05/05/2026
🌱 Xeriscaping does NOT mean a yard full of rocks.
One of our OWN board members recently explored Colorado Springs Utilities’ free native landscaping programs and shared what she learned about creating yards that actually thrive on the Westside.
Read on…
By Nicole Riggio, Westside Neighborhood Association Board Member
Gearing up for spring and summer is a bit of an emotional battle here in the semi-arid high desert of Colorado. At least for me, a native of the humid, bountiful Mississippi River delta. My core memories of these seasons include the smells and taste of rain-damp grass and earth, wild honeysuckle, sun-ripe tomatoes, and every variety of flower you can imagine. Not to mention lightning bugs as plentiful as the stars in Colorado’s dark-sky communities.
Since moving here in 2014, getting anything to grow, other than peppermint, has felt nearly impossible.
So when I saw that Colorado Springs Utilities offers a FREE Native Grass Program, I signed up. I attended the first of the two-part seminars, and not only was it extremely informative on native options that thrive in our area, they really work to set you up for success.
And they should. I learned that 35% of the utilities water supply, by far the biggest slice of the pie, goes to landscape maintenance.
There have also been vast improvements in sprinkler and watering technology, designed to allow for larger droplets of water at a slower rate to eliminate the mist-type spray that evaporates so quickly here. I also learned about the “cycle and soak” watering technique, which allows for maximum ground saturation with minimal water output, even in a garden.
The most beneficial part of these native grasses is simply that they thrive in Colorado Springs once established, requiring far less maintenance, watering, and mowing than a traditional lawn.
It does require some investment: physical labor, a basic plan so utilities can maximize allotted funds, and a commitment to water through germination during the first year.
To support those efforts, Colorado Springs Utilities provides:
- FREE landscape consulting available to any utilities customer
- Online and in-person educational sessions
- Written planning guides
- Help identifying soil type
- Free water-efficient nozzles and sprayers
- Free seed options through select programs
It was definitely a packed conference room a few Saturdays ago at the Conservation & Environmental Center Water Wise Garden on Mesa Road, about 150 residents showed up to start spring off right.
Early registration is required for the Native Grass Program, but you can sign up to receive notification when it rolls around again in 2027.
And... you are not too late for the CSU Sustainable Landscape Education Program, which extends grant options to trees and shrubs and begins enrollment May 1st.
To learn more about water-wise landscaping and yard alternatives in general, check out one of the Coffee & Conservation tours and open house events at the Colorado Springs Utilities Demo Garden located at: 2855 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Or, if you’re ready for a real adventure, consider turning your yard into a rich food forest like Stratton Meadows neighbor Bull.
In a time where some may feel particularly helpless given the current state of affairs, I repeat the gentle and wise words of a fellow environmentalist, the Lorax: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Have you tried xeriscaping, native grasses, or water-wise landscaping on the Westside? Share your experience or photos below!
