In desert climates, synthetic ground coverings are some of the best for creating a hospitable environment for families and pets while still maintaining a water smart area. It has become fashionable in Las Vegas over the course of the past 50 years or so to install plants and ground coverings that are not natural to the environment, including grass and palm trees. This is probably due to the fact that casinos in the area began creating themes many years ago that gave travelers across the desert from the east coast to the west coast a feeling of welcome and reprieve when they found their way to the property. After many days of traveling in a harsh and inhospitable environment they came across an “oasis in the desert” where they found access to everything they could desire. This meant that the casinos had to begin transforming the property that they owned into something that did not look like the surrounding area, and they did that by importing tropical plants, grass and palm trees. This created the illusion that their property was special, that these plants could exist in an area that typically would not see them. The feeling of having a space that defies nature began to take hold of residents of Las Vegas, and they began transforming their own spaces into these types of environment as well. The thought is that if you have money you can have anything you want, including things that are typically impossible. This is reflected in the creation of a tropical paradise in the middle of a climate that will not allow for it to live. Of course, in order to achieve this goal an elaborate system of irrigation and climate control must be installed which will continually provide water to the plants, and as any Las Vegas homeowner can tell you if that system goes off for even a few days the plants will die.
In Las Vegas, a typical square foot of lawn will use up to 55 gallons of water every year to stay green, and although many people have the ability to pay for this water without an issue, the recent drought has made it so that you are not allowed to water your lawn enough to keep it green. Because water must be prioritized for drinking, the drought has created a situation where if there cannot be a guarantee that there is enough in reserve then it must be rationed by restricting plant watering. This will make it so that the summer months will be quite stressful for your lawn, and it may even die. The water authority encourages you to remove your living lawn and replace it with water smart landscaping like artificial grass or crushed rock, and will help with the cost by rebating your up to 2 dollars per square foot of grass you remove and replace with water smart landscaping. Now is the time to be a community leader and save money at the same time. Remove your existing grass and replace it with artificial turf today.