After going down a rabbit hole on Reddit, one user went to r/landscaping to get to the bottom of a debate.
The topic of the argument: pea gravel. Posting a photo for reference, the OP wrote they were planning on laying weed fabric over an adobe clay mud area and then filling it with pea gravel until it was flush with the pavers.
However, after a night of scrolling, they discovered that people seem to hate pea gravel because it gets everywhere, is hard to walk on, isn't stable ground for anything to be placed on top, is possibly bad for dogs, and sticks to dog poop.
"Any suggestions on what we should do here or will the gravel be fine?" the OP wrote.
The post attracted over 300 comments and suggestions on the best plan of action. The majority agreed that rocks were a bad idea.
"You might think you want gravel now but once you try maintaining it you'll wish you listened to everyone saying to mulch it. You will get weeds either way," one comment warned.
"It sounds like a great idea because it sounds easy to maintain, right? No mowing. No weeds. Except….There will be weeds. You're setting yourself up for a TON of work down the line," another agreed. "If you want something low-maintenance, plant stuff there. Plant something easy even. Patch of clover."
"Look up natives in your area and pick everything from ground covers on up to crowd out any weeds/invasives before they have a chance to take over," a third suggested.
Native plants are a great alternative landscaping option. Not only are native lawns easy to maintain, they also save money by lowering water bills and reducing the need for fertilizers and pest control. They're also a godsend for pollinators, which are responsible for one in every three bites of food. We need pollinators to survive, which means we need natural lawns to thrive.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 When it comes to rewilding, there's something for everyone.
If you like the look of traditional lawns, then clover and buffalo grass are a great green option.
If you're looking for a pop of color, try wildflowers for a tapestry lawn.
If you want something more functional as opposed to aesthetic, look into creating a vegetable garden. You can always start with a small patch of your lawn to start reaping the benefits and grow from there.
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