CA Drought: Grass vs. Landscaping

Despite the California drought, there are still lush green lawns in my neighborhood.

We have water restrictions, but if home owners pay the price for water, apparently they can still do that.

That said, more often, we see more lawns like mine that resemble... dirt.  Lots of dry dirt.

I am well aware that the dirt looks worse than the lush green grass.

So, what are the options?

And which option should you choose when you're considering the resale value of your house?

Through a CA program, Turf Terminators will replace your yard for free.  They'll do all of the work and then your property will look something like the following pictures.

These bottom pictures seem like the best choice.  The only problem is that I have a tortoise.  And I'm afraid that he would eat the rocks or the bark.

So, that leads me back to ... keeping the dirt for now and waiting until the drought conditions subside.