Isn’t a freshly mowed, lush green lawn a little bit magical? Maybe it’s just me. I live in the desert Southwest, where large expanses of grass are hard to come by outside of golf courses and carefully manicured city parks.

Before migrating to the desert, I grew up in Minnesota where the rich black soil nurtures grass so soft and beautiful we’d spend our summer days rolling in it and thinking up any excuse to stay barefoot. Now that’s grass.

Growing Your Home’s Worth

Outside of childhood memories, having a lawn in any part of the country can add value to your home. A section of green grass brings color, visual appeal, and a unifying element to your landscape design. A lawn can reduce the amount of dirt and dust brought into your entryway by visitors, kids, and pets. And most of us need some amount of grass for kids to play in, pets to enjoy, and other functional uses.

But (didn’t you just feel the “but” coming?) is the lawn you have now the low water lawn you need? The most prominent grass used in home lawns–Kentucky bluegrass–typically uses more than 48 inches of water during the growing season. If you live in a climate where your lawn receives that much water naturally, congratulations! If not, you might want to think about modifying your landscape to incorporate a low water lawn.

Xeriscaping Without Giving Up Your Lawn

Xeriscaping has become a popular concept in Western states where water is scarce and expensive. But is the idea of having a lawn compatible with xeriscaping? Absolutely. Here’s how:

  1. Use native grasses or regionally appropriate ground cover. This will reduce water usage, maintenance, and the need for chemicals to beautify your lawn.
  2. Reduce the size of your lawn area. Replace grass with hardscape, groundcover, or shrubs and perennials.
  3. Try out cycle irrigation. Instead of watering in one big chunk of time, stagger your irrigation schedule in smaller intervals an hour or so apart. This practice increases water absorption, reduces water loss, and helps the lawn to become more drought tolerant.

More on xeriscaping and low water lawn options next time!