The result of the Claermans' carefully planned landscape makeover is the 2025 City of Escondido Landscape Contest winner. Photo: City of EscondidoEscondido Landscape Contest Winner Inspired By Local Gardens
The transformation of the Claerman family’s landscaping began with research and field trips. The results of their landscaping makeover were named the 2025 City of Escondido Landscape Makeover contest winner.
Yannick Claerman’s landscape transformation process included research on drought-tolerant plants, plant groupings, soil types, and how to use compost and mulch to enhance water efficiency.
He made visits to local demonstration gardens, which provided him with a little extra inspiration as he began curating a selection of manzanitas, native irises, yarrows, monkeyflower, and multiple varieties of sages.
Grass Becomes A Carpet Of Stars
No longer a traditional lawn, this expanse of lush greenery is made up of 250 dwarf “Carpet of Stars” succulents. Photo: City of Escondido
It takes a second look to see the change in an original patch of lawn. It doesn’t look much different at first glance, but it underwent an incognito transformation. Claerman replaced this section of grass with 250 Dwarf Carpet of Stars plants, a succulent with a close-growing pattern. Dwarf Carpet of Stairs is dense enough to support foot traffic, just like grass, but it leaves no room for weeds to grow in between the plants.
The slope below the “Carpet of Stars” lawn is planted with flowering natives with every color of bloom and foliage. Photo: City of Escondido
The Dwarf Carpet of Stars plants are now slowly growing in. Once they do, it will look as if the lawn never left, offering a space for walking, sitting, and recreation.
Claerman and his wife decided against removing the existing mature palm trees and added a variety of fruit trees and other edible plants alongside the drought-tolerant backdrop.
Sustainable, Efficient Irrigation Use
The Claermans named each of the zones and unique features throughout the yard. This dry riverbed feature is called “Rio Rudy” after the Claermans’ friend, Rudy, who helped Yannick with laying the rocks and myriad other jobs in the landscape transformation process. Photo: City of Escondido
Nevertheless, Claerman still found ways to minimize potable water irrigation. He makes the most of reclaimed water by capturing rain runoff from his roof. Water is stored in a new 2,650-gallon rainwater tank. The runoff water collected in the tank, along with a simple graywater system that reclaims the household’s shower water, is used to irrigate the east side of the garden.
A separate graywater system for the front yard recycles wash water from the laundry room. Yannick placed rocks above ground to mark the path of the graywater delivery pipes below ground, helping him to select the optimal spot for each new addition to the plant community. Photo: City of Escondido
Claerman installed a separate graywater system for the washing machine, which irrigates the front yard garden.
A door for the garden’s smallest and most whimsical visitors. Although you may not find fairies here, you are sure to see winged pollinators from bees to butterflies, and even bats (roosting in a recently installed bat house) gliding among the blooming natives. Photo: City of Escondido
Claerman feels rewarded not only by the beauty of the garden, but also by the knowledge that his work in crafting a resilient home landscape will contribute to broader efforts by gardeners everywhere to create a more sustainable future.
