A few weeks ago, the gardener who cuts the grass for Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs trimmed her weekly rate by $5 because ''my lawn keeps disappearing,'' Jacobs said.

Month by month over the past three years, her grass has given way to a verdant garden framed by dozens of native trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Using her own backyard as an example, Jacobs is encouraging other Broward homeowners -- no matter how tiny their lots -- to replace conventional lawns and landscapes with low-maintenance ''naturescapes'' that don't require lots of water.

A naturescape is not a drab brown expanse of desert-like plants, Jacobs said. Ideally, it is a colorful garden full of native South Florida flowers, trees, and shrubs that attract butterflies, birds, squirrels, lizards, and other critters.

''It's a whole philosophy of gardening with your environment in mind,'' Jacobs said. ``Native gardening can be beautiful. You don't need all the grass.''

Jacobs has had a green thumb since she lived in Nevada and coaxed plants from hot soil in the 100-plus degree summers. When the San Diego native moved to Florida, the climate was perfect to indulge her interests.

She become interested in native gardening and wildlife habitats when she moved into the North Andrews neighborhood of Gil MacAdam, the environmental administrator for Broward County Parks.

''I was blown away by what was happening in his yard,'' Jacobs said.

She took one of the backyard landscaping classes offered periodically by the county's park system at Secret Woods Nature Center in Dania Beach. She started learning about native gardening and began planting the ideas in her home garden.

Three years ago, when Jacobs and her family moved to Pompano Beach, she was briefly sidetracked with interior decorating. But not for long.

''I felt lost without gardening,'' she said.

Now, her backyard hosts 40 trees, a pond to attract wildlife, and a butterfly garden. The master plan calls for a ''moonlight garden'' featuring white-flowering plants. Jacobs did have koi in her pond, but they were easy pickings for raccoons, so she switched to smaller goldfish.

A large live oak was there when she moved in, and she's added paradise trees, a Jamaica caper, and more unusual varieties, such as a macadamia nut tree.

She planted cypress saplings in locations where they won't interfere with power lines as they grow.

''That one will get really big,'' Jacobs said. ``I don't think there's a green in the world like a bald cypress when they come back in the spring.''

Recently, Jacobs had her yard certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a backyard wildlife habitat. The designation requires people to have food, water, cover, and places for wildlife to raise their young.