To practice what it preaches, the Scotts Valley Water District intends to convert its office landscape into a water-smart vista through a contest.

All landscape designers are invited to enter the Water-Smart Landscape Challenge before Aug. 20 to win a $30,000 design and installation contract with the water district. The winner will be announced by Sept. 10.

The contest was created to promote landscapes that cut down the need for outdoor irrigation, which is a huge part of water use in Scotts Valley, especially during the summer, said Haleigh Kleinman, the district’s water conservation coordinator.

“In California and Scotts Valley, we’re really trying to conserve water,” Kleinman said. “Using water-efficient landscapes can really cut down water usage.”

Kleinman said that the district’s existing office landscape is made up of non-native lawn, which needs a lot of watering.

Water-smart plants include California natives and Mediterranean plants, which are ideal because they are well adapted to the environment and need little extra water or maintenance, Kleinman said.

Thousands of plants fall into those categories, including some drought-hardy Australian perennials, succulents and ornamental grasses. Drought-tolerant, easy-care perennials also need less water and maintenance than traditional lawn and annuals.

“We’re trying to get away from ‘Who has the nicest lawn?’ and move towards conserving water and helping the environment,” Kleinman said.

A panel of landscape professionals will judge the smart-water concepts based on overall beauty and creativity, sustainability, and how well the design can be applied to residential gardens, Kleinman said. 

The money for the contest and redesign comes from the California Department of Water Resources Drought Assistance Grant, which was awarded to the district in November 2008.

“We thought we could really lead by example,” Kleinman said. “We’re really trying to educate our customers in Scotts Valley that you can have a garden that doesn’t use much water and that is still beautiful.”

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