My main sewer line is being replaced and a large section of my front yard is going to be dug up. What type of grass seed can I put down that will grow without using a lot of water? We are in a severe drought here, so I can't water my lawn. Also, when should I plant grass seed? Right after the work is done or wait until spring? Thanks!

emerald carpet is a low height, dense fescue. because it doesn't grow high, it cuts down on mowing. It is affected by high heat, but not as much as regular fescue (brownouts).

Another really good lawn plant is white clover. It takes nitrogen out of the air, and through its root system, injects it into the soil, enriching it. While growing it, you should fertilize it once in a while though, and add organics (manure, compost, or humus) to build up a sponge base that will soak up water during the sprinkler cycle, for use by the plant days later.

Clover is water efficient, not affected by heat, roots aerate and condition the soil, and only grows 6" high. besides, it is edible by humans, regularly used in salads. There are other types of clover, bigger and taller, used as green manure and soil conditioners. Red clover (red/violet blooms) is used alot, and the blooms can be eaten, or chewed (they're sweet), and either spit out or ingested, according to the whimm of the consumer. this variety is great for plots like vegeatble gardens, or portions of soil that are intermittently used or bare otherwise.

You'll want to plant any type of seed after the soil (not the air) temperature gets up to 60, during the day. If you want to speed up the process, sow the seed, water throughly, spread a ground manure or compost (before seeding), and cover the area with a sheet of visqueen (polyethylene sheeting), weighted down with rebar or other weights to keep it from blowing away. keep it covered until the seed germinates and grows a few weeks. you can sow the seed, using this method, when the ambient temperature is above 45 all day.