Replace Lawn
More than 50% of household water is used outdoors, mostly by lawns! Replacing your lawn is one of the best ways to save precious water resources and lower your water bill. There are many beautiful and fun alternatives that can add character to any home!
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
Did you know replacing 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn with drought-tolerant plants can save up to 20,000 gallons of water a year or more? In addition, lawns often take up considerable yard space and many people realize that the only time they spend on their lawn is when they’re out mowing it!
There are many beautiful and even fun alternatives to lawns that provide a great outdoor space for your family to enjoy. Considering replacing your lawn opens up many new possibilities of what you can do with the space.
Replacing your lawn:
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Saves time
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Saves money and precious water resources
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Creates a great new space to enjoy!
1Plan your outdoor space
Reclaim your space & make a plan. Consider the possibilities! Think about your lawn and all the ways you could use the space. Some possibilities include a seating area for dining or relaxing, a beautiful garden with more diversity of native or drought tolerant plants and trees, a vegetable garden, fruit trees, or a rock or sculpture garden. Think about what will be most enjoyable for your family and then start planning. Here are a few ideas:
Go native. Replacing your lawn with native or drought-tolerant plants that require little to no irrigation can be a huge water savings. What are native plants? Plants that grow naturally in your area so they are suited to grow and thrive on just the natural rainfall - no extra water needed. You need to water them a bit in the beginning to help them get started, but after that they are usually ok with just regular rainfall.
Keep in mind that many areas are seeing changes in rainfall amounts, so check with your local nursery or a landscape designer to choose plants that will be happy and healthy with any climate changes happening in your area.
Choose drought-tolerant plants. Another option is drought-tolerant plants. These plants are not necessarily native but are known to require very little water.
Check with your local nursery or landscape designer to find the best native and drought tolerant plants for your area. You can also check the Plant Hardiness Zone map to see what zone you are in and use this as a guide for choosing plants.
Design a rock garden or activity area. Turn your lawn area into a beautiful rock garden with colorful rocks and patterns. Or add in activity areas like a dining area or shuffleboard court. Create flagstone, gravel, brick or wood decks and walkways. If you are using flagstone, brick or other hard coverings in larger areas, make sure to leave a way for the rain to drain and reach the ground underneath.
2Replace your lawn and enjoy!
Once you make your plan, install your new yard! Here are some things to consider:
DIY or hire? Consider if you want to do the work yourself or hire a professional. This will likely depend on the size of your yard, what you want to replace your lawn with, your budget and your comfort (and desire) to tackle outdoor gardening projects.
Cost. The cost to replace a lawn generally ranges from $2.00 - $10.00 per square foot or more, depending on the size of lawn and what you replace it with. Many cities with occasional drought or scarce water resources offer big rebates for replacing your lawn with low water options. Check the resources section below or with your local water provider for rebate information.
Congrats! Enjoy your beautiful new yard and the savings.