2020 Contest Winner

Homeowner	Patricia W
Location	El Cajon
Yard	Front & side

Project

El Cajon homeowner Patricia W transformed 3,850 square feet into a wheelchair-accessible garden. Her landscape now features a decomposed granite path for her daughter to access areas from her wheelchair up close. It also includes a dry creek bed to capture the rain from the roof and prevent overrun, and various water-wise plants and a gold medallion tree. For irrigation, Patricia replaced her overhead spray nozzles with a drip irrigation system that runs approximately twice a week for seven to 12 minutes, depending on the weather. A weather-based irrigation sensor automatically shuts off the controller when it rains and turns it back on when it is dry. Her efforts have led her to decrease her estimated overall water use by an average of about 27 percent compared to the years before upgrading her landscape. In 2018, Patricia applied for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Turf Replacement Program, and as a result, in 2019, she received an incentive of $7,325 for her project. According to her, another plus side is that plants, trees, and flowers can bring relaxation and healing versus a big grassy lawn that demands too much water.

Plants Used

Agapanthus africanus, Fox tail agave, Ray of light agave, Blue chalksticks, Bougainvillea, Butterfly Bush, Cape Plumbago, Crassula campfire, Gold Medallion Tree, Green Cloud Texas Ranger, Jerusalem Sage, Lantana montevidensis (purple and white), Little Ollie, Paddle Plant, Plumeria, Radiation Lantana, Lantana skittles, Rock purslane, Santa Barbara (Salivia leucantha), Statice Sea Lavender, Texas sundrops, Tulbaghia violacea