Daryl Lindsey, who formally launched her Yardfarmer.co sustainable landscape design venture in the fall of 2022, wants you to think about your yard differently. Totally differently.
That fence-to-fence lawn in need of weekly mowing and thirsty for hundreds of dollars worth of water each month could become an outdoor kitchen, dining room or cozy reading nook surrounded by native plants, grasses and flowers.
“Reimagine your yard as a floor plan, the same way you would look at a floor plan of your house,” says Lindsey, who founded sustainable landscape design company Yardfarmer.co last fall. “Think about walking out of your home into the next room—an outdoor kitchen area where you’ll use the smoker for a pizza night, and then beyond that is the patio dining area, followed by a more casual living room where you’ll lounge with a glass of wine or a spritz and talk about life with friends.”
Follow Lindsey’s Tips to Reimagine Your Outdoor Space
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.
Learn more about making the most of your outdoor space from our sister publication, Utah Style and Design magazine!
