As many homeowners can attest, all lawns are not created equal.

There are those lush expanses of grass that provide the perfect setting for backyard barbecues, a personal dog park, or a multipurpose play field.

Then there are those areas of grass that see little activity, suck up water and require meticulous maintenance to squeak out a living in the sometimes unforgiving Sierra environment.

It is the latter of these two types of lawns targeted by a South Tahoe Public Utility District’s Turf Buy-Back program, said district spokesman Dennis Cocking.

The voluntary turf buy-back is modeled after a Southern Nevada Water Authority program and pays homeowners to remove so called non-functional lawns and replace them with less water-intensive options.

“If the only time you’re walking on your lawn is when you’re mowing it, you might have a nonfunctional lawn,” Cocking said.

By removing the lawns, homeowners can reduce the primary source of water usage spikes in the Lake Tahoe Basin during summer months and potentially keep excess fertilizers associated with lawns from affecting the health of Lake Tahoe, Cocking said.

The district’s conservation programs — which includes the turf buy-back program — save an estimated 1 million to 1.5 million gallons of water a year, Cocking said.

The district does not encourage homeowners who regularly use their lawns or maintain them as part of a defensible space set-up to utilize the program, which pays $2 per square foot of maintained lawn replaced.

The buy-back program is a “break-even proposition” for most homeowners looking to replace the lawn with basic drip irrigation system or drought- tolerant landscaping scheme, but won’t provide enough money to replace a lawn with an elaborate landscape design, Cocking said.

Requirements of the Turf Buy-Back program include replacing turf with at least 50 percent living coverage to prevent erosion from increasing following the removal of the lawn, Cocking added.

Which plants are suitable for drought-tolerant and native landscaping is a common question from customers at South Shore nursery Aspen Hollow, said employee Erin McEvoy.

“People ask that question probably 50 times a day,” McEvoy said.

Interest in native vegetation has been persistent, but peaked since the Angora fire, as homeowners have sought to replace some of the native vegetation lost in the fire, McEvoy said.

The answer often comes in the form of shrubs, McEvoy added.

Serviceberry, chokeberry, and sand cherry are some of the varieties of drought-tolerant plants that are popular the nursery.

Cool nights in the spring and fall make those seasons ideal planting times for shrubs, McEvoy said, but drought-tolerant and native vegetation don’t give the users a get-out-of-maintenance free card.

Consistent care for the first three to five seasons of a plant’s life are especially important to help a drought-tolerant plant toward a nearly self-sustaining future, McEvoy said.

The turf-buy back program has grown in popularity since its inception and has received nothing but positive comments from participants, Cocking said.

From the amount of interest so far this spring, water district staff expect this year to be the first where the district uses all of its $82,000 in state funding.

“This year we may max out the dollars we have set aside for that program,” Cocking said, “It gets better every year.”

Existing funding for the program will allow the district to continue the program for the next one or two summers, Cocking said. After that, additional grant funding will be needed to continue the program, Cocking said.

For more information on the turf buy-back program, call Water Conservation Specialist Shelly Barnes at (530) 542-6268.Staff report

The Tahoe Area Sierra Club, along with Aspen Hollow Nursery, will host this year’s Garden Party and Tour from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 29, at Aspen Hollow Nursery, 541 Emerald Bay Road in South Lake Tahoe.

The event will include demonstrations and discussions about native plants, potting techniques, fertilizer use, how to choose and care for soil, as well as composting tips.

“Native plants are easy to grow and require low maintenance,” said Aspen Hollow Nursery manager Naomi Murray. “They are already acclimated to our climate so they are very dependable. Some examples would be the service berry, which is now blooming, and the red twig dogwood.”

Aspen Hollow Nursery owner John Fellows and his staff will be leading tours through the selections of native plants, discussing where they thrive and answering any questions.

The nursery will provide wine-tasting and snacks. Guests will receive a 10 percent discount on all garden purchases that evening. The cost is $10 at the door. Proceeds will benefit the Tahoe Area Sierra Club.

For more information contact Jeanne Androvich at (530) 577-4945 or jeanne.androvich@mindspring.com.