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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />first seed mix yielded rather sparse and patchy looking <br />grass areas. Reseeding with the same grass mix did not <br />improve the appearance of the grass area. Some of the <br />difficulties may be attributed to lack of water during <br />a long hot summer. Little research has been done on <br />drought resistant native grasses for high altitudes. <br />Buffalo Grass, for example, will not survive above <br />7,000 feet. A different mix of thirteen native grasses <br />will be introduced this fall, with the hope of <br />producing a denser, lusher grass cover next spring. <br /> <br />(3) Installation and Maintenance Costs <br /> <br />The average cost of landscaping a small residential <br />yard in the Telluride area is approximately $10 per sq. <br />ft. Because most of this amount goes into ground <br />preparation, hardscape (retaining walls, pathways, <br />etc.) and labor, there is not a significant difference <br />between the price of an exotic, high-water-use <br />landscape and a xeric or native landscape, except in <br />seeding a native meadow versus rolling out sod. The <br />price for a native grass meadow is about $150.00 per <br />1,000 sq. ft. compared to the price for the same size <br />sod lawn at $750. <br /> <br />The demonstration gardens for this project each cost <br />approximately $2 per sq. ft., due to very generous <br />donations of material, machinery and labor. Lawson <br />Hill developer Telecam contributed trees, boulders, <br />topsoil and roadbase to all of the demonstration <br />gardens. A local contractor doing work in the <br />neighborhood donated the use of a backhoe. Other <br />businesses in the vicinity of the bus turnaround <br />contributed benches, the use of heavy equipment and <br />cash donations. Finally, the Lawson Hill Homeowners <br />Association contributed the cost of an irrigation <br />system. <br /> <br />Maintenance of the native, low-water-use landscape is <br />expected to be less expensive in the long run than <br />maintenance of a more ornamental, irrigation-dependent <br />landscape. Water bills for the native garden should be <br />smaller and there should be fewer expenses for <br />fertilizers and pesticides. Finally, labor costs <br />should be much lower because of less need for pruning, <br />weeding and manicuring: the native garden is expected <br />to look a bit "rough." <br /> <br />(4) Water Conservation <br /> <br />The bus turnaround has an automatic irrigation system <br />with spray heads for the flower beds and drip <br /> <br />3 <br />