When laying out big curves in a yard for planting beds or such, I use a garden hose, pushing it back and forth till I get a shape I like. Then the hose makes an outline for laying the edging.
Now the front yard is like this with a shady glider, two little tables and three metal chairs. The mostly native Texas plants are blooming with very little else out there but a crepe myrtle and some phlox both of which were already established when I started this in 2013.
In 2014 I had planting done on the side yard and a large brick patio built with space left open for a kitchen garden. This had also been nice grass. I was working against a drought of historic proportions.
With many aches and so little success, I have decided my farming days are over. Vegies will have to come from the market except a few cherry tomatoes in pots.
I called my workers back and have had more brick laid, as well as major brush trimming behind a back fence.
This modern little house is an ugly duckling to me, made more pleasant by having a lot of greenery around it at all seasons. So digging up the lawn might sound counter productive.
The bare bricks look a little stark right now but pot plants and pretty yard furniture plus growing some size on a few large shrubs will make it more appealing. The back of the lot is shady and the small trees planted there are doing very well. There is still plenty of garden on my tiny lot. I hand water and weed it myself more or less continuously, and have good helpers in to do trimming and pickup about once a month. No lawn to mow and edge. It is a yard made for relaxing. Sounds good if I can just overcome the mosquitos. e