How to Xeriscape Your Backyard in Colorado Springs

A typical bluegrass lawn in Colorado Springs uses 50 to 60 gallons per square foot every summer, making lawn conversion to xeriscape one of the fastest ways to cut your water bill and reclaim usable backyard space.

Key Takeaways

• Colorado Springs lawns use 50-60 gallons per square foot annually; xeriscape cuts water use dramatically.
• Apache plume grows 4-6 feet tall and serves as low-maintenance privacy screen.
• Phase xeriscape projects over 2-3 seasons to spread costs and test plant performance.
• HOAs rarely regulate backyards, allowing flexible phased conversion without curb-appeal concerns.

The backyard is where most of your water bill hides. A typical bluegrass lawn in Colorado Springs uses 50 to 60 gallons per square foot every summer. Converting even half your backyard to xeriscape can cut that number dramatically and free up the space for something you actually use.

Here is how to approach a backyard xeriscape conversion the smart way.

Why does backyard xeriscape have an advantage over front-yard conversion?

Unlike your front yard, your backyard gives you room to breathe. HOAs rarely regulate back yards to the same degree, which means you can take a more relaxed approach to plant spacing, layout, and materials. You can also phase the project over multiple seasons without worrying about curb appeal during the in-between stages.

That flexibility is worth using strategically. Rather than tearing out everything at once, a phased approach lets you spread cost, learn what works in your specific yard, and adjust as you go.

How should you phase a Colorado Springs backyard xeriscape project?

Colorado Springs Utilities recommends thinking through backyard xeriscape projects a little bit at a time. Here is a simple three-phase framework:

Season 1: Remove the turf in the highest-water zones, typically the center of the yard. Install a pea gravel or decomposed granite patio area, or add a simple seating zone with a fire pit. Plant shrubs along the perimeter for structure and privacy.

Season 2: Convert the remaining turf edges into planting beds. Fill them with drought-tolerant perennials like penstemon, salvia, and blanket flower. Add a drip line to new plantings. Visit our irrigation conversion page for details on upgrading from spray heads to drip.

Season 3: Finish with ground covers between plant groupings, add any decorative rock or boulders, and let the plantings begin to fill in. By this point, most of your irrigation infrastructure is in place and your water use is down substantially.

Can you create functional outdoor living areas while xeriscaping?

Xeriscape and outdoor living are not in conflict. In fact, removing turf creates space for things that actually get used: patios, shade structures, raised beds, and gathering areas.

A decomposed granite or flagstone patio surrounded by native shrubs like Apache plume or serviceberry gives you a private, functional space that requires almost no maintenance. Apache plume grows 4 to 6 feet tall and produces feathery pink seed plumes through late summer, making it an excellent privacy screen. Pair it with a few taller ornamental grasses like little bluestem for movement and seasonal color.

In the Black Forest and Monument areas, many homeowners add a pergola over a gravel patio and frame it with drought-tolerant climbers. This creates a shaded outdoor room that performs all summer without a sprinkler running.

For ideas on plant selection, see our drought-tolerant plants and native plants pages.

What features should you keep when converting to xeriscape?

Not everything in your backyard needs to go. Before you schedule the sod cutter, walk the space and ask three questions:

1. Does this tree or shrub provide shade that would be expensive to replace?
2. Is this area getting used enough to justify the water it needs?
3. Would removing this feature create an erosion problem?

Mature trees are almost always worth keeping. They provide shade, reduce heat stress on nearby plants, and take decades to replace. If you have a shade tree in a good position, build your xeriscape design around it rather than removing it.

Established shrubs along the fence line are also frequently worth keeping if they are already drought-adapted. Many older Colorado Springs yards have Russian sage, lilac, or rabbitbrush planted years ago that do not need extra water at all.

The lawn itself is usually the first to go. For removal methods, see our xeriscape installation page or our dedicated post on converting an existing lawn.

Adding Raised Beds Without Adding Water Use

Raised beds fit naturally into a xeriscape backyard and they do not have to be water-heavy. Fill them with amended native soil, plant drought-tolerant vegetables and herbs (rosemary, thyme, lavender, and sage all thrive in Colorado Springs), and add a simple drip line on a timer.

A 4x8 raised bed on drip uses a fraction of the water that the same square footage of bluegrass requires. And unlike grass, it produces something you can eat.

See our xeriscape design page for layout ideas that incorporate raised beds, patios, and planting zones into a single cohesive plan.

Ready to Plan Your Backyard Conversion?

We work with homeowners across Colorado Springs, Fountain, Old Colorado City, and the surrounding area to design phased backyard xeriscapes that fit any budget. Whether you want a full conversion this season or a multi-year plan, we can help.

Call (719) 631-2371 or get a free estimate to schedule a site visit.