California has started a rebate program for people willing to replace their water guzzling lawns for “drought-resistant gardens.” Because “lawns account for 50% or more of Southern California residents’ water usage,” according to an article on CNN, California has instated an initiative that pays people to rip out their lawn {as much as $3.75 a square foot of grass removed}, in favor of more water friendly options, like rock and native plants. The district plans to pay out $450 million dollars this year, but it is projected to save 70 million gallons of water over the next 10 years.
I am a HUGE fan of green space. Here in Washington, though, it is kind of a given. I rely mostly on the rain to get the job done. I DO supplement in the summer months by watering my lawn, though. I am also a pretty HUGE fan of not wasting resources…water being one of those. Do you have to water your lawn in the summer months? Does the water consumption bother you?
I think I would be totally willing to make the trade-off and get paid to give up my lawn for a more native landscape. I guess I would to learn to find a more desert landscape beautiful. I know the HH and Monkey Boy would be more than happy to find something other to do than mowing the lawn.
Would you be willing to give up your green grass in an effort to conserve water? Have you already?
~Mavis
Rebecca says
I would gladly sell my grass off for native plants. Here in the central part of SC my mthly water bill in the hot summer could easily reach $300. We water, fertilize, mow, kill weeds with chemicals and water again… mostly just for the look of a nice lawn. I have said for quite some time this needs to stop. My grandmother would be shocked. Oh, and we also pay $4/bale of straw – $7/bale if we have it put down for us. Each year many people have ~$800 worth of straw put down only to rot and need it again next year. Crazy times. We are hoping to move soon and not have the HOA to deal with. Bye-bye yard.
Mavis says
That is crazy talk expensive! Yikes. You know my thoughts on HOAs. Ha!
beth says
Are the straw bails for between the rows in your garden? I am from Ontario, Canada and I am not sure why someone who is not a commercial grower would need so many bales?
Sarah says
You don’t have to give up your lawn completely. There is a ribosomal tall fescue (RTF) produced here is oregon that we installed at our last home and it only requires 30 minutes of watering per week to keep it green in the summer.
It has a slightly different texture that some thought was strange, but using 1/7th the water my neighbors used was worth it.
Sarah says
Here’s a link to that rtf sod: http://kuenziturfnursery.com/turf-sod/rhizomatous-tall-fescue-rtf-sod/
Eva says
Sarah, I, too am in Oregon. Where can you buy it? I can’t seem to find it. Thanks!
Sarah says
Hi Eva- Id call Kuenzi and ask; I’ve called with care questions and they had great customer service. Paradise Restored Landscaping (John) in SE Portland installed our sod. When we had it put in in 2013 it was uncommon and I believe they were the only ones near us who were familiar with the rtf.
Eva says
Thank you!
Amanda says
I live in the Central Valley of California (Modesto) and I am hoping they start offering a rebate in our district soon. I have cut my watering (of the grass) back to once a week and it is starting to show. I would rather use my water for the edibles in my garden then green grass for the neighborhood dogs to use. A few in my community have put veggie gardens in where grass used to be and I would love to do the same. One even has a big sign that says “Food not Lawns!”. She is my hero 🙂
Mavis says
I love that sign! If I put up a sign like that, any bets on how long it would take before the HOA came knocking?
Mrs. Chow says
I don’t water my lawn and never have. When I lived in suburbia, we had a tiny lawn and it always rained. In the country, I am on a well and do not want to waste precious water doing that, when it is needed elsewhere. I do think that in areas affected by drought, people should not water their lawns.
Mavis says
Does the lawn completely die off in the summer? Does it bounce back?
Mrs. Chow says
Nope, stays green! If it gets really dry, patches will dry out/dry off, but it a.ways bounces back.
Elizabeth says
i live in NE Kansas. I live on 20 acres, 3 being “yard”. We supplemental water with collected rain water. The grass is on its own but the garden and flowers I water with rain water that I have collected.
Mavis says
Do you get enough rain to make a dent in your water needs? Around here we would. That’s awesome that you collect it and put it to good use!
Kori says
I live in South West Washington and I let my lawn go dormant in the summer. This year was quick. I water my plants and an my garden but I can’t stand to waste the water on my lawn. If I could I would have torn up and replaced with anything else.
Mavis says
Does it green back up after summer and in the spring?
Susan says
We do the same as Kori. It greens up pretty fast after only 2 or 3 rains.
It is an established lawn – 21 years – 1/2 acre of almost all lawn. I wouldn’t do this for a newer
lawn.
Penny P says
I live in SUNNY Southern California, Inland area. It is a dry heat of over 100 degrees for months at a time. The city is giving out incentives to put dry/hardscape and native plants. We are mandated on a 3 day a week water schedule. Before 10 am and after 8 pm. Most of our rain comes between Dec and January, so watering lawns is a must. I have given up my back yard in favor of watering my garden of fruits and veggies. Also, to top that off we have mandated “brown” outs and “save power” days where you can not turn on the air conditioner. Our 2 story house gets up in the 90’s….YUCK! However, I have Solar Panels and an Electric vehicle which helps us stay cool and our costs down. I love your blog and I look forward to it every day. Thanks for all you do!
Mavis says
Sunny California is so beautiful and perfect to vacation to, so it looks like there is a trade-off for living there full-time.
sarah says
Ok, the water I get…but I draw the line at the mandatory no a/c days. But then again, I live in the south and cannot imagine a day without a/c in the summer. I guess I’m a wimp!
Lindsi Meier-Vining says
I live in Eastern WA and we are currently making plans on re-landscaping our front yard for next Spring. (I wanted to take a year and figure our what I really wanted in the front of the house.) I told the hubby that I wanted to put in an artificial grass in front, He looked at me like I was crazy. but when I showed him the options he kind of started leaning my way. And then he realized there would be no mowing in the front and he is all about it having it. Now to figure out what edibles I want in front. I figure I can put a couple of fruit trees and some berry bushes in and still be ahead on the water game.
christine says
you could recycle bath/shower water to water the lawn. My grandma used to wash the dishes in a plastic tub and then use the water to water the garden. the soapy bubbles were good for getting rid of aphids.
karen says
We live in Va, where fescue naturally wants to go dormant in summer. Some people have bermuda. We have a wild mix of lots of clover, some fescue, etc. We keep it mowed short so unless your standing on it you can’t tell from a distance. The money saved on feeding, watering, treating, etc was enough but the thought of all of that being washed into the watershed is what did it for us. I water vegetables and herbs, nothing else. It is really all perspective.So we choose not to do a traditional lawn mostly from a ecological standpoint I guess.
Wynne says
Me, too! VA, mixed lawn, and no watering. We’ve overseeded with tall fescue, which is pretty forgiving. I try to follow Paul Wheaton’s “Organic Lawn Care for the Cheap and Lazy”, so I mow high to encourage the fescue to grow long roots and out-compete the weeds. I also planted white clover for living fertilizer (it’s a nitrogen fixer) but I’m still getting used to having flowers compared to the neighbors whose lawns are pure green blades of grass. Oh, well; the bees like it, and my veg like the bees.
Joanna says
Northern VA here! I really like Wheaton’s site. I have fescue and zoysia (I hate zoysia).
Mrs. Chow says
From what I understand, the healthier the grass and root system, the less water you need. There is a product (no, I am not affiliated in any way) called Turf Trust, which is supposed to be very good, and environmentally safe. I plan on using that this fall at our new place. Our front yard is about an acre, and I want to leave most of it on the wild side because it is a wonderful habitat for bees and butterflies. It’s a bug convention out there! It is also a tick haven, so closer to the house I want green, WEED FREE grass that I mow, but don’t water, because I have four hairy dogs. They and we prefer that they not be in tall grass and weeds.
Tisha says
My personal opinion is that gardens/yards should reflect where they are. Since I live in the desert southwest, lawn just does not make sense. I have extensive, cottage style gardens that are beautiful, have plenty of flowers for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, provide habitat for reptiles and make me smile and my family of 6 rarely uses more than 7000 gallons of water in the summer. Some plants only need to be watered 2x a year (the vegetable garden receives the most irrigation). We bale water from the bathtub, save kitchen water, etc, but I would much rather keep that on roses than on lawn. If I did feel compelled to have grass, I would choose a grass suitable for my climate, rather than just buying seed from Home Depot that is better suited to other areas. Fortunately, xeriscaping does not mean just using cactus and rocks.
Renee says
We recently replaced our back lawn with a small patch of artificial turf, river rock and drought tolerant plants. The dogs love it and we’re so happy to have less to water and mow. Fake grass has come a long way from its AstroTurf roots!
Picture here: https://instagram.com/p/3uzhFEMqFg/
CathyB says
I think it would be really cool if more houses were built with options to catch the gray water and re-use it for landscape watering instead of just going down the sewer. I know there are other countries that do this and historically this was done in low-water areas. There are probably some sort of health laws that prevent it. My husband and I have talked for years that we would design something like this if we ever design/built our own house.
sarah says
I totally agree!! Somewhere the genius minds that put a spaceship in the sky can figure this out!
Tina says
I live in Las Vegas and we’ve had water restrictions as long as I can remember. No new home built in the past 10 (I believe) years is allowed to have grass in the front yard, and if you live in an HOA all landscaping plans for the rear yard have to get approval from them. I save any runoff water when washing hands, filing up the sink, or rinsing veggies and use that to water the garden. I also save the water from the a/c evap to water the trees and shrubs. When CA started announcing their water cutbacks we found it amusing that everyone was so shocked about it. After 15 years of this I honestly can’t imagine any other way.
Pam says
This is a topic that’s near and dear to my heart. I’m in the Florida panhandle. My area receives about 56″ of rainfall annually (that’s almost 10″ more than Seattle). Unfortunately, 85 degree highs are something reserved for spring and fall in this neck of the woods. 95-100 is our average high temperature. So that abundance of rainfall generally dries up the minute it hits the scorching hot dirt. I have 10 acres. About 1.5 acres is where the “homestead” is. We have grass on about 2/3 of it but it is absolutely 100% on it’s own through the summer. I have never put a drop of water on it and never will. Thankfully, St. Augustine grass is pretty tough and the sun hasn’t killed the grass yet. I have a 1 acre “kitchen garden” that gets water from our rain collection system (30’x60′ barn with an aluminum roof is the #1 collection spot). The balance of the property is planted in sun hardy/drought tolerant crops that get used in animal feed. This is our 3rd summer planting and we’ve never put a drop of water on any of those crops either. I realize it’s a different priority to different people and I certainly try never to judge. I just don’t see the need to pour a resource like clean water on the ground if it’s not going to grow something I can eat. Just my opinion.
KAte says
I live in Northern CA (Wine Country) and our county has been offering this kind of deal for a number of years now. My grandparents took advantage three years ago, and their yard looks great.
Colleen B says
I live in the panhandle of Idaho, west of Spokane, WA.
Usually, we have pretty steady rain until ehhh end of May, this year, not really though. We have already had a week of over 100 degree temps.
We have a pretty small lot, .16 of an acre and I am working on overseeding my lawns with clover since I am a REALLY REALLY low key yard person. Anything that requires minimal maintenance and mowing is my ideal. (plus, I like bees and am not allergic, and clover and bees are friends!)
We already rocked the entire south facing side yard on our property because watering it was pointless, it just grew super tall and then scorched/got crunchy. I am actually putting in rock all around the foundation of my house for about 16in out because A) less water used with less lawn B) so pretty! and C) better drainage in the winter.
I grew up in Southern California so watering the lawns as often as my neighbors here do has always seemed wasteful.
beth says
I do not water my Canadian lawn ever. We pay for every drop of water we use and I think it is wasteful of both water and money. They lawn will go dormant and look brown for a period during the hottest part of the summer but it doesn’t bother me.
Not watering means I don’t have to cut it as much which is a bonus.
Marcia says
Yep, we are in coastal So Cal and let our postage stamp of a lawn die
Dana Eagle Hull says
I live in New Hampshire. We are pretty lucky here: the heavens open up about once a week so lawns stay green. In fact I’ve provided for my family mowing roadsides for the last 50 years.
Margo says
I live in San Diego, CA and my lawn is already brown. We made the decision a while ago to decrease our grass and I told my husband if we were going to plant anything, I wanted it to be edible. I do water my food plants early in the AM and we still water our trees within the water limitation guidelines set for our area. I still have some water in my water barrels left over from this winter, and we will be removing our lawn in the front yard and planting drought tolerant and native plants this year, and greatly reducing our water in our back yard as well. I have solar power and a gas stove. My largest utility bill is usually my water bill, not too unusual for this part of the country. Love your lush looking yard and garden, Mavis, but we’re finding we can have a yard here too, albeit a different type!
Cheryl says
I lived in El Paso, TX for a year. I wasted tons of water , watering my lawn. I had a sea of green in the brown of my neighbors yards. Then it finally rained and everyone elses lawn was as green as mine. Now I live in WV. In the hot months the grass gets a little brown but I won’t water it. As soon as the rain comes it will turn green again. Besides since the cost of our water is ridiculous as well as the connected sewer bill I can’t afford to. But that grass keeps coming back year after year.
Jen Y says
I don’t have a lawn, I have a yard. Basically a mowed hay field. I live in the country in the upper south so my yard was probably native prairie at one time. When it rains, it grows & we mow. When it stops raining, it stops growing & we stop mowing. We’ve lived here since 1989 & many of those years our yard was brown by the middle of June. The past few years we’ve had consistent rain through the summers & had to keep mowing – it’s actually raining pretty hard right now!
I do water my flower & vegetable gardens when needed but I try to grow things that need little water for the most part just because I hate to water.
Kathy says
I currently live 50 miles east of the San Francisco bay area in the land of brown lawns, in the fourth year of a horrible drought. The community I live in has a daily 50-gallon water restriction use per person. I use plastic buckets for washing dishes and capturing water in the shower/sink while it heats up and use it to flush the toilets. Don’t get me started on how dirty the cars are.
I retire in five years and can not wait to move to an area with NO DROUGHT.
Stacey says
I lived in Arizona for 13 years. The previous owners of our house had a patch of grass, but we left it alone and let it die. To have a lawn meant watering and mowing, and we were ready to be done with that after having a large yard in Vermont that had to be mowed faithfully every week or it would turn into a jungle. Sadly, we found out the hard way how much work it could be to just have “dirt” as our yard. Summers were spent digging weeds for hours and hours. It was hot, hard, and back-breaking at times. Weed-killer didn’t seem to work for us, and I was afraid to use anything stronger because our dogs had the run of the yard. Homemade concoctions didn’t work, either. We finally resigned ourselves to the work. Honestly, it was easier when we just had to mow for a couple hours each week.
Stacey says
I forgot to mention we were in a state of drought while we lived there.
Kathy says
I’m curious, what part of the country did you move to after Arizona? I’m tied to a defined benefit pension or I would already be out of California.
Stacey says
We moved back to Vermont, the land of the green, ahhhh! I love it and both my husband and I have great jobs, but we would love to move to San Clemente, California to be near our granddaughter. We both absolutely love the ocean, too.
Ida says
We live in Guelph, Ontario, which is mostly reliant on groundwater. This means that we have strict watering policies: we live on an even number, so we’re only allowed to water our lawn between 7-9 am and 7-9 pm on even dates.
Instead of keeping track of this, oh so hard with a small baby, we let our lawn go dormant during the hot and dry parts of summer. If it happens to rain enough that it doesn’t go brown, fine, but we don’t stress if it does. We’ve also allowed part of our garden to become a naturalized zone – letting wildflowers grow up to help bees and butterflies. While the lawn sometimes looks sad this part of the garden has so far remained pretty! For the vegetable beds we supplement the water with greywater, with the baby there comes a lot of baby bathtub water that we pour into buckets and haul out into the garden. Sometimes we’re lucky enough that we can get by with just this water and no water from the hose. For next year we plan to convert more of the pointless lawn into a formal vegetable garden. I want to grow more of our own food and maintaining a perfect lawn feels like a total waste of time to me!
Had we lived in California I think I would have tried to convert most of my property to a vegetable garden. Not too fond of the succulent look… but I would still pick that over grass in that specific case.
Lace Faerie says
I garden in raised beds in northwestern WA, just south of the Canadian border. Our house sits on a spring and have a sump pump that pumps ground water out to the ditch. This spring we plumbed the water into two giant barrels.
I thought we would have plenty of water for my veggies, but this year we’ve gone more than 8 weeks without measurable rainfall and even our spring has dried up. First time in 22 years the sump pump hasn’t run year around.
The only time we watered our lawn was the first two years after sodding. Then we wised up and let it go dormant once we figured out we pay for our water twice, once coming into the house and again as “sewage” even if it doesn’t go down the drains!
I am planning on adding raised veggies beds in the front yard’s perimeter (like we’ve done in the backyard. Anything I can do to cut done on useless grass and to grow food seems a great idea!
JC says
I would most definately do this. My fiance though, he likes to lay in the grass and play football, so he would be a tough one to convince. Luckily we live in the northeast and typically have plenty of rain for our tiny lawn.
Andrew C. says
Living in West Virginia I’ve never had to worry too much about with the amount of rain we get. However, I have always been a low maintenance lawn person. I do nothing to my grass other than mow it every couple of weeks. I’ve never understood the necessity of a thick, carpet looking lawn. Grass is grass and I try to keep it as natural as possible by letting it grow and die as nature intends. Not judging people who do want to have that “model lawn” but it’s never been a big deal to me if my grass dies in mid-July due to a heat wave with no rain. Am I the only weirdo who thinks this way?