28 years ago, my husband and I started switching the plantings in our yard from lawn grass to native plants which require only occasional watering. We only use water from our rain barrels or water saved when running the inside taps for watering outside. That means we do not use the outside faucets on our house for any landscaping. It means more effort to pack water to the new trees or plants, and I am getting much stronger. The greatest benefit has been watching a vast increase in the number and diversity of insects in our yard, from tiny Perdita bees, to 8 species of Bumblebee, Praying Mantis, and non-aggressive wasps.