Challenge
The homeowners wanted to improve their home’s water efficiency. The case study is an example of a San Diego residence that converted approximately 625 square feet of turf to a WaterSmart landscape.
Solution
Cool season turf grass is one of the highest water using plants used in the San Diego region, so replacing it with a WaterSmart landscape is a great way to reduce water use. Schmidt Design Group, Inc., a San Diego-based landscape architecture and planning firm, was hired to create a WaterSmart landscape for this residence, which incorporates “low” water-use plants and micro-spray irrigation. Their goal was to achieve a water savings of 5,865 gallons per year.
Results
- Converting a yard to a WaterSmart landscape can beautify the property, save money, and reduce maintenance, in addition to help protect, and even improve, the health of the natural environment.
- Now established, the landscape requires significantly less water than the previous landscape.
- Since the replacement of their cool season turf grass yard, the homeowners have enjoyed frequent hummingbird visits to their garden.
- The homeowner also reports that maintenance is very minimal, taking less than an hour each month.
