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Started By
Message
Going no lawn. Native plants, rocks etc?
Posted on 8/19/23 at 10:30 am
Posted on 8/19/23 at 10:30 am
I live in Plano, outside of Dallas, and have a St Aug lawn front & back. The maintenance, drought,water restrictions, and high cost of water are having me consider killing the lawn and installing a landscape of native plants and rocks.
Anyone ever done this?
The lawn is greenish/yellow now with me watering twice a week(all that's allowed). My water bill this summer is more than my electricity bill.
I maintain myself and apply pre emergent, fertilizer, post emergent, cut, edge, de thatch, aerate etc and it's a lot of work and expense for something that shouldn't have ever been used in an area like DFW.
I'm considering planting TX sages, lavender, Vitex, Esperanza, Flame Acanthus, etc. Would also use rocks, boulders, etc. Considering a dry riverbed to run from my downspouts, decomposed granite pathways etc. Will be a lot of work to install, but once there, no grass cutting, fertilizing, tons of watering etc. Plus pollenators will be helped.
Is this a good idea? I know in CA they will give you money to do this. Wish TX would
Anyone ever done this?
The lawn is greenish/yellow now with me watering twice a week(all that's allowed). My water bill this summer is more than my electricity bill.
I maintain myself and apply pre emergent, fertilizer, post emergent, cut, edge, de thatch, aerate etc and it's a lot of work and expense for something that shouldn't have ever been used in an area like DFW.
I'm considering planting TX sages, lavender, Vitex, Esperanza, Flame Acanthus, etc. Would also use rocks, boulders, etc. Considering a dry riverbed to run from my downspouts, decomposed granite pathways etc. Will be a lot of work to install, but once there, no grass cutting, fertilizing, tons of watering etc. Plus pollenators will be helped.
Is this a good idea? I know in CA they will give you money to do this. Wish TX would
14
Posted on 8/19/23 at 11:05 am to Greenie10
So you’re worried about your water bill so you’re gonna spend $25-$50k converting your front yard to a natural landscape?
I mean if it’s a money thing how much water do you have to use to hit $25k for a professional looking natural front yard?
I mean if it’s a money thing how much water do you have to use to hit $25k for a professional looking natural front yard?
Posted on 8/19/23 at 11:49 am to Greenie10
Also TX, no city water (rainwater) so we have lots of river rock. $$$$ and that was 2015 dollars.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 12:35 pm to tide06
quote:
So you’re worried about your water bill so you’re gonna spend $25-$50k converting your front yard to a natural landscape?
I plan on doing the work myself over time. Would kill remaining lawn by solarizing. I can have several tons of river rock delivered for about $250/ton. Smallish boulders run about 9-18 cents a pound.
Can buy the plants myself from nurseries. The sages and Vitex I already own were about $20 a plant. The decomposed granite is about $60 a yard.
My front yard is already 40% garden bed with cedar mulch and sages, lavender, ornamental grass,landscaping rocks, etc.
The backyard is paver patio, firepit area with flagstone, and hammock area with chiminea and flagstone. The fence is lined with small trees, so no lawn around perimeter of yard.
I should be able to do myself for under $5-6k I think. My water bill has been $300+ this summer. Water is expensive in NTX.
This post was edited on 8/19/23 at 12:36 pm
Posted on 8/19/23 at 12:39 pm to Greenie10
I did this to my back yard over a three year period. Now down to about 30% lawn. I cut my back yard with a string trimmer. Vegetable garden does well bc of the flowering shrubs, zinnias, etc.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 1:02 pm to Greenie10
quote:
Anyone ever done this?
I'm in Dallas and have had a native lawn for several years. Are you in an HOA?
quote:
I'm considering planting TX sages, lavender, Vitex, Esperanza, Flame Acanthus, etc.
Esperanza is finicky and unless you can find a native one, which is almost impossible, the cold kills them. Flame Acanthus is very invasive. There are many better small native grasses and perennials that are better.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 1:03 pm to Greenie10
Just leave the grass alone and it will eventually come back. I quit wasting money on watering years ago.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 2:09 pm to Greenie10
Yes, I live in Alpine TX and my front yard is all red rock with a creek bed of large rocks. I have ocotillos, red yuccas and a small cholla. Rock is expensive and I’m in a constant battle with these west Texas weeds.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 2:22 pm to Greenie10
Around Alabama, I have planted a lot of trees to reduce the amount of yard I have yo mow.
Natural landscaping is very underrated
Natural landscaping is very underrated
Posted on 8/19/23 at 2:24 pm to Greenie10
Sports Court turf
We did this in our backyard 3 years back and it’s been nothing but amazing
We did this in our backyard 3 years back and it’s been nothing but amazing
Posted on 8/19/23 at 4:16 pm to Greenie10
Just burn it use native wild flowers you will be fine Piss on Mono culture lawns
Posted on 8/19/23 at 4:17 pm to tide06
Inwas gonna ask how damn dumb are you but your user name answered that for me
Posted on 8/19/23 at 5:59 pm to Greenie10
HOA!!!
Posted on 8/19/23 at 9:59 pm to Greenie10
quote:
Going no lawn. Native plants, rocks etc?
I actually saw a lot of this kind of thing when traveling for work to Arizona and it looked damn cool. However, Scottsdale and Phoenix are true deserts so they had a lot of cacti and pea gravel and that kind of thing.
Posted on 8/19/23 at 10:27 pm to Cracker
quote:
Inwas gonna ask how damn dumb are you but your user name answered that for me
How much would that cost installed in your market?
In mine it’s $40k min.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 3:21 am to Lefty Diego
quote:
west Texas weeds.
This. Grass is fairly easy to keep looking pretty good with adequate water and sunshine. Natural landscapes have natural plants people like to call weeds that sprout non stop. Personally I’d rather mow my 1/2 acre lot that’s probably 12,000-14,000 sq ft of grass and takes me 35 mins then go out weekly and spray or burn weeds for 15 mins.
This summer sucks with rain for sure, but I’m not sure I’d over react.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 12:12 pm to Cracker
quote:
native wild flowers
That is my lawn in the spring until July. I cut the spent wildflowers back and my sideoats grama grass takes over.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 2:03 pm to Greenie10
Check out photos of yards from Hot Springs Village, AR. Lots and lots of folks on the hillsides there especially use rock/gravel and the wildflowers for their yards. My parents didn't even own a lawn mower from 1992-2019, just a couple of weedeaters.
Posted on 8/20/23 at 9:20 pm to Greenie10
That sage is great. Mine made it through 3-4 days <20* and now doing great 100*+ for weeks.
Angelonia seems to do well in the rocks - but you do need to water. I have some red fountain grass too that is probably the best performer in the rock garden. I have three and 2 of them have gotten way bigger than expected and showy. And someone told me to consider Juniper so I'm trying the low, creeping type to see how it does.
Angelonia seems to do well in the rocks - but you do need to water. I have some red fountain grass too that is probably the best performer in the rock garden. I have three and 2 of them have gotten way bigger than expected and showy. And someone told me to consider Juniper so I'm trying the low, creeping type to see how it does.
Posted on 8/22/23 at 5:41 pm to Greenie10
quote:
My water bill has been $300+ this summer.
I hope that is for the entire summer!!
If not.....Just WOW!!!
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