2021 Contest Winner

Homeowner	Christine L
Location	El Cajon
Yard	Front

Project

Grass covered every corner of El Cajon homeowner Christine L’s 1,895-square-foot front yard, which required too much water. Finally, in 2014, she decided to make a change and signed up for landscaping classes presented by the San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program. She received a rebate of $2,140 through the Water Authority’s WaterSmart Turf Replacement Program. With the help of her husband and son, Christine took out her grass and installed water-wise features such as mulch, stone, and low-water-use plants. Her landscape now includes a drip irrigation system and a few rotating nozzles. Using a smart irrigation controller, her schedule is set to water efficiently. Compared to the years before upgrading her landscape, Laframboise has decreased her overall water use by an average of 42%. Laframboise says she mostly enjoys that her new yard attracts pollinators, she can maintain it on her own, and she no longer needs a lawnmower.

Plants Used

Succulents, blue ice plant, lion’s tail, fire sticks, daisy plant, kumquat tree and fruitless strawberry