Who needs grass? Saskatchewan residents rethink lawns

It's a dry year across Saskatchewan.

With little rainfall so far this year, many municipalities are asking people to conserve their water, especially when it comes to watering their lawns.

As one businessman from Warman touts a lawn-painting service as a solution, other people have been trying different options.

Get green grass with a painted lawn

9 years ago

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Travis Dyck's company will paint your lawn green for $250. The Warman, Saskatchewan-based businessman got the idea from companies doing it in the United States.

One of those is artificial turf. While it looks remarkably similar to grass, synthetic lawns don't need to be mowed or watered.  

"There's no maintenance to it," Regina homeowner Sherry Maurice said. "It looks nice, and it's green all the time."

Of course, not everyone is sold on the idea of artificial lawns.

Saskatoon gardener Lynn Hainsworth replaced her front lawn with an elaborate pesticide-free flower garden.

"I have a little grass in the back, but I find this way more interesting," she said. "I have things blooming all the time, so there's lots of colour."

Hainsworth said she waters her lawn regularly, but tries to use natural sources to do that.

"I have a pond in my back yard, and I will often just bail and do individual plants when they need an extra drink," she said.

Vanessa Young, a horticulturalist with the University of Saskatchewan said front yard gardens are becoming more and more common.

"They never used to be very common, but it's something that you're seeing more and more," she said. "It can need a lot less maintenance than a lawn, and it can have a high amount of curb appeal as well."

If you're interested in building a garden in your front yard, Young recommends a thick layer of mulch, a layer of organic material placed underneath the plants.

"It's going to lock the water in," she said. "So you don't have to water, and it's not so bad when there's a drought coming around."