2022 Contest Winner

Homeowner	Nick V
Location	La Mesa
Yard	Front

Project

Nick V’s natural and welcoming landscape represents over ten years of gardening and planting water-efficient plants. The landscape did not always look as bright and colorful as it does today. The front yard was once covered with a thirsty lawn. Now he has layers of succulents, drifts of flowering low water use plants and colorful trees that give the garden theme and consistency. Nick bases his design around maintaining a natural appearance to make the garden softer and more welcoming. Plants grow together and spillover walkways and walls, softening transitions and borderlines.

With an efficient landscape, a rainwater capture system, and WaterSmart home habits like collecting and reusing shower warm-up water, Nick and his family of five use a maximum of 20 units of water each 60-day billing cycle. That is less than half of what a typical family of five with a similar-sized landscape uses. “I make a great effort with my family to conserve water because it is important to us. We know how precious water is in California, and I really wanted to see if what I do does make a difference.”

Nick’s landscape and low water use serve as an inspiration for a water-efficient lifestyle and demonstrate the beauty that WaterSmart landscapes offer.

Plants Used

blue chalksticks, blue coleus, crassula, dinner plate aeonium, dusty miller, fox tail agave, lions tail, ornamental plum, sea lavender, sedum, silver dolar jade, Zwartkop aeonium