Water-Wise Front Yard Makeover & Custom Flagstone Walkway

Project overview

From high-water lawn to water-wise showpiece

This West Jordan homeowner wanted to reduce their water bill, qualify for the Slow the Flow water-wise landscape rebate, and end up with a front yard that looked better than the patchy lawn they started with. Black Diamond delivered all three.

The original front yard was a standard Kentucky bluegrass lawn — high water use, high maintenance, and struggling in Utah's dry summers. Black Diamond removed the existing turf and replaced it with a design that uses a fraction of the water while dramatically improving curb appeal.

The centerpiece is a sweeping custom flagstone walkway set in Arizona flagstone, with a hand-crafted decorative flower inlay made from river rock — a signature detail that makes this project one of a kind. The walkway curves from the driveway to the front entry, flanked by black mulch planting beds filled with drought-tolerant perennials, ornamental shrubs, and young shade trees.

The curb strip — one of the highest-water-use areas on any residential property — was converted from turf to a water-wise rock design using river rock and decomposed granite with low-water shrubs. A small sod island sourced from BioGrass was retained in the main yard for visual softness, but the overall turf footprint was reduced by over 80 percent. BioGrass specializes in low-water, low-maintenance sod varieties specifically bred for Utah's climate, making them a natural fit for Slow the Flow rebate projects.

The project was designed and installed to meet the requirements of the Slow the Flow rebate program, helping the homeowner recover a portion of the project cost while contributing to Utah's long-term water conservation goals.