I removed part of my lawn because I love roses and needed someplace else to put them.  There are soaker hoses feeding my roses and catmint around the edges. We planted bulbs in one area that bloom in the spring, no water needed. Also, there were some parts of our yard that just didn't seem to get enough water to keep the lawn green, so we needed to try something else. For both sections we are working towards no care needed other than occasional weeds.  An added bonus has been that it takes a lot less time to mow!