Embrace the brown yard this summer, experts say

Embrace the brown this summer.  If your lawn is looking a little sad right now, you’re not alone.

Your yard is thirsty and here is how to help it.

After one of Colorado’s driest winters on record, Governor Polis has declared a statewide drought emergency, and many of us are dealing with water restrictions.

But that doesn’t mean your yard has to suffer.

Cities like Aurora are encouraging “water-wise” landscaping — think native Colorado plants, drought-tolerant flowers, and less Kentucky bluegrass.

Choose drought-adapted native species like Penstemon, Lavender, Coneflower, and Sedum. Their deep root systems are highly resilient to Colorado’s erratic weather and dry spells.

A few easy tips: water deeply but less often, mulch like crazy to hold in moisture, raise your mower blade so grass shades its own roots, and swap thirsty plants for herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage that actually love our dry heat.

Denver Botanic Gardens and CSU Extension’s Plant Select program even offer free water-wise design plans.

Your yard can still be beautiful — it just needs a Colorado makeover.

Watch the CBS video with the experts here:

 

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