I observe one of our team’s largest lawn removal appointments of the year and chat with the homeowners about their plans.
On a bright and sunny July morning, I found myself observing a unique undertaking by our Lawn Replacement team. Two Lawn Removal Service crews were joining forces to remove Leigh and Raquel’s entire front yard — a total of 2,500 square feet of grass! At this point in the season, our crews have found their rhythm and made surprisingly quick work of their task. In just about two hours, the City of Lakewood homeowners were left with a clean slate for their upcoming DIY waterwise garden.
Afterward, I spoke with Leigh and Raquel to get some insight on their project. For them, removing the grass was a no-brainer. “Constantly watering year after year just seemed not to be worth it. And it’s just getting hotter and hotter, so why not do it now?” Leigh said.
Raquel took on their design plan of various eye-catching garden beds using Plant Select (a 2026 Garden In A Box design partner!) to guide their choices. “It’s all going to be xeric. We have areas based on sun and water tolerance, and we’re also trying to pick different colors for the different garden beds. We want it to be colorful and bring more pollinators to the yard.”
Despite being beginners to low-water gardening, they have great advice for fellow novices. “There’s a lot of information out there, so sometimes it can feel intimidating to do the planning. Breaking down the project structure can be really helpful.” In other words, Leigh suggests that you look at your lawn replacement project as distinct steps when you’re in the planning stages, rather than as one single, big project.
Removal, irrigation changes, plant selection, and more all need your attention, but taking them on one at a time can make it much easier to handle. There are many guides to help you break it down, including WaterwiseYards.org and the more in-depth DIY Landscape Transformation Guide.
Thankfully, they’ll get some help with their project moving forward. Besides Resource Central’s Lawn Removal Service, they’ll have support from friends and family covering the soil and laying down some mulch before planting. But the rest is a thrilling new adventure! Other than some family gardening experience for Raquel, this kind of project is a first for the two of them.
This ambitious and capable duo has lots of exciting work ahead of them. I can’t wait to see the completed project, and I’m not the only one. “We’ve been telling everyone about it, so we can’t wait to actually finish and show everybody!”
Thanks for reading, and see you next time.
-Garrett
At Resource Central, we believe that we can build a resilient and waterwise Colorado together through local action on a massive scale.
The individuals featured in this blog series are only snapshots of the work that’s being done by so many Coloradans to work toward that goal. So, whether you’re just starting to improve your water efficiency, are a seasoned low-water gardener, or are reading this blog and learning about waterwise gardening for the first time, thank you for joining us in creating a more waterwise future.
