"When Lena Astilli first bought her home outside of Denver, she had no interest in matching the wall-to-wall green lawns that dominated her block. She wanted native plants the kind she remembered and loved as a child in New Mexico, that require far less water and have far more to offer insects and birds that are in decline. A monoculture of Kentucky bluegrass is not helping anybody, Astilli said."
"As climate change makes the world hotter and triggers more extreme weather, including drought, thirsty expanses of groomed emerald are taxing freshwater supplies that are already under stress. Enter xeriscaping landscaping aimed at vastly reducing the need for irrigation, including by using native or drought-tolerant plants. (A utility here, Denver Water, says it coined the term in 1981 by combining landscape with the Greek word xeros, which means dry, to encourage reduced water use.)"
Lena Astilli replaces turf with native plants that require far less irrigation and provide habitat for declining insects and birds. Grass lawns originated from European landscaping and now dominate yards, apartment complexes, office parks and malls. Many homeowners default to lawns because of lack of clear guidance and perceived ease. In arid regions and the American West, water-intensive Kentucky bluegrass performs poorly without irrigation and strains freshwater supplies. Climate change increases heat and drought frequency, worsening water stress. Xeriscaping uses native or drought-tolerant plants to drastically cut irrigation demand; Denver Water coined 'xeriscape' combining landscape and Greek xeros, meaning dry.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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