We just xeriscaped the yard in the house we recently bought in Las Vegas. Water is expensive here, and rates are tiered, so the more you use, the more expensive it gets per unit. When we bought the house late last year, as you can see for the lower photo, there were two big fan palms right smack against the house, grass in the yard, and boring water-sucking plants.
Now we have Version 1.0 of the xeriscaped yard. Roses (which are amazingly hardy and can take freezing weather as well as 115 degree heat) are next the house, with cactus and succulents in the yard. Sue has a real gift for this, and once the plants grow, the yard will look even better.
This should probably pay for itself in 3-4 years due to the hugely reduced water bill. Grass in the yard this size as well as a little grass in the back (which is also going away) can easily cost $75-100 a month to water in the summer in Vegas. And it’s completely not needed.
