Topic
Step-by-step projects for building a xeriscape: removing lawn, converting sprinklers to drip, prepping soil, building a dry creek bed, and caring for new plants through their first year.
54 guides · page 4 of 5
Albuquerque pays $3 per square foot to replace turf with xeriscape in 2026. The high-desert guide: Zone 7b plants for 9 inches of rain, the Water Authority's rules, and Rio Grande design.
Boise gets about 11.5 inches of rain a year, yet the Treasure Valley is mostly bluegrass. The local guide: Zone 6b/7a steppe plants, 2026 rebate status, watering guidance and foothills design.
The Colorado Springs xeriscaping guide: hail-tough plants for Zone 5b/6a at 6,000 feet, Colorado Springs Utilities' watering rules and 2026 programs, HOA law, and Pikes Peak design notes.
LA pays $5 per square foot to replace lawn in 2026. The local guide: California natives that bloom on winter rain, LADWP's rebate rules and watering days, HOA law, and fire-wise design.
Phoenix pays $2 per square foot to remove grass in 2026, and Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale run their own programs. The local guide to Sonoran plants, shade-first design and the rules.
Salt Lake City residents can get $3 per square foot to replace lawn in 2026. The local guide: Wasatch Front plants for Zone 6a–7b, park-strip rules, Utah's HOA law, and the drought status.
San Diego has one of the best succulent climates in the country and a $2 per square foot turf rebate. The local guide: coastal vs. inland planting, rebate rules, watering limits and HOA law.
St. George pays up to $3 per square foot to replace lawn in 2026. The local guide: Zone 8b Mojave-edge plants, the district's rebate rules, summer watering hours, new-home lawn limits and HOA law.
Convert a sprinkler zone to drip using the valves and pipe you already own: retrofit options, head-by-head steps, pressure and filter specs, and how to reprogram the controller.
Xeriscape soil prep isn't "add compost everywhere." Garden perennials want some amendment; natives want lean soil. How to test your soil, how much compost to add, and when to leave it alone.
Xeriscaping a slope solves the two things hills do worst: shedding water and shedding soil. Terracing, keyed boulders, deep-rooted plants, erosion netting and drip that doesn't run off.
Austin Water pays up to $3,000 to convert turf to a WaterWise landscape. The local guide: Zone 9a Hill Country natives, Conservation Stage watering days, Texas HOA law, and flood-and-drought design.