.. *(Wikipedia:
"Xeriscaping and xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in
ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water from
irrigation." )

You could have a handsome "lawn" covered with a thick layer of large
nugget wood mulch, or even go to pebbles or granite. Would work well
with your reported lack of sunshine.

HB-

Thanks for the suggestion HB. I understand your rationale but need
you to change the visual for a moment. Think Japanese Garden for up
here. Water conservation is not an issue here. Crushed rock and
evergreen needles of the many varieties do not mix well. Beauty Bark
as bark nuggets are called here need to be refreshed often as they
break down quickly, especially the finer grades. Last year I use a
modest 5 yards, this year I estimate 8. I have scores of scores of
natives and closely matched non natives, This year alone I have 85
native trees and shrubs ordered for P/U 1st of March, (~1/3 will be
bedded for future bonsai material ) last year was similar. So using
natives is not an issue either.

I use Beauty Bark ( as Nugget bark is called here) for soil amendment
planting as well as mulch, but again needles and bark mixed are not
all that pretty and you cannot blow off wet needles from either rock
or bark very well. crushed rock paths do not last long here without a
continuous resupply because of the high OM breakdown in our climate.
The moles that love our many worms don't help as they drill their vent
pipes all through the area. I will never use rubber mulch. I am
rescaping some lawn to accommodate the growing trees and shrubs on my
neighbors side and the small tree farm behind me. I have 2 greenbelts
in front and back . The angle of the sun is very important up here as
it the orientation of the landscaping. We are a Moss laboratory which
is nice accessory touch for bonsai. Preparation of the soil for plants
up here is I believe harder than it is perhaps where you are. My
particular soil is clay mixed with baseball size scree. Liquefaction
is more an issue here than any other place I have every seen and I
have lived in some pretty swampy places. So the Xeri is not the
answer for here. Modify the aesthetics and you have the Japanese
style of being in harmony with nature...the same.... but different

Correct me if you think I'm wrong, "Xeri" appears to be a re-branding
of Mediterranean gardening as an Eco Nu-Age concept. Do a Google
image for xeriscape, then Mediterranean garden and Moorish garden and
note the distinct similarities in style and concept. If you’re
interested in this style and conservation/desert living, search for
Qanat wind tower technologies then combine that w/ your Xeri gardens
and a true water saver....hydroponics, even better... aquaponics, now
you got a home grown eco-driven , nutrient making, plant feeding
protein. Better than NASA. ....then you got a more sustainable
desert living environment, although I would build it underground or at
least 2/3 below grade. But there are those stupid building codes and
covenants because everyone what us to be like them. . Just know I
have never seen the wisdom of building English/Euro style gardens in
the desert areas nor subsidizing golf courses with cheap H2O. I also
never saw the wisdom of stick built A/C boxes to live in arid climates
either. That is white man thinking, Try instead Puebloan or Persian
for concept ideas.

I do appreciate your view and for you expressing that view. I think
civil exchanges are important so we don't get stuck in old think and
claim old ways are always the best. I am always on the hunt for best
practices.