Say No to Turfgrass

Sweeping greenswards are beautiful nestled between herbaceous borders in England, or sheltered by ranks of pecans or oaks in the south - but those places, and many others in the world have lots of rain year-round. Lawns don't really belong in a summer-dry Mediterranean climate like Sonoma County.

So get busy and replace that thirsty, water-sucking lawn with something else. 

There are lots of alternatives. Find recommended water smart plant alternatives to lawn suitable for Sonoma County. 

Learn more about how to go about the process of grass removal here in our document on Grass Removal Methods

Groundcover plants ideal for lawn replacement

For groundcover suggestions to replace lawn, see the following: 

• Recommended Plants for Sonoma County to Use As Ground Covers
• Native Groundcovers

Would you like more help learning how to replace your turfgrass with a landscape more appropriate to our summer dry Sonoma County climate?

There are many beautiful landscape and garden alternatives to turfgrass for the Sonoma County home gardener. Our Garden Sense Program offers free consultations for home gardeners. Our trained experts will visit your garden and offer tips for your unique site and garden needs. If you would like more help, learn more about our Garden Sense Consultation Program - it's free!  

April 2026