Life After Lawn
The drought was an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of low-water landscapes – not just because they save water, but because many of the low-water plant options that perform well in our climate, are also the plants that support our local ecosystem. Incorporating a new, low-water aesthetic is a way for us to not only gain an attractive, interesting landscape, it is a way for us to replace what our urban way of life removes from the environment.
Now that we have some water (according to some), are we going to take our sustainable landscapes and replace them with turf? Of course not! We know Mother Nature can and does turn on a dime so rather than try to guess what she’s going to do next, preparing our landscapes for the eventual extremes of the future by making sustainable plant selections now is always the right choice.
There are quite a few nice examples of local homeowners who have made this switch and we, along with like like-minded City of Davis water conservation staff, thought it would be helpful to feature these alternative landscapes to inspire others to make changes in their own home gardens.
