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A lush, green, energy-consuming lawn can be a point of pride, unless you hate to mow it, feel guilty when you water it and find it expensive to keep green. Why not just get rid of it? Yes, get rid of most of your lawn and still have an attractive outside area to live, play and relax But, remember this, it does no good to get rid of the energy consuming lawn if you replace it with something else that is energy consuming.

One good bonus is that while caring for a lawn is often considered drudgery, working with beds, flowers, trees and shrubs, as well as yard art is really fun, not work.

There are many ways to accomplish this, but don't try to do it all in one year if you have a large lawn. Work on one area at a time and then move on to the next project. Here are some ways to accomplish this.

*You can build pathways surrounded by a garden and create little rooms with seating and a private place to dine.

*Create a unique habitat for wildlife in your own backyard. Allow a space, away from your house, to grow wild, with little interference from you other than hanging bat and birdhouses to attract them to your space. Both are beneficial as they eat insects and mosquitoes.

*Build a tennis court or a space for badminton or volleyball. Create an outdoor gym area.

*Create areas for play such as a pebbled area for a swing or a sandy one for horseshoes.

*Build a Gazebo and surround it with drought tolerant/low maintenance flowerbeds with a birdbath and feeder.

*Drought tolerant low maintenance flowerbeds are the way to go. Border your yard with these beds and leave only a small green patch in the center.
Low maintenance beds are heavily mulched beds that have plants, which have the same requirements for sun, water and fertilizer. A wonderful bonus with drought tolerant plants and trees is they seldom require good soil. They will grow in almost any soil!

*A list of drought tolerant plants, trees and shrubs

Many plants are drought tolerant. In fact, they do better when it is dry. These are the plants of the future, as we become more and more conscience of our use of natural resources. Here are a few to consider.

*Ornamental Grasses

Grasses are lovely and there is a wide variety from which to choose. Many have unusual color, blooms or seed heads. Once planted, they are labor free. Just sit back and enjoy.

Maiden Grass
Blue Fescue
Northern Sea oats

*Perennials and annuals that are drought tolerant

These plants cover the color spectrum. Plant colors in groups, draw up a plan, or design for an

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