Lawn removal is on the mind of many Californians these days. In my own neighborhood I've seen many interesting and creative new gardens; one person even made a monument to the lawn of the past that includes an old push mower ringed with stones in a place of central prominence.
If you're taking out some or all of your turf, you have a great opportunity to re-plant so your garden is bee-friendly. Unfortunately, rocks and cacti often seem to be the default options for low-water gardens. While bees use cactus flowers, this type of garden provides nothing else for these important animals.
As an encouragement to do more, here's a concrete patio area at my own bee garden, before and after:
Need some help getting started? Here's a plan for a simple, nine-plant, low-water bee garden for a small, sunny yard. Want more ideas? Check out our list of 25 low-water bee plants that includes bloom times and pollen and nectar resources. You can see all 25 of the these plants (plus many more!) at the Haven.
