If spending weekends wrestling a lawnmower isn't your idea of leisure, yet you still love the feel of fresh-cut grass under your toes, here is the perfect solution: Reduce the amount of grass in your yard.

Small Lawns--Big Rewards
The first step is to evaluate what you want. If you have visions of riding horseback across the back 40 or hosting the local Little League championship, perhaps a bordered lawn isn't for you. But if you like clean landscape lines, healthy green grass, and free weekends, consider hemming your lawn in with pavers or a brick patio.

If there are places in your yard where grass just doesn't grow or where mowing is a problem, reshaping your lawn can be the solution. It's often difficult to grow grass under the shade of trees, in spots with poor drainage, or where there is competition from shrubs with shallow roots. Growing grass in places without these challenges reduces the amount of required maintenance.

Another benefit of a bordered lawn is how the other plants in the yard will prosper. Lawnmowers and string trimmers can damage the bark of trees and shrubs. This incidental contact is common and can have disastrous effects. When a string trimmer cuts a tree's bark, the wound immediately becomes a vector for disease and insect damage. Without proper care, this can eventually lead to the death of the plant. A simple solution to this is to reshape your lawn so that all your trees and shrubs are outside its perimeter, thus avoiding accidental contact. This also benefits the turf by reducing water and nutrient competition and providing more sunlight. With less fertilization, less watering, and less mowing to do, you can enjoy your yard more.

Design Advantages
In addition to the many maintenance benefits you'll reap, there are some wonderful design rewards as well. Redbrick or black stone borders around your lawn create a contrast of color that breaks up the monotony of green. Hardscape borders can also provide continuity between the house and lawn. Replicating the brick or stone of a house's foundation in the landscape will pull the eye from the curb to the front door. The shape of a lawn can also play off a house's design. Repeating the straight lines of a front porch or the curved lines of an archway will create a pleasing effect.

Installation
Putting in turf for a smaller lawn is like putting in turf for a regular one, just easier. Instead of truckloads of turf, all you need are the design and the materials for a border. Begin by marking off the area for your new lawn with stakes, powdered lime, or a garden hose. If you're going to replace the existing grass, solarize the area by putting down black plastic for a few weeks, or spray a selective herbicide, such as Roundup. Once the grass is dead, till the area you marked including space for the border. Add an inch of compost to the soil, and rake the area smooth. Put the border material in place using sand or cement filler. The ideal height of the border will be the height of the grass when it's ready to be mowed.

The grass can be seeded, plugged, or laid as sod. This will depend on what kind of grass you're using and how long you're willing to wait for the perfect lawn. Regardless of the method, the final step is to water. Grass needs to be moist for optimal growth at this stage. Wait to mow or fertilize until the grass has thoroughly filled in.

Maintenance

• Deep, infrequent watering is critical to encourage deep rooting and reduce the risk of the lawn dying during drought. All grass requires a certain amount of supplemental fertilizer; the quantity depends on the type you choose and the region where you live. Mowing can actually provide some nutrient requirements for grass; just leave the cut blades to break down naturally in the soil. Mowing is also the best defense against weeds. By regularly cutting the grass, you don't give weeds a chance to develop seeds and spread across your lawn. If this is not sufficient, try a pre-emergence herbicide to kill weeds before they germinate.
• Heavy clay soil is great for holding on to water and nutrients, but a healthy lawn also requires air for proper growth. Many grasses will become compacted, causing a lawn to suffocate. Aerating the soil each spring is a simple solution. A machine called a core aerator lifts a 3-inch plug out of the turf every foot or so and deposits it on the lawn. These holes allow air and nutrients to penetrate to the turf's root zone for healthy new growth. A core aerator can be rented at a garden-supply store, and using it takes about the same amount of time as mowing the lawn.
• Liming the soil is another important maintenance job for lawns in the South in which soil is not alkaline. Heavy rains and decomposing organic matter, such as pine straw and pine bark, tend to create acid conditions. Adding lime once a year will bring the pH of the soil closer to neutral and make it more favorable for turf growth. Buy a bag of pelletized lime or gypsum at a garden-supply store, and sprinkle it on the lawn. The application rate ranges from 2 to 6 pounds per 100 square feet, depending on your soil type.

Kinds of Grass

• There are two important considerations when selecting grass: Where do you live, and do you have sun or shade?
• The vast majority of Southerners should use warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda, centipede, or Zoysia. These types thrive in heat and are dormant in winter. For those of you in the Upper and Middle South, try an evergreen type of fescue, such as 'Rebel' or 'Kentucky 31.' However, be aware that evergreen types do not grow when temperatures reach 80 degrees.
• The other factor to consider when selecting grass is whether you have sun or shade in your yard. Most grasses naturally grow better in sun. However, there are some types that can get by with much less than others. If your lawn receives less than eight hours of sun a day, you should probably consider either centipede or Zoysia.
• Many plants that start out small can quickly grow and overwhelm the space where they were planted. But you can avoid this situation; read "Don't Block the Windows" on page 72 of the April 2003 issue of Southern Living.