Should I get rid of my lawn? The pros and cons of ditching your grass before El Niño delivers a sweltering 2027 summer

Gravel garden in front of grass lawn with potted plants and Wendy house.

Many gardeners will gasp at the question, but this summer’s heatwaves have been demanding it: Should I get rid of my lawn?

I’m predicting a shift towards grassless gardens as summers get hotter and hotter (and El Niño is said to be brewing up a sweltering 2027 summer). That’s because this year’s drought and heatwave weather has wiped out thousands of gardens across the UK, leaving a brown plain of straw in its wake (although your lawn might not actually be dead, according to experts). Ideal Home's Editor-in-Chief, Heather, has been thinking about swapping out her lawn for a gravel garden – and after my own lawn took a beating this summer, I'm considering the switch, too.