05:39 PM CDT on Friday, June 2, 2006

Carol Cavazos, WFAA-TV

WFAA

Marina took out her entire lawn.

DALLAS - With sprinkler restrictions underway, homeowners may want to rethink any attempts at turning out a lawn looking like the Augusta National this summer.

The City of Dallas would like you to rethink the idea of maintaining a full lawn all together.

They say a xeriscape or water-wise garden will save more water.

And, a homeowner, who used less than $4 of water last month, says it'll save you money.

One front yard, in particular, stands out on Victor Street in Dallas - it's the xeriscape yard.

But, the real beauty of it is the water bill - $3.48.

With base and sewer and all the other charges tacked on, the total bill comes to just under $42.

"I'm telling everybody come and look at my garden and copy. If you need information I will tell you what to do but just keep down your water bill," said xeriscape homeowner, Marina Block.

That's what the City of Dallas would like you to do.

"We have actually been hoping to get people on board with xeriscape or water-wise gardening for several years. The first tour was in 1995," said Yvonne Dupre from City of Dallas water utilities.

If you can't make the tour, experts suggest you start with a plan. Consider keeping half of your lawn, and filling the other half with select native or drought-tolerant plants like sage.

You can start introducing plants gradually. Unlike Marina, who took out her entire lawn.

With 50 to 70 percent of water use going to the lawn, the City of Dallas thinks xeriscape can pay off in the long run.

"Once you get them established, after about two years, you can do like Marina does and not even turn the water on," said Dupre.