USGBC Green Home Guide. April 5, 2012. By Cassy Aoyagi: Sustainable landscaping saves time and quickly produces both cost savings and health benefits for existing buildings as well as new construction. Of all the tricks of the trade, replacing a thirsty, traditional lawn – or not planting one in the first place – has the most profound total cost benefits.

First, the benefits. Simply swapping a traditional lawn for a native grass can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which can adversely effect the health of children and pets.

Los Angeles Times. January 1, 2012. By Dalina Castellanos: The lawn at the site of the Occupy L.A. encampment is gone, but the park-restoration process is moving at a bureaucratic pace. Some would prefer to watch grass grow.

Occupy L.A. protesters planned to leave their mark on City Hall’s park with graffiti declarations and treehouses when they were evicted in late November. Instead, they left behind a park stripped of its lush north and south lawns, creating a financial and planning burden for the city and a waiting game for the displaced farmers market that has held sway every Thursday.

Apartment Age. July 2009. Water conservation mandates took effect June 1, 2009. Reducing outdoor water consumption will be key to avoiding stiff fines and rate hikes associated with high water consumption. Positioning properties to use less water can produce other cost savings, particularly when the plan involves replacing traditional lawns. In fact, Consumer Reports includes “thinking beyond grass” among its top 10 landscaping money-savers. Read More