Unpopular opinion: That advice about xeriscaping saving water is overhyped

My neighbor Bob told me ripping out my grass for rocks and cactus would cut my water bill by half. Turned out my HOA fines from the dead lawn cost me $350 in fees before I replanted with buffalo grass. Anyone else find xeriscaping just trades one headache for another in the Albuquerque heat?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.zara2d ago

Look at it from a different angle though. @umaf44, I've had the OPPOSITE experience with xeriscaping here in Albuquerque. My water bill dropped by almost 60 percent after I ditched the thirsty Kentucky bluegrass and put in a mix of local gravel, yucca, and Apache plume. The trick is you can't just throw rocks and one cactus in the ground and call it done. You have to pick plants that Actually want to be here, not just stuff from a nursery catalog. My yard stays cooler in summer because the rocks reflect heat up and away from the house, and the plants survive our freezes just fine because they're built for it. Maybe Bob gave you bad advice, but a properly designed xeriscape that works with our local climate is way less work than a lawn that needs water every day.

umaf442d ago

Agree completely, xeriscaping is way oversold for our climate here in New Mexico. I fell for the same hype a couple years back and ended up with a yard full of cactus that got sunburned in the summer and then froze when we had that cold snap last January. Plus the rocks just attract heat and make my yard feel like an oven when I step outside. Switched to a mix of native wildflowers and some buffalo grass like you did, and it's way less hassle. Sometimes the old grass just works better than the fancy trends.