Get This Look: 5 Colorado Waterwise Lawn Replacement Ideas

Did you know that yard irrigation uses up to 70% of your household water? Colorado residents can save water by replacing traditional grass lawns with low-water landscaping. To help you get started, see these beautiful waterwise landscape design ideas from the High Country Gardens Colorado gardening community. Read on for more information about local turf removal rebates, too!

By Kendall Frost, High Country Gardens Content Manager | Updated 3/7/25

This waterwise backyard has been completely transformed - no lawn here! Homeowner Heidi transformed the entire square footage into a colorful, creative, and cheerful garden. 

Breezy grasses add movement, airy flower spikes from Agastache, Salvia, and upright Goldenrod add bold color and vertical interest. Mounding perennials add a softness to complement their spiky neighbors. Succulents and creeping groundcovers line pathways and create a carpet of color and texture beneath their taller companions.

Tips To Get This Look:

• Include plants with a variety of textures, colors, and flower forms 
• Pair low-growing groundcovers with your taller perennials to create a dense planting that's not overwhelming or crowded
• Covering as much ground as you can with plants, instead of bare gravel or mulch, helps keep your yard cooler

See More | Denver Dry Garden: Waterwise Garden Inspiration In The Mile High City

Recommended plants to get this look:

This is not your ordinary backyard garden! Homeowners Ryan and Alison have completely removed all of the lawn in their backyard, replacing it with colorful gardens that provide beauty and interest all year round.

This Colorado garden is a showcase of waterwise perennials - including many introductions from High Country Gardens. This transformation from turf to waterwise plants has attracted lots of wildlife. The garden is truly a magnet for hummingbirds, who happily chirp and dart around to their favorite Agastache flowers. 

Tips To Get This Look:

• Remember to lay out pathways through the high traffic areas of your yard - incorporating stone and gravel hardscaping adds structure
• Place tall plants, such as ornamental grasses, at the back of the garden to create a backdrop for shorter flowering perennials
• Add privacy to your yard with tall grasses along your fence - or use them to create a living fence

See More | A Stunning Showcase Garden In Castle Rock, Colorado

Recommended plants to get this look:

This special Denver garden was designed intentionally with plants that thrive without soil amendments, heavy watering, or lots of maintenance. Many beautiful and resilient native plants are included in the garden, as well as selections of introduced plants that are well-suited to Colorado’s climate.

Tall plants are featured throughout the garden, creating an immersive meadow feel while creating privacy and abundant habitat for birds and pollinators. Gravel pathways wind through the yard and connect clearings and seating areas, where visitors can relax and enjoy the garden. 

Tips To Get This Look: 

• Planting densely means no room for weeds to establish
• Allowing established plants to reseed and spread - such as Agastache - adds more beauty over time, with little effort
• Gravel pathways create pathways to walk through your yard 

See More | Summerhome Garden Is A Xeriscape Oasis In Denver, Colorado

Recommended plants to get this look:

In Fort Collins, homeowner Mary was totally committed to replacing her lawn. This front-yard garden features many low-growing plants and perennials with mounding habits, which knit together to create a beautiful tapestry of color. The shorter plants are ideal for a neat and tidy look in the front of the house, without much maintenance needed. 

California Poppies thrive in hot, dry conditions, and, sown by seed, they easily fill in the hellstrip (the space between the sidewalk and the road) with abundant flowers.

Tips To Get This Look: 

• This bold color palette incorporates complementary colors with vivid purple blooms contrasting brighter red and orange blooms
• Incorporate creeping groundcovers into your garden design to easily fill in any gaps between taller plants and to discourage weeds

See More | A Drought-Resistant Garden From Scratch In Fort Collins, Colorado

Recommended plants to get this look:

Tired of mowing the strip of grass space between your driveway and your neighbor’s yard? Homeowner Ann removed their side yard lawn completely, and replaced it with a curated perennial garden. It fits in beautifully with the traditional look of the neighborhood, while needing less water and mowing.

This subtle and sophisticated garden features a beautiful selection of perennials. Plenty of nectar-rich blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the yard. Sunny yellow blooms complement rich violet and magenta flower spikes, while the mix of airy plant forms makes this eye-catching garden a bright spot in the neighborhood. 

Tips To Get This Look: 

• Creating a partial raised garden bed made will help prevent erosion in this sloped yard
• Protect young plants with wire to avoid bunnies or other critters from nibbling while your new plants mature
• Grasses, Salvia, and Agastache are reliable, tried-and-true perennials that look stunning and are extremely drought-tolerant

Recommended plants to get this look:

Resource Central's Lawn Replacement Program is a great place to start your waterwise yard transformations. Their programs, Lawn Removal or Do-It-Yourself, leave you with a blank slate to create beautiful, low-maintenance, water-saving yards that support pollinators and biodiversity. In partnership with local providers, their programs include discounts to Lawn Removal Services or Garden In A Box Kits. Use the “Find Your Benefits” section to explore your eligible services, potential discounts, and more details about our program, including the application.

Make sure to follow the correct process! Strict compliance with your local program's process is critical to eligibility. 

1. Visit Resource Central for Colorado's lawn replacement/removal program to learn about requirements, processes, and deadlines for available incentives.
2. Apply for your rebate.
3. After receiving approval, order your plants.
4. Have your existing turf lawn removed - or Do-It-Yourself.
5. Install your new waterwise garden.
6. Share your results with High Country Gardens and Resource Central! Use #highcountrygardens on your social media posts to share your story, or send us your photos. 

High Country Gardens does not provide the rebate - we are your source for expert advice and how-to guides, garden design inspiration, and premium plants shipped right to your door. Visit our Waterwise Learning Center for resources!