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When my husband and I bought our new-build home outside of Denver, the landscaping with lush green grass looked picture-perfect—but it didn’t last long.
The builder had rolled out fresh sod everywhere, and after a scorching-hot summer, we got a reality check of how hard it would be to keep a green lawn, as well as how much water we’d be using. Our boulevard strip baked in full sun with no mature trees to offer relief. We still wanted lawn sections where our dog could play and, soon enough, where our daughter could toddle barefoot. But we also realized not every square foot of our yard needed to be grass.
So we started replacing the thirstiest parts of our landscape, starting with garden beds and plotting a bocce ball court. My favorite project by far, though? Installing a "Garden in a Box," a low-water, native planting kit from Colorado nonprofit Resource Central that I purchased at a discount through my municipality, which also has a vested interest in saving water.
The experience felt like a paint-by-number kit—but for planting, which I loved since I don’t exactly have a green thumb.
My kit came with a professionally designed planting map, spacing guides, and 28 drought-tolerant perennials selected to thrive together in Colorado's climate. My “Painted Prairie”-themed garden includes jewel-toned purple coneflowers, blush-pink muhly grass, flamingo-pink sunset hyssop, cheerful yellow Moonbeam coreopsis, fragrant lavender, and more. Instead of wondering what to plant next to what, I simply followed the numbered layout.
My garden is still young—native gardens are a long game, I’ve learned, and it will be a few years before it’s really showy—but blooms are already popping up, and I've been delighted by the steady parade of bees and butterflies stopping by. The garden already feels more alive than that struggling patch of grass ever did.
As it turns out, I'm far from the only homeowner giving up on grass and looking to more eco-friendly solutions.
Why Native Gardens Are Growing in Popularity
Across the country, homeowners are rethinking the traditional American lawn.
"I think homeowners are finally asking themselves, 'Why am I spending time and money keeping a plant alive that doesn't actually want to grow here?'" says Kyle Turner, president and CEO of Pro Active Pest Control in California. "Between rising water costs, hotter summers, and more people wanting lower-maintenance yards, native gardens just make more sense."
Community water restrictions and growing awareness about pollinator declines are also part of the discussion as people replace at least part of their turf with native plants that require fewer resources once established. Landscape designer McCauley Adams, owner of Ramble on Rose Garden Design in Kentucky, says many clients are realizing that unused lawn offers surprisingly little value.
Rather than maintaining stretches of grass no one walks on, homeowners are transforming them into spaces filled with flowers, birds, butterflies, and places to actually spend time outdoors. In one recent project, Adams replaced an underused lawn with an informal parterre garden that now provides fresh-cut flowers and has become a favorite exploration spot for the homeowners' grandson.
How to Find the Right “Plant-by-Number” Garden Kit for You
For many people, myself included, the biggest obstacle to planting a native garden is simply knowing where to begin.
That's why pre-planned garden kits have become so popular. After planting mine, I started to notice several others in my neighborhood, but they hardly look uniform because my “Garden in a Box” program had so many options.
Across the country, nonprofits, water districts, municipalities, and local garden organizations offer curated collections of native plants designed for their specific regions. Instead of figuring out which plants work well together, homeowners receive a thoughtfully designed garden plan complete with layout maps, spacing recommendations, and plants selected for their local climate and growing conditions.
"Plant-by-number kits appeal to landscaping novices because they remove the guesswork and make lawn design simple and foolproof while remaining an affordable option," says Em Daugherty, director of e-commerce at Bath Garden Center in Colorado.
If you're not sure what's available where you live, start with the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife center, which lets you shop native plant collections by state, including pollinator-friendly gardens like ones specifically designed to attract monarch butterflies or other kits with plants that bees especially love. You can also browse regional offerings from nurseries like Prairie Moon Nursery in Minnesota, which stocks Garden Kits, or High Country Gardens, whose pre-planned gardens are tailored to a variety of climates across the U.S. It's also worth checking with your city, county, or local water utility because many offer discounted lawn replacement kits, rebates, or water-wise landscaping programs designed specifically for your area.
The simplicity of a plant-by-number kit is what sold me. I had several garden designs to choose from based on the amount of sun my yard receives. One thing I learned quickly, though: These kits are incredibly popular. Many sell out in advance, so it's worth pre-ordering early or signing up for restock alerts if that’s an option.
What to Know Before You Replace Your Lawn With a Native Garden
As exciting as a lawn conversion can be, experts caution against digging up grass without a plan.
The first step is understanding your site. Sun exposure, drainage, soil conditions, and your USDA Hardiness Zone all influence which plants will succeed. If you belong to a homeowners association, check landscaping rules before beginning any removal project.
“Sun exposure matters especially if you're hoping for a colorful wildflower display,” Adams says. “Without enough sun, or in a spot that stays too wet, you won't get the look you're after.”
Clare Horne, founder of Nashville-based garden design studio The Grass Girl, encourages homeowners to spend time observing their yards before planting.
Watch where water collects after rainstorms. Notice how sunlight shifts throughout the day and across the seasons. A garden kit may be designed for your region, she says, but your individual yard has its own microclimate that deserves attention.
Experts also caution against assuming native gardens are maintenance-free. During the first year or two, plants need regular watering while roots establish, along with weeding to keep aggressive species from taking over. We’ve been weeding our boulevard on a weekly basis in this first year. Once established, however, maintenance generally drops considerably compared to a traditional lawn.
Native Gardens Provide More Than Water Savings
Reducing irrigation is often the main benefit of replacing turf, but homeowners frequently discover unexpected rewards. From a pest control standpoint, the biggest benefit is balance, according to Turner.
“A healthy native landscape attracts pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects that help keep pest populations in check naturally,” he says. “You end up with a yard that's more resilient because it's functioning like an ecosystem instead of a monoculture.”
As native gardens mature, they become living landscapes filled with butterflies, bees, birds, and seasonal color, too, Adams says. “It gives you something beautiful to look out on, and it's also a way of giving back to the land, even if it's just a small patch of it,” he says.
You Don’t Have to Give Up Your Entire Lawn
Despite the growing enthusiasm for native landscaping, experts agree this isn't an all-or-nothing movement. If your family uses the backyard for soccer games, kids' playtime, or your dog's daily zoomies, grass still serves an important purpose.
Instead, think strategically about where turf actually earns its place. That's the approach we took. We kept the lawn where we know we'll use it most and have been focused on replacing the most thirsty and underused areas. For now, I’m loving the payoff because my favorite part of the yard is the colorful plants that are boosting our curb appeal and buzzing with bees.
