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Despite local encouragement to implement xeriscaping, many contractors and property owners still face hostility from neighbors and homeowners associations. Some still view xeriscapes as detracting from aesthetics and property values. A recent article in Forbes quoted Ted Steinberg as saying, ?EUR??,,????'??The perfect lawn is the ultimate symbol that I?EUR??,,????'???ve made it in the world.?EUR??,,????'?? And in the United States today, that idea still seems to ring true. Cristina Milesi, a scientist for NASA?EUR??,,????'???s Ames Research Center, writes, ?EUR??,,????'??lawns are America?EUR??,,????'???s largest irrigated crop, with 63,240 square miles under cultivation.?EUR??,,????'?? That is slightly under the entire size of Wisconsin (65,498 square miles). Milesi also estimates that Americans use up to 19 trillion gallons of water and 2.4 million metric tons of nitrogen-based fertilizer annually towards lawncare. However, in parts of the western United States such as Texas, Arizona, Los Angeles or Las Vegas, standards for the ?EUR??,,????'??perfect lawn?EUR??,,????'?? mimic those of the east. But while turf actually thrives in the cool, temperate climate of the east, massive amounts of irrigation and chemicals are needed to achieve the same ?EUR??,,????'??methyl-green?EUR??,,????'?? effect in these places. Xeriscaping, a landscaping approach that involves drought-resistant, or native plants, would seem to be more logical in such locations?EUR??,,????'??+except that many municipal ordinances still don?EUR??,,????'???t allow it. Forbes states that ?EUR??,,????'??Many municipalities and homeowners associations require ?EUR??,,????'??consistent?EUR??,,????'?? vegetation and even have ?EUR??,,????'??weed laws?EUR??,,????'?? on the books, dictating the height of the grass. Homeowners who violate these ordinances can have their lawns planted or mowed for them?EUR??,,????'??+and be billed for the work.?EUR??,,????'?? Barbara Tubbs is a member of the Zellwood Station retirement community located in Florida, which has experienced record drought levels this year. When Tubbs decided to replace her St. Augustine grass with less water-hungry plants and pine needles, soon afterwards, her neighbor wrote to the Zellwood Station architectural-review committee suggesting that ?EUR??,,????'??Tubbs?EUR??,,????'??? yard was a fire hazard and could lead to the deterioration of the community.?EUR??,,????'??
Despite local encouragement to implement xeriscaping, many contractors and property owners still face hostility from neighbors and homeowners associations. Some still view xeriscapes as detracting from aesthetics and property values.
A recent article in Forbes quoted Ted Steinberg as saying, ?EUR??,,????'??The perfect lawn is the ultimate symbol that I?EUR??,,????'???ve made it in the world.?EUR??,,????'?? And in the United States today, that idea still seems to ring true. Cristina Milesi, a scientist for NASA?EUR??,,????'???s Ames Research Center, writes, ?EUR??,,????'??lawns are America?EUR??,,????'???s largest irrigated crop, with 63,240 square miles under cultivation.?EUR??,,????'?? That is slightly under the entire size of Wisconsin (65,498 square miles). Milesi also estimates that Americans use up to 19 trillion gallons of water and 2.4 million metric tons of nitrogen-based fertilizer annually towards lawncare.
However, in parts of the western United States such as Texas, Arizona, Los Angeles or Las Vegas, standards for the ?EUR??,,????'??perfect lawn?EUR??,,????'?? mimic those of the east. But while turf actually thrives in the cool, temperate climate of the east, massive amounts of irrigation and chemicals are needed to achieve the same ?EUR??,,????'??methyl-green?EUR??,,????'?? effect in these places.
Xeriscaping, a landscaping approach that involves drought-resistant, or native plants, would seem to be more logical in such locations?EUR??,,????'??+except that many municipal ordinances still don?EUR??,,????'???t allow it.
Forbes states that ?EUR??,,????'??Many municipalities and homeowners associations require ?EUR??,,????'??consistent?EUR??,,????'?? vegetation and even have ?EUR??,,????'??weed laws?EUR??,,????'?? on the books, dictating the height of the grass. Homeowners who violate these ordinances can have their lawns planted or mowed for them?EUR??,,????'??+and be billed for the work.?EUR??,,????'??
Barbara Tubbs is a member of the Zellwood Station retirement community located in Florida, which has experienced record drought levels this year. When Tubbs decided to replace her St. Augustine grass with less water-hungry plants and pine needles, soon afterwards, her neighbor wrote to the Zellwood Station architectural-review committee suggesting that ?EUR??,,????'??Tubbs?EUR??,,????'??? yard was a fire hazard and could lead to the deterioration of the community.?EUR??,,????'??
The Orlando-Sentinel describes that more homeowners are opting to replace their landscapes to be more drought-resistant, from wild-butterfly gardens to artifical turf, ?EUR??,,????'??only to clash with neighbors and homowners associations accustomed to pristine St. Augustine lawns.?EUR??,,????'?? One case involved a lawsuit between the Kissimmee Bay Community Association in Osceola, Fl. which sued a homeowner who planted native plants without the association?EUR??,,????'???s approval. While the state of Florida ruled in 2001 that homeowners associations may not prohibit Xeriscapes or ?EUR??,,????'??Florida friendly?EUR??,,????'?? yards, many associations still haven?EUR??,,????'???t lifted their mandates. Although it is much easier to implement smart irrigation and xeriscapes in new developments before people have moved in, water-management districts are working to encourage local landscaping ordinances to apply to older developments. Jacqueline Torbert, water-division manager for Orange County Utilities, said that the county will soon pick a couple of subdivisions to showcase water-saving landscapes with the idea to convince people that ?EUR??,,????'??your neighborhood isn?EUR??,,????'???t going to be sacrificed at all in terms of beauty, just because you?EUR??,,????'???re doing it efficiently.?EUR??,,????'?? But as the costs to maintain the green, spot-free plot of Bermudagrass continue to rise, eventually Americans will have to reevaluate the notion of the ?EUR??,,????'??perfect lawn.?EUR??,,????'?? Source: Forbes.com, Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando-Sentinel describes that more homeowners are opting to replace their landscapes to be more drought-resistant, from wild-butterfly gardens to artifical turf, ?EUR??,,????'??only to clash with neighbors and homowners associations accustomed to pristine St. Augustine lawns.?EUR??,,????'??
One case involved a lawsuit between the Kissimmee Bay Community Association in Osceola, Fl. which sued a homeowner who planted native plants without the association?EUR??,,????'???s approval.
While the state of Florida ruled in 2001 that homeowners associations may not prohibit Xeriscapes or ?EUR??,,????'??Florida friendly?EUR??,,????'?? yards, many associations still haven?EUR??,,????'???t lifted their mandates.
Although it is much easier to implement smart irrigation and xeriscapes in new developments before people have moved in, water-management districts are working to encourage local landscaping ordinances to apply to older developments. Jacqueline Torbert, water-division manager for Orange County Utilities, said that the county will soon pick a couple of subdivisions to showcase water-saving landscapes with the idea to convince people that ?EUR??,,????'??your neighborhood isn?EUR??,,????'???t going to be sacrificed at all in terms of beauty, just because you?EUR??,,????'???re doing it efficiently.?EUR??,,????'??
But as the costs to maintain the green, spot-free plot of Bermudagrass continue to rise, eventually Americans will have to reevaluate the notion of the ?EUR??,,????'??perfect lawn.?EUR??,,????'??
Source: Forbes.com, Orlando Sentinel
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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