After removing 9,000 square feet of lawn in 2014 and early 2015, all we had left was 8-10′ wide strips behind the house and on 2 sides of the pool. So close with such outdoor living functionality and aesthetic appeal, this band was precious to us. Even so, in June 2015 I realized we could… Read More Grass be gone #4
Initially a symbol of wealth and then prestige once push mowers arrived, lawn has lately become waste’s poster child. Shrinking water supplies call into question our 45 million acres of turf and our landscape irrigation that takes 30-60% of all residential water nationwide. On a square footage basis, lawns generally use 4-6 times more water… Read More Squander on the grass
Half a century ago, enterprising owners terraced our hillside. They built a home on level land with brick stairs down to a 42′ x 140′ plane cut into the slope for lawn. Fast forward to 2014 – year 3 of the drought and year 1 of our sustainability transformation – and this turf became a… Read More Grass be gone #3
In March 2013 we installed 1,200 plugs of Carex flacca – Blue Sedge by the pool area right outside our door. Ostensibly a beautiful, low-water alternative to grass that could take foot traffic, it did not live up to its billing. It used just 25% less water than turfgrass and was unsightly up close. Walking… Read More Grass be gone #2
Emotionally we loved grass for its lushness, its functionality, and even its smell. Intellectually we learned it made little sense in a dry climate with water in short supply, and that removing it would save both water and maintenance. We bit the bullet in December 2013 and removed 3,000 square feet of grass. Most was… Read More Grass be gone #1
Early 2014’s rationing to less than half our prior consumption was a turning point. Overnight I went from blissfully unaware of how we used water to resolutely committed to sustainable landscaping. Wanting a sound basis for tough decisions, I recalled life cycle assessment (LCA), a systematic evaluation of product stages from cradle to grave. I… Read More Follow the water
Landscaping Water Wise 