The landscape of the Villages, in central Florida, is dominated by the trim turf grass of verdant lawns and golf courses. But the planned retirement community is home to an increasing number of landscape outliers, led, in part, by Steve Turnipseed, a certified master gardener and former chemical engineer who converted 7,000 square feet of lawn on his property to a lively and lush oasis.

Turnipseed, who is the founder and inaugural president of the Villages chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, has long had an interest in native plants. But when he first arrived in Florida he was disappointed in the aesthetics of a lot of the native landscapes that he toured. “I knew I could create something stunning, but I’d have to do it myself,” he says.

Central to his process was navigating the strict regulations outlined by the Villages’ Architectural Review Committee—the equivalent of a homeowners association—including a “neat and tidy” requirement, he says. He had to plant enough ground cover maintained to a uniform height of less than 12 inches to achieve a “lawn-like” appearance.

To do so, he used such plants as the flowering perennial Phyla nodiflora, also known as frog fruit, which grows quickly and is drought and flood tolerant. “It has proven to be the best native ground cover for our planting zone,” Turnipseed says. “And it has the benefit of being a host plant to three butterflies and is a pollinator plant to many insects.” For those who need something even lower maintenance, he recommends Asiatic jasmine, which is even hardier. “It’s listed as Florida friendly because it uses less water, chemicals, and maintenance.” Ideally you like to have native plants that support native insect populations, he adds, but small numbers of nonnatives, as long as they are adapted to the climate and not harmful to the surrounding ecosystem, can work when needed.

Turnipseed’s garden now features almost 100 native Floridian plant species, while using a small fraction of the water the lawn required.

Feathery clump grasses paired with trees and shrubs create microclimates inviting birds and pollinators. Perennials and annuals are orchestrated to open at different times of the day. “Sometimes people will ask why I’m sitting out in my garden,” says Turnipseed. “I’ll tell them, ‘This is where the butterflies come.’”

Dwell: How do you suggest getting rid of your lawn to plant other things?

Steve Turnipseed: There are a few ways. In order of preference:

Herbicide the grass, and then plant. Performed correctly, it gets rid of all grass and weeds that will otherwise invade the ground cover. Typically two applications of the chemical about 10 days apart (read and follow label directions). The area should be completely brown before planting. That keeps the organic material from the dead grass in place.
Solarization: This is performed with clear plastic for six weeks during the summer months, when there is the most sun and the warmest temperatures. The plastic creates a “greenhouse effect,” killing the grass, seeds, and other microbes with heat. The drawback is the time the lawn is covered with plastic. The sheeting has to be pinned securely in place to prevent lifting during a breeze.
You can also try smothering—covering the area with a layer of cardboard and optionally a top layer of mulch for a minimum of three months. Or turf-cutting, the most expensive option, in which a machine is used. But many grass roots and seeds remain that can regrow after planting.

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This Floridian Designer Overcame Neighborhood Restrictions for a “Lawn-like” Look