From: seb1@leia.dr.att.com (sharon badian)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Alternative Commercial Landscaping
Date: 22 Jul 92 14:25:40 GMT
Reply-To: seb1@druhi.att.com
Distribution: na
Organization: Bell Labs, Denver, CO.

In article <1992Jul21.203341.8209@stsci.edu>, yen@stsci.edu (Felix Yen) writes:
|> Like so many others, I grew up in a family that desperately tried
|> to grow a single variety of grass (Kentucky Bluegrass) in a climate
|> which bordered on being hostile.  Our neighbors were similarly
|> occupied (with the exception of the ones who didn't seem to mind
|> a "little" crabgrass).

My primary aim is to get rid of my bluegrass lawn entirely! As a gardener,
I find it positively boring. What the heck is there to play with? Yes,
it's nice to wiggle your toes in it, but I don't need a whole yard of
the stuff for that (besides there is plenty of it at the city parks
around here).

|> It occurred to me that the homogeneous lawn was my parents' goal
|> partly because of lawns like the one at this office park.  It also
|> occurred to me that in many parts of the country, it makes good
|> economic and environmental sense to grow things that need less water.

The concept is called xeriscaping (a term, I learned, that was coined
here in Denver by the Denver Water Board). Using plants that are better
suited to the climate (plants that can tolerate low rainfall in CA, CO)
and just as importantly, zoning plants so that all the high water plants
are together. That way you don't water everything to high water plants
high needs.

|> I don't know how to proceed at this point.  It's conceivable that
|> people are already trying to implement this idea.  If so, I would be
|> interested in learning who's doing what.  If not, I hope someone will
|> read this and, ideally, take action.  For example, if you know of an
|> organization that might make use of this idea, please contact them or
|> email me their address so I can write them.

I'm sure someone in CA can give you some specifics. The Denver Water
Board and the Denver Botantic Gardens are fairly active in promoting
xeriscaping. How successful they are is questionnable. There is still
a lot of bluegrass where it doesn't have to be (bluegrass is very useful
in places where you get a lot of traffic because it takes wear real well).

If you get nothing off the net, look for the Taylor's book on Water
Saving Gardens. There is a list in the back of resources for the whole
country. It lists organizations that might be able to help you. You might
also try your local Water Board. In the Bay Area where water is at a
premium, they might have a program similar to Denver's.

I just think the overall waste for watering lawns is incredible. During
the hot, dry summers in the Denver Metro area, >40% of all drinkable
water goes for watering lawns. 40%!!!! And a large percentage of that
just runs off down the storm drains. At the moment, Denver does not
suffer from a water shortage. We get plenty of it from the snowmelt
and Western Slope. But, every time I hear about new mega water projects,
I cringe. We're spending millions of $$ on water projects to water lawns!
That's one of the big reasons I'm in the process of landscaping away as
much of that thristy lawn as I can. It may not stop those mega water
projects, but at least I feel like I'm doing what I can in my little
garden.

-- 
Sharon Badian
AT&T Bell Labs - Denver
seb1@druhi.att.com