Turf Wars 1: A New Hope

This is the beginning of a three part series on lawns and landscaping.  Look for the next two Turf Wars articles on Thursdays.


Besides being beautiful, try to identify the unifying theme to these pictures:

Little to no grass?

They all have a lush, green, cool feel about them?

Maybe they are all high end landscaping jobs that cost a lot of money?

They are all owned by people who have no kids or pets?

Well, it is true that they have little to no grass; have a very lush, green, relaxing appearance; and seem to have a very expensive, exclusive look about them. The truth is, they are all examples of low water landscaping techniques and several are xeriscapes (zehra-scapes); which means they require no irrigation and survive on their regular annual rain/snowfall.

I'm not going to pretend for a second that I don't have an underlying agenda; I'm all about water conservation and sustainable living practices. I don't drive a Prius, I don't live a waste free lifestyle, and I don't wear soy-based underware. I do, however, feel a very strong connection to the area I grew up in, and I believe that it is our duty to live responsibly in it. One of the main things we can do to help keep it beautiful is to conserve and protect our water. As these pictures suggest, you can have a show stopping yard and not be a water waster. Many people seem to forget that we live in the middle of a huge desert.

So, lets dispel some myths about low water yards:

1. They have no lawn. This is not necessarily true. There are many types of turf grass that are water misers, and when planted and watered correctly they use very little water and provide a nice green lawn. Many low water landscapes have a nice lawn area, which is made even more lush and appealing by shade trees, shrubbery, dry creek beds, colorful perennials, and interesting hard scapes.

Grow Your Own Tip: Hard scapes are anything that requires no water or maintenance other than occasional sweeping. This would include your driveway, toy parking areas, or anything else covered by decking, stone or concrete. They are the most overlooked part of many yards, but they are integral to the design and function of your landscape.

2. They are filled with cactus and sagebrush. Also, a huge misconception. While it is true that low water landscapes rely heavily on native plants that are made for your climate, you do not have to rely on cactus and sagebrush. There are a lot of great plant choices that don't fall into either category.

3. They are expensive to put in.  Actually, low water landscapes cost about the same as putting in a lawn, but in the long run they are cheaper and easier to maintain due to less water use, and the fact that you don't have to mow them regularly.  When properly mulched there is little to no weeding involved, and your biggest responsibilities would be dead heading flowers in summer, and preparing your perennials for winter.

4.  Kids and pets have no where to play.  I admit, it's pretty fun to play a game of volleyball in the backyard, or to play in the sprinkler on soft grass, and a little bit of lawn is always nice.  Consider the possibilities of a yard with a little bit of lawn, and themed "garden rooms" to play in.  I have seen Huck Finn, Swiss Family Robinson, and Secret Garden themed yards.  Using your imagination and low water landscaping, you can really set your house apart from all the others in the neighborhood, and create fun safe places for small children to play.  Once the kids grow up, a little retro-fitting can make these "rooms" into wonderful outdoor entertaining areas.

Now, I want you to think of the unpleasant task of pet poo removal.  It stinks (in so many ways), and it is really hard on traditional lawns.  If you have pets that like to be outdoors, or you prefer to have your pets live outdoors, there are some really great options for them that don't involve cement or chain link kennels.  Here are some examples of pet friendly, low water landscapes:  http://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/dog-friendly-garden-ideas-00418000067590/.  When you go through these pictures you will notice that the grass looks pretty, but not golf course perfect.  That is because they are composed of low water turf, which is also more resistant to damage from dogs.  While it is true that cats are no picnic in a flower bed, there are many ways to deter them from using it as their outdoor litter box.  Furthermore, in a properly mulched landscape, poo removal is easy.  Or, you can just do what everybody else does and let them poop on somebody else's lawn ;)

Now, I'm not saying you need to rip out your yard and put in a xeriscape today.  I'm not trying to make you feel bad if you do have a lovely lawn.  I just want you to know there are other options out there.  Consider the following:

A traditional lawn uses 1/2 a gallon of water per square foot a day during the heat of summer.  That means that a 2000 sq. ft. lawn takes 1000 gallons in one watering.  Let's say you put in low water landscape beds in 650 sq. ft. of that (or reduce it by 1/3) and are able to use 1/4 of the water as before, or 1/8 of a gallon per sq. ft.  Your total water usage per watering is roughly 757 gallons.  You save 243 gallons in one watering.  If you practice good watering techniques you may water 3 or 4 times per week.  It really adds up.  Kind of makes a 7 gallon toilet flush seem insignificant huh?