National City homeowner Catalina Schultz decided to reinvent her yard. Her landscape transformation from grass to a low-water use design is the 2023 winner of the Sweetwater Authority WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Contest. Schultz’s landscape demonstrates how homeowners can create a beautiful, California-friendly landscape using less water. Schultz was recognized for her accomplishment at the Authority’s […]
By taking a watershed approach to his landscape redesign, homeowner Brad Lefkowits won the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 2023 Landscape Makeover Contest. Lefkowits was recognized at the June 21 OMWD Board of Directors meeting. The WaterSmart Landscape Contest is held annually by water agencies throughout San Diego County. Entries highlight colorful and lush landscapes that […]
If you’re ready to move ahead with plans to create a water-efficient landscape, the San Diego County Fair is a good place to start. There are several award-winning examples of creative low-water use and native plant gardens at the fair’s popular Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show exhibit area. (The San Diego County Water Authority has […]
“Thanks for Planting Me!” encourages more widespread adoption of sustainable landscapes to prepare the Southern California region for a hotter and drier climate. The “Thanks for Planting Me!” summer campaign offers gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who have transformed their landscapes using low-water and native plants as part of a larger […]
In Jeanne Reutlinger’s world, gardening is an act of collaboration with friends and neighbors — meaning you don’t need much of a budget at all to create a prize-winning front yard. In Reutlinger’s case, her garden is the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner for the city of Escondido’s water district. (Editor’s Note: Residents of San […]
Lake San Marcos area homeowners associations are conserving water and helping restore the area’s watershed with support from the County of San Diego’s Watershed Rebate program. The rebate program is part of the County’s Watershed Protection Program. Through a partnership between the program and the San Diego County Water Authority, residences and businesses in unincorporated […]
The San Diego County Water Authority and waterwise garden guru Nan Sterman have teamed up to offer a series of free public webinars designed to help San Diego County residents care for their gardens during a fourth straight year of severe drought. Starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, Sterman will host periodic webinars during […]
If you’re looking to upgrade your landscape or just love gardens, it can be challenging to choose the right plant that will thrive within your WaterSmart Living landscape plans for your specific conditions. The online plant finder WaterSmart Landscaping in San Diego County can assist you through a comprehensive database of choices well suited to this region’s […]
Using water efficiently is a way of life and an important responsibility in a beautiful, Mediterranean climate like San Diego County. WaterSmart landscaping is all about rethinking the way limited water resources are applied and making smart choices to reduce outdoor water use. Saving water isn’t the only reason for a WaterSmart garden. WaterSmart landscapes […]
Soil is essential to a healthy landscape and efficient water use. Learn about your soil’s characteristics and how to care for it. The results include easier maintenance, a healthier environment, and a more beautiful landscape. Here are some simple tests to help you evaluate your soil. Soil Drainage Assessment Evaluate your results based on the […]
As the unprecedented drought continues to affect California and the San Diego region, homeowners can still balance the need to conserve water as efficiently as possible while preserving valuable landscaping, including trees. Trees can be maintained while following California’s water guidelines. Trees are among the most valuable investment in San Diego County’s landscape – including […]
If you choose to design, implement and maintain a new WaterSmart landscape yourself, you can follow the Homeowner’s Guide to a WaterSmart Landscape to help you plan, prepare, and work through each step. Free classes and online videos can help. If you’re interested in hiring a landscape professional, the WaterSmart Landscape guide is also helpful […]
Whether you install a new WaterSmart Living landscape or are just looking for tips on how to conserve water in your existing landscape, the following section can help you make an immediate impact on your landscape water savings. View these tips, and follow the guidelines below Plan ahead. Keep a copy of the plant legend, […]
With your new WaterSmart landscaping plans complete, demolition and turf removal done, and your new irrigation system in place, it’s time to get started on the plant installation. For most homeowners, this is the most rewarding part of the process seeing your new landscaping come to life. Review the following tips to help you through […]
Successfully installing WaterSmart Living irrigation starts long before you get out your tools. You need to complete an assessment of your landscape plan’s specific water needs, draw a complete plan showing the layout, then select your irrigation and purchase your irrigation equipment. If your soil needs amendments (and it almost certainly does), you must get […]
Landscape Transformation Wins Sweetwater Authority Contest
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalNational City homeowner Catalina Schultz decided to reinvent her yard. Her landscape transformation from grass to a low-water use design is the 2023 winner of the Sweetwater Authority WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Contest. Schultz’s landscape demonstrates how homeowners can create a beautiful, California-friendly landscape using less water. Schultz was recognized for her accomplishment at the Authority’s […]
Family Friendly Watershed Approach Wins Olivenhain MWD 2023 Landscape Makeover Contest
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalBy taking a watershed approach to his landscape redesign, homeowner Brad Lefkowits won the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 2023 Landscape Makeover Contest. Lefkowits was recognized at the June 21 OMWD Board of Directors meeting. The WaterSmart Landscape Contest is held annually by water agencies throughout San Diego County. Entries highlight colorful and lush landscapes that […]
County Fair Exhibits Delight Visitors with Low-Water Use Landscaping
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalIf you’re ready to move ahead with plans to create a water-efficient landscape, the San Diego County Fair is a good place to start. There are several award-winning examples of creative low-water use and native plant gardens at the fair’s popular Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show exhibit area. (The San Diego County Water Authority has […]
“Thanks for Planting Me!” Spokesplants Promote Landscape Transformation
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Kristiene Gong“Thanks for Planting Me!” encourages more widespread adoption of sustainable landscapes to prepare the Southern California region for a hotter and drier climate. The “Thanks for Planting Me!” summer campaign offers gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who have transformed their landscapes using low-water and native plants as part of a larger […]
WaterSmart Makeover: Escondido Yard is a Handcrafted Haven
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County, WaterSmart Living /by Mike Lee /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron GoldenIn Jeanne Reutlinger’s world, gardening is an act of collaboration with friends and neighbors — meaning you don’t need much of a budget at all to create a prize-winning front yard. In Reutlinger’s case, her garden is the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner for the city of Escondido’s water district. (Editor’s Note: Residents of San […]
Lake San Marcos HOA Landscape Makeovers Benefit From County Watershed Restoration Program
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalLake San Marcos area homeowners associations are conserving water and helping restore the area’s watershed with support from the County of San Diego’s Watershed Rebate program. The rebate program is part of the County’s Watershed Protection Program. Through a partnership between the program and the San Diego County Water Authority, residences and businesses in unincorporated […]
Free “Drought-Proof Your Garden” Webinars with Waterwise Garden Guru
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Mike LeeThe San Diego County Water Authority and waterwise garden guru Nan Sterman have teamed up to offer a series of free public webinars designed to help San Diego County residents care for their gardens during a fourth straight year of severe drought. Starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, Sterman will host periodic webinars during […]
Find the Right Plant for Your Landscape Plans Online
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalIf you’re looking to upgrade your landscape or just love gardens, it can be challenging to choose the right plant that will thrive within your WaterSmart Living landscape plans for your specific conditions. The online plant finder WaterSmart Landscaping in San Diego County can assist you through a comprehensive database of choices well suited to this region’s […]
WaterSmart Living Landscapes Come in Many Styles
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalUsing water efficiently is a way of life and an important responsibility in a beautiful, Mediterranean climate like San Diego County. WaterSmart landscaping is all about rethinking the way limited water resources are applied and making smart choices to reduce outdoor water use. Saving water isn’t the only reason for a WaterSmart garden. WaterSmart landscapes […]
Getting the Dirt on Healthy Landscape Soil
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalSoil is essential to a healthy landscape and efficient water use. Learn about your soil’s characteristics and how to care for it. The results include easier maintenance, a healthier environment, and a more beautiful landscape. Here are some simple tests to help you evaluate your soil. Soil Drainage Assessment Evaluate your results based on the […]
Make Landscape Trees a Priority During Drought
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalAs the unprecedented drought continues to affect California and the San Diego region, homeowners can still balance the need to conserve water as efficiently as possible while preserving valuable landscaping, including trees. Trees can be maintained while following California’s water guidelines. Trees are among the most valuable investment in San Diego County’s landscape – including […]
Do It Yourself or Hire a Landscape Professional?
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalIf you choose to design, implement and maintain a new WaterSmart landscape yourself, you can follow the Homeowner’s Guide to a WaterSmart Landscape to help you plan, prepare, and work through each step. Free classes and online videos can help. If you’re interested in hiring a landscape professional, the WaterSmart Landscape guide is also helpful […]
Caring For Your WaterSmart Living Landscape
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalWhether you install a new WaterSmart Living landscape or are just looking for tips on how to conserve water in your existing landscape, the following section can help you make an immediate impact on your landscape water savings. View these tips, and follow the guidelines below Plan ahead. Keep a copy of the plant legend, […]
Plant Installation Brings Your New WaterSmart Landscape to Life
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalWith your new WaterSmart landscaping plans complete, demolition and turf removal done, and your new irrigation system in place, it’s time to get started on the plant installation. For most homeowners, this is the most rewarding part of the process seeing your new landscaping come to life. Review the following tips to help you through […]
Installing WaterSmart Living Irrigation
/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle FalkenthalSuccessfully installing WaterSmart Living irrigation starts long before you get out your tools. You need to complete an assessment of your landscape plan’s specific water needs, draw a complete plan showing the layout, then select your irrigation and purchase your irrigation equipment. If your soil needs amendments (and it almost certainly does), you must get […]