In case you missed the memo: Glossy green lawns fed by sprinklers arcing water into the sky just don’t work anymore in these days of lingering drought.

As the supply of water in reservoirs and wells continues to shrink around California, we need to change what and how we’re irrigating.

Public parks might arguably be good locations for large expanses of turf in Southern California’s low-rain climate, but around our houses? That’s become a pipe dream this summer for many Angelenos whose outdoor water use has been curtailed to a few minutes a week, not nearly enough to keep a lawn alive, let alone green.

Water districts are offering rebates for removing lawns, but many won’t give you money for installing artificial turf (which keeps water from flowing into the ground, potentially killing trees and beneficial micro-organisms in the soil) or a bunch of rocks and a couple of cacti. Instead, you must include drought-tolerant plants and an efficient way to keep them watered, such as drip irrigation.

The Times has been speaking to L.A. County residents who’ve taken out their lawns and transformed their yards into fragrant, leafy, low-water paradises — often with a DIY approach.

Yes, it takes work, but these yard converts rave about lower water bills, tackling climate change head on, the pride they felt after accomplishing a daunting task and finding serenity in the process. Let these stories of ripping out lawns guide and inspire as you reconsider your own landscaping plans.

As the drought continues, Californians are tearing out their lawns. Here’s a DIY guide to killing grass to prep for a drought-tolerant landscape.

The essential weekly guide to enjoying the outdoors in Southern California. Insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Jeanette Marantos started writing for the Los Angeles Times in 1999, doing Money Makeovers until 2002. She returned to write for The Times’ Homicide Report in 2015 and the Saturday garden section in 2016, a yin and yang that kept her perspective in balance. In early 2020, she moved full time into Features, with a focus on all things flora. She is a SoCal native who spent more than 20 years in Central Washington as a daily reporter, columnist, freelancer and mom before returning to the land of eucalyptus and sage. Her present goal is to transform her yard into an oasis of native plants, fruit trees and veggies.

Lisa Boone is a features writer for the Los Angeles Times. Since 2003, she has covered home design, gardening, parenting, houseplants, even youth sports. She is a native of Los Angeles.