What is the easiest way to go from grass lawn to "Arizona Lawn"?

Living in Las Vegas, watering and caring for lawn got way too expensive as well. We submitted a plan for rocks with some drought tolerant shrubs to the city, they came and inspected the plot, approved the idea, we had lawn taken out and rocks and shrubs put in, the inspectors came back out to see if it was completed, they again approved and submitted it back to the city and we got reimbursed $1500.00 voila!!! Check with your city/or community if there is such a reimbursement plant where you live. Well worth it to us.

Thank you! I will definitely look into it.

Don't be afraid to use 'existing' materials [i.e. rock/soil/wood/natural vegetation] when you re-landscape...many people feel they have to bring in all new materials...but you don't.

When I plan out in my head what I want & where...I start in one area, pile rock where I plan on having rock, pile soil where I want soil mounds for plants, move plants out of the way & into the area I want them...doing all this as I work across my planned area.

Currently I'm working on landscaping around 2 septic tank covers...NOT IMPOSSIBLE...I made raised areas of soil, planted natural vegetation where I wanted it [tossing the small rock into a wheelbarrow temporarily...dug soil away from the riser lids filled the mini trenches with small rock-trenched away from the riser tops so water wouldn't seep into the septic tank. Placed a piece of plywood on top of the riser lid; set a stump on the plywood & filled around the stump with more rock [from the wheel barrow collection]; the 2nd riser lid has a carved bald eagle setting on it...surrounded by rock & plants...[NOTREES-can't have their roots growing into the tank] Happy Planning!