Should I Get Rid of My Lawn? This question has been thrown around for the past couple of years, as California is amidst one of the worst droughts it has seen in a long time. As cities restrict citizens water usage to certain days, you might find yourself asking about the necessity of your lawn. What does the lawn do for you? Is the water worth keeping it that perfect green and the time to mow it?
As you drive down your nearby neighborhood, you might see many lawns have gone to brown, or torn out completely. A lawn that is perfectly green and manicured has become a scarcity.
Is your lawn worth it? Have you been dreaming of something else?
Here are FOUR simple options to replace your lawn:
- Drought Tolerant and Native Garden
- The water need for these gardens are very low if combining drought tolerant plants with native California plants.
- Why include these native plants? These plants need very little aid to grow and occur naturally in the geography without human involvement.
- Why include drought tolerant plants? These plants have been adapted to tolerate a drought better than most and will survive in a landscape with less rainfall than other species.
- The maintenance on these plants is a lot less than a regular garden. Spending a little bit of time on maintaining them once every few months should keep up your vibrant garden.
- You will not be sacrificing beauty or color in order to have a native drought tolerant garden. Once established, plants such as the three below keep color and beauty in your garden.
- Plants could include:
“California Fuchsia” “Blue Eyed Grass” “Seaside Daisy”
- Mulch or Gravel
- If you are looking for a very minimalist approach and are just done with having a lawn and do not want to deal with any plants, you may look to covering your current landscape with either mulch or gravel. Gravel is friendly if you are looking to expand the parking in your front yard or as pathways through your backyard. Mulch can be used instead of grass in your front yard surrounding trees, or in your backyard under your child’s play set.
- These materials are very versatile and can be used to cover a large area of your yard or small-composed areas. The coverage is up to you and how much upkeep you want to take on in your landscape. Nevertheless, either way this will reduce your water usage tremendously!
(Before) 
(After)
- Pavers
- Like mulch and gravel, pavers can be used in combination with a natural/drought tolerant landscape, or pavers can cover a large area of your yard depending on how you want to utilize your space. Whether you want just a little seating area amongst your landscape or you want a large gathering area for family barbeques, pavers are a great investment for entertainment purposes.
- Artificial Turf
- If you still just have your heart set on having a green lawn but can’t get over how much water and maintenance it takes to keep it that perfect green, you can always turn to artificial turf. You have probably seen it on professional football fields, and high school soccer fields. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be used in your own front/backyard. There are many businesses that will install turf for you. Just read up on the pros and cons to make sure that it is the right investment for you.
To put simply, you don’t have to have a lawn to have a beautiful yard. Drive down a suburban neighborhood and see how lawns are out, and drought tolerant landscapes are in. Explore your options to imagine the perfect yard for yourself. And if that includes a lawn, so be it. If it includes a large patio made of pavers, with some artificial turf, native drought resistant plants around, and mulch under your child’s play set, so be it. Just know that you are not limited to just a lawn anymore to have a perfect looking yard.
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