Is Cash for Grass Tempting You?

By Cindy Poore

It’s a big undertaking to consider taking out your grass to save on water.  I deal with it daily. You want to save on your  water bill and reduce the need for maintenance. Rock starts to sound appealing. There are choices that you need to make to do a desert landscape. What kind of plants, what kind of rock or gravel could you get by with that would justify all the effort and money you will need to spend to get it done right? There are lots of decisions to be made and the wrong ones will get you an ugly looking yard that needs just as much if not more maintenance and water.

But what if rock is not all that appealing?  Most of us really love our grass. Taking it out is not a pleasant outcome for us.  There are some things to consider before you decide to remove your grass.
1. How do you use the space with grass in it now? Is it merely for looks? Do kids, fur kids or others play or walk on it regularly? If so, how would having gravel there affect the use of the space?
2. What will happen when it rains. Most of the time, grass will absorb the rain and keep it from eroding your yard. Having gravel, may divert  the rainwater to other areas and cause run-off issues. Think it through. Definitely NEVER use plastic under your gravel which will not allow the rain to penetrate the soil where we need it!
3. Rebates only cover a very small portion of a total landscape redo. What if you don’t have the budget for that? Consider forgoing the rebate and keeping your spray system in place. You can remove the grass you have and replace it with one of several drought tolerant ground covers or the new breed of low water use and low maintenance grasses.
4. How emotionally attached are you to your grass. Some of us just have to have it, others not so much. This should be the determining factor for you

Call Us! We Are Here to Help You With All Your Landscape Needs
(760) 868-6104

Time is Running Out!

It’s December already?! Where does the time go?  Getting ready for the holidays and time with family and friends is on everyone’s schedule this time of year.  2015 is on the way out.  Did you make some mistakes this year? Not to worry. We all did. But each new day is a chance to do better. As long as we keep getting days given to us, we can work on that.  We will turn the page on this chapter in our book in just a few weeks. But it’s not over until it’s over. Make it a good one. Make it  a memorable one. Make it one filled with love. You still have time if you are lucky.
“The best thing about endings is knowing that just ahead is the daunting task to start over.”
― Jodi Picoult, Keeping Faith