When I was house-hunting, one of my must-haves was an outdoor space. After living in an apartment for years, I dreamed of having a little lawn where I could sit outside, have a few plants, and enjoy fresh air. The house I ended up renting in Christchurch had everything I wanted—including a decent-sized lawn. I was thrilled…until I realised how much work keeping grass...

When I first moved into my little flat in Wellington, I was determined to make the outdoor space my own. The dream? A lush, green lawn where I could enjoy my morning coffee, do some yoga, and have friends over for summer BBQs. The reality? A patchy mess of grass and weeds that either turned into a mud pit in winter or dried out in summer. After way too many weekends wasted trying to make it...