Life After Lawn Program

City of Greeley residents (homeowners and landlords) can receive $1.00/square foot to convert a minimum of 500 square feet of healthy, well-watered turf with native and/or waterwise plantings. A maximum of $3,000 per household per year is eligible. You must plan to own the residence for 5 or more years.

Lawns being converted must be in the front or side yards that are visible to the public. Backyards may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Check with your HOA to find out what approval they may require. Although they cannot prohibit water wise plantings or native landscapes, you may be subject to HOA approval.

Homeowner Application

• Gazebos, concrete, patios or walkways that are impermeable will not be included in the rebated part of the square footage.
• Artificial turf grass will not be rebated and is not allowed in front yards per city code. See more below.
• Non-biodegradable landscape fabric will not be allowed in planting areas with mulch. Fabric/weed barrier will only be allowed under pathways/walkways, although it is discouraged there too.

Hardscaped areas (i.e., patios & walkways) can be included in the design and rebated if they remain permeable and are composed of brick, pavers, flagstone, loose gravel, gravel fines, or squeegee. The areas must remain permeable to allow precipitation to percolate into the ground which helps clean the contaminants out of the water before running back to the river.  It also allows you to utilize onsite water to supplement your plants.

Yes. Visit our Water Use Assessment page for more information.

• Garden in a Box Garden go on sale March 1!
• Garden In A Box offers professionally designed, waterwise garden kits tailor-made for Colorado yards. We make it easy to get that professional look by including plant-by-number maps, seasonal maintenance suggestions, and watering recommendations to help your low-water garden thrive year after year. Greeley water customers get $25 off the price of the garden.
• Plant Select's Downloadable designs and Simple solutions for small spaces
• Audubon’s Habitat Hero
• Colorado Native Plant Society
• Denver Water
• Fort Collins booklet Designs with Water in Mind
• High Country Gardens Preplanned Gardens
• CSU Extension Low-Water Native Plants
• Front Range Wild Ones Low-Water Natives for Prairie and Plains
• Denver Botanic Gardens Sustainable Landscape Services

Yes. Planting to support pollinators (i.e., birds, butterflies, bats, moths, etc.) and obtaining third party certifications are encouraged. Check out some supporting landscape certifications.

• Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero
• Monarch Waystations
• National Wildlife Habitat
• Xerces Society
• Colorado Native Plant Certification 
• People and Pollinators Action Network Take Action-sign the pledge to say no to pesticides

Existing landscape can count toward your 50% live plantings.

No, you can retain some of the existing lawn and may find that a smaller section of lawn actually appears healthier due to being small enough to manage and water effectively.  However, it is good to know ahead of time, that these bluegrass lawn areas, whether retained or replanted, do not count toward the area being rebated.

No, artificial turf is not allowed in the front yards and will not be eligible for the rebate. Artificial turf has many environmental and economic factors associated with it, so it is not recommended except for special circumstances. Contributing to heat island effects, inhibiting stormwater filtering and infiltration, short life span, and microplastic contamination are just a few of the concerns, read more on Western Resource Advocates’ website.

Warm season grasses that are native to Colorado and the shortgrass prairie are great options, because they are native and have adapted to Colorado’s climate and soils and therefore can survive drought and minimal supplemental water.  These require full sun to thrive. Because installing and maintaining native grasses in your landscape require a different aesthetic as well as planting and maintaining, several Front Range water providers and grass experts have put together a Colorado Native Grass Guidebook and webpage to help you prepare for your project.

Other hybrid grasses that are touted xeric grass options are Dog Tuff™, a Plant Select choice.  This is Bermuda grass available locally as plugs with a list of vendors on the Plant Select site

A newcomer on the scene is Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass hybrid which is available in sod and is touted to use 50-75% less water. This grass can tolerate a little more shade than Dog Tuff, but will not do well in a deep shade site.

Both of these hybrid Bermuda grasses are cold hardy, salt tolerant warm season (look best during the heat of the summer), pet tolerant for traffic and urine, full sun grasses.  They will not perform well in shaded areas.

There are some cool season native grasses that may perform well in shady areas but keep in mind that you probably won’t see the savings of the warm season natives.  Please consult with one of the two seed companies here in Greeley.  Both companies have very knowledgeable staff. 

Yes, the use of rain gardens to utilize onsite water from precipitation is encouraged. Treating your landscape as a sponge to absorb rainwater, helps you use free water and filter the rainwater from contaminants before it returns to the stream. 

• Free planting layouts for 50 square feet and 100 square feet rain gardens. These layouts are designed for full sun, partial sun and shady gardens.  

• Free residential rain garden installation course
  

• Colorado Stormwater's Rain Garden Resources page

• Pergolas, decks and paver patios are allowed as long as they remain permeable.
• Gazebos, concrete, patios or walkways that are impermeable will not be included in the rebated part of the square footage.
  
• Artificial turf grass will not be rebated and is not allowed in front yards per city code. See more below.
• Non-biodegradable landscape fabric will not be allowed in planting areas with mulch. Fabric/weed barrier will only be allowed under pathways/walkways, although it is discouraged there too.

• Gazebos, concrete, covered patios or walkways that are impermeable will not be included in the rebated part of the square footage. 
• Flagstone, paver patios and walkways that
• Artificial turf grass will not be rebated and is not allowed in front yards per city code. Report on artificial turf.
• Non-biodegradable landscape fabric will not be allowed in planting areas with mulch. Fabric/weed barrier will only be allowed under pathways/walkways, although it is discouraged there too.