This garden area was previously fully grassed but during the inland drought of 2016 the grass died off and we had to do something that could withstand the drought. We had a limited budget and used pavers that was lying around… We decided to do a checkers board effect by combining the pavers with artificial grass. The outcome of the effect not only looked great but was for the long term. Look how the grass softens the hard landscaping. We edged the garden beds off with 10 by 20Cm cobble stones. We planted 4 standard Syzigiums and the ground filler used was Star jasmine. We decided on the Star Jasmine because of the scent, being close to the kitchen and living areas it creates a lovely aroma thereby stimulating the senses in more ways than one.

Have a look at the bottom pics…

Big and bold curves… rounded off with cobble stone edging.

Works well in small spaces…

Another combination with flagstones… This time the flagstones are placed diagonally. Look how it forces the eye to look forward towards the back of the area. The white green combo works well here and the grass also softens the hard landscaping. Now imagine the space without the greenery. Although artificial it still carries the same properties of grass but with zero maintenance…