Water Wise winner replaces grass with plants, faux turf

| October 1, 2015 | 0 Comments
DOGS ENJOYED the muddy mess in the rainy season, though no one else did.

DOGS ENJOYED the muddy mess in the rainy season, though no one else did.

Congratulations to our Water Wise Landscape winner Kathleen Losey.

Kathleen moved into her home on Norton Avenue in 2013 after having lived on Van Ness for 44 years. She found the back yard, which was on several different levels, to be overwhelming to maintain and to water.

“There was wall-to-wall grass that needed constant watering and fertilizing to keep it green,” said Kathleen. “If it got too much water or there was a rainy season, the flat lawn could also turn into a bog.” Although Kathleen’s dogs enjoyed the muddy mess, no one else did. So she replaced two areas of mostly grassy lawn in two phases.

“NO ONE would ever know by looking from above that it is not real.”

“NO ONE would ever know by looking from above that it is not real.”

First, Kathleen replaced the grass surrounding a brick and stone decorative design with pea gravel. She added a few plants on the periphery to keep foliage in the upper lawn. In the lower area, she put in a new lawn.

“At the time, I was not aware of the rebates that the DWP was offering and I was not so cognizant of the water shortage.”

This year, Kathleen did some extreme Xeriscaping. She extended the pea gravel to create meditative borders, added concrete pavers that lead to sitting areas and ripped out all the high-maintenance grass and put in artificial turf.

No more wasted water. No more bog.

“The faux grass is beautiful and no one would ever know by looking from above that it is not real,” said Kathleen.

Thanks, Kathleen, for showing our readers that a yard can be drought tolerant and still be beautiful and relaxing.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Turf Removal Rebates continue but the details are often changing. Check the website for current requirements and offers: ladwp.com/ladwp/faces/wcnav_externalId/a-w-lndscap?_adf.ctrl-state=qtv1dqf27_4&_afrLoop=666464206724386.

By Renee Ridgeley

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Category: Real Estate

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