Much of California has always been a primarily arid environment, leading to much of the local plant life to be dependent on wildfires for germination. With the changing climate, California might be getting even more arid, with the parched summers leading to out of control fires even after the wettest rainy seasons on record.
Water conservation, therefore, is more important to the average California resident, leading many to begin looking for new ways to reduce their H2O footprint, so to speak. Shorter showers, alternative sprinkler schedules or even just getting rid of the lawn altogether are some of the behavioral shifts we’ve seen from the state’s citizens in recent years.
For those interested in finally disposing of their tiresome and thirsty yard, there are a number of alternatives that they can look into.
ALTERNATIVES FOR THE TYPICAL LAWN
Different areas use different ways of decorating their outdoor spaces, and if you’ve ever traveled to Las Vegas, you know the people there typically use rocks and stones to decorate their yards rather than the typical green grass. Stones aren’t the only alternative to those of us in more arid parts of the country, though.
Natural plant alternatives for grass include different types of succulents – Lantana and stonecrop succulents are both popular options, but may require a filler such as woodchips in between plants. For more complete grass replacements, you can consider Corsican mint, creeping thyme, or clover, all of which will provide a rich, grass-like carpet over your yard.
One problem with these options is that they will all require quite a bit of water at first, though that need will lessen over time. You’ll also need to dedicate some effort to reducing or digging out weeds and making sure that the plants get the nutrition and water they need, however small that amount may be.
For those of us who want to completely phase out any kind of gardening or landscaping work, synthetic alternatives work just as well!
SYNTHETIC ALTERNATIVES
Synthetic turf represents a secret third path that most people don’t consider when wondering what to do about their yards. While most still think of the ugly plastic-looking turf on their football fields during their youth, in reality fake grass has improved remarkably since the first carpets started rolling out in the 70’s.
The turf comes in a variety of shapes, hues, and lusters, meaning that you can select a turf that matches a type of grass you find particularly alluring but may have never had access to due to climate concerns. Artificial turf can look as good as you want to make it, the real secret is finding the right installer.
For southern California, the finest installers we’ve had the pleasure of working with has been NoMow Turf, a synthetic turf installation company that’s been operating out of Orange County for nearly two decades. The projects they’ve worked on have been impressive, and we’ve heard nothing but praise coming from their customers.
THE REVIEWS
I recommend this company to anyone looking for quality Turf work. My wife and I had a budget to get turf installed in our yard, however our budget was nowhere near actually what it costs, we had to adjust our budget after 4 quotes, all being pretty equal in costs. My wife was the one meeting with the representatives of each company and others seemed to be more like “salesman” and not about what we wanted, NoMow turf was opposite and actually sat with my wife and showed her the process, showed her samples, and went over costs and let US choose what we wanted, never did they try and push unneeded items or up sell more expensive turf. Upon choosing this company and contracting the work, it was scheduled in a timely fashion. The crew showed up and worked hard in the heat, my wife supplied plenty of water to keep them hydrated. They were professional and thorough and our yard looks amazing. Thanks for all your hard work and making my wife happy.
Dennis Z., Yelp review
CONCLUSION
If you’re like many native Californians and are deeply concerned about the future of your state due to a fluctuating climate, it’s imperative that you jump onboard the no-lawn train and start searching for alternatives. If synthetic grass catches your eye, make sure to give NoMow Turf a call:
NoMow Turf
(866) 679-4863
26674 Vista Terrace, Lake Forest, CA 92630