5 Reasons to Replace Grass: Why Rock and Turf Fall Short

Our entire front yard used to be lawn. We took it out little by little over the years until one large square was left. I wanted that gone too. I didn’t like the water it took, the constant fertilizing, or fixing sprinkler heads every season. But a couple of my kids couldn’t imagine a front yard without grass, so we compromised and put in artificial turf.

I regretted it almost immediately. It was hot to the touch, I didn’t like how it looked, and it had none of the life a planted yard has. Then a neighbor’s firecracker landed on it one summer and melted a hole straight through.

This past January, we finally pulled it out. That spot now has native milkweed growing around a water-harvesting basin, a large wood-chip area, trailing lantana, and a few rose bushes.

I won’t pretend there is an easy answer or that I got it right the first time. We still have a small patch of artificial turf in the backyard, where it gets heavy use from five kids, a grandson, and a lot of ball games. I don’t love it, but it serves a real purpose for our active family. I’d love to put a pond in that spot someday, but that isn’t realistic for how we use the yard right now.

Every yard is a work in progress. Here’s what I’ve learned about replacing grass with a living landscape, and why covering the same space with rock or artificial turf misses much of the opportunity.

1. Use Less Water and Spend Less Time on Lawn Care

Traditional lawns take a lot of water to keep green, especially through a low desert summer. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, landscaping is the largest use of potable water in Arizona, and as much as 70 percent of residential water use happens outdoors.

A living landscape still needs water, especially while plants are becoming established. But low-water groundcovers, shrubs, and trees can be irrigated according to their individual needs instead of watering every square foot like a lawn.

Removing our grass also meant no more mowing, regular fertilizing, or constantly repairing sprinkler heads. There is still maintenance in a planted yard, but it’s different. Choosing plants that fit the sunlight, mature size, and available space makes a big difference.

2. Make Better Use of Rainwater

Removing a lawn gives you the opportunity to reshape the area so it can collect and use rainfall instead of letting it run into the street.

Basins, swales, and berms slow water down and direct it toward plants. Wood chips protect the soil and help hold moisture. Passive rainwater harvesting can supplement irrigation while reducing runoff.

The former turf area in our front yard now includes a basin planted with native milkweed. I’ve also added swales, berms, and a rain tank in other parts of the yard over the years.

Covering a flat area with rock doesn’t automatically make it water-wise. The shape of the land, where the water flows, and what is planted there all matter.

See my rainwater-harvesting guide for more ideas about slowing water down and helping it soak into your yard.

3. Support Pollinators and Wildlife

A lawn doesn’t offer much food or shelter for wildlife. A layered landscape can include flowers for pollinators, seeds and fruit for birds, host plants for butterflies, and shrubs and trees that provide places to rest and nest.

Most of the low-water shrubs in my yard bloom at different times of the year. Together, they provide a more consistent source of food for birds, bees, butterflies, and all kinds of other pollinators. Our native milkweed began attracting monarch and queen butterflies soon after it bloomed, but it’s only one part of what now supports so much life in the yard.

Groundcovers add flowers and shelter close to the soil. Shrubs provide another layer of blooms and cover. Trees add nesting places and protection overhead. There is so much more life in our yard now than there was when most of it was grass and rock.

See my guide to drought-tolerant shrubs for low desert Arizona for plants that bloom at different times of the year and add another layer of habitat.

4. Add Shade, Structure, and a Better Microclimate

A lawn keeps the landscape at one level. Rock and artificial turf do the same thing. A planted yard lets you build layers that provide shade, structure, habitat, and places that feel better to spend time in.

Our large evergreen elm shades a big part of the yard. Large chaste trees on both sides provide more shade, including shade for parked cars, and birds build nests in their branches. Beneath them, shrubs and groundcovers fill in the lower layers and help protect the soil.

The yard is cooler, but it also feels more comfortable and more alive. It’s a better place for the birds and pollinators, and it’s a much better place for our family too.

Trees make the biggest difference, so think about them early when redesigning a yard. Pay attention to their mature height and width, and give them enough room to grow. See my guide to the best trees for a low desert yard for options organized by mature size.

5. Real Cooling: Why Rock and Turf Fall Short

If I were starting over, this is what I would pay the most attention to.

Artificial Turf Gets Hot

Living grass cools itself through transpiration. Artificial turf can’t do that. Research summarized by Penn State reports that synthetic turf is generally 35°F to 55°F hotter than natural grass, with some measured surfaces reaching 175°F.

I felt this firsthand with the turf in our front yard. By midmorning, it was uncomfortable to walk on. When a neighbor’s firecracker melted a hole straight through it, it reminded me that I had essentially put a plastic rug over the soil.

Artificial turf can still serve a purpose. We have a small patch in the backyard that gets heavy daily use. I’m glad we aren’t watering grass in that spot, but I don’t expect it to cool the yard or provide the benefits of living plants.

Rock and Gravel Hold Heat Too

Rock and gravel aren’t the cooling solution people often assume they are, either.

In a University of Arizona study conducted in Tucson, dark decomposed granite reached 113°F and was as much as 25°F warmer than irrigated Bermuda grass. The rock also released more longwave heat into the surrounding area.

Unlike living plants, rock can’t transpire. It absorbs heat during the day and radiates some of that heat back into the yard.

I’ve replaced a lot of the rock in my yard with wood chips, and the difference is noticeable. Wood chips require more upkeep. Birds scatter them, they migrate onto nearby concrete, and they need to be replenished every couple of years. Even so, I would make that trade again.

Living Plants Cool the Yard Better

Walk through your own yard on a hot day and notice how each surface feels. In ours, the concrete around the pool and the basketball court are noticeably hotter than the areas planted with groundcovers, shrubs, and trees.

Groundcovers help protect the soil, but trees make the biggest difference. Their shade keeps surfaces from heating up in the first place. Shrubs and groundcovers fill in the layers beneath them.

The best approach isn’t one replacement material. It’s a combination of groundcovers, shrubs, trees, mulch, and areas designed to capture water.

Rock and artificial turf may still make sense in certain parts of a yard, but neither provides the cooling, habitat, or water-harvesting benefits of living plants.

Where to Start

You don’t have to redesign the entire yard at once. Start with one section and think about what you need that space to do.

If an area gets constant foot traffic or is used for sports, artificial turf may be practical. If it doesn’t need to be walked on, you have more options.

Think about the larger elements first. Is there room for a tree that will add meaningful shade? Can you shape the area into a shallow basin that collects rain? Where would shrubs add structure or habitat?

Then fill the lower layer with groundcovers and cover remaining bare soil with wood chips or another organic mulch.

My guide to 12 low-water groundcovers for hot climates compares true groundcovers with small spreading shrubs. It also includes mature sizes and tips for choosing the right one.

You can add to the landscape over time. Plant a tree, add a shrub, replace one section of rock, or redirect one downspout into a basin. Each change helps the yard use water more effectively and creates another place for something living.

Every yard is a work in progress. Ours certainly is.

Replacing Grass Frequently Asked Questions