Sick of your lawn? Here’s what to consider before you kill your grass
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CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Sometimes laziness leads to the best ideas.
For John Murgel, the epiphany struck while pushing a hose cart at Denver Botanic Gardens, where he worked from 2010 to 2014. He cared for hundreds of plants, but one thing never changed: Murgel confronted a new irrigation emergency nearly every day, from broken sprinkler heads to hydrangeas that slurped seemingly endless amounts of water. It felt like the garden was “on constant life support,” he Murgel.
“It occurred to me that there are lots of plants that are adapted to the climate that we’re in. I don’t need to beat my head against a wall.”
Today, Murgel works for the Colorado State University Extension, advising residents in Castle Rock on incorporating drought-tolerant landscaping into their yards.
According to CSU, outdoor water use accounts for 55% of residential water use in urban areas along the Front Range. Most of the water is used on turf.
Although municipal water use makes up just 7% of the state’s total water use, (agriculture accounts for nearly 90%) cities across the Front Range have successfully lowered household water use through campaigns that target lawn watering.
The benefits of drought-tolerant landscaping are well documented — saving water also means saving money — but the practice comes with its own set of challenges and tradeoffs, from additional time gardeners might need to spend weeding, to choosing the right plants and navigating complicated rebate programs.
Video: Cormac McCrimmon, Rocky Mountain PBS
In 1981, Denver Water coined the term “xeriscaping,” which combines the Greek word “Xeros,” meaning dry and “landscape.” (Westword reported last year that Denver Water was ditching the word “xeriscape”’ in favor of “Coloradoscape,” because the term is often confused with “zero-scaping.”)
Cities like Aurora and Castle Rock began implementing “cash for grass” programs to incentivize homeowners to use less water in the early-2000s. Since then, dozens of municipalities and water districts have created their own rebate programs that help to cover the costs of lawn replacement. For example, Aurora provides up to $3 per square foot of Kentucky Bluegrass that is replaced with water-wise plants.
In 2022, the state legislature passed House Bill 22-1151, which provides funding to water districts, local governments, nonprofits and federally-recognized tribes to create their own turf replacement rebate programs. In 2023, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 23-178, which restricts homeowners associations from prohibiting drought tolerant plants.
Places like Castle Rock, Aurora and Broomfield have upped the ante by prohibiting turf lawns above 500 square feet on new homes.
Despite a growing awareness of the role lawns can play in water conservation, more than 80% of Americans still have a lawn, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
Murgel doesn’t think it’s hard to see why.
“Lawns are great. I have a lawn because I’ve got kids, and they need a place to run around, and honestly, lawns are pretty darn low maintenance,” said Murgel. “Yes, they require regular care, but it's not complicated. Put water on it, and mow it and fertilize it, and it will do more or less what you expect.”
For developers, rolling out sod is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to finish a home. Drought tolerant plants often require more attention and knowledge, said Murgel.
When Kaeli Barrett moved to Littleton she was shocked at how much water her lawn required to keep it “somewhat green.”
It seemed unsustainable, said Barrett, 36, who began replacing her lawn the following year. Her yard now includes a mix of native grasses, a pollinator garden and nine raised beds she uses to grow flowers that she sells at farmers markets.
Before starting her turf replacement project, Barrett took a class at the Denver Botanic Gardens led by Meadow Pro, a landscaping company that specializes in native plants, but she said the biggest challenge has been learning to identify which plants belong and which are weeds.
Barrett finds herself in constant battle with bindweed, a common-offender known that can send roots 20 feet deep.
“It has these really pretty white flowers on it, and so I thought, ‘oh, that looks really nice.’ I didn't know that it would completely take over everything. It's nearly impossible to remove,” said Barrett.
More than one way to skin a lawn…
Gardeners can use herbicides, manually remove grass, denude grass in the spring with a mower, use a tractor or deprive it of light using mulch, cardboard or plastic.
“The best way is going to depend on the individual because there are value judgments wrapped up in the method that you take,” said Murgel.
He recommends people start small.
“Rather than saying, ‘I’m going to do it all at once,’ maybe pick the spot that is hard to water and do a little bit at first and then learn from that,” he said.
Many rebate programs in Colorado require that homeowners prove that their lawn is healthy before being replaced. If you plan on applying for a rebate, check with your water provider or city before you remove turf.
Does xeriscaping save money?
On paper, replacing water-intensive turf with drought tolerant landscaping can save money, but there are several factors to consider, says Murgel.
How much you save depends largely on how much water you’re currently using.
“For the casual lawn manager, a few hundred bucks a year is probably what you're looking at savings wise,” said Murgell.
For large water users, like businesses and HOAs, water savings will be more noticeable.
“The more you enjoy gardening, the cheaper it becomes,” said Murgel.
Keep in mind that you’ll likely still have to water your plants some, especially as they get established, said Murgel. If your home has trees, make sure you continue to water them.
Starting with native seeds costs less than mature plants.
If you choose to work with a professional landscaper, Murgel encourages people to ask questions, understand the plants that will be used and make sure the plan aligns with your garden goals.
“If your landscaper knows some botanic names, that's a good sign,” he said.
How should I choose plants?
In addition to learning which plants are weeds and which to keep, Murgel said that drought-tolerant gardeners should think carefully about which plants to use in the first place.
Garden stores, including big-box stores, offer growing selections of drought-tolerant plants, but not all are suited for Colorado.
It’s important that gardeners determine if plants are frost-hardy. Many plants will “grow very happily through the summer here without water and then be dead in the winter,” said Murgel.
Just because a plant is a perennial in Arizona, for example, doesn’t mean it will be a perennial in Colorado.
Although gravel or concrete may seem like easy alternatives to lower water and maintenance costs, they come with their own environmental costs, both to people and insects.
“The primary negative effect is that it makes our neighborhoods hot and ugly, and that's not good for people,” said Murgel.
Barrett has yet to question the added time her water-wise garden requires.
Last week, she saw her first monarch butterfly touching down on a patch of milkweed.
“It's been so rewarding to know that I'm providing habitat and seeing all sorts of butterflies and bees and pollinators and birds come and visit the garden,” said Barrett. “It feels very hopeful.”
Type of story: Explainer
Provides context or background, definition and detail on a specific topic.
Provides context or background, definition and detail on a specific topic.
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