Frugal and Energy Efficient Living

We don't have a lawn. We have 50 well-established trees with vinca and portulaca between them.

http://www.enn.com/climate/article/43758

Texas loses half a billion trees to epic drought

A punishing drought in Texas has not only damaged crops, killed cattle, and led to widespread fires, but has also killed off a significant portion of the state's trees: between 100 and 500 million trees have perished to drought stress according to preliminary analysis. The estimate does not include tree mortality caused by fires. The drought has been linked to La Niña conditions, which causes drying in the Southern U.S., and has likely been exacerbated by global climate change. In all around 10 percent of Texas' forests may have been lost to the drought—so far. Trees are expected to continue suffering and dying in Texas even if rain comes, however forecasters predict dry conditions will remain in Texas for another six months at least.


On our block, 6 50'+ pines are dead, along with a huge sycamore tree, and more than two dozen fruitless mulberry trees, as well as the only weeping willow on the street. We have lost none, but we are using our shower and washing machine water as well as the maximum allowed by the city each month. They're about to cut that maximum in half.