In Roseville, Sacramento, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills, drought tolerant landscaping has become all the rage. Nearly all of our clients are looking for some type of water-free or water reduced landscaping, because the drought has left them looking for any way they can to use less water on their landscape.
But many customers are turned off by what they “feel” a drought resistant landscape is. They picture Las Vegas homes, with their dry brown and dirt, and they don’t want their home to give off that type of impression.
Dry/Dirt Can Still Be Beautiful
One thing to note, however, is that the desert landscapes that you can create can still be beautiful, and are often inexpensive for the homeowner. So while many people prefer a different type of landscape, the traditional dryer xeriscape architecture can still be amazing if you know how to create it.
Using Less Water in a Bright Green Landscape
With that in mind, there are still those that are going to want the traditional landscape design, and simply cut down on their water use. You can do this with things like native plants, stamped concrete, artificial turf, and more – each of which requires less water than traditional landscapes.
But another strategy you may want to try is simply reducing the overall size and space of your turf/green landscape and highlighting it with hardscape. That way you’ll still need to water, but the amount of water will be reduced to such a degree that it won’t hurt your budget or the environment.
For example, perhaps you hardscape the vast majority of your front yard with some type of attractive stamped concrete. Then create a square on the left side of your yard with some bright green colors and flowers. That square will still need to be watered, but:
- You won’t have to use water anywhere else on your lawn.
- All of the turf/plants can be designed to require the same amount of water.
- You can install an irrigation system to water if for you.
You get a bright colors (including bright green turf) on your landscape, but you don’t necessarily have to turn your entire property into that type of landscape. Thus you get a more environmentally friendly landscape design that still requires little upkeep and has the same colors as landscapes that use a lot of water.
This is just one example as well. There are plants, and even grasses that require very little watering, if at all. There are also colored rocks, pebbles, and other forms of hardscape that give the impression of bright colors despite not using any living plants. There are so many different ways to provide bright landscapes with less water that the only limitation is your own imagination.
