A desert rose

 

One of the neighbors has a beautiful front yard rose garden, and the colors are unbelievably vibrant in the strong desert light.

This is an established development and you see a little of everything in the yards. It's mostly desert landscaping, but a few people (like my sister) had the foresight to plant deciduous trees years ago, and now they make the neighborhood much more beautiful and interesting, not to mention cooler. 

The many mature palm trees are also pretty, but they don't cast much shade. Perhaps a third of the houses still have a patch of green lawn in front. Now this is considered somewhat politically incorrect, like watering your lawn in Seattle.

Las Vegas is pushing to become the first city to ban ornamental grass, meaning grass that nobody walks on, such as parking strips and around office parks. 

It's interesting how a place with reputation for excess and indulgence wants to become a model for restraint and conservation!

By ripping out this sort of thing, they estimate the region can reduce annual water consumption by roughly 15%.  Las Vegas even offers owners of older properties a rebate to tear out sod — up to $3 per square foot.

The problem is trees and grass help prevent the public health dangers of “urban heat islands.” Green landscaping offsets heat through evaporation. So the proposal is getting some push back, especially in the new upscale neighborhoods. 

No worries this morning, the air is cool, fresh and breezy.  Almost jacket weather although it should warm up to 75 this afternoon.