You could call Brad Lefkowits’ award-winning home landscape a demonstration garden. Lefkowits, a landscape designer who owns Waves Landscape Design, lives with his wife, Joanie, and their two young sons and dog in Encinitas. He received first place in the 2023 WaterSmart Landscape Contest from the Olivenhain Water District.
The slope of a 1920s La Mesa home went from a drab lawn to lush floral color with climate-appropriate plants, winning recognition from the Helix Water District as the runner-up in its 2023 WaterSmart Landscape Contest.
The Otay Water District announced the winner of this year’s WaterSmart Landscape Contest, and “Nana’s Garden,” created by El Cajon resident Lois Scott, earned the title. Scott was recognized by the Otay Water District on July 5 with a certificate of recognition, a gift certificate to a local nursery of her choice, a yard sign, and other promotional items.
A charming 1925 La Mesa home featuring a rich tapestry of thriving low-water use plants won the 2023 Helix Water District Landscape Makeover Contest.
Homeowner Joy Andrea, a retired schoolteacher and La Mesa resident for more than 50 years, created a landscape with a tremendous amount of curb appeal, reflecting the character of the home. Andrea’s design includes a balanced mix of shrubs, ground cover, potted plants, large stones, and decorative statues.
Joy Andrea says she enjoys maintaining her new landscape. Photo: Helix Water District
Andrea transformed the previous all-lawn landscape into a low-water-use front yard with a thriving fruit and vegetable garden in the back yard.
“When I first moved here, all this was grass that you would have to water with a hose, or it would go brown in the summer,” said Andrea. “The neighbors that used to live around me would have to be outside watering with a hose. Bless their hearts, I never wanted that. It is more rewarding for me to plant, prune and maintain this space than a flat lawn.”
Joy Andrea selected plants with a consistent grey-blue theme showing pops of color throughout her La Mesa home. Photo: Helix Water District
“I wanted to create an old-fashioned, natural look to compliment my 1925 historic home,” said Andrea. “That’s what I tried to create and the plants take on a character of their own.”
Andrea selected plants with a consistent grey-blue theme showing pops of color throughout. Plants featured in the landscape include pride of Madeira, gazania, blue fescue, bottle brush, felt plant, jasmine, and various succulents.
Numerous wrought iron statues decorate the landscape. Photo: Helix Water District
Andrea placed numerous wrought iron statues within the landscape, inspiring imagination and life from every angle. She also included a bottle brush tree and used larger shrubs bordering the landscape. Containers are filled with succulent groupings spilling out.
The landscape design shows how smaller spaces commonly found in front of most residential homes can feel bigger by creating points of interest and using a variety of plants and trees to add color and character.
The landscaping uses drip irrigation and spray emitters to direct water where it is needed. Photo: Helix Water District
She has some advice for others wanting to makeover their landscapes.
“Pick hardy drought-resistant plants that you love and enjoy seeing,” she said. “Remember to keep your small plants in the front and have your taller plants toward the back and if you don’t like what you have, don’t be afraid to take it out, replant it or get something else.”
The irrigation system uses efficient drip emitters for the larger plants and tall pop-up sprays for the groundcover. Andrea enjoys tending to her potted plants by hand-watering them.
“Water is our single most important commodity on the planet,” said Andrea. “We must all use it carefully and not just in our yards and landscapes, but with everything we do.”
Share your landscape makeover skills in next year’s contest to inspire your neighbors. Photo: Helix Water District
The annual landscape makeover competition recognizes residents for outstanding water-efficient landscapes based on overall attractiveness, design, efficient irrigation, appropriate plant selection, and maintenance.
Photos of Andrea’s yard will appear in the winner’s section at landscapecontest.com, along with past winners of the Helix Water District contest and those of other participating water agencies in San Diego County.
(Editor’s note: The Helix Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
By taking a watershed approach to his landscape redesign, homeowner Brad Lefkowits won the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 2023 Landscape Makeover Contest. The WaterSmart Landscape Contest is held annually by water agencies throughout San Diego County.
Encinitas, Calif. — At its June 21 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors honored Brad Lefkowits as winner of its annual contest designed to inspire attractive landscape transformations that reduce outdoor water use.
The Otay Water District has launched its annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest as part of a continuing effort to encourage water conservation. Outdoor watering accounts for more than half of residential water use. The resident judged to have the most attractive, drought-toleranat garden receives a nursery gift card, among other prizes, and the title “Best in District.”
The 2023 regional WaterSmart Landscape Makeover competition is open. The annual contest seeks the best in landscaping makeover projects from 12 participating San Diego County water agencies. Showcasing residential water-saving landscaping projects highlights water conservation efforts, as a hotter, drier climate is forecast for the region.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
