Advertisement
Plants

Revamped landscaping earns couple an award

Share

Earlier this year, Laguna Beach resident Sharleen Sweeney’s front yard had turned into a haven for a fast-growing invasive grass that needed to be done away with, so she started a project that ended up getting her noticed.

With help from her son, Colin, and husband, James, Sweeney ripped out 400 square feet of the grass, known as creeping lilyturf, exposing a bunch of rocks.

Instead of leaving as is, Sweeney wanted something more. She brought in additional rocks, arranging them into a decorative dry creek bed and added California natives, including succulents, such as little gem aloe, stonecrop sedum and kalanchoe to the yard on the South Vista De Catalina property.

Advertisement

South Coast Water District officials appreciated the effort and decided the Sweeneys were the right people to honor with the agency’s first Water Saver of the Month Award for July. The family, who has lived in the house for 20 years, received $500.

Sweeney and eight others applied for the award, which is open to residents who removed grass before requesting a rebate through the district’s turf removal program. The program offers rebates for residents who trade their turf for drought-tolerant landscaping.

By adding natives and succulents, the Sweeneys should save about 17,200 gallons of water per year, according to a news release.

The family cut water consumption by more than half in July, Sharleen Sweeney said.

Sweeney looks for other ways to conserve water. She places a bucket to collect shower water as it warms up, then nourishes potted plants with the liquid.

Water districts across the state have tightened rules to cope with the chronic drought and South Coast is no exception. The district’s board voted earlier this year on a once-a-week limit for outdoor watering.

Establishing new plants takes a lot of water, but the restriction wasn’t too burdensome, Sweeney said.

Advertisement

“It’s not like we had a ton of grass,” Sweeney said. “The most we had was the monkey grass, and it’s not the easiest to pull out.”

Irrigation timer boxes in both front and back yards help the Sweeneys manage water use.

“The Sweeneys’ excellent example highlights growing momentum in our area to proactively save water and make a difference for the future of California,” South Coast General Manager Andy Brunhart wrote in an email.

For more information on the award and eligibility rules, visit the district’s website at scwd.org.

Advertisement