillows
  • Shop More Next

Better Homes & Gardens may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

  • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Logo Products at Walmart
  • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Real Estate Real Estate Services
Better Homes & Gardens

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Better Homes & Gardens
  • Help
  • Media Kit
  • Content Licensing
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
BH&G is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.bhg.com

View image

Lawn Design Tips
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.