plasticcover This is the third installment of a diary by Greater Long Beach photographer Jeanine Birong, who with her husband, Mark, and children, Anthony and Sarah, is replacing their traditional grass lawn with drought-tolerant plants as part of the water-saving Lawn to Garden Project, sponsored by the Long Beach Water Department. This week: Killing the Lawn.

 THERE WILL BE NO MORE SYMPATHY from me for anyone who complains about anything “being as exciting as watching grass grow”—not after spending nearly two months watching our front lawn die. That’s how long it’s been since we cut out the sod to make room for the drought-tolerant plants that will replace it. And we wanted to be sure that all the grass was truly dead to guard against a comeback. But because we chose the most environmentally friendly method to do it—which turned out to be the slowest—there hasn’t been anything to actually watch at all. Every bit of death has occurred out of sight—beneath the thick sheets of black plastic that cover the front yard. Boring.

On the other hand, not one iota of yard work in all that time!

And when the plastic finally came off last Sunday, not one blade of grass!

Looking back, living inside a Hefty bag for almost two months maybe wasn’t so bad—especially since, about halfway through the process, some consolation arrived.

His name was Gustavo Gutierrez. He introduced himself as a student in the Masters program at USC’s  School of Broadcast Journalism. He had heard about my participation in the Lawn to Garden Program. He had read the first two installments of my diary for Greater Long Beach. He requested an interview with me.

Here’s how it went.

 What you do for a living?

I am a free lance photographer, but make most of my living as a location scout for a film location agency in Long Beach. My husband is a production artist for a printing company in Anaheim Hills.

 How have you benefitted from the Beautiful Long Beach Lawn-to-Garden Incentive Program?

We should receive $2.50 per square foot for up to 1,000 square feet of lawn that we replace. We are hoping to stay under budget which would mean our front yard would be re-landscaped for free, as long as we provide the labor. We are actually replacing a little over 1,100 square feet.

 How did you hear about the program?

I saw it on Twitter one day at work!

Have you already gone through the program or are you about to receive the funds to transform your lawn?

We are in the process, and have not been reimbursed.

 How was that process for you and your family? Was it difficult to make the transition? What convinced you to make the change?

The decision to go drought tolerant was easy. But it is a lot of hard work to pull out the lawn, and I am sure building the hardscape is going to be backbreaking work, too! Our lawn has looked bad for awhile and needed renovation. We needed to remove the sod and replace it because it was the original lawn from the ‘50s. We were considering artificial grass, as well. I decided I would not want anything fake out front.

Was it difficult to pull out lawn, especially because children would not have a lawn to run around nor pets?

Yeah, a part of me is worried about losing the lawn because my kids have played a lot of catch out front and have used it for batting practice and water balloon wars. But the truth is, now that they are teenagers they have outgrown playing on the lawn. My son needs a much bigger playing field now—one with 90-foot base paths! My pets will do fine without the lawn. So, no issue there. However, I am hoping this means the dog walker who always lets his dog poop on my lawn and never cleans it up will find somewhere more grassy. (Turns out, poochie doesn’t like the black plastic now covering the lawn to kill it, so things are already looking up in this department.)

 How long did it take to pull the lawns and in put in the complete garden?

It took 4 hours with a sod cutter and then about five more days (a couple hours a day) to pull it off and throw it in a dumpster. Now it is under black plastic for 5 weeks. The process is boring right now.

 Did you do it on your own or receive help from family members or friends?

Family. My husband, son, and brother-in-law did all the hard work. I supervised … and made them dinner.

 How was the application process?

The application process was easy—it is an online form. We were waitlisted in the first round. They only took the first 100 applicants. We were No. 188. This summer they accepted the next 100 applicants so we made it in. We would have applied repeatedly until we got in.

 Why do you believe this is a good initiative by the City of Long Beach?

We believe strongly in drought-tolerant landscaping for Southern California. It really is a terrible waste of resources—not just water—to maintain a lawn here. This area is naturally very dry, so much of the water must be imported. In addition, lawns require fertilizer and weed killer to be healthy. This creates water pollution when it runs off during watering or rains—all going straight into the water table and our ocean. (Also, it is a drag for my husband to spend four or more hours every weekend maintaining it—talk about a waste of manpower! Instead of making a law forcing people to go drought tolerant, this is a nice way to get people to see the value and beauty of a drought-tolerant garden and to consider changing their landscape voluntarily. plasticwrap_0

 How did you decide what plants you wanted to plant in your garden and what to include?

The Lawn to Garden program has an approved plant list. We chose plants from that list that were already in our yard (so that the new area would meld with the existing landscape) as well as plants that are found in neighboring yards. Also, a few doors down the city recently installed drought-tolerant landscaping along the main street. We wanted plants that would fit into the neighborhood. We picked plants because they are pretty, or interesting. A few of the plants we have chosen are “specimen” plants. Also I coordinated the color scheme with an emphasis on pinks, reds, and purples. I was hoping to create an interesting garden with a lot of variety in the textures and colors in the foliage of the plants. The hardscape is important too. We designed some underlying structures into the garden to create a couple places to “visit.”  In our case, since our house is fairly frontal in design, we made two mirrored paths. One will feature a tiered flower bed that will be a succulent feature that should replicate the feeling of a fountain. (Which is actually an idea I am borrowing from the homeowner who owns “Dexter’s” house until he moved out this season. I have worked on Dexter since season one. They shoot in Long Beach a lot.) On the other side of the yard we want to eventually install a bench and reflecting ball for quiet contemplation and watching the neighborhood. We have some great neighbors and we look forward to visiting with them in the garden when it is completed.

 What does your garden look like now and how different is it compared to a plain lawn? Are there any birds that come around?

So far it looks like black plastic … not so good. No birds yet! But we did pick plants that should attract birds and butterflies.

What’s the reaction from your neighbors to changing your lawn into a garden?

LOL … they probably are wondering when the black plastic goes away!

 Are other neighbors following the change even if they did not receive the rebate/funds?

Yes, I think so. I have been writing about it for Greater Long Beach.

 Do most houses in your block have these gardens? Or does your house stick out?

A couple houses on my block do already have very nice drought-tolerant gardens. I think ours will fit in and complement the neighbors’ landscapes nicely when it is done.

 Are there any disadvantages that people talk about from this drought tolerant program?

I don’t know. My only wish is that I could receive the funds first because cash flow is an issue, but I understand why the water department needs to do it this way. I haven’t talked to any other participants. lawngone

 In the larger picture how do you feel you are positively contributing to save our environment by implementing the garden in your home?

I have a really strong belief that one’s local actions do affect the big picture. Rather than preaching at others, I am hoping to lead by example. Perhaps one lawn being removed doesn’t make a big difference, but if I can inspire more people to follow my example, then I think we can create a positive change for our environment. I have two children, and I hope someday they will give me grandchildren and great grandchildren. I am very concerned about the world we are leaving behind for our great grandchildren. Conserving water and making a more sustainable planet is a gift to them.  Instead of thinking about how pretty our lawns are, we really should be thinking about the fact that the planet does not really belong to us. We should stop being irresponsible and realize that we are stewards of Earth. It is our job to see to it that we do not leave it worse than we found it, and that future generations will have essential resources—like water—that they need for survival. It is simply the right thing to do.