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Officials at Ft. Bliss cemetery in El Paso, Texas are relieved that the recent xeriscaping of the grounds allows them to conserve water and not to rely any longer on the city of Fort Bliss for it. Not everybody however is happy about the xeriscaping, and the significant amount of less grass. Richard Sheldon, who is bound in a wheel chair, says that ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s been a couple of years since I?EUR??,,????'???ve been able to visit [my parents] at the Fort Bliss cemetery, and I wish I could visit them.?EUR??,,????'??
He says that because of the xeriscaping, the weight of his wheel chair sinks into the dirt. ?EUR??,,????'??The grass, even though it was a bumpy ride, it was OK, I wouldn?EUR??,,????'???t get stuck in the dirt,?EUR??,,????'?? said Sheldon.
However Ft. Bliss officials argue that there is no problem with accessibility because of the xeriscaping. ?EUR??,,????'??The firmness of the grounds here is very conducive to be able to roll accessible devices out to the grave sites, and I?EUR??,,????'???ve seen people accessing the graves on a daily basis,?EUR??,,????'?? said Gene Linxwiler with the Fort Bliss cemetery. They also have a solution for anyone with an accessibility need. ?EUR??,,????'??They are more than welcome to come to the office, and let us know, and we have a golf cart, and we?EUR??,,????'???d be more than happy to take anybody to any grave in the cemetery whenever they come in and ask,?EUR??,,????'?? said Linxwiler.
Nonetheless, Sheldon still wants one thing: for them to bring back the grass, indicating that his hostility to xeriscaping may be less about practicality and more about a deeply rooted preference to our lawn.
Source: Kfoxtv.com
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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