The EPA estimates that a third of the water used by American households goes to watering lawns and gardens, and Californians have long made up a significant portion of that statistic. State-wide aridity lends California a unique thirst for water, especially after several droughts within the last decade. 

Many Californians have responded by replacing their grass lawns with artificial turf, wood chips, Century plants, or plain dirt, while others still have held to their love of the traditional lawn.

When interviewed by City Lab, Fresno-based landscaper Bill Anderson estimated that he has converted at least 500 Fresno-area lawns over the last three years, as the city recently began to offer rebates for turf removal. When Anderson transforms the first lawn on a block, he makes sure to make it attractive enough to inspire envy among its neighbors that might otherwise have reservations against drought-tolerant landscapes. 

“Not in a million years did I think that people here would give up their lawns. It’s what they’re used to: mow the lawn, maybe trim the shrubs,” said Anderson. “But converting is a lot more creative. And the same people have shown an astounding willingness to accept the change.”