The Great Tucson Battle
Or
Landscaping against the desert

I put gravel down on top of every blade of grass in my yard after a mere two years of battling the natural elements of the Sonoran Desert region that is home to Tucson, Arizona. But not before covering it with a heavy, black nylon mesh.

Like most people who move to Tucson, I really wanted a lawn – albeit a relatively small one. However, the elements of the desert, when contemplating the birth, care, and feeding of a plush lawn are formidable – and unrelenting. No one brought this to my attention, and all the other houses in my neighborhood had lawns. And why shouldn't I have a nice Tucson lawn? It was that day. The day that I decided to grow a lawn in Tucson that the desert declared war on me – or at least it seemed like it.

In Tucson, the sun is brutal. It's like that in the desert. Sometimes, if you're out in it long enough, you start to feel like one of those ants a child is chasing with a magnifying glass. In June, when it's 110° in every square inch of Tucson, if you stay out in the direct sunlight for just an hour, you'll know it! I never considered that my poor lawn had to endure it for entire days at a time. And even the shade of night, with its temperatures in the 90°s and near-zero humidity were not much relief. Every single blade of the emerald eye-candy cried out for moisture. Numerous, brief drinks during the day, and one long drink every other night.

The nice people I bought my house from had done an acceptable job of keeping the lawn alive, but with kids and two dogs, it was anything but prospering. During my first year of stewardship, Tucson had a drought. I didn't get the hint and watered more – when I should have been conserving water for frivolous things like, drinking, or washing myself. But instead, I poured thousands of gallons on it – and the nice shrubbery around it. The shrubs flourished in the new, wet environment, but the grass continued to struggle.

The first year, to get my Tucson lawn into shape, I added topsoil, seed, and fertilizer to the endless flow of water. I needed the topsoil because I was trying to grow something that isn't supposed to grow in the desert. Something the indigenous soil (sand) doesn't nurture. I needed seed to fill in the spots where there was no grass, and fertilizer for the places where there was (very sparse) grass. The cost was offensive, and the labor required was mounting quickly. Not being able to afford those new golf clubs seemed not so bad – since I never had time to play anymore anyway. Yeah, right!

My shrubs grew wildly the first year – little wonder. I'd put a king's ransom into water and fertilizer. But my lawn barely progressed at all – despite all my hard work, investment, and eventual prayers. Then came year two…

The second year brought with it an even worse drought. It cemented my thinking that the Sonoran Desert had singled me out. And then, at the end of the drought, during monsoon, came the rains. My lawn flooded, the top soil (and doubtless a good portion of the fertilizer) washed out of the lawn area, and into the gravel. Please believe me when I tell you that you do not want to have to clean dirt out of your very small gravel shrubbery beds.

It was at this point I researched alternatives to a Tucson lawn – and having to clean up the new mess. As it turns out, I just covered the entire area with a heavy, black nylon mesh. It comes in large rolls of varying width and length. It's not very costly, and installs quickly over all the spaces where you don't want anything to grow. Then, just cover it with gravel. The gravel costs will depend on several things starting with what kind and size of gravel you purchase. Also, it will have to be put down on the nylon – which may entail moving it manually over a distance – such as from the front yard to the backyard. But once you're done – you're done!

Now, about the shrubs. As they die off because I no longer will support a co-dependent relationship with them – to assist their water-guzzling habits, I will replace them with indigenous plants, and plants from lists of Xeriscape type plants. Plants used in Xeriscape do not require much in the way of water.

Author: Eric Scribener, Senior Editor www.dotcomtucson.com