Daryl Lindsey’s passion-turned-career came to life in her very own backyard in Murray.

“One year I planted a garden and very quickly the squash and tomatoes became my entire personality,” she said with a laugh. 

So, in 2022, she started making videos about her gardening escapades and her attempt to convert her yard to a place of sanctuary, function, plus sustainability. She quickly realized she had a niche approach to gardening that people were looking for. 

Not long after that, she started her company Yardfarmer.co., providing gardening and landscaping tips on her wildly popular social media platforms.

Additionally, Lindsey and her team of eight, including herself and her husband Steven Schmidt, design landscape plans to help clients switch to native plants and create drought-tolerant, sustainable yards. Social media and website links are available at the bottom of the article. 

Lindsey was born in Long Island, New York and her husband is from Germany, but the two met at the University of Utah. They moved to Murray in 2016. The couple were first time homebuyers and were able to find a house just north of Murray Park that fit their budget. 

“Murray Park is epic,” she said. “It has every amenity and is so beautiful.” Lindsey also loves walking her neighborhood filled with historic homes built in the 1920s and 1930s and seeing how yards nearly 100 years old have changed and grown.  

Plus, Murray is centrally located. “I can get anywhere in the valley really fast.”

She wants to encourage Murray residents (actually everyone) to consider native, beautiful and waterwise landscaping, and to take advantage of the savings available by doing so. 

Not a Murray resident? No worries, most cities along the Wasatch Front have rebate programs available. Check with yours. 

Waterwise programs in Murray

Research specifics before you start your project, but here are a few programs currently available in Murray. Some state rebate programs, like Utah Water Savers, are not currently available in Murray. 

1) Flip Your Strip - www.murray.utah.gov/1853/Flip-Your-Strip-Information

According to research done by Utah Water Savers, “Removing lawn from your park strip will save an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of water per year.” That’s good for our water supply and for your pocketbook.

Plus, eligible customers can receive a discount of $1.50 per square foot of converted park strip.

To determine eligibility, you must apply with the city before starting the conversion and have a site visit. The existing strip must go from living and maintained lawn to waterwise plantings. Artificial turf and/or rock only conversions are not eligible.  

“Xeriscaping with rocks is an overcorrection,” Lindsey told Doug Fabrizio on an episode of KUER’s RadioWest. “It’s nice to save water, but now the collective temperature of the property is higher, and you may have to spend more on energy to keep your house cool.”

So, think pocket prairie. Native plants thrive in Utah. 

To be eligible for the Murray rebate, perennial plants must cover at least 40% of the converted park strip and plants may not exceed 24 inches at maturity. The completed park strip must be irrigated with low-volume drip irrigation systems.

2)  Street Tree Plantings - www.murray.utah.gov/81/Street-Tree-Planting-Maintenance 

Murray residents may purchase a tree from the city for $125. Price includes the tree, planting service, watering bag, staking and future trimmings and maintenance. Customers may choose from trees that will thrive in the region. For Murray, the options are hedge maple, Greenspire Linden, ivory silk Japanese lilac and hackberry. 

3) Turf Trade - www.murray.utah.gov/2108/Turf-Trade 

Murray City offers a grass seed mix created specifically for Utah’s climate. Typical Kentucky bluegrass requires between 24 and 30 inches of water during the growing season. The Murray mix requires about 30% less. 

And you don’t need to rip up your existing lawn or even till it. Seed anytime between the beginning of April and the beginning of October. You just let your lawn dry out, mow it low, spread the seed with a little mulch, and let it grow. 

You can purchase seed from the Public Works Offices at 4646 S. 500 West on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Five-pound bags cost $13 and cover 1,000 square feet.

4) Full yard conversions - www.murray.utah.gov/2054/Other-Landscape-Incentives 

Depending on where you live and which requirements you meet, you can receive up to $3 per square foot of lawn converted to water-efficient landscaping. Before starting your project, you must take a landscaping class at Localscapes University and provide a landscape plan to the city. 

The project area must be greater than 200 square feet and must have a live and maintained lawn prior to conversion. The project cannot employ any overhead spray irrigation.

While a full yard conversion may seem daunting, Lindsey via Yardfarmer.co has useful and interesting suggestions and videos on her website, plus she offers consultation and plans.

5)  Native plants

Lindsey says a nice selection can be found at 42nd Street Greenhouse in Murray, Growing Empire, Twin Pines Nursery and Cache Valley Native plants (who deliver locally). Lindsey also recommends spending some time at the Pia Okwai Nature Center on the Jordan River at 3310 South and 1000 West to learn about landscaping for wildlife and local habitats.

To find Daryl Lindsey and Yardfarmer.co tips online: www.tiktok.com/@yardfarmer.co, www.youtube.com/@yardfarmerco, www.instagram.com/yardfarmer.co/. λ