![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpZinYVz7I/AAAAAAAAMUA/PnmvFQrLw0g/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.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpbykDo_SI/AAAAAAAAMUY/ET6JalieFKM/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!
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpgwhmZFII/AAAAAAAAMUw/AJ6ZUf8A3LE/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.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpgwpL1ghI/AAAAAAAAMU4/uNiz8Qsq3J4/s400/circles.jpg)
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.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/Skp2XDqLpuI/AAAAAAAAMVQ/unyRedd-Sn4/s400/175332773krNDdI_fs.jpg)
Moi use fake grass when my visions of lavender lined pathways in France or Italy fueled my homegrown garden desires?
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpgwDk91JI/AAAAAAAAMUo/TAJaTlIF4aU/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.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpbyUjGeRI/AAAAAAAAMUQ/Z486Oj2fAWA/s400/grass2.jpg)
It's pricey though. About $2700. for a 600 square foot patch (which is about what I need).
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/SkpbySSbPEI/AAAAAAAAMUI/BGev9UVW8RE/s400/grass1.jpg)
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.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sfw0cPTAuWs/Skp5qvZ_sPI/AAAAAAAAMVY/-gFZ7ZdfB88/s400/gravel_drive.jpg)