In Florida, recently, a family has been growing a vegetable garden in the front yard. It is generating some controversy as the city of Orlando wants the homeowner to pull up the micro-irrigated 25 by 25 foot plot. The condition of the garden is well kept, but it is against city code.
Maybe it is time to consider something besides vast expanses of grass that need to be mowed each week during the summer months even in Kansas.
While we’re not recommending a full vegetable garden for the front yard, maybe we could use some sense and start doing some things that require less water.
Since the 1970s, Denver, Colo. has only allowed residents to water every third day, sometimes even limiting the number of hours per day.
In Colorado, residents have started xeriscaping or landscaping or gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation.
Some ways they have done this is to have a small rock garden around the exterior of the front yard and the back yard. Native flowers are used that require little water. In places like the Arizona desert, native cacti and rocks fill the front yard in many cases. There is not a lot of watered grass.
This would make sense in our current drought, and if climate forecasts of global warming, if we want water left for drinking or food, there is much we can do here.
Instead of fescue grass, Bermuda grass or buffalo grass could be planted. Buffalo grass is native to the Great Plains and would withstand the drought and heat quite well and as well as any family owned buffalo. It only needs mowed once of month and will go into dormancy without watering. When rain is received, it will once again green up.
This will also save some weekend labor.
It is time to start considering these things before we are in a water crisis.

Karen La Pierre