Beautifying Your Yard With Native Plants

Winter has been weathered and spring has sprung – and that leaves all of us in Contra Costa to get ready for the hottest, driest season of the year. Just like every year, greenery withers and desiccates under the unrelenting gaze of the hot summer sun – including the greenery in your yard, unless you supply it with huge quantities of water.

We’re not kidding around here – in California, landscape irrigation accounts for fully 50% of all residential water use annually. That’s far more than the US national average, which estimates landscapes consuming around 30% of residential water instead. This is almost certainly due to California’s relatively arid climate, which is much less hospitable to many popular US landscaping options (including a certain leafy-green menace that we will address shortly).

In a state as drought-prone as ours, it’s crucial to save every drop of water that we can so we have more for a not-so-rainy day sometime in the future. But, at the same time, we love our verdant, beautiful yards and would never want to make our cities into barren concrete wastelands. That’s why we’re coming at you with some hot tips to help your garden beat that summer heat while saving water (and possibly even your wallet) in the process.

Grass? Good Riddance!

Americans love their lawns – as of 2019, more than 81% of American homeowners reported having one and 79% said it was an ‘important feature’ when making a home purchase decision. We’re hard at work trying to flip this figure. Mostly because lawns account for around 3.5% -5% of all residential water usage, statewide. This is a significant quantity of water going to an extremely insignificant place – as you’ll find out, there are plenty of prettier landscape options which consume far less water.

Water inefficiency isn’t the only knock against America’s favorite ill-advised ground cover. According to the EPA, gas-powered lawn maintenance equipment accounts for 5% of America’s carbon emissions. Lawns are laced with 10 times more chemical pesticides than are used by farmers on all of America’s industrial crops in a given year. The vast majority of these pesticides are hazardous and can cause a myriad of health complications. To make matters even worse, when it rains these harmful pesticides get washed into local waterways, reservoirs, and the Bay where they can cause widespread harm. If you ever have wondered why the Bay and the Delta are qualified as ‘quality-impaired water’ due to high concentrations of pesticides, look no further than those humble patches of grass flanking countless residential streets.

Going Native

If you love the idea of replacing your lawn – or other present landscaping – with a visually stunning arrangement, but want to minimize water usage and avoid constant upkeep, then water-wise landscaping might be the perfect solution for you. This modern approach to yard management is designed to conserve water while still providing a vibrant and appealing outdoor space.

What is Water-Wise Landscaping?

Water-wise landscaping is a technique that focuses on using native, drought-tolerant plants and efficient irrigation to create sustainable outdoor spaces that require minimal water. Originally developed for arid regions, this native gardening method is now widely embraced as a practical, eco-friendly alternative to traditional lawns.

The Benefits of Water-Wise Landscaping

Making your yard water-wise comes with a range of benefits – for your home, your wallet, and for California’s water supply!

• Significant Water Savings: Water-wise yards with native plants use up to 50-75% less water than traditional lawns, making them an excellent choice for drought-prone areas like Contra Costa County.
• Lower Maintenance: Say goodbye to mowing, fertilizing, and excessive weeding – the native plants used in water-wise landscaping are well adapted to survive in our climate and require minimal upkeep.
• Cost-Effective: By reducing water consumption and cutting maintenance costs, making yards water-wise can save homeowners thousands of dollars over time.
• Eco-Friendly: Water-wise landscaping reduces chemical pesticide and fertilizer use, preventing stormwater runoff pollution. It also supports local biodiversity by providing habitat for pollinators.

The Crossroads of Sustainability and Beauty

One of the biggest misconceptions about water-wise landscaping is that it results in a dull, barren, or desert-like landscape. In reality, water-wise yards can be stunningly vibrant, featuring a diverse mix of colorful flowers, unique textures, and eye-catching native plants. Hopefully after seeing all the beautiful before-and-after-photos that we’ve peppered throughout this article of water-wise yards here in Contra Costa County, you agree.

Plus, water-wise landscaping gives you the opportunity to express yourself through your yard! Unlike traditional lawns that require rote and uniform upkeep, this drought-friendly landscaping technique offers endless design possibilities. You can create a landscape that matches your style, whether that’s a vibrantly blooming flower meadow, a cozy cottage-core redwood grove, or a rustic desert rockscape intersped with succulents and cacti. Plus, additional features like permeable pathways, decorative mulch, rock gardens, and so much more add visual interest while further enhancing water conservation. 

And for those of you living in gated communities or wealthier enclaves with very strict Homeowner’s Association lawn requirements…

Homeowners Associations (HOAs) Can’t Stop You From Making Your Yard Water-Wise

Yes, really.
The Homeowner’s Association Assembly Bill No. 2104 prohibits the prohibition of replacing your lawn with a water-wise landscape. In other words, California law protects your right to install water-wise landscaping. If your HOA attempts to stop you from becoming water-wise, let them know about your right to conserve water and plant a more sustainable garden.

Transform Your Lawn, Transform Your Water Use: The Lawn to Garden Rebate

If you’re ready to ditch the thirsty lawn, save yourself money, and protect our environment with a garden full of beautiful California natives, Contra Costa Water District’s Lawn to Garden Rebate and East Bay MUD’s Lawn Conversion Rebate here to help

How the Programs Works

Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) and East Bay MUD are offering financial incentives to help customers transition from traditional lawns to more sustainable landscaping – like the beautiful water-wise yards we were discussing above. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to revamp your front yard or a business owner hoping to reduce maintenance costs, this rebate program makes it easier than ever to make the switch.

• Rebate Amount: CCWD and EBMUD both provide $1 per square foot of lawn removed, up to the maximum rebate amount.
• Maximum Rebate: Residential customers can receive up to $2,000 from each rebate while commercial, multi-family, and municipal properties can get up to $20,000 per site.
• Eligibility: The program is open to customers who receive water through a metered service in the CCWD retail and wholesale service areas or East Bay MUD service areas.
• Minimum Area: A minimum of 300 square feet of lawn must be removed (or the entire lawn area if it’s smaller than 300 square feet).
• Not Retroactive: Be sure to apply and receive approval before starting your project—work completed before approval won’t qualify for the rebate.

Rebate Requirements: What You Need to Know

Remember – they’re called ‘Lawn To Garden’ and ‘Lawn Conversion’, not just the Lawn Removal Rebate. We want to beautify our yards, not rip them up. As such, after removing your lawn, you have to have a plan for a new yard which meets the certain criteria. While some of these elements are only mandatory for CCWD’s Lawn to Garden Rebate, following this list closely will double the value of EBMUD’s Lawn Conversion Rebate to $2 per square foot!

• Choose the Right Replacement Plants: Your new landscape must include enough plants to cover at least 50% of the converted area once fully grown – and these new plants must also be California natives which consume less water.. Thankfully to make this a little easier, you can check out our approved list of plants which grow healthily and heartily in our local climate.
• Use Water-Wise Irrigation: Sprinklers are known to waste lots of water and be highly ineffective for irrigating landscapes. If you currently have a sprinkler system, it must be either removed or replaced with a more efficient system, like drip irrigation.
• Mulch It Over: All planted areas must be covered with mulch. This will prevent soil erosion and mitigate evaporation, ensuring your soil stays wetter for longer!
• Hardscape with Caution: Permeable pathways and other features that allow water to soak into the ground are encouraged. That’s why non-permeable surfaces like concrete or artificial turf cannot make up more than 20% of the total converted area.
• Timeframe: Once approved, you’ll have six months to complete your project—though extensions may be granted if funding allows.

Ready to Apply?

Visit CCWD’s Lawn to Garden Rebate page and EBMUD’s Lawn Conversion page to learn more, check eligibility requirements, and start your application today. A greener, water-smart future for your home (and our community) is just a few steps away!

Want More Eco-Action?

If you’re interested in taking your water-wise practices to the next level, you can also join the Contra Costa Challenge – a local community platform for Contra Costa residents working together to save water and help the environment by completing small eco-friendly ‘challenges’ at home. Whether you want to connect with your community, ask fellow eco-defenders for aid, or just flex your household’s incredible water savings – this is the platform for you.

Additionally, we’d love to stay connected. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to get regular news and tips.