Lawn

A lawn is the most familiar soft surface in landscape design. It is made from one grass species or a mix, kept short by regular mowing, and can be walked on, sat on and played on. It can be established from seed or laid as ready-grown turf. The sense of calm and openness it brings is why it appears in so many gardens.

Planning a lawn

A healthy lawn needs well-prepared soil, an even surface and good drainage. On waterlogged ground the roots rot, and on steep slopes mowing becomes difficult. Shade is a real limit; grass under trees often struggles, and ground cover plants usually do better there. Lawns are also among the most demanding landscape surfaces in terms of water and upkeep. In dry climates, smaller patches of grass that people actually use, combined with drought-tolerant planting, save both water and maintenance. Designing the edge between lawn and paving around the path of a mower makes upkeep easier.

Lawns in rendering

In visualization, a flat, single-colour grass texture instantly looks fake. Blades generated with scatter or hair systems, with variation in height and colour and a little irregularity at the edges, give a realistic result. For quickly adding grass and other landscape elements to site plans, see Photoshop landscape elements.