On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 17:20:53 -0700, Tom Jaszewski wrote:


An 8' wide "wrap" around a small patio totaling 250 sq ft provides a
lot of cooling on the east side of the house. It extends the living
space in the heat of late spring, early summer and early fall.
Providing a healthy soil with 18-24" of organic structure means I use
25% of the water and 1/4 of the nutrients to sustain it. Grass isn't
necessarily the enemy. Poor gardening practice is more often the foe.

The front is another story, it will be an Aloe garden modeled after
the old Ethel M's Chocolates garden. 20 species of Aloe and a dozen or
so Agave will soon grace the front entry.

At this rate my battery powered lawn more will out live me!

IMNSHO

tomj

Oh but it takes so much energy to mow it, water it, feed it, aerate it! When we
first bought the house the first thing we planted were trees. There are four
old growth live oaks which are at least 30 feet tall around on all sides. In
the summer, the chinch bugs show up in dry sod.

Do you get much of a winter in Las Vegas? We really don't get much of a winter.
Maybe a month or so of really cold days or nights (30s-40s). I only needed a
small electric heater on 5 nights all winter in the greenhouse (200 sq. ft.).

I don't feel turf is the enemy, but it isn't as aesthetically appealing to me
as beds with native plants and paths. Islands in the sun. Then there's that
strip of turf in the street. Feh. That got a bunch of Guara lindheimerii and
wildflowers with cedar elms and Muhly lindheimerii. Both are native to Texas.

I do understand where you are coming from, as well, it is less appealing to me
to have turf since my husband mows and it's so hot out there in summer.

V