Yawn Lawn

The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers.

Lawns are thirsty and often overwatered.

In an effort to conserve water, Las Vegas recently adopted a first-in-the-nation policy banning lawns that nobody walks on—nearly 40% of Las Vegas lawns.

Even though the Metropolitan Water District expects to meet Southern California’s water demands this year, there’s no denying that our state is increasingly warming while snow pack and reservoir reserves are dropping to record low levels.

Last week, the LA Times reported that the Sierra Nevada snowpack is at just 2% of normal levels. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the 12-month stretch ending April 30 was the second-driest in California.

The EPA estimated that outdoor water use accounts for more than 30% of total household water use, on average, but can be as much as 60% of total household water use in arid regions, including Southern California.

So, Pacific Palisades, isn’t it time to rethink how we are using our water supply?

• Consider replacing your parkway, front lawn or any other area that’s not being “used” with low-water plants that will greatly reduce your family’s water (and for gas-powered gardens, your carbon) footprint.
• You can also help support our natural birds and pollinators by replacing any sized patch of your lawn with low-water varieties of native flowers and grasses, including the soft lawn alternative of yarrow or a durable, groundcover Ceanothus (California lilac).
• If you’re keeping some or all of your lawn, encourage deeper root growth to minimize water loss by asking your gardener to set their mower blades higher (2-3”), water deeper over fewer days and water early in the morning to reduce evaporation (evening watering invites pests).

The next time you’re walking down your street, imagine butterflies, birds, and a rainbow of colors and textures in lieu of boring old lawns. Visit the Theodore Payne website to learn more or write sheda@resilientpalisades.org for bona fide native landscapers in our area.