2025 Landscape Contest Winner Archives

Thomas and Georgia Shultz receive compliments from neighbors on their winning Vallecitos Water District Landscape Makeover contest landscaping. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Landscape Makeover Trio Named Vallecitos 2025 Contest Winners

October 3, 2025/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle Falkenthal

The Vallecitos Water District named three beautiful and water-efficient landscape makeover projects as its trio of 2025 Landscape Makeover Contest Winners.

Lisa Urabe, Vallecitos Public Information Representative and U.C. Master Gardener, says that although each of the three landscape winners designed vastly different gardens, all of the winners use their gardens as natural extensions of their homes, blending indoor and outdoor living.

In addition, the winners prioritize sustainability by incorporating low-water plants, and their landscapes are all buzzing with life, thanks to thoughtful choices that attract pollinators, like bees and butterflies.

Take a video tour through the winning landscape makeovers.

Making A Change Results In Winning Landscape Makeover

Thomas and Georgia Shultz have been Vallecitos Water District customers for 45 years. They decided it was time for a change from the grass they had “for the longest time.” When they learned about taking advantage of rebates to help them pay for the makeover, it sealed the deal.

“We decided to take out all the lawn, and put in a waterwise landscape,” said Tom Shultz. He and Georgia worked with Stonebrook Landscapes to design a plan for their 2,800-square-foot yard, based on a layout provided by Tom, which prioritized pollinator-friendly native plants. The Shultzs did most of the work themselves.

The new landscape features milkweed, lantana, Little John Bottle Brush, California Lilac, English Lavender, Tuscan Blue Rosemary, Kangaroo Paw, Common Yarrow, Fan Flower, multiple types of sages, and a Crepe Myrtle tree.

The Shultzs selected pollinator-friendly plants and did most of the installation themselves. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Tom says the water savings are significant. “We were averaging between 20 and 30 units of water a month, and now we’re running in the 12 to 15 units a month.”

Georgia says neighbors now stop by and say they love the yard. She tells them about the rebate program available through the Metropolitan Water District. “It’s an amazing program Vallecitos Water District is using to encourage people to help us make better choices for our planet, for our water usage, instead of grass.”

“It’s exciting for us to be recognized for our work. We really appreciate Vallecitos Water District recognizing that we are doing something to help conserve water and to serve the community,” added Tom.

Second Place Project Adds Water Saving Irrigation Upgrades

Vallecitos Water District Public Information Representative and U.C. Master Gardener admires Kelly Ellingson’s second place winning landscape makeover project. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Vallecitos Water District customer Kelly Ellingson learned about the annual landscape makeover contest when Lisa Urabe visited her neighborhood. “The fact that Lisa came by to tell us about the contest, I thought it was above and beyond.”

Ellington replaced what she calls a “hodgepodge” of rock and patchy grass with California native plants and a touch of artificial turf. The biggest change was replacing the sprinkler system with a drip irrigation system, which she recommends to other homeowners.

“The favorite part of our landscape for us is how low-maintenance everything is, not having to worry about water and not having to worry about plants dying and replacing them.

“Now, when we look at our water bill, we’re pleasantly surprised each other to see that it’s not only aesthetically the direction we were headed, but it’s also saving us a lot of money.

“The outdoor patio for us is just like an added living room. We live out here. We spend so much time out here that we’re just so grateful that we did it,” said Ellington.

Third Place Winner Brings Beauty and Color to Life

Third-place winner Susan Haskell says she now spends more time outdoors in her patio surrounded by colorful plants. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Third-place winner Susan Haskell said her original backyard “had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.” Haskell decided a waterwise plan was the right approach and got additional inspiration from a previous winner featured in the Vallecitos Water District’s “Between The Pipes” customer newsletter.

“I thought it was just a really good thing for a water district to send out information and saving water,” said Haskell.

Haskell says she loves the colorful, waterwise plants, the beautiful dry river bed, and the seating area that allows her to enjoy time in the backyard “just chilling.”

“Before this garden, I was sort of a gray and beige person. The beauty and the color, the vibrancy, it has turned me into a colorful person,” said Haskell.

Janet Chambers replace the grass at her new home with plants native pollinators love. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Pollinator Paradise Wins 2025 Vista Irrigation District Landscape Contest

August 20, 2025/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle Falkenthal

The Vista Irrigation District board of directors recognized Janet Chambers as the district’s 2025 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner at its August meeting.

Chambers moved into her current residence about 11 years ago. The original yard consisted of a plain-looking lawn and one large Liquidambar tree. Because the existing lawn consumed a tremendous amount of water and provided little benefit, she decided to make a change.

Replacing Grass With Flowering Plants for Pollinators

The new landscape features a wide variety of blooming plants in bright colors. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Chambers began by removing her turf and installing a decomposed granite path and a cobblestone sitting area; she then set out to create a drought-tolerant garden with an emphasis on providing flowering plants for pollinators, such as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Once the new garden was installed, the change in her front yard’s character was dramatic.

“Now the garden is alive with constant movement of pollinators, and it’s a joy to sit on my cobblestone patio and watch all of the activity,” said Chambers.

Chambers says the garden does not require pesticides or herbicides and practically takes care of itself by reseeding empty areas on its own. She waters the landscape with a drip system several times weekly during the summer months. She is able to turn off the irrigation system during wetter winter months.

Annual Contest Highlights Value of Watersmart Landscapes

Janet Chambers added a Small Little Library to her vibrant, watersmart landscape. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

The annual contest recognizes outstanding water-wise residential landscapes based on the criteria of overall attractiveness, appropriate plant selection, design, appropriate maintenance, and efficient methods of irrigation.

“Free regional WaterSmart landscape workshops are available online and in person to assist homeowners to upgrade their home’s landscape to reduce water bills,” said Sandra Sanchez, Vista Irrigation District water conservation specialist.

“Additionally, landscape conversion rebates, such as for turf replacement, are available to help with the cost.”

The district joined eleven other local agencies that held landscape contests this year, providing an opportunity to highlight water-wise residential landscapes throughout the region. Participating agencies (besides Vista Irrigation District) include Helix Water District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, Sweetwater Authority, Vallecitos Water District, California American Water, Rincon Del Diablo Water District, and the cities of Escondido and Oceanside.

For more information about the contest and to see more examples of WaterSmart landscaping, visit www.landscapecontest.com . Visit the district’s website at www.vidwater.org or call 760-597-3160 to find out more about free landscape workshops and incentive programs

The result of the Claermans' carefully planned landscape makeover is the 2025 City of Escondido Landscape Contest winner. Photo: City of Escondido

Escondido Landscape Contest Winner Inspired By Local Gardens

July 24, 2025/in Achievements, Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle Falkenthal

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.

The beautiful Fletcher Hills yard filled with native plants is the winner of the Helix Water District 2025 WaterSmart Landscape Contest. Photo: Helix Water District

Fletcher Hills Family Wins Helix Water District 2025 WaterSmart Landscape Contest

June 19, 2025/in Features, WaterSmart Living /by Gayle Falkenthal

The transformation of a Fletcher Hills front yard in El Cajon showcases what a drive for sustainability and some family effort can create. The effort by homeowners Sinead and Lance G. is this year’s winner of the Helix Water District 2025 WaterSmart Landscape Contest.

The annual contest celebrates residents who demonstrate outstanding water-efficient landscaping through design, plant selection, irrigation, and maintenance.

This award winning landscape features natives like Cleveland Sage, Desert Mallow, Ceanothus Concha Lilac, White Sage, and Milkweed. Photo: Helix Water District

When Sinead and Lance moved in, their home had a struggling front lawn with a dying pine tree. The couple replaced over 1,200 square feet of lawn with a water-smart, eco-friendly design that boosts curb appeal.

“Our motivation was centered around doing our part to support the local ecosystem: bees, birds, butterflies, moths, and plants with adaptations to survive on low water,” said Sinead.

Trading Grass For A Flourishing Garden

Every detail of the yard’s design was thoughtfully hand-crafted. Sinead sketched out a plan that included two river rock gardens and carefully chose planting areas. Photo: Helix Water District

The couple purchased their home in 2020 and, with the help of family, spent over a year clearing Bermuda grass to make way for a flourishing garden. “First, my dad, husband, and I worked together on weekends to dig out the crab grass at least five inches,” she said.

After removing the grass, they used cardboard and black plastic tarp to smother the remaining roots, a labor-intensive process that took six months to dig out and another year to solarize.

Once the area was prepped, they hired a local gardener to level the yard, and then Sinead and her husband covered the soil with cardboard and weed cloth before planting. “To my surprise, when we started planting, we observed a substantial number of worms in the ground, which is typically a sign of healthy soil.”

Hand-Crafted Garden With Native Plants

Sinead’s mother, who is a talented gardener, helped lay out the plan including the dry river bed. Photo: Helix Water District

Every detail of the yard’s design was thoughtfully hand-crafted. Sinead sketched out a plan that included two river rock gardens and carefully chose planting areas. “My mom is a talented gardener, so she helped me design the shape of the walkway and plant placement,” she shared. Her favorite addition was a Desert Museum Palo Verde tree, carefully positioned after consulting DigAlert, a free utility marking service.

The plant palette includes many native favorites like Cleveland Sage, Desert Mallow, Ceanothus Concha
Lilac, White Sage, Milkweed and many others. The variety of plants offers vibrant blooms and plenty of
habitat for local species.

“A WaterSmart landscape allows us to serve nature. After all, our home was built on local wildlife land. The least we can do is share our little plot of land to offer native animals and plants a place to grow, eat, and find shelter.”

Relying on Natural Rainfall

The new landscape features many native plants attractive to pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Photo: Helix Water District

For simplicity and preference, Sinead opted not to install irrigation and instead waters her garden by hand. “This has worked out well; the plants get water, and I get to spend time outdoors admiring blooms and critters.” The couple also created two rain gardens using rocks to capture and reuse rainwater, keeping the water on the property and maximizing a free resource.

Now that it’s established, their landscape needs very little watering, just once every two weeks in summer, a bit more before a Santa Ana wind, and nothing extra during the cooler months when rainfall is enough. The result is a thriving, diverse, and low-maintenance landscape, created with care, purpose, and a deep love for nature.

Photos of Sinead and her family’s garden will be showcased at landscapecontest.com, alongside other
regional winners and on Helix Water District’s website.

The WaterSmart Landscape Contest runs from January through mid-May each year. To learn more, visit the “Enter A Contest” page on the Helix Water District website.

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