Rainy LA worries about garden water use

This weeks weather in Los Angeles is set to be drizzly and grey for the most part, according to the BBC – but that has not stopped concerns over water use in the garden.

Greenhouse enthusiasts in California are set to become the envy of gardeners around the country, after the local water authority announced it would pay them to dig up their lawns.

As part of water conservation and cost-cutting measures, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has promised to pay its customers $1 for every square foot of grass they replace.

It is hoped horticulturalists will use the money to grow less thirsty plants and follows a similar move undertaken in the state of Nevada.

"As we ask our customers to cut back on their outdoor watering, the landscaping incentive provides a great alternative to maintaining their lawns," explained LADWP chief executive and general manager David Nahai.

He added the rebates for installing H2O-efficient appliances indoors had already proved popular and said the body was hoping for similar success from its latest venture.