On 23 Aug 2003 15:05:51 -0700, (Olentangy) wrote:

My city here in suburban KC has issued a full outdoor watering ban.
Temps have been 95-100 for 2 weeks, and we have had about 1 inch of
rain for the past two months.

I have been watering my lawn, and it was doing OK until Thursday, when
it hit 107. I watered then, and now I cannot water anything for the
forseeable future.

What type of shrubs/trees should I plant if I have to replace them
that would be able to survive this extreme climate, if it persists
year after year? We seem to be getting hotter and dryer in the
summers, and I want to have landscaping that needs minimal watering.
Unfortunately, desert foliage "cacti etc.. will not work here as we
have winters!

What can I do?

Replace as much grass area as possible with shrubs and other (native
is best) plantings. Consult your local state extension service, etc.,
etc. Many lawn grasses are *extremely* thirsty. There may be some more
drought-tolerant ones you could establish without running afoul of the
Weed Police. Mow your grass infrequently and high to give it some
chance of survival.