Testing ideas for landscapes of the future in the dry West
When you think of a lush, green lawn, Kentucky bluegrass probably comes to mind.
Sure, it looks nice, but it’s not native to Colorado and it needs a lot of extra water to survive in our semi-arid climate.
Kentucky bluegrass does have a role to play in our state. It works well in areas that get a lot foot traffic, like parks, school grounds and athletic fields.
But, what about other spaces, like around office buildings and commercial properties where the bluegrass sits unused and is strictly for decoration?
Given the need to use water wisely, it’s time to look at “landscapes of the future” that fit more naturally into our semi-arid climate.
As part of its Water Action Plan, Arapahoe County is exploring alternatives to Kentucky bluegrass on a field on the east side of its main Administrative Building in Littleton.
“The field had Kentucky bluegrass on it for decades, which had to be watered extensively to keep it green,” said Anders Nelson, a public information officer for Arapahoe County.
“The field was in rough shape and wasn’t used much, and we also had some challenges maintaining it. So, we wanted to plant something different that was more environmentally friendly.”
Arapahoe County teamed up with Denver Water and Flower to the People to remodel the 3-acre field on the east side of the building into a diverse, natural landscape that could thrive in Colorado’s climate and provide additional benefits to the environment and ecosystem.
In September, crews seeded the lawn with 60 plant species, including different prairie grasses, clovers and wildflowers to create a multi-species meadow — a meadow that will be far different from the old, homogeneous expanse of Kentucky bluegrass.
Rather than remove or kill the existing bluegrass with chemicals, crews spread the new seed mix on top of the old grass. Over time, the new plants will overtake the bluegrass.
“We call it a 'Flower-People-Lawn,’” said Brent Zahn, an irrigation and turfgrass specialist from Flower to the People, which works to “take back the turf” and transform nonfunctional turf spaces into water-saving, highly diverse, more valuable and usable lawns.
“Flower is for the variety of colors we’ll see. People is for the community we want to interact with the plants. And lawn is in the name because this is a space where people and pets will be able to walk and enjoy nature.”
The old Kentucky bluegrass field needed to be watered about 3-4 times per week in the summer to stay green, but the new lawn will only be watered once a week in the summer once the plants are established. This will encourage the plants to grow deeper roots to find water farther down in the soil.
Littleton is in Denver Water’s service area, where all water savings achieved by customers are critical to the utility’s future.
“Arapahoe County expects to save around 1.5 million gallons of water annually with this new landscape and that’s really important in the West where water is a scarce resource,” said Austin Krcmarik, a water efficiency planner at Denver Water.
Along with water savings, the new field will provide additional benefits to the environment and ecosystem:
- Add biodiversity and habitat for wildlife, including insects, birds, bees and small mammals.
- Improve the cycling of nutrients between the field’s plants and soil.
- Increase the rate at which water enters the soil, allowing it to hold moisture longer and reduce flooding.
- Improve carbon cycling and carbon sequestration to reduce pollution.
- Help cool the area on hot days.
- Reduce maintenance requirements through less mowing.
- Eliminate the need for chemicals, like fertilizer and weed killers.
- Offer new beauty to a landscape that had been ignored.
- Provide a fun and educational space for the public to enjoy.
“Sixty different plant species sounds like a lot, but each plant has a role to play in the new lawn,” Zahn said. “These plants will all work together and prove that even a small area like this lawn can provide multiple benefits.”
Flower to the People has successfully tested similar seed mixes in parts of California that have climates that are similar to Littleton. This is their first lawn in Colorado.
“Denver Water sets aside money to fund projects like this because we want to find alternatives to traditional Kentucky bluegrass lawns in our service area,” Krcmarik said.
“We’re hoping this could be a valuable option for large commercial or government-owned properties because it shows that there are alternative landscapes to Kentucky bluegrass that are more ecologically functional, attractive, beneficial and use less water.”
West side transformation
The new lawn on the east side of the Arapahoe County Administration Building follows a change made on the west side of the building in 2022.
That area also had a Kentucky bluegrass lawn, but it was remodeled into a prairie grass field. The new field has thrived and reduced Arapahoe County’s irrigation of the field by over 1 million gallons of water annually.
Pilot project
The east side’s new “flower-people-lawn” transformation is a pilot project.
The partners will collect data and assess the health of the field and, after two years, Arapahoe County will evaluate the success of the project and consider whether to use the seed mix on other properties.
“These landscape transformations are great examples of Arapahoe County’s long-term efforts to conserve water,” Nelson said.
“Through these projects, we’re also demonstrating fiscal responsibility while protecting the environment and helping combat climate change.”
Arapahoe County is asking residents and employees to stay off the lawn until the seeds have time to take root. Signs are posted around the field and updates about the project can be found at arapahoeco.gov/flowerlawn.
In the future, crews will mow parts of the lawn to create pathways through the taller grasses and plants. There will also be community events to encourage the public to enjoy the space.
“Our goal is to take a nonfunctional turf area and make it functional, so it’s almost like a mini nature preserve out here,” Zahn said.
“Our team is looking forward to seeing what happens and we’re excited to have this new space available for the community to enjoy.”